Australian Airports

[gheeD]

IMO you shouldn't "grade" FTX sceneries by how much they improve the default scenery, but how amazing it looks. I personally am more in love with the mountaineous scenery of PNW and surroundings (pacific fjords and NRM) so i think PNW looks better becouse i like the scenery overall in that part of the world. Australia is more of a low-lying area, which doesn't really excite me as flying between the mountains of PNW. But still i don't think less of australia, it just isn't my cup of tea. But i think all FTX sceneries are equal (well, PNW is atm superior as scenery making technigue, i remember JV once saying that PNW has improved scenery developing technigues + enchanced default airports) to each other, and you shouldn't think other is superior to other just becouse it improves default scenery more than other.

So it all comes down to which one you prefer, Australia or NA. I prefer NA.

[John York]

For Goords sake and for the second time John or Jay close this thread down.  They've strayed far off topic and are arguing.

I started the thread because I was interested to see what we're going to get in the way of Australian airports in the future.  That question has been answered in spades so there's no point in continuing it.

Thank you.

John

[Patrick Scharnowski]

We are not arguing, we are discussing. The forum's called "General Discussion" and not "General Consensus".

[skkuda]

close this thread down

AFAIK 98% of this disscusion is a very polite disscusion....so don´t feel bad

[alan2]

Well, which one is better ? ... .. I dont see Aus as nealy finished yet by a long chalk .  After flying PNW for quite a while I found  Aus to be a little "less" , I think it lacks the drama of the mountains and seaonal changes .  Aus native gum trees dont loose their winter leaves and we get snow in a very small area of hills/mountains

However, I am finding I like the space in Oz - there's room to breath , distances .  I love the deserts and the farmlands . PNW feels too cluttered to me .  Aus would respond well to an extreme high mesh , get those ancient Ranges standing out .

Two different places with two different feelings . As in real life . 

 

[tim_A]

The "default" au airfields are well crafted and the overall effect totally submersive.

I think you may have that backwards, or you're looking at OZx addons. The PNW airfields all got a makeover, but the AU airfields are untouched, and in many cases are just a bare runway. In my tour of Oz, I'm visiting every airport, not just the OZx'd ones, and while OZx have worked magic on over 300 fields, there are many more untouched. If default Au had a makeover to bring it up to the PNW level of 'default' airfield, I'd be very happy.

[John York]

Me too Tim!

But its not going to happen I'm afraid.

I've had another thought about this.  John V  says most of their customers are outside Australia but that was probably true well before PNW.  I would have thought that would mean the customers are interested in Australia and any developement there would be very popular indeed along with anything more in that part of the world.  After all, its a niche market with little or no competition.  If I was in business, I would go for that.

Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

John

[Derek McAllan]

John V  says most of their customers are outside Australia but that was probably true well before PNW.  I would have thought that would mean the customers are interested in Australia and any developement there would be very popular indeed along with anything more in that part of the world.

I don't think you're barking up the wrong tree at all.  That was my initial perception as well...

[Guest tlittle]

We earn over 70% of our revenue from outside Australia, so it makes sense to devote resources to where the customers are.

With all due respect John, take a step back for a few moments and read that again. Don't forget "who brung ya" to this point. And this is coming from a huge fan of PNW but I liked that so much I bought the Australia scenery because I know just how much that it made the rest more popular.

Sadly I know the business end of it and understand that it takes a lot of cash to "keep the train rolling", but surely there's something that can be done to accomodate the original base of customers/fans so everyone is happy.

[COBS]

ORBX - FTX is the ONLy reason that I changed over to FSX .

I had grave reservations about Vista and FSX  , all of which were well documented by many

authors a couple of years ago , fortunately Microsoft made some improvements to FSX .

It was the incredible rendition of the countryside by FTX that seduced me .

The above comments are wonderful because they express the passion that ORBX has

brought to the Flight Simulation .

Yes , we all want  many more airports in AU  FTX and thats a good and positive aspect .

Unfortunately we have to try to be patient , not that I'm any good at being patient ,however

I suspect that I have no choice .

To JV and team , thank you for all that you have already done .

Regards

Karol

[capt sl]

maybe there should be a survey or something conducted  to get a feel for whats in demand 

[Binkles]

I must admit when I first heard the new roadmap I thought, figures, but then I've been doing some thinking and thought, actually that's not a bad thing.

Think about it, we have Aus, US (and more to come) and NZ, then then who knows what.  Orbx staff is not getting bigger by each group (ie 10 people for Au, then 20 people for NA, and then another 10 etc etc etc.)

Imagine poor Jane Plain living in China, wanting FTX China, and it's released, but no airports are released...  Wouldn't she feel upset when YPTimbuckto is released and then NZTinyPokylunga in NZ, and then NAFaroutback Park etc etc etc.

OZx has done a lot for Au as well, and quite frankly, there is nothing stopping anyone going out and fixing up their local airport.  There are tutorials over at AussieX, and then you can offer something back to the community.

Now that I'm flying X more, I'm going to try, sure it won't be FTX, but it will be something I could give back.

Thanks FTX for doing Australia first, and also my native land of NZ.  You certainly didn't have to do either.

[John Lovell]

guess the bottom line is piraters and file sharing.

If it wasn’t for these rouges, Orbx would have allot more resources and finance to devote to.

[Guest J van E]

I would have thought that would mean the customers are interested in Australia and any developement there would be very popular indeed along with anything more in that part of the world.

I don't think so. I ONLY flew in Australia because Orbx only did that part of the world and Orbx is the best. That's the ONLY reason I flew there. I am not interested in Australia, at all, I am afraid to say... Sorry! I do think the majority will feel the same about this... I think most people bought AU because FTX simply was the best, but now we've got PNW (which DOES look better too), most people go that way and leave AU behind. I don't even have AU installed anymore...

[Russ White]

With all due respect John, take a step back for a few moments and read that again. Don't forget "who brung ya" to this point. And this is coming from a huge fan of PNW but I liked that so much I bought the Australia scenery because I know just how much that it made the rest more popular.

Sadly I know the business end of it and understand that it takes a lot of cash to "keep the train rolling", but surely there's something that can be done to accomodate the original base of customers/fans so everyone is happy.

I'm struggling to understand the mentality behind these statments guys......Orbx has delivered the most realistic and comprehensive scenery solution that flight simming has ever seen, and Australia had the enviable title of first virtual country to recieve 100% FTX coverage.....so whats the problem?......you've been catered for already!

How many of you when you bought FSX seriously thought you would ever get to fly around Australia in anything approaching what Orbx has delivered with FTX......so how can you talk about "keeping the original base of customers happy" ?? is having the entire continent of Australia in FTX glory not making you "happy" enough then...??

Russ.

[John Lovell]

I guess some people are entitled to their opinion(s) but some statements and comments I quite hurtful.

Orbx do an amazing job and FSX wouldn’t be worth squat without them.. you can’t please all of the people all of the time and I don’t think Orbx owe it to anybody all because you bought their products, doesn’t mean they owe it to you.

I don’t think this should be a forum to criticise Orbx in anyway shape or form.

Here's to Orbx AUS, PNW and future releases whatever they will be! .... good luck to you guys, you always have my support 

[Xflyboy]

My only question was the "Roadmap" on the website "shows" upcoming airport releases, I posted about 3 of them, then find out a few days later they are nixed. They need to change the Upcoming products page.

I personally love flying in Australia and would have liked to see some of the other airports done.

NZ I will get for sure.

I've spent many years flying in Alaska & the PNW, I want to fly somewhere else.

Too each his own!

[Patrick Scharnowski]

I don't think so. I ONLY flew in Australia because Orbx only did that part of the world and Orbx is the best. That's the ONLY reason I flew there. I am not interested in Australia, at all, I am afraid to say... Sorry! I do think the majority will feel the same about this... I think most people bought AU because FTX simply was the best, but now we've got PNW (which DOES look better too), most people go that way and leave AU behind. I don't even have AU installed anymore...

I love Australia and I keep flying there, even though I love the PNW as well and even though the PNW is the kind of landscape that I prefer in real life. Australia is just so completely different and always a welcome variation and counterweight to the PNW. Not even installing the AU region is unthinkable for me.

[hughp]

Wouldn't she feel upset when YPTimbuckto is released and then NZTinyPokylunga in NZ,

NZTinyPokylunga? Fine place, fine airfield, your attitude is quite hurtful and uncalled-for

But yes its a bit hard for someone outside Australia to feel much sympathy for the attitude in some of the posts in this thread- we're too jealous... An entire continent already done in FTX quality, a ton of killer payware done with more on the way, 400+ superb freeware airports and more on tap- it really is the lucky country, we'd like to have your problems!

Love flying in Australia and I'd like to see Sydney get a bit more love (good news about the harbor bridge) but I'm really looking forward to more regions, especially NZ

[joemills]

I bought FTX Australia because I love the country and and having been there a long time ago, I wanted to see more of it. FTX gave me the ideal opportunity.

Surely the 70% of purchases from outside Oz were for FTXAu until PNW came along.

Hopefully, Joe

[Sniper31]

I absolutely LOVE FTX AU and I absolutely LOVE FTX PNW NA. We have both available to us. What's the problem?

A survey WAS conducted months ago, and SO many FTX users requested FTX New Zealand (I was one of them) and now we are going to get it. What more can we ask of Orbx? They listen to thier customers, they do AWESOME work for thier customers, and thier support is top notch.

Why are we so friggin' greedy? Orbx is the best flight sim company out there, yet we want more from them. Give them a break gang, they are hard at work and it shows EVERYTIME they release a product.

Once again, my hat is off to the whole Orbx Team. I would no longer be simming without you. Thank you for ALL you've given us simmers. 

[normandean]

The "default" au airfields are well crafted and the overall effect totally submersive.

I think you may have that backwards, or you're looking at OZx addons. The PNW airfields all got a makeover, but the AU airfields are untouched, and in many cases are just a bare runway. In my tour of Oz, I'm visiting every airport, not just the OZx'd ones, and while OZx have worked magic on over 300 fields, there are many more untouched. If default Au had a makeover to bring it up to the PNW level of 'default' airfield, I'd be very happy.

I have quoted Tim here as his post is shorter, but I am not ignoring Jigsaw.

No, I am not talking about the OZx fields, although they do add even more spice to the package. I was referring to places like Launceston, Lilydale etc which appearded in the free packages which have no counterpart in PNW (as yet).

Norman

[warwickm]

Whilst I sympathise with the Oz mob I can understand the Orbx position. Times are tough and no matter how good Orbx is they have to follow the money.

As 70% of the customer base is foreign I think Orbx have reached diminishing returns on Oz Airport Development.

I am not Australian so I really do have to think whether I want or even care about buying yet another minor Oz airport. And I suspect that feeling is shared by other prospective customers.

I understand that the 2 largest market in Simming are Germany and America. As Aerosoft have Germany pretty much sown up America is the logical place to push.

If you still think you are hard done by spare a though for us in/from Africa. Hell will have long since frozen over before we get any decent scenery  :'(

Regards

Warwick

[tim_A]

I'm struggling to understand the mentality behind these statments guys......Orbx has delivered the most realistic and comprehensive scenery solution that flight simming has ever seen, and Australia had the enviable title of first virtual country to recieve 100% FTX coverage.....so whats the problem?......you've been catered for already!

No. PNW has redefined the meaning of "100% coverage" to include treatment of the 3-400 default airports. And AU most definitely does NOT have that. Thus from a features comparison perspective, AU is a lesser product.

[capt sl]

theres always ymml(update) ,yscb,ybcs to look forward to soon  so that is comforting

[Russ White]

No. PNW has redefined the meaning of "100% coverage" to include treatment of the 3-400 default airports. And AU most definitely does NOT have that. Thus from a features comparison perspective, AU is a lesser product.

Not talking about airports Tim, i'm talking about the ability to fly from coast to coast in Australia and always be over FTX scenery.....thats 100% coverage, and you cant ask for more than that!

Australian Airports have been released, both payware and freeware, and more of both are in development for future release.......so again......whats problem?

Russ.

[dreamnugget]

:o Gee...leave a site for a few days and all hell breaks loose  .  Ok...heres my uneducated and somewhat financially depleted view on the matter....I first fell in love with VOZ which started it all for me, then FSX came out and Orbx seemed to fill a quality void in the Australian market in relation to the region packs (I have yet to buy an airport from them).  OzX also continued on, in my view, for FSX what VOZ did for FS9 as far as people making their own individual sceneries.  So overall I am happy with the way things have turned out (not that anyone needs to count on what I think)..what I have been thinking of though, is the close relationship with Orbx payware and OzX...would I be correct in implying Orbx would have a say in what individual airports/scenery Ozx would be able to release? (Definately correct me if I'm wrong, I have been out of the loop a long time)........I'm straying now...anyways....I like what Orbx has done...I really like what OzX and the likes of Anthony (of AntsAirfields status) has done as far as further filling the Australian void goes, and obviously wish every future success to the company  ............and remember where your roots are  ...oops that slipped...lol ...BTW I was uneducated and financialy depleted before I started simming....only thing is it got worse over time Thanks guys.

[tom_876]

I must admit when I first heard the new roadmap I thought, figures, but then I've been doing some thinking and thought, actually that's not a bad thing.

Think about it, we have Aus, US (and more to come) and NZ, then then who knows what.  Orbx staff is not getting bigger by each group (ie 10 people for Au, then 20 people for NA, and then another 10 etc etc etc.)

Imagine poor Jane Plain living in China, wanting FTX China, and it's released, but no airports are released...  Wouldn't she feel upset when YPTimbuckto is released and then NZTinyPokylunga in NZ, and then NAFaroutback Park etc etc etc.

OZx has done a lot for Au as well, and quite frankly, there is nothing stopping anyone going out and fixing up their local airport.  There are tutorials over at AussieX, and then you can offer something back to the community.

Now that I'm flying X more, I'm going to try, sure it won't be FTX, but it will be something I could give back.

Thanks FTX for doing Australia first, and also my native land of NZ.  You certainly didn't have to do either.

well said and good spirit champ 

[BrassEm]

My very first experience with computer flight sims started many years ago on a very very expensive new IBM XT computer, with a program called Flight Simulator by some Microsoft company.

I trust it pays their way, I think we all win with the superb quality of ORBX products, no matter what their subject choice...

[oberon sim]

Dear John Ross,

If you are still working on YBTH, This buyer doesn't care about "drivable V8 cars" or "sim within a sim" all I'm looking for is what orbx does best, scenery.  I look forward to your planned release whatever it includes and thank you in advance for you brilliant work, but speaking for myself, if i wanted to race a car around the bathurst circuit i'd blow the dust off the playstation. (boring!)

Just trying to save you some work.

All the best

Scott Nunan

I need to update our roadmap web page.

Some projects will be cancelled.

We earn over 70% of our revenue from outside Australia, so it makes sense to devote resources to where the customers are.

A quick, no BS update looks like this:

YSSY - not happening

YPAD - not happening

YPPH - not happening; Jarrad's next project is Anacortes in PNW

YASP - under internal review, Jerry has not yet gotten to beta stage

YBTH - project underway, John Ross has taken over from Tim Harris, modeling commenced

YBCS - should be released this year, beta 4 due sson

YSCB - this year

YBRK - Under review, no beta builds seen yet

YBCG - cancelled, we cannot get airport access for photos

YWOL - unannounced, but should be this year, waiting on final imagery license

YMEN - underway, ground imagery done, cleanup done, Marty begins modeling next month

YMML 2.0 - next month

YMMB - unlikely, no beta build yet, very little progress

YBUD - should be this year, Ian has been overseas, but the last beta looked great

As for other products:

FTX Pacific Fjords - before Christmas

FTX Northern Rockies - before Christmas

FTX NZ South - 2011

Other regions in 2011/12

Lancair IV-P - before Christmas

KORS - before Christmas

4-5 more PNW airports before Christmas (not yet announced but being worked on)

[HAmmer32261]

Im one of the 70% of the revenues from outside OZ

i live in USA but all my flying is in OZ and NZ

it's really disappointing that you've decided not to do

all of the Australian airports listed on the first post'

especially these 3

YSSY

YPAD

YPPH

[John Venema]

Actually it's now 82% of revenues come from outside Australia. We're essentially an software export company now really. We have not abandoned AU airport development though, far from it, but we need to be realistic about where our customers want us to create content, so I think we have the balance correct.

[HAmmer32261]

Actually it's now 82% of revenues come from outside Australia. We're essentially an software export company now really. We have not abandoned AU airport development though, far from it, but we need to be realistic about where our customers want us to create content, so I think we have the balance correct.

I totally understand John,

[Foxbat]

My 2 cents

I am quite new to simming and a few weeks back I was looking for better than default scenery once I realized there is such a thing. FTX came up in one of my google searches and I felt incredibly lucky that one of the best sceneries available for FSX was for Australia – which is where I live and fly mostly. On top of it there is quality freeware from ORBX, Airports from Ant’s and OZx – I mean I could keep flying for a long time without needing to buy another AU based product – there is so much to discover. And a great online community with great support and responses. For all this I am thankful because it has made FSX so much more fun. Which is why I find the negative comments on this thread incredibly thoughtless.

Love your work ORBX!

[Guest boeingqa]

Orbx will never leave oz alone, they will continue to create airports. But l can see them after completeing america, start on the UK and europe which l would love to see.

Out of all the airports l hope they continue developing YMML. l see it as their first major airport. Bring on Microsoft flight, orbx will be brilliant.

Keep it up guys.

[Charlie P.]

This threw me off, digging this one out of the pile like this...I need to start paying attention to dates on these.

[gregjohnstone]

As a proud West Aussie I would like nothing less to be able to fly into Perth International, and into all major international airports around Australia. While I completely understand the decisions made by John and the rest of the Orbx team as to the choice of software to develop it is a pity that several major Australian airports will in all probability not be made during FSX's life span.

Cheers,

Greg

[Guest boeingqa]

l agree, the way l see it too many companies are out there doing airports around the globe but not australian airports, but l for one would like to see the rest of australia done. But as they said it will not be done. l just finished a flight YMML to YBBN and back. l loved it. Wish they could maybe revisit doing the rest down the track.

Just my 2 cents.

Paul