If You Dont' Stand Up for Something,You'll fall for Anything
Posted: 24 May 2015, 05:39
A Hobby is a hobby.
IN the computer age some hobbies have never gone out of fashion:
Reading books (hard-copy) and building Model Kits (Aircraft, Ships, Cars)
FS2004 has been a hobby for many of us.
But FSX came along to entice many to move on.
Then P3D showed up and now it's P3d v2...v2.5
Lately, FSX SE (or Steam Edition) is now a new rival to P3D, especially.
From ONE solid sim: FS2004,
the path has now branched into THREE: FSX, FSX SE and P3D.
What's next?
Flightsimmers are now going their separate ways.
The more divisions there are in sims, the smaller the groups that can form.
BEfore we know it, good solid freeware sites like MAIW will dwindle and shrink to nothing,
and we will all be at the mercy of PAYWARE developers, and their (mostly) overpirced addons.
(Some are worth every cent...nind you!).
Backward compatibility is also becoming increasingly rare.
FS9 is backward compatible with FS8 and FS7 in many ways: many FS2004 planes still use FS98 gauges..
FSX is limited to FS2004 compatibility.
P3D v2.5 is not even fully compatible with v1.
Every "new" sim requires new tools, new skills, new addons, since backward compatibility is not a requirement.
One has to start from scratch...just to fly in the latest sim, such as P3D or FSX SE..
At this rate, sites like MAIW will become extinct, as member numbers shrink more and more...
Unless we stand up for some thing, we are going to fall for anything....that developers throw our way...
Instead of a hobby, we will find ourselves "addicts" to the latest sims, ever craving the "latest" one...
Just some food for thought, guys.
We have a great hobby and a supportive forum that has proved immensely beneficial to all,
and it would be sad to see it all taper off into nothingness...
Personally, I have installed both FS9 and FSX on my rig, and it would be great if everybody here who has already converted some MAIW packages for FSX, for personal use. If everybody pooled their converted packages, many could benefit from each other's hardwork. It's difficult for one person to convert ALL packages to FSX. But if the load is split amongst many, then it would benefit all.
What each one of you does about simming in the next decade, I've no idea...
As for me, I fully intend to stick to FS9 (and FSX "Gold" edition), and bring to life scores and scores of abandoned and closed airfields and airbases.
In Europe and the USA, mostly, in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s....
And bringing to life entire squadrons of Delta Darts, Delta Daggers, Saab Drakens, Saab Viggens, Sabres, Skyrays, Voodoos, Thunderchiefs, Thunderstreaks, Javelins, Buccaneers, etc.
and also creating aircraft-carriers all over the oceans bristling with Skyhawks, Vigilantes, Tomcats, Phantoms, etc. that will provide me with endless fun and satisfaction till my lease on earth expires....
We are at a crossroads, and I wish every one of you... all the joy and fun that virtual flying can give you...
IN the computer age some hobbies have never gone out of fashion:
Reading books (hard-copy) and building Model Kits (Aircraft, Ships, Cars)
FS2004 has been a hobby for many of us.
But FSX came along to entice many to move on.
Then P3D showed up and now it's P3d v2...v2.5
Lately, FSX SE (or Steam Edition) is now a new rival to P3D, especially.
From ONE solid sim: FS2004,
the path has now branched into THREE: FSX, FSX SE and P3D.
What's next?
Flightsimmers are now going their separate ways.
The more divisions there are in sims, the smaller the groups that can form.
BEfore we know it, good solid freeware sites like MAIW will dwindle and shrink to nothing,
and we will all be at the mercy of PAYWARE developers, and their (mostly) overpirced addons.
(Some are worth every cent...nind you!).
Backward compatibility is also becoming increasingly rare.
FS9 is backward compatible with FS8 and FS7 in many ways: many FS2004 planes still use FS98 gauges..
FSX is limited to FS2004 compatibility.
P3D v2.5 is not even fully compatible with v1.
Every "new" sim requires new tools, new skills, new addons, since backward compatibility is not a requirement.
One has to start from scratch...just to fly in the latest sim, such as P3D or FSX SE..
At this rate, sites like MAIW will become extinct, as member numbers shrink more and more...
Unless we stand up for some thing, we are going to fall for anything....that developers throw our way...
Instead of a hobby, we will find ourselves "addicts" to the latest sims, ever craving the "latest" one...
Just some food for thought, guys.
We have a great hobby and a supportive forum that has proved immensely beneficial to all,
and it would be sad to see it all taper off into nothingness...
Personally, I have installed both FS9 and FSX on my rig, and it would be great if everybody here who has already converted some MAIW packages for FSX, for personal use. If everybody pooled their converted packages, many could benefit from each other's hardwork. It's difficult for one person to convert ALL packages to FSX. But if the load is split amongst many, then it would benefit all.
What each one of you does about simming in the next decade, I've no idea...
As for me, I fully intend to stick to FS9 (and FSX "Gold" edition), and bring to life scores and scores of abandoned and closed airfields and airbases.
In Europe and the USA, mostly, in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s....
And bringing to life entire squadrons of Delta Darts, Delta Daggers, Saab Drakens, Saab Viggens, Sabres, Skyrays, Voodoos, Thunderchiefs, Thunderstreaks, Javelins, Buccaneers, etc.
and also creating aircraft-carriers all over the oceans bristling with Skyhawks, Vigilantes, Tomcats, Phantoms, etc. that will provide me with endless fun and satisfaction till my lease on earth expires....
We are at a crossroads, and I wish every one of you... all the joy and fun that virtual flying can give you...