The Microsoft Flight Website now offers more details on Microsoft Flight, Microsoft Games Studio's upcoming replacement for MS Flight Simulator. Word is the game, currently in beta, will be released for Windows PC this spring, and will be a free release, supported by sales of new aircraft, regions, and customization options: "In addition, players who sign in to their Games for Windows – LIVE account automatically receive additional free content, including the legendary Boeing Stearman plane, supplementary missions, and access to Achievements and an Online Pilot Profile. Those looking to deepen their experience can purchase and download additional content that adds new aircraft, regions and customization options. The frequently released new content for Microsoft Flight includes daily aerocache challenges and updates that make every flight unique and fun."
cont at: http://www.bluesnews.com/s/128849

Today, this has officially become a dying hobby. Very sad.

What kinda crap is this!?!?? Who is running the flight sim team at Microsoft now!? Seems like they are giving their loyal fanbase a huge "middle finger"

So you get the sim for free, but all add-ons are going to cost you.

Looks like FSX is gonna be my last MS flight sim. Hopefully the other sims in production right now will learn from this and continue to find ways to keep the flight simmers happy.

MS shouldn't have even wasted their time on this one.

Agreed. As I said over at Alpha-India, I'm not going anywhere near that. FSX ain't perfect, but I'd prefer it to anything like what MS are bringing out as its "replacement".

Pile of S**t really

Well I was always a bit wary of this product but I will reserve my final judgement until it is actually out and people have had time to appraise the product and not just the adverts.

However, if the base is free and you pay for addons then it could be very tricky to make AI packages that suit everybody. Assuming that it has an AI engine.

Sorry to disappoint you Steve, but here's a quote from an article by Fly Away Simulation:

The game will feature it’s (sic) own marketplace, with content regulated by Microsoft. There will be no scenery development kit and hence no user created content.

No SDK means no AI packages.

So long and thanks for all the fish!

reconmercs wrote:What kinda crap is this!?!?? Who is running the flight sim team at Microsoft now!? Seems like they are giving their loyal fanbase a huge "middle finger"

That's just the thing, there isn't a flight sim team anymore. According to the developers, the reason why it MS Flight and not MS Flight Sim, is because the 'casual gamers' were being put off by the 'Simulation' aspect, and they're the crowd they are trying to reach with this game. Sure, they've been throwing rosy words at the hardcore simmers, saying how they'll be able to enjoy x, y, and z in MS Flight, but in reality they're not the crowd MS is trying to attract.

I'm trying to find the article it came from, but I seem remember reading somewhere that in MS Flight, you won't be able to alter the amount of fuel on board, which the developers will then be able to use to restrict how far you fly. And only if they see a very large number of players flying off to a distance and then logging out, will they consider adding the scenery that would be in that location.

In short, the MSFS franchise is dead and buried, and MS Flight should not and can not be compared to it. They're two entirely different things, with only part of the names sharing a common trait.

I'd say give em a roll of coins and point them to the nearest arcade. What about those who have been dedicated users of the sim since the beginning? We don't count anymore?

My own post from AVSIM:

I'm not sure what to think of the intent of the Flight video linked on the homepage here.

We need someone capable of Jedi mind-trick to help turn things around.

MS: How long have you wanted an improved flight simulator?

Young AVSIM Pilot: About 5 or 6 years.

MS: Let Me show you Flight.

Old AVSIM Pilot: We don't need to see Flight.

MS: You don't need to see Flight.

Old AVSIM Pilot: These are not the Simmers you are looking for.

MS: These are not the Simmers we are looking for.

Old AVSIM Pilot: They can go about their business. Move along.

MS: You can go about your business. Move along.

This might be a viable replacement since M$ has clearly jumped the shark with "Flight"


Its a new sim called Aerofly FS (http://www.aeroflyfs.com/index.php/en/e ... flyfs.html), the same company that's released a couple RC sims, here's a couple demo vids, anyone have
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAZwLM_m ... ideo_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Ik9wAP ... re=related
anyone got any more info on it?

And of course X-Plane 10, not sure how either this or Aerofly handle AI though
http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/landing/

FlightGear has AI, and it's free

And then there's Prepar3d v2, which builds on the FSX source code and (according to one of the Orbx developers) is about as good as it's going to get for flightsimming. The price, however, ouch...

RKE wrote:And then there's Prepar3d v2, which builds on the FSX source code and (according to one of the Orbx developers) is about as good as it's going to get for flightsimming. The price, however, ouch...

There is a demo, but $500 USD plus the monthly fee, hmm I might have too many hobbies.

I thought it was $500 for a permanent license or $10 per month for a monthly license? One is aimed at end users and the other at developers, who might only need for a brief period?

RKE wrote:I thought it was $500 for a permanent license or $10 per month for a monthly license? One is aimed at end users and the other at developers, who might only need for a brief period?

It does look phenomenal.....but I think Lockheed Martin are taking the piss with the price tag.

Mark

RKE wrote:I thought it was $500 for a permanent license or $10 per month for a monthly license? One is aimed at end users and the other at developers, who might only need for a brief period?

I cannot believe they want to charge developers to develop for them. Don't get ant ideas Dan.

Mark

Like everything, we just have to wait and see how things shake out. We won't be going to Flight here at all....FSX...probably not....something else? Maybe...