ORBX New Zealand

[happytraveller]

I was having a scan around the ORBX forums and saw the update on 1st May about future projects. One that will interest all in NZ is this update;-


FTX NZ BLUE South Island - In pre-alpha, will be in alpha build state in 4-5 weeks; landclass and airport developers allocated


So perhaps not too long until FTX NZ is out then!

smooth landings

[creator2003]

Doesn't surprise me at all that they would pick on our Islands...
"waste of time "

[Naki]

It surprises me that ORBX aren't talking to NZ payware airport designers. If, for example RealNZ airports, fit seamlessly into the ORBX scenery, IMV this should benefit sales - due to ORBXs reputation you would expect a bigger thrist (I would expect mainly from outside NZ - especially Aussie) for more NZ addons ..such as Mike's Hamilton and RealNZ airports..thats provided that it does fit in with what ORBX are doing.

[toprob]

QUOTE (Naki @ May 7 2010, 12:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It surprises me that ORBX aren't talking to NZ payware airport designers.

It's not that surprising from a business point of view -- they have put together a team already, and it wouldn't be fair to them to take their work and then pass on by because of geography. (Oops, I almost put a Langoliersreference in there... maybe because of the scene where they gobble up the runways.)

But it would have to be just a business decision. My understanding of how Orbx came about is a bit vague, but I understand that it arose from the old VOZ project for FS2004. I would imagine that all the very capable VOZ developers were approached when FSX came out, and told 'hey, wait a minute, before we all go extending the VOZ project to FSX, let's hold off -- the future is payware.' So they had a keen, talented and already-organised group of Australian developers, who promptly got stuck into some FSX scenery with the support and resources of Orbx.

Transferring the concept to the US was brilliant, although instead of a VOZ-like team they enlisted some greats, who already had a lot of the work done -- Holger Sandmann and Bill Womack, for example.

NZ, though, will apparently be done by the same albeit talented team, which means without the commitment and resources of VOZ, and probably not a lot of local knowledge. I think that Holger will be turning data into scenery, and there is nobody better, but I'm not entirely sure that he's ever been to NZ, or ever will.

So although I'm not expecting a product to rival Orbx's Australia, Orbx NZ is guaranteed to be polished and beautiful, and will be in great demand throughout the world. Whether locals love it so much is one major issue for me.

A couple more issues: Orbx really needs to be seen as a 'system', in that the way it installs, and the way it activates the area you wish to fly, does tend to deactivate other addon scenery, and the user may have to work to get it all to show up. That's actually not bad at all if you are 100% committed to the system, but not good at all if you are a developer outside the system:)

The other issue is the 'switch'. Orbx will be selling two products for NZ, one for each island. In Australia, this was marketed as a way to customise the textures for the area you are flying. All you need to do is to shut down FSX, run the switch tool, and restart FSX to fly in a new area. Hopefully for NZ this split into two areas is purely a money making exercise, and won't require a switch to fly across the Strait, for instance.

The other, other issue, is the marketing. How many of you read the initial post and thought, great, four or five weeks, that's not so bad. Or at least thought in four or five weeks we'll have something to see, maybe a few luscious screenshots? Whereas if you reread the post, you'll see that in four or five weeks they plan to actually move beyond the preplanning stage for the South Island:)

Just one thing scares me. Because Orbx NZ will be marketed to the world, and it will survive very well without local simmers, if those locals start deciding that what they have is more Hollywood-NZ than they can cope with, and maybe our computers can't handle the demands of the scenery, and we want to try something different, then there may not be any local developers left to turn to.

I do want a very nice Orbx NZ, don't get me wrong. But at the moment I think better the devil I know -- in this case, that makes Tim Barnes and VLC the devil. Sorry, Tim.

[creator2003]

Good luck to them ,ill be sticking to designing and blending with VLC unless im snapped up by them, doubt it ....

[ZK-MAT]

I guess now we have two products that will tease us for an indetermined length of time. I hope VLC comes out first... Flght simmers are a fickle lot, we want it now, and months of pre production screenshots just frustrate us How many would wait for VLC and it's unknown release date if this is released first?

No pressure, Tim

[toprob]

Hmm, VLC is in beta testing, Orbx South Island is in pre-alpha. One is almost finished, one is almost started, I know what I'd bet on.

[ZK-MAT]

shhhh Rob, just trying to hurry up VLC. Told you I was fickle!

[Ian Warren]

Yawn , VLC for me best drug ive since ORBZ , arr Brecky .. Weetbix , nah Orbx nah Weetbix ... Marge , change the channel

[ZK-MAT]

huh?

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (ZK-MAT @ May 7 2010, 09:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

huh?

Gottcha ! All ways bet on Black .. or Kiwi or NZ or ..

[s0cks]

Woohoo,

The framerate killer program is on its way to NZ! FTX is beautiful, but it requires a beastly machine to run the way its meant to be played, and I find it hard to believe they framerate optimized it. I always complained about FPS, but the developers and most of the customers seem to think that 15fps over cities is an acceptable framerate. Personally I enjoy the feeling of smooth flight, and can't stand anything below 25. Also as pointed out, I hate the FTX system of enabling and disabling, and also the night textures are sub-par in my opinion. Very dark, especially if you don't have autogen cranked, because the light poles are autogenerated.

I personally think VLC + local talent is the way to go. I still play FS2004 because I have like 50+ NZ airports and other sceneries that make it such a joy to fly. The new VLC may persuade me to pick up FSX again, but without all the other airports (such as Lawrie's fab work) I'm inclined to hold off for even longer.

[ZK-MAT]

Each to their own, s0cks

[2fst4u]

QUOTE (s0cks @ May 10 2010, 08:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Woohoo,

The framerate killer program is on its way to NZ! FTX is beautiful, but it requires a beastly machine to run the way its meant to be played, and I find it hard to believe they framerate optimized it. I always complained about FPS, but the developers and most of the customers seem to think that 15fps over cities is an acceptable framerate. Personally I enjoy the feeling of smooth flight, and can't stand anything below 25. Also as pointed out, I hate the FTX system of enabling and disabling, and also the night textures are sub-par in my opinion. Very dark, especially if you don't have autogen cranked, because the light poles are autogenerated.

I personally think VLC + local talent is the way to go. I still play FS2004 because I have like 50+ NZ airports and other sceneries that make it such a joy to fly. The new VLC may persuade me to pick up FSX again, but without all the other airports (such as Lawrie's fab work) I'm inclined to hold off for even longer.

15? I get 7-8 over Realnz wellington A new computer may be in order

[s0cks]

QUOTE (2fst4u @ May 10 2010, 01:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

15? I get 7-8 over Realnz wellington A new computer may be in order

Yeah, I just can't stand slow framerates. Surely flying is fun for the sense of freedom, grace and smoothness when moving in the air. I would never sacrifice that for some good scenery. FSX runs smooth with default settings (no FTX), so I'm looking forward to the VLC. I might see if I can get some of the bazillion airports I have is FS9 converted.