NZFF

This thread is here for anyone who wants to comment on my recent post on my site, and Facebook.
In particular, I'm interested in any thoughts on how you see New Zealand flightsim next year and beyond -- any comments, observations or ideas would be useful, but I'm mainly interested in figuring out if there really is enough of an interest left to keep me producing New Zealand scenery.
Anyone who hasn't read my post, just click through to my site via the sig banner.

You mentioned you heading South for a while, puts Omarau in the target hairs .. maybe a swath of other small strips

Hi Rob,
just got back from vacation and will over the next few weeks be neck deep getting my Hamilton house sold and moving to ChCh.
Of course, and as you know already, I am not simming at the moment and likely won't be maybe for as long as a year.
Nonetheless, you can count on my ongoing support, even if prices are a little higher, so when I get my sim back up and running in the new home I'm ready to rock-and-roll with all that NZ goodness in P3D.
Of course, I have previously asked you for Waikato airfields, but I guess that will change now as I will need to discovery the Canterbury region :-)
Cheers


EDIT
Oh, and "PS"; is the Dunedin installer all patched and up-to-date? I'm downloading it right now... let me know if I need to go search out the updates / fixes.
Cheers (again)

If you have too, you need to go where the market is. You know the NZ market the best, and if it's virtually non-existent then you can't survive trying to wait it out.

I also am a NZ and Aus simmer only as it's what I know best. I too like to recognise what I see out the window.

The only problem is with your workflow will you need to visit the airports you make?

No hard feelings

nick

Take a holiday up north during summer Rob, in fact buy yourself a wee caravan somewhere and stay for a bit.
Oh and while your there, can you whip up Kerikeri, Kaitaia, and Whangarei

The only problem is with your workflow will you need to visit the airports you make?

That is something I need to take into account, but the only reason why it has become an option is because of the contract work I've been doing -- all different parts of the world, all just from a few tourist photos:) So although I've always said that I need to visit a place to model it, it is possible to come up with something workable just from photos, provided I have someone there who can work to my specs. But because the process would be different, maybe the result would be as well. And of course it would be great to get to the stage where I can cover the cost of a trip for subsequent projects! Having a hobby business which allows you to travel the world is not a bad thing....

Oh, and "PS"; is the Dunedin installer all patched and up-to-date? I'm downloading it right now... let me know if I need to go search out the updates / fixes.
Cheers (again)

The current download is up to date, and all you need.

Deeknow -- I think that all the work in 2017 may be North Island-based, so you never know.

toprob wrote:Deeknow -- I think that all the work in 2017 may be North Island-based, so you never know.

whatever you make during 2017, I will always support it mate.

In my opinion you should charge for NZWN regardless of subscription (I am a subscriber) as you charged too little for the sub.

My airport choices would be either Kerikeri or Palmy North

cheers Dave

frostynz wrote:My airport choices would be either Kerikeri or Palmy North

Palmy photo real City area is in the works, there are a few airports that will require that special attention

Come to think even Whanganui and further up the road, no shortage of target airports ... Mastertons Hood field

Rob - Whatever you build I will be buying. You have long been my favourite developer, a true artist. I first subscribed to the optical media (CD-ROM i guess it was) magazine. A fantastic product and have purchased everything since though the purchases most likely are scatted between my name and my PayPal ID. I for one hope you work on more NZ locations, but follow your gut - I will waiting with some $'s! Cheers, Mark (Australia)

OH PS - Yes please, X-Plane11 - I tried the demo for 5 minutes and purchased it. I was shocked as like a lot of people I had tried X-Plane in the past but after a few flights uninstalled it. X-Plane 11 is really a cool platform, I can see myself adopting it as my sim of choice assuming Orbx do actually release products for it in a big way.

I commented on facebook already but here might be a better place.

I agree, that NZWN should not be for free for subscribers. Although I would be happy about a free product, it would be too cheap overall. Maybe a little discount would be enough.

Making money in NZ after all the bigger airports are done will be hard I assume. If you would develop for orbx this would be different. They seem to have a lot of customers who just buy anything from them.

Hi Rob, I fly NZ VFR mostly and have enjoyed your NZ stuff all through the years. So any thing NZ is welcome to me. I still only use MSFS, however am waiting to see who will win the flightsim platform race, and then will make the swop/change in the interest of max sliders and smooth performance. In the meantime i will check there is no water in the wing tanks.- mind you some of the NZ beaches look like great landing spots.

officercrockey wrote:I agree, that NZWN should not be for free for subscribers.

I can only speak for myself, but I would be well willing to pay for a new Wellington scenery. Robin's first Wellington (FS9 - or even earlier?) got me hooked to Godzone. Perhaps you can add a donation button for the Subsciption users?

officercrockey wrote:If you would develop for orbx this would be different. They seem to have a lot of customers who just buy anything from them.

Yep. I am one of them.

Best regards, Michael

frostynz wrote:In my opinion you should charge for NZWN regardless of subscription (I am a subscriber) as you charged too little for the sub.

I'm with Dave on this one... perhaps given you've already stated it will be free to subscribers, you could place onto your website a "Donate Anyway" button for those that wish to support

EDIT:
Seems several people have the same views here (now that I have actually read remaining posts). As you stated in your website, probably not enough to base a 'living' on, but enough to perhaps eat a couple of extra days! I am one of those people that is happy to pay for software; there is too much of a "should be free" mentality out there. Heck, I have actually registered and paid for many 'freeware' or shareware apps that most people use without ever paying for. Winzip, WinISO, WinDVD, PlanG, Paintshop Pro, Forte Agent newsreader (remember nntp?) and too many others too mention.
Do the 'donate' button Rob: there are people here that value your work and want to support you. A few lines of code, a link to Paypal, and you're all sorted.

Some great stuff here, which I'll deal with in more detail when I've had time to look at all the ideas here and on Facebook, plus a couple of emails I've received.
I'm not keen on the idea of donations, though, although I've relied on them before in the past -- first up I need to see if there is a way that I can support myself just from the business. But come to think of it, there are a couple of Donate buttons somewhere on my site, related to my freeware stuff...
My main problem is that I always wake up excited about the what I do, there are so many great things happening. So as a hobby, I'm set for life, I just need to figure out the 'income' bit. I am not really employable in the accepted sense of the word... the same with developing for Orbx, I do think I have a point of difference with my own idea of what NZ should look like, and I'm not yet prepared to give this up.
Anyway, back to work. Keep the posts coming!

In ORBX words, "what we produce you won't need anything else" or least something along those lines .... unfortunately one off the biggest thing they did not in account for was the people who fly, pilot or passenger who can recognize a specific landmark and know exactly what is over the next ridge simply because it is 'Photo Real' . You can go back to places one visited tho slightly changed due to progress but the general layout and plan is still the same.

One person cant do it all, when you look at it all this freeware getting done , plop a little payware on top and your cooking ! ... and sure as hell blows any fancy land-class outta the water ... from the Photo real believe guy ... Me !

My plans for 2017 is with Ian's help doing some of the agn to finish off the Canterbury and North Otago areas and then do the east coast from Marlborough down to join up with the North Canterbury and join up from Timaru down to the top of North Otago so that most of the East coast will be done.

The West coast is about to be released now so both Coasts of the South Island will be mostly photo real scenery.

I have been making this scenery available for free but maybe I should be adding a donation button to it for anyone who wants to donate a little for all the time etc that I spend doing the work.