Thank you very much for the great article. Being a P3D user for the recent couple of years and having major concerns about the "costs" related to quality products in that platform, since everything that has some quality is priced easily over 100 euros nowadays, I had enough with that platform after the latest malware scandal and especially after how the situation was handled in one of the biggest flight-sim websites on net, namely on their forums. I was eager to quit that platform and though I had tried X-Plane before (10 and 11) I was a bit reluctant to move. Because
1. I didn't really want to be a newbie once again, losing almost all the knowledge you gathered,
2. I didn't want to waste all the money I had spent there,
3. I wasn't sure about the quality of "quality products" of X-Plane.
Then I saw and read about FF A320. And I moved to X-Plane. I think this explains a lot:
1. X-Plane does not need other simulator's developers and their "dirty" (yes I am sorry but it is!) business models, if they want to have the business model here. FF and then TOLISS proved that X-Plane developers can produce as good if not better products.
2. X-Plane community is small simply because a) There are not enough quality products and to a lesser extent b ) transition period is sometimes really frustrating (in terms of understanding X-Plane and UI) I moved because I saw I was wrong to think X-Plane does not offer an Airbus as good as other platform's Airbus (the one that you pay to get a malware on your computer).
That would be great for X-Plane.
So what I believe X-Plane should focus on:
1. Filling the gap in quality: a good short to medium haul Airbus (done), a good medium to long distance Airbus and their Boeing counterparts, (I wish TOLISS was working on a Boeing rather than Airbus or at least on a 330 not 319) Yes these are important. We have to admit most people are flying on these airplanes, especially younger ones and as far as I noticed X-Plane community is younger than other simulator's. Yeah ok, you have to learn it step by step, aviation is about enthusiasm and this and that...I don't deny any of these but what I have seen and experienced by now in flight-simming community, a release for a quality Boeing or Airbus is huge news. Just have these 4 planes and then people will come. Then their needs for other types of aircraft will run the market anyway.
2. Good weather engine (and may be camera?) software. I have been reading about the currently available ones and I am yet to be convinced that they are as good as that of other platform's. May be I am wrong but in that case go ahead to step 3.
3. Promote the products and do it better! I have been receiving X-Plane newsletters and I know VMAX/FF also has a 777 and there is also a very good Zibo Mod for default 737. I just dont know how good they are. People in other simulator can only dream about an EFB (yeah upcoming 747-8 will have it I know) in a cockpit and there is a great EFB on FF A320. Google maps and a browser where you can see the charts?? Wouw! I really believe 90% of flightsim community dont know about it.
4. Make the transition period easier for the people coming from other platform. I dont know how, -that is X-Plane's developers job- but just do it In my previous tries to move to X-Plane I always gave up spending maximum 45 mins in the cockpit! Total confusion about how to move and interact with the cockpit buttons and switches... (Ah and to be able to do that, face another awful truth: People dont read "Read Me" files! So don't say "it is all there!")
Behind the Screen : February 2018
in Behind The Screen
Posted
Thank you very much for the great article. Being a P3D user for the recent couple of years and having major concerns about the "costs" related to quality products in that platform, since everything that has some quality is priced easily over 100 euros nowadays, I had enough with that platform after the latest malware scandal and especially after how the situation was handled in one of the biggest flight-sim websites on net, namely on their forums. I was eager to quit that platform and though I had tried X-Plane before (10 and 11) I was a bit reluctant to move. Because
1. I didn't really want to be a newbie once again, losing almost all the knowledge you gathered,
2. I didn't want to waste all the money I had spent there,
3. I wasn't sure about the quality of "quality products" of X-Plane.
Then I saw and read about FF A320. And I moved to X-Plane. I think this explains a lot:
1. X-Plane does not need other simulator's developers and their "dirty" (yes I am sorry but it is!) business models, if they want to have the business model here. FF and then TOLISS proved that X-Plane developers can produce as good if not better products.
2. X-Plane community is small simply because a) There are not enough quality products and to a lesser extent b ) transition period is sometimes really frustrating (in terms of understanding X-Plane and UI) I moved because I saw I was wrong to think X-Plane does not offer an Airbus as good as other platform's Airbus (the one that you pay to get a malware on your computer).
That would be great for X-Plane.
So what I believe X-Plane should focus on:
1. Filling the gap in quality: a good short to medium haul Airbus (done), a good medium to long distance Airbus and their Boeing counterparts, (I wish TOLISS was working on a Boeing rather than Airbus or at least on a 330 not 319) Yes these are important. We have to admit most people are flying on these airplanes, especially younger ones and as far as I noticed X-Plane community is younger than other simulator's. Yeah ok, you have to learn it step by step, aviation is about enthusiasm and this and that...I don't deny any of these but what I have seen and experienced by now in flight-simming community, a release for a quality Boeing or Airbus is huge news. Just have these 4 planes and then people will come. Then their needs for other types of aircraft will run the market anyway.
2. Good weather engine (and may be camera?) software. I have been reading about the currently available ones and I am yet to be convinced that they are as good as that of other platform's. May be I am wrong but in that case go ahead to step 3.
3. Promote the products and do it better! I have been receiving X-Plane newsletters and I know VMAX/FF also has a 777 and there is also a very good Zibo Mod for default 737. I just dont know how good they are. People in other simulator can only dream about an EFB (yeah upcoming 747-8 will have it I know) in a cockpit and there is a great EFB on FF A320. Google maps and a browser where you can see the charts?? Wouw! I really believe 90% of flightsim community dont know about it.
4. Make the transition period easier for the people coming from other platform. I dont know how, -that is X-Plane's developers job- but just do it
In my previous tries to move to X-Plane I always gave up spending maximum 45 mins in the cockpit! Total confusion about how to move and interact with the cockpit buttons and switches... (Ah and to be able to do that, face another awful truth: People dont read "Read Me" files! So don't say "it is all there!")