Hello to all users and developers,
I hope this message finds you well. Please allow me to clarify that I've been a loyal customer for 9.5 years and still adore the simulator and the painstaking work the IPACS staff goes through to create realistic products. HOWEVER:
I've noticed that the past few updates have been rushed into launches and experienced numerous bugs since. For example, the 777F, which should have had proper sound based upon what others have noted, retained its original sound and still lacks flap sounds.
Long-running bugs, such as the inability to land the Sopwith Camel ( Truncana) and the "tapping sound" that can be heard after engine shutdown on most Boeing and Airbus aircraft still haven't been fixed.
However, the memory-saver update completely ruined Aerofly FS for me. I've seen many users complaining about how the update affects their gameplay and realism, but their device wasn't an affected model anyway. I am one of these users as well. I have 16GB of RAM and an Apple M1 chip, yet the density of autogenerated buildings and frame rate have decreased since these updates were rolled out. I have also noticed more "black squares" appearing in the scenery, as it fails to load more often now. Additionally, it takes at least 70% longer to load now when compared with app builds before October. With these new and nonexistent RAM constraints, the PAPI lights have disappeared at most airports for me. Flyish and Small Planes have observed even more egregious issues.
The sounds have been ruined on numerous aircraft, such as the A319 and 737s through this "reduction" in file size. Why was this necessary? Why are the passenger view camera sounds destroyed? The "improvement in memory footprint" was code for completely destroying the sound quality for these aircraft.
The MAX 9 has also been downgraded by having the functionality of "time elapsed" and "squawk code" panels on the PFD being deactivated. Why??? Observe that the "time elapsed" panel still works in replay mode, as seen here. Why??? I had my transponder set to 1036 but nothing changed on the PFD in either mode.
Furthermore, the sounds on many aircraft are still disappointing. The "new" CFM sounds from earlier this year are still terrible, and the 747, 777, and 787 have hugely unrealistic sounds to this day. Excluding the 777s, none of these aircraft have startup or flap noises either.
To add on, FADECs haven't been fixed on most airliners. I'll name a few examples:
1) A321 climb power still too high on CFM models, but it was fixed on A320 (see the 7-10% N1 decrease per detent): note that the takeoff thrust entries are still correct for TOGA and FLEX applications, but the climb is lower than the MCT detent by a tangible margin
2) 737-900ER's N1 is STILL too low on TO-B (should be 102.1% in ideal Q1013 OAT18 conditions), cost index and derates don't work
3) A319 IAE thrust ratings have been completely destroyed since the update.
Some liveries still have errors after YEARS, such as the EVA, KLM, and United 787-10s, the Delta 737-900ER and 747 logos, and the absolutely deplorable Delta A320 colours. The Delta A319's registration doesn't match its registration listed on the vertical stabiliser either. N301NB and N356NB are different aircraft. At least these could have been fixed for what has traditionally been the biggest update of the year?
It's been quite a while since most base aircraft variants were released. When will we see a 787-9, 777-200ER, and 737-800? The argument that the Boeings could be shrunk is ridiculous, since we haven't seen any of these aircraft in the sim years after the base aircraft releases. The 777F is an exception— I assume most of the fuselage needed to be remodelled to accommodate the useless cargo door and lack of windows- why do we have a freighter when we can't load it or use dynamic weights?
I also want to speak about the glaring omission of Australian liveries. There were clear opportunities to depict:
1) Jetstar A321SL (IAE)
2) Qantas 747, widely requested
3) Virgin Australia and Qantas Link A320s (on IAE)
4) IAE Qantaslink A319
5) Virgin Australia 777s (2x): WHY were these PUBLICLY POSTED on the liveries list then never implemented? They were good enough to be added to the sim!!!
The CRJ900 is evidently lacking in features, such as a basic FMS or even FLEX derates! It still flies and looks like a beta build!
There is also an appalling new glitch that occurs when more than 6 digits are entered into the INIT page of the MCDU on all Airbus aircraft. Why does this now happen. For a such a high-quality simulator, how can ridiculous bugs like this one manage to remain in the consumer release? Customers are NOT beta testers.
Here's another picture from the mysterious "INIT drone"
I was stuck on a flight from KMSP to KLAX by clicking the INIT button and suddenly being ejected from the aircraft three weeks ago.
This really disappoints me, as IPACS has been the epitome of quality finishing since its earliest products, such as FS1, which I bought almost a decade ago.
I've also noticed that airports on the blog post lists have either existed for over a year, or aren't actually included in the update that they were advertised for. Why is there such a discrepancy between that heyday and this rushed nonsense? For example, Taipei has been listed for the past few posts, but isn't actually implemented. There was a list of improved airports such as EHAM and KLGA that were due, so why aren't they in this supposedly "major" update?
These issues and more have been irking me for some time, so I am publicising my concerns with this post.
Kind regards,
VolerSuisse333
Dear IPACS team, I wish you a sincere thank you for your work on KMSP and LSGG! It is incredibly impactful for me!
