announcement What we are working on - 2022

[ErikM]

Happy New Year! Is your team still working on KPBI? If not, its fine we just have a big group that would like to know. Thank you. 

[ErikM]

@Anna Cicognani Happy New Year! Is your team still working on KPBI? If not, its fine we just have a big group that would like to know. Thank you. 

[AnthonyS]

@Anna CicognaniCan we expect to see YBCG released sometime this year? 

 

 

[John Heaton]

27 minutes ago, AnthonyS said:

@Anna CicognaniCan we expect to see YBCG released sometime this year? 

 

 

Anthony - I doubt that Orbx will do another YBCG - unless they want to port their version of the P3D cityscape

and to replace the 9 year old Bing that is still used in the sim

 

there is a very good payware version - that is up to date on the SimMarketplace

[John Dow]

21 hours ago, Dozer16 said:

@Anna Cicognani Happy New Year! Is your team still working on KPBI? If not, its fine we just have a big group that would like to know. Thank you. 

 

For X Plane yes I've seen something in the pipeline.  

[wain71]

5 hours ago, John Dow said:

 

For X Plane yes I've seen something in the pipeline.  

lets hope so....

[Anna Cicognani]

11 hours ago, wain71 said:

lets hope so....

 

Yes - in the pipeline for X-Plane.

[Anna Cicognani]

On 1/2/2023 at 3:33 PM, AnthonyS said:

@Anna CicognaniCan we expect to see YBCG released sometime this year? 

 

 

 

It is being done by one of our indies for MSFS.

[FBWFTW]

5 hours ago, Anna Cicognani said:

 

Yes - in the pipeline for X-Plane.

Happy New Year Anna!  Just curious what happened to the P3D/MSFS versions of KPBI that have been on the map/in the pipeline for quite some time (originally announced and previewed by Ed back in ~March/April 2020) 

[ErikM]

@Anna Cicognanithanks for responding! Any hopes for KPBI for MSFS? I deleted x-plane sometime ago. It’s the only airport I want as I live next to it haha  @John Dow

[AnthonyS]

11 hours ago, Anna Cicognani said:

 

It is being done by one of our indies for MSFS.

Thanks!

[DModjo]

On 1/2/2023 at 4:06 PM, John Heaton said:

Anthony - I doubt that Orbx will do another YBCG - unless they want to port their version of the P3D cityscape

and to replace the 9 year old Bing that is still used in the sim

 

there is a very good payware version - that is up to date on the SimMarketplace

 

I tried it. It's performance is abysmal.

Definitely needs Orbx treatment.

[FBWFTW]

On 1/3/2023 at 10:05 AM, Dozer16 said:

@Anna Cicognanithanks for responding! Any hopes for KPBI for MSFS? I deleted x-plane sometime ago. It’s the only airport I want as I live next to it haha  @John Dow

+1 minus the live next to…. been waiting for this one for a long time. 

[mattius]

Any chance of an MSFS conversion for  Dubrovnik - LDDU? The MXI release is rather poor!

 

[rhalunen]

@Anna Cicognani;

 

It's been awhile since you checked in about Orbx TE Regions. Anything new to report?

Roger

[DModjo]

Radio silence from Orbx lately. I can't believe we're still waiting for YMML 3 years after release of MSFS

[Pukcip]

On 1/31/2023 at 12:17 PM, DModjo said:

Radio silence from Orbx lately. I can't believe we're still waiting for YMML 3 years after release of MSFS

It's a shame isn't it - since JV left there has been a real lack of interest with engaging with customers from Orbx HQ.  There is the odd bit about a preview but nothing else.  In previous years a good January post, heavily caveated with "don't hold us to this", would lay out plans for the year ahead but as you say - radio silence... Real shame.

 

Screenshot competition prize going from a product to 100 Orbs shows a similar intent towards frequenters of this forum too.

 

 

[John Dow]

On 1/31/2023 at 11:17 PM, DModjo said:

Radio silence from Orbx lately. I can't believe we're still waiting for YMML 3 years after release of MSFS

The development of an airport depends on many factors that all come together. It's not as easy as someone waking up one morning and deciding to develop an airport and a couple of months later out pops a product that satisfies a wide range of users, including recent expectations of terminal interiors. By the time everything comes together, bugs ironed out, MSFS changes dealt with, etc, it's probably going to be a year long project, that might return cents per hour on the time spent. The airport might well say sorry, no photography of the airport allowed. Lots of factors control airport development, until all the pieces come together, a project can't be expected to proceed. 

[Justin Thomas]

It pains me to say it, because I've been a loyal Orbx customer for the best part of two decades - but it seems the company has turned into more of a distributor than a developer.  And that's fine - the products it sells from other developers are great - eg FlyTampa's YSSY.

 

The issue is the inhouse Australian products.   They mustn't have the market potential like overseas, because they don't get the love they used to from Orbx like they did back in the day.

 

YBBN is not great.  It was rushed, and there's major problems (such as the Domestic Jetways) that still haven't been fixed for 18 months - many posts on this forum about it have simply gone unanswered or brushed off by Orbx.

 

So firstly, I'd rather Orbx take their time than release an inferior product.  

 

Secondly, if they can't get to it in a reasonable timeframe, get another developer to do it.    That seems to be the climate for MSFS2020 and so many developers - if you don't do it, someone else will. 

[John Dow]

7 hours ago, Justin Thomas said:

Secondly, if they can't get to it in a reasonable timeframe, get another developer to do it.    That seems to be the climate for MSFS2020 and so many developers - if you don't do it, someone else will. 

Orbx doesn't 'get' other developers to make sceneries. There's cooperation in the marketplace but only to a point. If YMML is do-able, someone will do it, the fact that it hasn't appeared yet either from Orbx or any other developer indicates there might be issues that make the project unfeasible or impossible as a commercial product. 

[John Heaton]

17 hours ago, Pukcip said:

It's a shame isn't it - since JV left there has been a real lack of interest with engaging with customers from Orbx HQ.  There is the odd bit about a preview but nothing else.  In previous years a good January post, heavily caveated with "don't hold us to this", would lay out plans for the year ahead but as you say - radio silence... Real shame.

 

 

 

 

What makes you think that JV has "LEFT" ?  - what? - the room? -- the building? - the company ? 

 

A simple perusal of the company's annual results - shows that JV holds some 90+% of the issued shares

sometimes - it just pays you guys who think that airports and sceneries literally grow on trees to think a litle

more about what it is you are asking for - when you want your local airport for the New MSFS sim

 

Even a small one would take at least 3 months of say 2 blokes working together to produce one of the Quality

that would be worth selling - e.g. - 2 x 3 months wage - say a cheap $50k. - which in turn at a reasonable selling price of $25 - would need to sell 2000 downloads - How long would it take -  and at what cost would YBML take - and that's an airport that would not be a priority - of non Australians

 

Orbx were pioneers in there early days and those of us who have been around since those early days of 2008

remember the breakthrough that Orbx made with their T.E. series and making great strides in the sims of the day

 

2 years ago - MSFS made the latest base scenery breakthrough to where we are today - which leaves only airports

and every man and his dog - are knee deep in producing them - so why should Orbx try to compete with these smaller developers - when they can expand the business - by adding the work of a distributor for such developers

 

Almost - one might say - taking a leaf out of the successful Just Flight company whose VFR Real Scenery helped them

make a similar start in Flight simming as Orbx FX back in 2008 (I still have a full set)

 

Despite all that has gone on before - a company is there to make a profit - and there is ONE of the answers to 

why Orbx has gone seemingly into a shell - IN THIS THREAD 

Take a look at the results of Orbx in the years 2020 and 2021 and weep -----  if you are a shareholder

 

 Just before I stared this diatribe - I took a look at what I had spent since MSFS with Orbx -  and it is damn near

as much as i spent in the previous 10 years on P3D and XP11 - all of which are now in my trash bin - so Orbx 

can't blame me

 

 

[BradB]

My opinion is ........ everybody has the right to there own opinion . Nuff said .

[pletch99]

To all those getting upset about the lack of a roadmap/2023 update, this thread hasn't yet passed it's first birthday. It's holiday season in Australia. I would imagine that @Anna Cicognaniwill have something to say about their current plans in the not too distant future.

 

Anyone who watched this weeks MSFS developer Q&A will know that Orbx have a plane, five NZ airfields and 60ish point of interests coming to a PC/Xbox near you (all but the plane for free) as part of the upcoming NZ world update.

 

It strikes me that Orbx have changed part of their business model in a significant way - they are now devoting a considerable amount of resource to work paid for by Microsoft. This probably offers Orbx a more reliable revenue stream than investing in speculative developments with unknown sales potential from the community.

 

I suspect that developing new airports for MSFS is now quite risky - the guarunteed big sellers have mostly either been done or are so large that they require a huge investment. Anytime you start an airport project you risk having another developer do the same scenery - even if yours is the best, some people will buy the competitors product severely reducing your income.

 

I know it's not an in house product, but in last years update Anna shared that Oslo was being developed. Since that announcement two other versions of Oslo have appeared which alongside the existance of a pretty good freeware version means that the Orbx version is never likely to make the returns envisaged when the project was started even if it ends up being an outstanding project.

Edited February 2, 2023 by pletch99

[wain71]

I don't see people getting upset, just frustrated at 'no comment' being the order of the day.....but I guess if you make a roadmap people will hold you to that as though it's set in stone...you can't win either way.....lives far to short to get to stressed over a hobby for sure, fly with a smile and enjoy what we have compared to what we had...

[wolfko]

16 hours ago, PavlinS said:

It's curious then why you put laughing face to someone asking for an add-on for Prepar3D / FSX. FS2020 is not the only sim on the planet. Some of us do not wanna move on, since we have so many add-on products and it is a valid reason as well. But to laugh at us for asking to me is very immature. 

 

You have abviously not checked, that This laughing face was clearly meant sarcasticly.

[Pukcip]

2 hours ago, wain71 said:

I don't see people getting upset, just frustrated at 'no comment' being the order of the day.....but I guess if you make a roadmap people will hold you to that as though it's set in stone...you can't win either way.....lives far to short to get to stressed over a hobby for sure, fly with a smile and enjoy what we have compared to what we had...

I’m not frustrated by a lack of roadmap but just think it’s a shame there is so little engagement from the Orbx HQ peeps these days.   You’re right that whenever a roadmap was published in the past some visitors to the forum considered the roadmap a done deal which may have caused frustration on the Orbx side.  However, over the years there has been good engagement and now there isn’t and that is a shame.  
 

That’s my opinion but it’s for Orbx to run their business their way. 

[EasternT3]

6 hours ago, PavlinS said:

I do not accept sarcasm well. Especially for a product I waiting for 2 years already since I learned. In P3D Asia looks like a blob, which will be nice to look better. 

 

OpenLc Asia has been covered many times in topics, the last official statement from Orbx is that the development is on hold due to the situation of the developer 

[John Dow]

4 hours ago, PavlinS said:

 

The silence of Orbx on the project for more than a year is a sign of drop of support for P3D and FSX. And since there is still people, users, of those simulators, to be dismissed that way is more than disrespectful. It is very annoying, especially minding the fact we invested a lot of money into this company for products over the years. We gave a lot of funds to that company and we deserve respect non less than the users of MSFS2020. We deserve to know. 

 

I think you misunderstand the nature of Orbx as a flightsim development company. Orbx started out as a collection of talented designers who took on scenery projects and shared resources but each designer had a project or a share in one, but there was no requirement for anyone to take part in any project. And so it is still. Developers are offered projects, or developers bring projects to Orbx, but if no one puts their hand up to be part of a project, people are not 'assigned' except maybe for some minor aspects. 

 

Given the amount of work that would be required to get up to speed and then complete LC Asia, and the existing market for P3D, the return would probably be measured in cents per hour for the dev. 

 

The fact is, LC Asia exists, in a format that leaves the old LC standard for dead, it's called MSFS and it's included in the sim along with the rest of the world. Technology moves on, CD replaced vinyl and cassette tapes, DVDs replaced VHS snd Beta, MP3 replaced CDs, streaming replaced DVDs, and so it goes on.  Similarly, MSFS scenery out of the box is replacing the LC products, that were the best in their time, but no longer make the grade. 

[EasternT3]

22 minutes ago, PavlinS said:

Their code is closed, their SDK is not existent. Also a freaking large amount of developers just left P3D and FSX, for the " photorealism" of FS2020, which is foolish if you ask me, because that way the competition for my sim is 0

you really live in the past, the non existent SDK is so wrong, if there’s no SDK then why do we have PMDG, Fenix, Leonardo and so much more in MSFS. Also use your brain, if so many developers are leaving your sim , there’s obviously a good reason you are not getting, and to give you a hint, the reason isn’t foolish, everyone here by now gets you’re staying with P3D and that’s fine, but you also need to be realistic, which you’re not currently. Anyway I’m leaving this conversation now because you obviously don’t understand logic.

[Julio Garcia]

I am always amazed that there are some companies that have officially ended support for P3D products and still sell their P3D aircraft and sceneries at a high price. Why should I pay the original price if I no longer get support for it? I do not.

[EasternT3]

20 minutes ago, PavlinS said:

I don't know for the rest, but PMDG develops on P3D v5 their planes for FS2020, if I recall properly based on what they published about it. They also said that Asobo did not return answer to any of the emails PMDG sent. So I don't know what you are talking about. I won't waste 10 years of waiting for a good long hauler in FS2020, to me Fenix or Leonardo are not superior to PMDG. They are less. And keep on laugh at me. I will keep on using my planes, because unlike you I invested 10K USD into my sim and I won't change it for any fake " photorealism" whatsoever. It's pointless to invest twice into two different simulators when you already have the best planes on the market available to you. And I spent in P3D more than 10 years of time and I won't change it, just because bunch of kids like you like being abusive towards me. 

And let me remind you - that whole conversation about " which sim is better" started because I asked for OpenLC Asia and bunch of people attacked me for that opinion. If that's how you act towards me than I should prob. shut the hell up, since no one here actually can respect different opinion than " MsFs2020 iS thE BeSt SimUlator on tHe maRkeT!". 

Im constantly on the PMDG forums so I know what they say and you are completely wrong. As for 10 years for a good long hauler, I bet the PMDG 777 will be released this year. Not exactly 10 years is it. Also you don’t know how much I invested in P3D.  I’ll give you a hint, it’s more than you. I’m just happy delivery it when a new sim releases. Also no one is telling you to change sim, stay with P3D forever if you want, but people have the right on public forums to express their opinions, and all I was trying to do is explain what’s happening with OC Asia based on the latest information, no matter how long the information was released. 
 

also it might be a language thing but no one other than you turned it into a sim debate….

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

how disappointing to see the direction that this topic has taken.

As 2022 is now gone, the "discussion" is far away from the subject of the topic

and everyone has had their say, it is now redundant.
Thanks to all who contributed.