ORBX and AF2

[jpreou]

You guys (and gals) may have seen this...
http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/ ... or/?page=5

JV certainly seems excited by, and committed to, AF2

... which is all well and good, but unless it includes NZ then it will be a non-starter for me; simply not interested in the rest of the world except on a very casual basis ... unless an enterprising NZ scenery developer of known repute heads in this direction ... ahem!
(and yes, Rob, I have read your recent posts and website!)

[toprob]

Yeah, I'm just waiting for the photoscenery tool, but not twiddling my thumbs...

I'll just add one thing to what I've already said in previous posts -- which was very positive so far. One of the biggest reasons to NOT get involved, is Orbx's enthusiasm -- I have no reason to suspect that they will take to a AFS2 NZ with gusto, but if they did, then it would effectively stomp on anything else. So I'm playing it cool in the meantime.

And with my luck, I'd release some local content, and suddenly they'd decide that NZ could be a popular place. For the same reasons that they did FTX NZ -- they could easily cover the whole country.

[cowpatz]

But who has the bandwidth connection and hard drive capacity to store all this photo scenery required for it? Will it cover each season? If so that is masses of GB required...way more than my pathetic internet connection can handle.
I'm not even looking forward to trying to download P3D4

[toprob]

Well, we're meant to have NZ-wide fibre quite soon, hopefully in my lifetime:) And seasonal photo textures are over-rated...

In reality, though, Prepar3d is a baby compared to other sims now -- 12GB, compared to I think 50+ for X-plane -- but you can leave out big chunks of the world to reduce this. The full install of X-plane via Steam told me it would take 26 hours via DSL. Doable, but not sensible, that's for sure.

[jpreou]

I'm not even looking forward to trying to download P3D4

Despite what I said in another post, I did actually purchase P3Dv4, basically because I have the money to do so now, and very well may not have when the time comes. Plus I'm showing my support (I'm sentimental like that). I won't be installing it for a loooong time, and when I do I will be completely wiping P3Dv3 first and, as stated before, concentrating solely and only on NZ.

I even considered purchasing AFS2 this evening, but it was our 17 yr old's birthday this weekend, which I am still financially reeling from! That, and I didn't see the point until there is decent NZ content for it. JV does seem very enthusiastic about it though, and it appears to perform well from what I have read. Ideally suited to the VFR flyer, which I am, so I'm watching with interest.

For me, basically whichever sim gives me the best NZ experience is the one that will find itself on my PC ... and right now, that's P3D. Will it change in the next 12 months? Who knows! Watching with interest.

[jpreou]

Yeah, I'm just waiting for the photoscenery tool, but not twiddling my thumbs...

Well, if you support this sim and it can provide the "best NZ" that I am looking for, you'll have my support all the way. Otherwise, you'll get my support in the 'other' sim ... whichever one that s (P3D at the mo').

One of the biggest reasons to NOT get involved, is Orbx's enthusiasm -- I have no reason to suspect that they will take to a AFS2 NZ with gusto, but if they did, then it would effectively stomp on anything else. So I'm playing it cool in the meantime.

I don't think, and this is pure personal opinion, that they will do much else than port what they have; they have repeatedly said there's no money for them in NZ when they can concentrate their efforts on the US and Europe for much greater returns ... I can't see a change of sim changing that dynamic.

[cowpatz]

Well, we're meant to have NZ-wide fibre quite soon

A new Tui's billboard in the making there Rob.

Talk like that could get one in trouble in my neighbourhood. Broadband offerings are pathetic....and Chorus have no plans to change that anytime soon.