Military AI Works

I've just had a look at the website and see that it's closed.

The group produced some superb work and it would be a great shame for it to disappear into the digital ether. Is MAIW in a position to host ACG's stock and prevent all that hard work going to waste - or is it already in hand?

The statement says it is possible to download until February, but the ACG Forum doesn't accept my login...
May be John can help?

Giorgio

That's really bad news. I hope they'll release all their scenery on AVSIM before it gets deleted.

Too bad, Its a shame to see these longstanding sites and contributors leave. Just hope their work is left behind for others to enjoy.

It is sad, but unfortunately, largely inevitable. The reasons are varied and affect some designers more than others.

ACG has specialised in highly detailed custom military scenery for nearly 7 years now. It usually takes 2000-4000 hours to produce each offering, over time scales of 1-2 years or longer. Not all projects make it to the end. Because of the very small number of designers and the limited number of projects on the go at any one time, it became very difficult to maintain interest and site visits between releases.

Apart from the time constraints, designing like that requires a great deal of focus and commitment over a long period when things can change. The response at the end sometimes feels like a black hole with very few people acknowledging the effort. That’s tempted one designer to move to pay-ware. For my point of view, I prefer working on AI now, because the projects are much shorter, more varied and more intense design-wise. If some don’t take-off with users, that’s not so much of a disincentive and less of a risk.

Also in the mix is the dilemma of what simulator is being designed for with a split in usage between FS9, FSX and P3D. I can usually mange to produce both FS9 and FSX versions of my AI aircraft without too much extra effort, but with custom scenery, designing for both FS9 and FSX, particularly with high definition ground polygons, it is now largely prohibitive. That dilutes the take up of course.

The sensitivities of producing realistic military scenery in the current threat climate is also a factor that saw Lakenheath abandoned at quite an advanced stage of design. I don’t want to argue the pros and cons of that here, but again from my point of view, I don’t want to take an unnecessary risk for the sake of a freeware hobby. A safer bet is retro scenery, but that’s a very niche “market”.

For all of these reasons, maintaining the site was no longer thought to be justified. The current scenery designers, I believe, are continuing to pursue the hobby (largely retro) in their own way and hopefully you will see the results in due course. The intention will be to upload to Avsim or Flightsim.com (all completed projects are already there, apart from my RAF Marham), but I already have the kind offer to host them and the past ACG sceneries in the Download Hangar here at MAIW. I was always going to do that for my scenery once I resume uploading my past work, having got my Japanese projects out of the way in the next couple of weeks. I’ll certainly ask the others if they would like to do the same. With the forum here, that will also give us a vehicle to stay in touch.

John Y

Sad news....

Impossible to connect to their forum... second sad news....

Hi,

Yeah what John said, he said that much better than I could. A small part of me wishes I could have kept it going but its just not possible and after emailing John today I think we made the right decision.

And as John has said, I believe were all still working on airfields in our own way, only the forum/website has gone.

sorry you cant login, the website was reset on Xmas day after some issues so all accounts were removed resulting in the need to reregister. All our sceneries are on Avsim and flightsim.com only RAF Mona isnt on there.

Stevo

Really sorry to see the web site go, but I understand the reasons. You guys, ACG, were/are great.

A very heart felt thank you to ACG.

On Avsim and Flightsim I've found Duxford, Twin bases, Wattisham, Gutersloh, Bruggen and Coningsby in the MAIW Package.
I seem to remember there were more than these. Am I wrong?

Giorgio

Sorry to hear that you've decided to close ACG. I have all your various sceneries going back to pre-ACG Yorkshire airfields. You really did set the standard for scenery.
I totally understand and respect your reasons. Hopefully we will still see some ACG quality scenery released in the future.
Thanks for all your hard work over the years.
Best wishes
Derek

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. Giorgio, there are a few more sceneries, including Waddington, Marham, Valley, Mona and Leuchars. I'll provide a complete list once we work out where to go from here.

John Y.

Why don't you post them (all your scenery) on the MAIW Library ?

If you re-read my main post, that is mentioned as a distinct possibility. It's absolutely OK for my work, but I need to ask the other members of the ACG team if they would like to do the same.

John

The only reason I think I stuck with FS9 and now FSX was the super detailed and accurate scenery of Waddington and Marham and all the other scenery packages ACG released (especially the excellent Wattisham) as well as learning to convert MAIW sceneries into FSX. There is nothing more satisfying for a wannabe pilot then flying out of Waddington in an IRIS Vulcan and forming up with another Vulcan doing circuits or topping up with fuel in a JustFlight GR-1 from a Victor from Marham.
I totally see the reasons and will fail to find your equal even in the payware market for stunning retro scenery packages for FSX.
I'll just make do with what I've got, hope for more maybe and pop down to Bruntingthorpe a couple of times a year for the reel thing and scorched eyeballs!!! If you've stood at the end of the taxiway you'll know what I mean!
Many thanks to you all for your time and amazing effort and all the best!

Are you still intending to develop Bruntingthorpe? I assume that would not have the same sensitivity attached to it as the active military bases?

I think Bruntingthorpe would be a nice challenge. There is a freeware version with a decent airfield layout but it really needs the QRA sheds adding in and the correct aircraft as there now. Not sure on the complexities of making AI aircraft just doing fats taxies but that would be a great thing to see but just having the actual aircraft there now would be a start.
I understand Phantom II FGR.1 XV582 “Black Mike” might be joining the other Cold War jets there soon hopefully if the funds can be raised!

We've agreed that we should add the ACG sceneries to the MAIW Download Hangar - thanks to Mark for that. We can contribute to the scenery section of the forum, including what individuals are doing when they feel they have something to show. I believe Bruntingthorpe is still on the cards.

John

That's good news, John!

John Young wrote:We've agreed that we should add the ACG sceneries to the MAIW Download Hangar - thanks to Mark for that. We can contribute to the scenery section of the forum, including what individuals are doing when they feel they have something to show. I believe Bruntingthorpe is still on the cards.

John

John,

We will have an individual category made for ACG uploads so the groups work can stay together. It may take a couple of days, we will let you know when we're ready to receive ACG's uploads.