World Update 14: Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia + more

[ak416]

Out July 25th

“So next comes World Update 14, and we had this tease last time, and many of you got it right. We teased the city of Prague, and it is, in fact, Prague in Czech Republic. World Update 14 is about Central Eastern Europe, and what does that mean? It’s six countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia. Like we almost always do, we have new DEM [Digital elevation model], we have completely new aerials, and, in this update, we actually have 10 TIN cities, which is wonderful. Including, from the Czech Republic: Brno, Plzeň, and Prague; in Hungary: Budapest. For Bosnia we have Banja Luka and Sarajevo; for Slovenia we have Ljubljana and Maribor; and for Croatia we have Split and the lovely, wonderful Dubrovnik. So 10, and on top of that, Gaya made 103 points of interest, and we have six airports. That’s going to be a great update. And to celebrate just a little bit, here is the first 30 seconds or so of the trailer.”

Local legend is Aero Vodochody AE-45 and AE-145

[ZsoltB]

[LostPilot]

Stoked for those planes! I hope the sounds are better than the last 2 Official AH releases though. We all kind of know at this point that AH does not have the best sound design chops, but it's beyond me why Microsoft doesn't just have someone else make the sounds. Either way, the planes look awesome and I'll still be flying them.

[dvj]

Stoked for those planes! I hope the sounds are better than the last 2 Official AH releases though. We all kind of know at this point that AH does not have the best sound design chops, but it's beyond me why Microsoft doesn't just have someone else make the sounds. Either way, the planes look awesome and I'll still be flying them.

AH seems to have reworked the sounds in the recent update for the Trimotor, along with a few other things. I think they are getting the point.

[Fnerg]

Stoked for those planes! I hope the sounds are better than the last 2 Official AH releases though. We all kind of know at this point that AH does not have the best sound design chops, but it's beyond me why Microsoft doesn't just have someone else make the sounds. Either way, the planes look awesome and I'll still be flying them.

I think it's unfair to put that rap on AH considering the monumental task of live-recording a vintage aircraft from the drawing board to working perfectly in a 3D environment. Unless you own a Lancaster say, and a world class post production audio studio, then you are pretty much at the mercy of others to do it for you. It's not Baz's fault he doesn't own a WWII aircraft collection and a recording studio. But I'll bet he wishes he did!

[LostPilot]

I think it's unfair to put that rap on AH considering the monumental task of live-recording a vintage aircraft from the drawing board to working perfectly in a 3D environment. Unless you own a Lancaster say, and a world class post production audio studio, then you are pretty much at the mercy of others to do it for you. It's not Baz's fault he doesn't own a WWII aircraft collection and a recording studio. But I'll bet he wishes he did!

That's just it, I wish they would have others do it for them. A lot of developers outsource their sounds, no shame in that at all. Normally I wouldn't fault a dev for not wanting to shell out the cash for that, but Microsoft is releasing these so I think they themselves should shell the money out for it.

[Priller]

Allow me to add that the modeling of AH is always top notch. Unlike other payware devs.

Priller

[SeanTK]

Interesting choice. I just wish AH would up their texture game a bit. I enjoy some of their aircraft like the Electra and DC-3, but others seem to have very flat cockpit textures that are WAY too glossy and in many cases look to me like someone went wild with the color contrast filter...cranking the color "pop" to the max and bathing everything in lacquer.
It makes them look like plastic models or cartoons, and I'm afraid that this new one (and their Trimotor, and Boing 307) all have that look to me. Compare them to something like Carenado's texture work, for example.

With that said, I'm glad to see an aircraft appear that I'm sure any other developer wouldn't do, so there is some mitigation in just seeing an aircraft like this appear.
Here's hoping for minimal bugs (a lot fewer than their recent releases), and perhaps better textures than what we saw in the video.

[Daube]

Allow me to add that the modeling of AH is always top notch. Unlike other payware devs.

Priller

Didn't AH create the default DC3 with its undersized virtual cockpit ? Not so top notch, in this case...

[DennyA]

No longer wondering why Baz doesn’t hang out here much anymore. Sigh.

[SeanTK]

No longer wondering why Baz doesn’t hang out here much anymore. Sigh.

If the developer wants to bury their head in the sand and act like they can maintain the standards of the FSX-era, that’s on them, and in turn that’s on the MSFS customer base to observe this and potentially pass on their products. I’m sure they are getting more sales out of the casual marketplace now so that the observations from long-time users matter less anyway. Just look at how well designers like MScenery are doing with their basic aircraft imports. Most users may not know any better so AH may not care anymore about making that extra effort.

With that said, there are numerous posts on the official MSFS forums outlining a plethora of issues with their last few releases, from systems inaccuracies and modeling inaccuracies, to low quality textures especially around cockpit frames. They’ve fixed some issues (Trimotor nose) but their overall quality deficiencies remain glaring.

It is AH’s responsibility to align their efforts with modern expectations - it’s 2023 not 2013 - and strive for quality and accuracy over speed/production.

That’s the last I’ll say on the matter. Here is hoping for an improved product list going forward.

[bazzar]

The toxic rubbish spouted by a few will be responsible for ultimately killing this hobby for the rest. Why would any of the many talented devs operating in this business continue working when 1000's of hours of hard work can be written off in a few words? The answer is, they won't and then what kind of game will you have?

The numbers are already falling.

Well OK, I'm getting too old for this. So, I'll take my leave at this point. Thanks to all those genuine friends and supporters over the years. If you want news and updates on Aeroplane Heaven projects including the ones we do for Microsoft, you are always welcome at our Facebook page.

Out.

[SeanTK]

A developer who denies numerous customer complaints of issues of quality to include modeling and texture concerns, and instead retreats to a echo chamber of “toxic positivity” on their own fan page is not a developer that should last long in the community, regardless of their previous high standing. I implore everyone to look at the official release threads for AH-provided content on the official MSFS forums.

I was honestly looking forward to seeing the Lancaster, but not with the declining quality and the apparent lack of methodical testing that seems to come from AH now.

I know we’ll see more from them in the future due to their contract with Asobo/MS, but I can only hope that they focus more on precision and testing. If not, many more will look instead to our other great developers like Bluemesh, PMDG, Fenix, Inibuilds, etc.

As the developer has taken a “I got my money/contract and will retreat to my praise” stance, this has run its course. Again - look at the official release threads…

[dvj]

The toxic rubbish spouted by a few will be responsible for ultimately killing this hobby for the rest. Why would any of the many talented devs operating in this business continue working when 1000's of hours of hard work can be written off in a few words? The answer is, they won't and then what kind of game will you have? The numbers are already falling.Well OK, I'm getting too old for this. So, I'll take my leave at this point. Thanks to all those genuine friends and supporters over the years. If you want news and updates on Aeroplane Heaven projects including the ones we do for Microsoft, you are always welcome at our Facebook page.Out.

Look for opportunity to fine tune and make your products better. I've managed billions of dollars of tech products and know that there will always be gripes and haters of anything you do. We didn't run away from the complaints, we took ownership for the feedback both positive and negative. Scored new market share and huge profits in the end by continually raising the level of quality and performance.

[IanHenry]

Bazzer raise's some very valid points and I agree with him. Personally, I think it's bad form to publicly criticise developers products and possibly cause them to lose sales without contacting the developers first.
Most criticisms people have tend to be pretty irrelevant and not even worth mentioning. I'm thinking back to a post about the Flyingiron Spitfire, where it was revealed that the model was used by the RAF Battle of Britain memorial flight's real Spitfire pilot for procedural training, then someone said they didn't like the sound! Really?

At the end of the day MSFS is a game, nothing more nothing less, yes it's a fairly accurate game but a game nonetheless so lets have a little perspective about it.

[blanston12]

To be completely honest the anti AH comments here just disgust me. If someone whats to make a model of any level of quality, whether for pay or for free thats there right, developers and artists (yes developers can be artists also) should be able to produce what interests them and if you don't like it don't buy it. Constructive comments I am sure are appreciated but I think general comments of "improve your quality" or "your sounds suck" are not helpful and you should really keep those to yourself.

Baz, I have always been a great fan of your work and have always appreciated that you hung out here. I am really sorry the haters are driving you away.

[LostPilot]

EDIT: I just read the FB post. Good clarification by AH. I like the DC-3's sounds, so make sense that was Sim Acoustics. As for the Trimotor, 307, etc., I'm still a big confused how it's Microsoft's fault. Are they fully in charge of the sound design for AH releases at this point? If so, then yes, it's a Microsoft problem. But I assumed addon developers supplied their own sounds (outsourced or not) to Microsoft. If not, it's news to me and I agree, the finger can't be pointed at AH.

I know my tone comes across as harsh, but I love AH's catalogue and agree that anything beyond "I wish the sounds were better" is excessive. I'll just stick to simple statements like that in the future.

I know that Microsoft officially handles support of their Local Legends, so I will direct any feedback about sound to them.

[Priller]

Joining in the defense of AH myself. For almost as long as I've been simming, I've been a huge fan of their work and I love their post sales support.

I agree that devs should be open to constructive criticism, but a lot of it depends on the wording of the message. It depends on the respect that is shown. Respect is earned. I think that over all these years, AH have earned it. They've also always shown us respect. That should count for something as well.

It's not because of the fact that we're paying our hard earned cash for the models, that we get the right to shower those devs with crap. Excuse my French.

Priller

[DennyA]

Hate to see Baz go, but those of us who were around Sim-Outhouse a decade ago will remember a very different place, full of creators and enthusiasts. I still love the enthusiasm many of us display here, and the great info about planes real and simulated from a lot of folks, so I stick around. But most of the devs stopped posting. Some of the freeware devs literally just stopped making stuff because of the toxic rivet-counting flexing and complaining here and on other forums.

But some people who are supposed to be enthusiasts made themselves feel good about themselves by making posts showing off their amazing knowledge about minute details, their subjective analysis of audio, their ability to set the standard for what a texture should look like... And with their negativity, nitpicking, and ignorance of the development process, their ascribing any lack of matching their subjective standards to laziness or apathy on the developers' parts, disheartened developers moved on and don't hear the actual constructive feedback.

Writing off "pre-complaining" about sounds you haven't even heard yet as constructive feedback is a deflection against taking responsibility for your actions.

Nobody wants an echo chamber. But the modern Internet's hostility and negativity isn't necessary or positive either.

Nobody wants all-positive posts. But we do want people to think before they post. Think about technical limitations. Think about the realities of the market. Think about the real humans who make these products because they are as enthusiastic about this hobby as you are, probably more so. Anyone who has the skills to make a good MSFS product could make a ton more money with those skills using them elsewhere -- nobody goes into sim development for easy cash. (I know about the few devs who throw lightly animated 3D models or night lights on the Marketplace, but those are rare exceptions and not what we're talking about here.)

Congratulations. Many posters here have proven that they are the final arbiters of what makes good sounds. Of proper textures and polygon shapes. Of the quality of products they haven't even touched. And now we have an echo chamber of users free of developers, so you can keep shouting at the wind.

Frustratedly yours,
Guy who has been simming since 1983 and is amazed and appreciative of what devs make today

[DC1973]

Well said, Denny.

All developers receive criticism, every single day, and most of it is well-judged, sensible, and well observed. Developers act on such advice and criticism, all the time. But there is a tendency for a certain "simmer" to believe that they are the "gate-keepers" of quality and that any perceived slight against their "standards" is clear indication of developers "not caring", "slipping standards" etc etc. The Internet has become ever more toxic as time has gone by. Barry's comments echo mine of two months' ago, when I left every forum, Facebook group and chat room. I also no longer bother much looking at reviews anywhere on the Internet. This is the last place I have posted. The recently-released Phantoms were sent deliberately to only four YouTube previewers, with small followings, to help them grow their numbers with the preview scoop.

The reason for this was to ensure the Marketplace launch was as hype-free as possible, so I could get a clear image of how well Microsoft marketing went compared to YouTube. The Marketplace-only release was due to the fact that the real audience is never heard from on forums, chat rooms, Facebook groups and YouTube. For every participant in such places, there are probably a hundred, maybe even a thousand, out there who make their own decisions based on how they feel about a developer or a product. That is the true audience, and for the smart business person, it's the only one that matters. It's why my products on the Marketplace out-sell almost every other developer and have higher ratings to boot - that doesn't happen by accident. These customers are not idiots, nor do they have lower standards than anybody else. They love the products because they're getting what they want, and what they want vastly out-numbers what the rivet-counters want. The largest audience don't want study level, don't want super-deep systems, don't want to wade through a manual for three months just to find out how to start an engine. They're not real pilots, don't pretend to be and they don't have the time for it anyway, because MSFS like every other desktop simulator is a game and nothing more. This is the entertainment industry, and they want to be entertained. That's why products like mine do so well, not because they are "better" ( or worse ) than any other - they just hit the sweet spot better for the majority of the audience. It's no accident that the base-aircraft released with every iteration of flight simulator, denounced as "garbage" by said rivet-counters, are built in much the same way. They understand the reality as well.

We developers who have chosen to step away from forums and such like have not locked ourselves away inside an "echo-chamber of positivity" - this is more BS from those who like to be able to criticise, but who themselves cannot take criticism and like to deny any developer any defence they might offer. We have learned to distinguish the difference between valid, sensible criticism, and ego-driven garbage from rivet-counters who in reality rarely, if ever, have any real knowledge of aviation or of this industry. We just don't need to bother ourselves with such crap, as it comes from a tiny fraction of an audience that is otherwise delighted with the products we produce. I find it vaguely amusing to see that some people stepping up to "defend" AH are those who themselves here are among the worst offenders.

Denny has hit the nail on the head - those voices, to us developers, are now a bit like a man standing on his own shouting out into an empty street. Nobody's left to listen.

[LostPilot]

Well, all of this said and done: The Ae-45 has GREAT sounds. The external sounds are too quiet, but I love the internal sounds. Just did my first quick flight and I have no complaints. Going to try the 145 next. Edit: All good other than a bug that cripples your FPS if you taxi on grass. Reported it to Microsoft since they handle support for this. If you experience this, be sure to vote on the bug in the official forums.

[Cazzie]

Well, needless to say, not only for MSFS, but one reason I still have FSX on my system is AH! I love building models of aircraft and most are military. AH has given me so many great WW II fighters for repaints to pass the time of day. That means a lot to an old man slowly becoming an old cripple. Baz, stick around and please keep giving us those wonderful aircraft for MSFS 2020 and 2024.

BTW, not to get off subject, but I finally downloaded the latest World Update XIV after two BSODs. I guess Xbox's servers were working overtime.

Cazzie

[DennyA]

And to bring things full circle, the engine sounds on the Ae-45/145 are quite nice.

Can't hear flap/gear extension, but that could be realistic. It's definitely overblown on a lot of sim aircraft; can't hear gear and barely hear flaps it on my recordings of my T-34B flight, for instance.

[LostPilot]

I could listen to the 45's startup sound all day. Beautiful, and nicely attenuated from the doors/windows opening and closing. I agree that the other sounds are usually way overblown. Adjusting gear or flaps in some aircraft and it's twice as loud as the engines right in my ear. I don't mind that these are quiet!

[SeanTK]

An appeal to restrict critical feedback in the name of “fairness” to the developer. God forbid potential customers know about issues and even perceptions.

An appeal to the “it’s art” argument that beautifully handwaves all concerns. I’ve seen it before, usually by devs who then go under because they build to past standards and not present standards. We will see it again.

An appeal in favor of FB fan pages rather than support forums for reasons beyond me.

An appeal to the casual gamers who may not know any better. Gosh, I know Captain Sim did well with their exterior only C-130. All devs should do more of that. Easier and makes probably just as much $$$.

And finally and most importantly…an observation…that a lot of developers don’t have a pragmatic, methodical testing regimen. A little different than the overall quality/polish concern. They send their models to friends and family, tell them to fly it around and say how great it is, and then play catch up with bugs later (if at all). Not very good software engineering if you ask me.

If AH advertised their products as artistic reinterpretations of aircraft subjects, with liberties taken, fine. I don’t see that though. More concerning is that I don’t see them (or others) learning or wanting to learn from the same type of bug reports that are received after consecutive product releases, as well as the same “fit and finish” concerns regarding textures and build quality. If their (or anyone’s) skill set isn’t up to snuff and they would prefer to cater to the cheap and cheerful market in terms of fit and finish, that’s one thing, but repeatedly making errors of accuracy and issuing out aircraft with bugs discovered by users after 5 minutes of use is another. Of course, one can say that it’s art from a well respected developer, and invalidate all concerns.

From a proud user of aircraft from across the “realism” spectrum, from Carenado’s aircraft, to inibuilds, to BigRadials, Bluemesh, PMDG, JustFlight, and Milviz/Blackbird, among others. By the way, all of these named devs have been lovely about bug reports, critical reviews, and even shot in the dark suggestions. Yet another developer that I will not name but whose products I enjoy even admitted that they are a one person show and they have decided to sacrifice capability, realism, and some polish on their aircraft in order to push to market because they can safely lower their standards and effort while making more money.

Hey, an admission of tactics goes a long way…

Update: more users on the official forums expressing distaste with the textures. Who cares though right? It’ll still sell to the masses who don’t use the forums.