General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
Help with weapons pack uprising
JamesChams:
--- Quote from: lvflyer on February 12, 2011, 09:33:33 am ---... The ony acceptable compromise will be for these companies to release the portion of the package that will allow seeing the effects by all and then only charge for those that want to control them. That way if a person uses CS Weapons for FSX or VRS or MilViz the others will be able to see them without owning all three packages, which probably won't work together anyway.
--- End quote ---
Mr. "lvflyer,"
I see your point... However, I must say as a paying customer, "FREE" gift winner ;D, and the user of some awesome FREEWARE's (namely Mr. Javier's Nimitz package & a few others, like Dino’s aircraft ;)) that this is not really a bad idea; having them made by good payware companies.
Well, let consider the following…
[*] For those of us who want "TOP NOTCH Quality" at a reasonable price, buying all three packages should amount to about roughly $60-$90 USD (at max ~$100 USD), at roughly $20+ USD/package. And, that is still cheaper than buying just one good payware tube-liner, like any of PMDG's excellent work.
[*]Next, you pay for what you get and I'm sure you'd agree that not all freeware works correctly and is constantly maintained/patched or supported beyond a few minor update cycles. CaptainSim, VRS, & MilViz are professional companies that guarantee support of their work with constant fixes/updates and reporting workaround posts. While this might happen with some freeware design groups, I'm sure that you would agree that it could cease at some point due to lack of interest or just when developers get caught-up with life's chores/troubles (e.g. system dies, have babies, or plain get sick of developing), which have all happened to us at one time or another.
[*]Thirdly, not all users will want to invest time into sophisticated packages for each aircraft. Some may simply want a simple arcade-style add-in. Here’s where CaptainSim has really taken the lead in developing a simple easy to use package. Unlike VRS’ or MilViz’s products which will most likely be strickly for the “advanced” simmers. They will also require hardcore knowledge of the avionics packages in the jets and require much reading/playing for comfortable use – something I’m really looking forward to. :D
[*]Fourth, CaptainSim has really shined with the addition of AI targets for different eras and types of combat engagement. Something unique that may or may not be done by VRS or MilViz; who, for the time being, are implementing advanced avionics/weapons systems for modern jets. This also opens up the possibilities of Scenery developers building Weapons ranges, and classic war/battle situations, and (my favorite hope) more Military bases. This is something that I’ve even asked Virtuali/FSDT to do and so far only combo civilian/military airports like PHNL/Hickman and a few from Aerosoft have emerged as payware quality. I see that this area has great potential for all kinds of developers/development projects.
[*]Fifth, this is a logical next step for most of these companies who are seeing the decline in user-interest with the same types of products over and over again. This is something new for FS, has tremendous growth potential for FSX/Acceleration users who want to see more sophisticated capabilities in Military platforms in the Sim. And, have "things" to do, including adding "Missions" into the FSX environment which up till now has been sadly not fully explored or exploited by developers - Something that made FSX, especially, a much better entertaining platform.
[*]Finally, I believe that, at least in the beginning, that these packages integration might strictly be limited so that each company can build the products potential, fix bugs, and manage support for their respective product line. However, this is where the FREEWARE community might shine - You all might be able to use the features of simConnect or FSUIPC to translate the data of weapons effects/explosions into the host MP and even SP environments and bypass the built-in limitations. Allowing for users to just download your tool and see/feel the impact of explosions/warfare as an observer ONLY, while needing to purchase the product to be a active participant. e.g. MS made Carriers for their payware Acceleration package, and then Mr. Javier & the FREEWARE community made the Nimitz class ones that rival everything that was done by MS. Then, someone else, made a MP version and yet another (Orion & team) started making FSX Missions to enhance their experience of it. Now, honestly, no one would choose to use the default carrier over Javier’s awesome work, right? ;) So, its been done before and you’ll can do it again here too.[/list]
In conclusion, I would firmly persuade you to see this as your *finest hour*, as I see that this now CaptainSim’s and soon to be both VRS' & Milviz's as well. In the end they may “out-do” your capabilities, but perhaps you'll (Freeware Community) might build things that they haven't considered; like ground assault/submarine vehicles, Scenery elements, missions – the Sky is the limit. I could add much more, in the way of ideas, to this post to reveal to you my thinking on the potential that is yet to be explored, especially in light of the closed platform of MS Flight and the extremely old/limited FS2004 sim.’s (which has had its day), but that I’ll leave to some other time to discuss, when these products capabilities/limitations are strictly being defined.
For you, however, I hope you reconsider your impression of this and see the plus side of it to the entire community of simmers. FS, especially FSX, is no longer as limited and restricted to original role of its conceivers, it has finally started to become a “real world” example of what Aviation and all facets of flight should be – realistic as well as capable of meeting/dealing with all type of accurate modeling. That has and is still my *FSX Dream*, which are being realized daily – Praise God! :D
lvflyer:
Just to give you an idea of what we have already accomplished. In the beginning there was only a beta standalone server that we called the bomb server. With the bomb server there is a client that is loaded onto each player's computer that is connected to the server through VPN, we mostly use Wippien. Everyone would have the MK82 bomb effects loaded onto their computer as a droppable object. The client listened for the shift+D keystroke and would manufacture a bomb out of any airframe that you were flying, even the trike, and would drop and explode on impact with the ground or object. The server would instruct all the others that were running their client and were connected with the server to manufacture the same effect in the same location as originally created, including the image coming from the aircraft and impacting the ground. Now the next phase was created in the form of a dll that now does not need to connect to the server, but can see any effect that is created by the client of another without the client being ran on the player with the dll installed. So you see it has already been accomplished. It is just a matter of a little bit of polish and a user interface and it will be complete for all to enjoy. There is strength in numbers and the community as a whole have demonstrated that once an add on is created and the code is released to all that it can only get better with time.
JamesChams:
--- Quote from: lvflyer on February 12, 2011, 05:50:43 pm ---Just to give you an idea of what we have already accomplished. ...
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I looked at the youTube movies 0011 & 0012 (from your earlier post above) and was quite impressed with what you've accomplished. Are you associated with the guy that did/worked on this FREEWARE: FSXWeapons?
I, too, along with another highly skilled XML programmer, did a few updates to the AS F-16 X entire gauge set to include many major enhancements. you can learn about it here: U.E.P. But, that project is currently still in a *holding pattern.* But you can see a brief demo I made during its earlier development; Enjoy!
Keep up the good work, I hope to see many wonderful new things in the year(s) to come. ;)
lvflyer:
No I haven't spoken with the guy with the cockpit, but I sure would like to get him and Chris Dub and Karol Chlebowski together. What a team. As too your EHSI it is a great looking add on, however to military realism I don't think anything like that is available. They tend to use TACAN readouts only and I still can't understand why since I am qualified in a G1000 glass panel. Talk about situational awareness. What we do need is a true terrain following radar that can turn the aircraft to avoid terrain as seen by a forward looking radar. That seems to be a complex undertaking and the only thing that has been accomplished so far is radio altimeter holding. In mountainous area that doesn't work too well.
JamesChams:
--- Quote from: lvflyer on February 12, 2011, 06:46:02 pm ---..., but I sure would like to get him and Chris Dub and Karol Chlebowski together. What a team. ...
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That's the main problem with FREEWARE; people are fiercely competitive or isolationistic and things never really get *realized.* But, with Payware, that rarely happens. Other plus' included a self-motivated need for survival, something that we as humans have which keep us motivated even when things are tough or impossible.
So, for now, at least, the payware will rule, it would seem. ;)
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