Posts by Nik Barbour

It's a tricky knife edge balance.
I'm mobile (Android) only, so would definitely love to see future updates for that platform. Whilst I would like updates, I understand that ipacs are a business and have to chase and develop for whichever platform they see will make them the most profit or expand their reputation or portfolio at the time.
I'm sure ipacs will revisit mobile as they have said so several times. If not, the product we have already is good, it would just be a shame as we're all so passionate about this because we can see its promise and where it could possibly get to in the future. That's why we all hang about here and other ipacs groups.

Mobile is an especially tricky market to handle well though. You have to keep interest going carefully, with news and updates via social media, but on the flip side you have to be careful not to over promise or over inform upfront of updates due to some people feeling over entitled. I do think you have to probably have around three major updates a year on average. Any less and your market dwindles and walks away to other products or genres. Once lost, sales are hard to claw back.
Managed correctly and with a good developing product though it should be huge from a sales point of view.
Everyone has a smart phone these days, Infinitely more than gaming pc's, and purchase from a playstore is instant disposable purchase. You just have to keep your reputation good, product visible and the market keen to buy your offerings.

Over at the AFFG group we have two users now reporting graphics issues with AF2, since they upgraded their devices via OTA update to Marshmallow. Both users report black areas of scenery.

The AFFG thread link is here...
https://m.facebook.com/groups/227080727448875?view=permalink&id=611793102310967

Never worried too much about scheduled or regular dlc updates or releases. Some games that stick to these early made promises just end up releasing broken cr@p with an ever expanding bug list, or severely disappointing their fans with missed dates. It hardly ever works well to announce upfront.

Plus we have to remember with Aerofly that things we see being developed for PC, can sometimes be brought across to mobile assets, so even if it looks like one platform is being favoured at the time, it all works out eventually.

Quote from iCoffeeCat

On two different devices, HTC Nexus 9 and Google Pixel C, on Android N Developer's Preview 3 NPD35K does not run AeroFly 1. Have emailed thru the Play Store, sent feedback, still no response.

Should have messengered but got distracted (been slammed at work this week). Due to extreme changes with developer OS builds, ipacs mentioned they'd prefer to wait for final release version of N before reacting. As it worked in build 2 but not 3, it could easily work in the next or final build.
Sorry iCoffeeCat.

Before it was added to IF I was sceptical. But it really is a great control option, obviously for at home.
I'd imagine there could be a lot of former PC simmers like myself who no longer have (or really want) PCs but would like a little more control and realism via their mobile hardware and the amazing realism that AF2 mobile offers.

Just wondered if Usb Joystick support with customisable ui and mapping to Aerofly functions will be added to the Android build (which can handle usb devices plugged in via an otg adapter)?
I was thinking since a similar UI was developed for the PC build, this might be easier to include for Android mobile builds now.
Device tilt whilst on the go is great, game controller never felt natural, but I do like to plug in a joystick at home and can't afford a PC.
I do love using this feature in Infinite Flight. It'd be awesome to have the same functionality in Aerofly2 with its physics. IF could be removed once and for ever.

I wrote the review as Dale Robertson hoping to avoid detection. Rumbled
I guess it's gloves off and all's fair in love and flight sim sales going forwards then.

Quote from kuazz

Hey, Anyone of you useing game controller for AF2 ? If yes, is the realism better or :)?

I've got a Shield K1 with the gamepad controller which is supported by ipacs for Aerofly. I'm not a big fan of game controllers for mobile flight sims personally, I prefer tilt still. The Aerofly support doesn't have trim yet so you end up with constant back pressure on a tiny control stick which just isn't a great experience. I do appreciate that they added it - it just isn't used by myself for either this or XP10m (which does have gamepad trim).

Quote from Pianoman1

Do you think a smaller tablet will inhibit the experience compared to the likes of the full size ones ie. iPad Air?

I'm happy with the Shield, but being honest I'd imagine the bigger screen of the ipad air2 is more of a pleasure. Whether it justifies that the purchase cost is three times the cost of the shield is up to you. It wasn't for me.

The shield has other benefits for me too. The controller is just beautiful for non sim gaming. And I'm not a fan of Apples over control of its games market (I'm a big emulator player).

Nvidia have just relaunched the Shield K1 Tablet for £150 or $199. It's an Android 8" tablet which will run Aerofly on maximum settings, so should be good for update longevity despite being effectively already over 1yr old.

I've just picked one up exclusively for Aerofly.

Fixed it thanks. - Sorry I do normally check any links I post, but got distracted.

These were a couple of mine from the recent picture comps which run each week on Aerofly Fan Group Facebook page (AFFG)
http://www.facebook.com/groups/aeroflyfsfangroup/

Titled - Yippee-ki-yay Mother....

Quote from Overloaded

Nik, Nav frequency selection via an external menu would be fine for me but obs and rmi or nav display VOR/NDB switching would need to be live and in cockpit. No recent news in Facebook:(

I didn't realise XP 10 didn't have obs control, I didn't get it as it looks so crude compared to Aerofly. I keep XP 9 just for the helicopters.

Agreed on the nav interface. I'd prefer live in the cockpit as it is in XP10. Just heard back from one of their devs on FB, apparently it was a slip up the king air got tuneable OBS. Apparently it was decided not to launch with interactive controls, and they thought they'd isolated them all but forgot one. Apparently it's staying though.

I know this is the Aerofly forum, but I'd recommend you fly both AF & XP10 personally. I didn't like the Cessna which you get for free, but have purchased the Baron and Kingair now. Both fly really nicely. Graphics aren't up to AF standards, but you get an excellent sense of depth and weather perception whilst in the cockpit. Physics are excellent, and weather, mech failures and clouds are nice too. Apps free on Android with planes fairly reasonable. UI has a lot of bugs being new, and regions are tiny, but I fly both this and Aerofly regularly. Worth a try mate.

Quote from IPACS Support

We are not sure yet how to do the controls of navigation instruments. Our new desktop version allows you to directly turn the knob for example by using the mouse. We still have to find a way for the mobile version.
Anyway, we will have fully working VORs, just the user interface on mobile devices is unclear.

We will see regarding Switzerland what we can do regarding the coloring.

I thought XP10 for mobile had omitted tuneable OBS, after having had it in XP9, but found out yesterday that it is in 10 but only for the King Air.
Works really nicely. Their interface is that you click near the instrument and slide left or right to tune OBS.
Changing frequency is done from the map.

Video of the interface here...
[video=youtube_share;u-ZHrGtfGSs]

It was really good for its age. The improved version for the 48k Spectrum was another leap forwards again.

Just look how far we've come!
Not really Aerofly related, but this shows how sims have evolved and just what mobile devices are now capable of.

I've been using flight sims for an awful long time, realised today that my first ever was in 1981 or 82ish. It was written by Psion, and ran on the 16k (yep 16 kilobyte) Spectrum ZX81.

Just for fun on a wet cold Saturday, I decided to get this working again today via an Android Emulator, and thought you guys might be interested to see it in all its glory.
Even though I'm showing you this as an example of sim evolution, I'm still staggered by how much it actually had despite memory limitations and no colour.
It had working instruments, VSI, ILS, fuel, selectable VOR beacons, navigation screen, crosswinds and approach lights. It still is to me a miracle the devs crammed all this into the ZX81.

Well, I got it running, crashed the plane a couple of times, reread the instruction card, and managed to get the plane back down on the ground eventually after some practice.
Here's a video of me on final approach and landing...

[video=youtube_share;CfzNiKteG4c]

Had a blast reliving this. Hope you enjoy it too.

Nice one Overloaded!
I'm going to have to have another go at that one now.

Did you get out again? Otherwise it doesn't count. (joking)

Quote from adak47

That is a tight fit! But the 41 kt final speed (?) and the intentional ground loop kept you on the roof. For a more authentic experience maybe you should use K's Piper cub, which floats like a butterfly?

Use the Corsair to land on the Golden Gate!

Adak47

No piper cub in Aerofly Mobile unfortunately.
Got one in Xplane 10 though.

Yeah - I wasn't really thinking authentic, it was more about the challenge.
Rudder was manual, you have to put the plane into a slide as soon as you touch down. Normal braking isn't strong enough here.

I've had a couple of attempts at landing inside Candlestick Stadium too, but not managed this one yet.

C172 skyscraper rooftop landing.
[video=youtube_share;anjLlNoblZc]