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Microprose B-17 Flying Fortress Released

Javis said:
How is "early access" subject to the standpoint of a developer ? A developer has access to the project from the very start up until the final release. I.e. 'early access' doesn't apply to the developer. Only to the customer who, in this case, has to pay for it too.
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What I meant is that early access is usually employed for one of the following reasons (more may apply):

a) the developer is looking for an immediate influx of cash to fund further development and/or to bring food on the table right now;
c) to appease the community and to compensate for long delays in releasing the product or;
c) (in a more cynical way) to do a quick cash grab and then disappear.

I don't know who is behind the current MicroProse, but we are not dealing with that big software house from the 1980s. However, when a big publisher/developer like Just Flight supports and promotes this product, it usually means they have enough faith in this developer that (s)he delivers a saleable product. It's not a 100% guarantee, but a fair indication that this product will be developed further. Whether the end product is to your liking is ultimately up to you. Also take into account that the FS-market largely consists of buyers who don't require/expect a plane to be modeled to the nines. Those who do are a minority within the FS-market.
 
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Hi,

On FSX, we could have hoped to build a correct aircraft according to the standards of their SDK in 3 months. With MSFS, this time has greatly lengthened and with MSFS 2024 it’s even worse since the fast reload option was modified and without hope of going back (that is to say having the same option as MSFS).
As a developer, to create such an aircraft with so many details and complexity, one cannot hope to do it in less than a year of work.
Staying for a year without any money coming in is unthinkable unless you have other, simpler parallel projects that allow you to live.
After the experience I was able to acquire by working with GAS, I noticed all the ancillary fees that differentiated freeware from payware and I understand this developer.
 
Lawman said:
What I meant is that early access is usually employed for one of the following reasons (more may apply):

a) the developer is looking for an immediate influx of cash to fund further development and/or to bring food on the table right now;
c) to appease the community and to compensate for long delays in releasing the product or;
c) (in a more cynical way) to do a quick cash grab and then disappear.

I don't know who is behind the current MicroProse, but we are not dealing with that big software house from the 1980s. However, when a big publisher/developer like Just Flight supports and promotes this product, it usually means they have enough faith in this developer that (s)he delivers a saleable product. It's not a 100% guarantee, but a fair indication that this product will be developed further. Whether the end product is to your liking is ultimately up to you. Also take into account that the FS-market largely consists of buyers who don't require/expect a plane to be modeled to the nines. Those who do are a minority within the FS-market.
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Don't forget getting a large group of non-employee beta testers.
 
Lawman said:
What I meant is that early access is usually employed for one of the following reasons (more may apply):

a) the developer is looking for an immediate influx of cash to fund further development and/or to bring food on the table right now;
c) to appease the community and to compensate for long delays in releasing the product or;
c) (in a more cynical way) to do a quick cash grab and then disappear.

I don't know who is behind the current MicroProse, but we are not dealing with that big software house from the 1980s. However, when a big publisher/developer like Just Flight supports and promotes this product, it usually means they have enough faith in this developer that (s)he delivers a saleable product. It's not a 100% guarantee, but a fair indication that this product will be developed further. Whether the end product is to your liking is ultimately up to you. Also take into account that the FS-market largely consists of buyers who don't require/expect a plane to be modeled to the nines. Those who do are a minority within the FS-market.
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a) that might be it..
b) i bet that didn't work as expected. Might even work the other around..
c) hmmm.... i bet that's not the one, in any case i *hope* it's not. No matter the "waaaay too early access", i can certainly see a lot of heart and dedication in their B-17 project. It's their first project for MSFS so we could file this, lets say, unfortunate event under 'first mistakes'. I bet we're not going see any more 'Early Access' editions with their next MSFS projects should they have that in the pipeline. ;-)

The way i see it is that they should've setup a different 'Initial Release' for their B-17 Road Map. I'm not kidding when i say that Microprose thinks MSFS is a game. Why else did they think that crew figures are so important that they've gone all 'bells and whistles' on them (at the same time getting the scale completely wrong... ;-) while they didn't even bother to animate the wheels ! ( there's a rather comical but also embarrassing effect of that in Jon Beckett's B-17 video. He taxi's to the runway over grass and the stuck wheels leave deep furrows in the ground, like he's been plowing the field...;-)


(most video reviewers carefully exclude views on the wheels while taxiing..)

If they wanted to go with an 'Early Access' edition they would've best forget about the crew (only the two pilots) and forget about the complete internal model aft of the cockpit as well. By doing so they could've concentrated on the VC and the flightdynamics much more, even until almost finished, the external model could have done as is now but with animated wheels ( !! ), 3D spinning props sideviews ( as it is now it's just too horrible to even want to look at it ) and get the LOD sorted out. While i think sound is extremely important it is of secondary importance in an early access edition. That's atleast something we can change ourselves for the time being. Textures could've done for the time being as well. Flightmodel is the most important. Atm approach and landing the MP B-17 with full throttle to keep it flying is just rediculous and takes away all the fun it would've been if only they would've put much more time into developing the flight dynamics.

I don't know if you have the MP B-17 model, Lawman, but if you do i'm almost sure you'll agree that with this particular "Early Access" edition Microprose has taken a wrong turn in their Road Map.. :unsure:
 
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Flight dynamics is always a separate development aspect, far and away removed (in most cases) from the graphics and animation boffins. However it is a witches art still. Over the years I have done a lot of FD's. Even had people who maybe have never flown a real plane tell me I didn't get the landing right in a plane that in real life that perhaps I had a thousand landings in? A major house for which I was a subcontractor of a subcontractor had a lead Beta Tester that didn't understand that a 400 mph fighter at altitude will not have an indicated airspeed of 400 mph. Apparently they didn't understand that either.

I hope they get things ironed out! It takes a while to test and tweak, really an ongoing business.
 
Javis said:
I don't know if you have the MP B-17 model, Lawman, but if you do i'm almost sure you'll agree that with this particular "Early Access" edition Microprose has taken a wrong turn in their Road Map.. :unsure:
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I don't have it, since I'm not a fan of "early access" myself. Also, the B-17 doesn't hold much interest to me personally, sorry. Whether MicroProse took a wrong turn depends on how much backlash they get/feel. Although the reviews generally were pretty negative, all reviewers acknowledged that it was clearly stated that it wasn't a finished product they were reviewing. But maybe most people who bought it don't mind that and are just hoping that it will be completed to their expectations. Like in all walks of life it could well be a case of a vocal minority screaming murder versus a silent majority who is satisfied for what it is right now and is hoping for the best.

P.S: if you're a B-17-afficionado and were hoping for a high-end rendition, I totally understand your disappointment and frustration.
 
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A rather scathing review from Wells Sullivan of both the flight model and things about the 3D model that should have worked properly for an 'Early Access' release : -


Cheers

Paul
 
Expecting anything from an early access build kinda goes against the concept in my opinion. Expectations are for the 1.0 release. I don't really get why people really care for reviews of this build and judge the final product already on this base.
I also watched one clip partly, as I was curious on the current state and can not test it myself currently. Currently it does not hold a lot of value for me, since my interest is mostly systems simulations and switch throwing, which is at this point not included at all. Still I bought it today as I want to support MP for taking on this project and because I see a solid base. Also because I like this approach where the development is more open for the customer who doesn't only receive the final product.
Might go well, might not. That is my risk for investing into an early access project. We'll see.
 
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