As soon as something is mentioned on a roadmap users expect that thing to be released within a month or so. But that is not how software development works. It sometimes takes years to finalize a feature because more important things come up and it's put on the back burner. Some large features are very complex and require a lot of restructuring which doesn't happen over night.
Announcing a feature too early and then delaying it over and over is annoying and disappointing. Expectations also seem to rise the longer a feature has been announced and once it's released these false expectations pop like a bubble and the overall enjoyment is ruined.
We constantly monitor the forum and other user feedback channels to see what users have issues with and what we can improve. And most of these bugs are actually fixed quite quickly unless there is a major update in the development as right now, which holds up those minor fixes.
We get a good idea what users want but what they actually need might be a different story. We also have to evaluate what new features would make Aerofly FS more attractive and more enjoyable for more users in the long run.
Just as an example: Users say they want real world and real time weather. But what they actually need is someone giving them a real challenge during the flight, which is engaging and enjoyable when it can be mastered by the user. So even fake weather or accurate historical weather would probably be as rewarding as seeing the raindrops on the windscreen in the sim when it's also raining outside your front door.
Hi Jan, thanks for responding. At the end of the day, you guys are the team and you will make the end decisions you deem necessary. I completely understand where you’re coming from when it comes to announcing things and then people becoming stubborn, i’ve seen it happen with the A350. But the thing is, I dont think that you announcing features early is the point or problem here. The problem is the complete lack of information, we’ve been left now with genuinely no spoilers, no teasers, zero idea as to what you guys are currently working on.
In my opinion, having the forum in silence and not giving any sorts of updates will only create more speculation as to what’s happening. If you have months pass with nothing to look forward to, I think the silence itself becomes its own source of disappointment, no?
Ultimately, transparency builds trust. Even if features take a long time to make with potential delays etc, knowing why things are taking time makes the wait feel purposeful rather than uncertain. So I’m not proposing for a solid and confirmed roadmap, but rather just a bit more ongoing info into development so we feel informed rather than left guessing.
Again I’m not one to tell you how to do your job, I’m simply stating my personal opinion which some other users seem to share as well.
......? Someone once said "Kiss" (keep it simple stupid). I tend to agree, simple is better, less is always more. Just my 2 cents. You see FS4 just works period, function over form. 
