I paid 200 dollars for G2. It taught me to fly and I am grateful. I seem to have found it's limitations when it comes to aggressive 3D flying...both the planes and the flight physics do seem to have some problems but, all in all, it was adequate.

But dare I say it was worth it?....here's my quandary:

I paid 200 dollars for G2. It taught me to fly and I am grateful. I seem to have found it's limitations when it comes to aggressive 3D flying...both the planes and the flight physics do seem to have some problems but, all in all, it was adequate.

But dare I say it was worth it?....here's my quandary:

I purchased a program called Falcon 4 a long time ago. I paid 20 bucks for it new at a local franchise computer store. With it came a user manual that was as thick as a phone book. Not only did it have a flight physics !QUOT!engine!QUOT! that was impressive for it's time but the complexity of the program and all the features that were incorporated was mind boggling! I soon realized that it would help to enjoy this flight sim if I was already an F-16 pilot.

Twenty bucks for all this programming/coding etc!!!!

I spent a hundred bucks on the HOTAS worthy of that game. This Saitek joystick had separate throttle and stick and over a hundred different commands that could be programmed into it.

Why should such a (seemingly) crude program like RealFlight G2 with it's it's command limited controller be so expensive? It doesn't appear to me that it took one tiny fraction of the programing prowess that Falcon must have commanded. And if Saitek can produce that much product (with it's own software) for that price...


I dunno....maybe it's me!



Deadtired

Small market = High price

It costs that much because people will pay that much. Have you noticed how many people (myself included) say that you MUST get a simulator, especially for helicopter or 3D work? How much is it worth if it prevents even 1 crash on a 35% 3D plane or a $1500 helicopter?

Personally, I use the free FMS simulator and find it is very realistic for 30-50 size helicopters, although it isn't that great for fixed wing. Now if I can only find a simulator that can teach me how to recover from mechanical failures! Maybe I could have saved myself a bunch of money this afternoon!

Keith

The answer is pure economy of scale. It is the same problem you see with $20 novels in the local bookstore (selling zillions of copies) and $100+ textbooks in a college bookstore (selling maybe 10's of thousands of copies).

It costs the same to produce both, in one case they make a profit by selling a zillion and in the other they make a profit by selling it at a higher price.

Carl

Yes, I agree with this entirely. And I wasn't meaning to rant or insult those who spend there days (and nights) coding.

I guess I would just like to see the kind of programming/coding that was evident in Falcon exist in G2. (or at least to a degree).

I do know for a fact that Microprose paid a lot of very talented software engineers to develop the title...and it took them a long long time to release. Then, due to it's complexity there were many many bugs. But what I find amazing about it is how many private coders took up the torch and continued to develop it.

All I can say is it would seem that if the software engineers who develope titles like Falcon do an RC flight sim it's going to be incredible....If it ever gets out of beta!

What prompted this blog was the reality that G3 is coming out...so....should I go out and spend another 200+ dollars on an upgrade?

I think not.

I will close by saying that if I hadn't spent the 200 bucks on G2 I would have destroyed those ten airplanes regardless....only I would have destroyed them within the first month. As it was it took about 18 months (before I ran screaming from this hobby).

There were a few magic moments...(like catching the sweet spot on a golf ball with a full swing of a Driver. After a thousand FRUSTRATING misses the sensation is so gratifying that it will have you coming back.)

Have a good flight...

___END BLOG

Man ... 10 planes in 18 months [X(]

.... I think my wife would have cancelled my AMA membership long before I hit 10

Carl