Think the F-15 Release is/will have an Impact

[Temetre]

Am 10.4.2023 um 11:23 schrieb Lieuie:

Back in the day when we had a couple of full fidelity modules sales weren't really affected but nowadays there are so many modules that have been announced that it is impractical to get them all either due to cost or the lack of time you have to fly them.

I might have been more excited about the F-15 if I didn't know that the F-4, F-8, A-6 and A-7 were coming. Not to mention all the modules I already have but haven't had the chance to fly them very much.

So I don't think it's one module that is affecting the sales of another but a bigger change in DCS. We now have more planes than we have time to fly them.

Theres also a lot of overlap. Like, the F-18 was a no-brainer when it came out. Then the F-16 brought something very similar. Now we get the F-15E, which is certainly unique, but for how many people does it bring enough new stuff to the table to buy it?

Maybe thats part of why, after the rush of more modern planes, many developers now make cold war aircraft, because theres a lot of variety. The F-4E is probably gonna be the biggest one, a kind of multirole-cold war plane.

 

One positive aspect is that this might create some inter-DCS competition. DCS always had an issue with lack of competition, which is part of why everyone culd jack up prices so hard, while some devs delivered super early access and took extremely long time to complete aircraft. With more and more overlapping modules coming out, that might force some competition, even for ED.

[RevampedGrunt]

I think it's kinda hard to say that sales may be affected to a serious degree due to another similar aircraft in game. I think one of the leading reasons people buy modules in the first place is because they like that aircraft, not just because of the role it fills. I imagine there are people that buy for role related purposes but still, probably isn't going to be enough to effect sales. The main thing that would kill sales, in my opinion, would be the way the sale is handled and what the quality is like on release. If you have an aircraft that is basically unplayable on release, the word will travel fast and people who hesitated on buying it, will wait longer or be put off altogether. 

[Temetre]

vor 14 Stunden schrieb RevampedGrunt:

I think it's kinda hard to say that sales may be affected to a serious degree due to another similar aircraft in game. I think one of the leading reasons people buy modules in the first place is because they like that aircraft, not just because of the role it fills. I imagine there are people that buy for role related purposes but still, probably isn't going to be enough to effect sales. 

I wonder? My first plane was the F-18, and frankly, I wasnt overly interested in the plane itself. It was more about getting into DCS and the idea of fully simulating a modern multirole fighter aircraft. A lot of new people seem to go that way.

Funny storry, I actually had the impression of the  F-18 being a bit of a mediocre plane; like an underpowered, but cheap carrier aircraft that did the job because american avionics were ahead of competitors. Only when I learned and flew the plane, I really started to appreciate what it was, and got interested in its history. These days I almost feel like that plane was more like the F-35 of the 80s; not the most flashy fighter, but ahead of the curve in some pretty amazing ways. 

Im not really playing DCS in an "rp-heavy" way, but flying and learning planes in DCS is not just fun in itself, but also a history (and physics?) lesson for me. I wonder how other people treat this? Theres only so many "favorite planes" you can have as a first buying choice, after you got two planes or so, theres gotta be  other motivations for people too.

Zitat

The main thing that would kill sales, in my opinion, would be the way the sale is handled and what the quality is like on release. If you have an aircraft that is basically unplayable on release, the word will travel fast and people who hesitated on buying it, will wait longer or be put off altogether. 

I mean, arguably some planes of the past were kinda bad? Like, F-16 was probably 60 bucks at EA release, but so incomplete it was hardly usable? What Ive read from the early EA sounds pretty barren, idk why anyone would want to fly a Sim plane in that state. And if its just crowdfunding, then the price seems kinda extreme.

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Temetre

[Zad Fnark]

I'm definitely getting both.  Already pre-ordered the Mudhen.  I like cold war stuff. and technically the F-15E was developed at the end of it.

The way my wife spends money, I can justify an occasional $50 for something.

[Jagr]

If you are a real Phantom fan then you are going to get it regardless of the F15E release.  You may get both as I will, but I plan on flying the F4E more in the Cold War server.  The F15E looks like it's going to be amazing, so I ordered it to support the genre.  The F4 will fit into the niche of cold war fighters that are much more popular at the moment because you don't just have BVR missile jousts.

[aztec01]

I don't think Razbam's Dirt Chicken will inhibit sales of the F-4E, but I absolutely believe, the RELEASE of the F-4 will only come 4-6 months after the SE.  That is not saying the F-4 is ready to go, but I don't think ED is going to allow any other premium jet to be released before the SE.  ED strenuously denies that's happening, but it only makes sense to spread out the release dates of premium content.  I NEVER bought into the 2022 release of the Phantom.  At the end of last year, there was significant anticipation that the SE was going to be released before Christmas, then again in May '23.  now it's June and I don't expect the Rhino until 1Q 2024 at the EARLIEST, but everything with this sim, as wonderful as it is, reminds me of Lucy with the football in the old Peanuts cartoon.  If you know, you know.    

[MemphisBelle]

On 2/3/2023 at 9:25 PM, Cobra847 said:

This is an exceptionally unrealistic projection at present.  
We're getting close. Soon we'll have poured two years of very hard work into the Phantom and thus we're rapidly approaching completion.
 

There will be some gaps between releases as this is something that all parties feel is good, but the development or release schedule on a macro level is not influenced by the 15E. Put simply, and with all due respect, we do our own thing and don't really care much about other third parties. I wouldn't even say we consider other releases quite as competitors, as the rising tide raises all boats in DCS. 

In the end, our release and development schedule is dictated by quality first and fiscal responsibilities second. Exact release day, seasonal timing or other release deconfliction are a distant third.

 

Seeing now how the F-15E release happened, I wonder about a very specific point. Will you remain silent like RAZBAM did and reveal the release day with the actual EA release? I think that this is a bad move. At a certain point, it should be clear when a release seems obvious, why not communicate it then? I do not speak of months prior, but rather days or "2 weeks", but this time for real. Have you guys already discussed that? Will the unveil also mean release or can we expect another unknown period of time of silence after the unveil?

Thanks

[Rudel_chw]

50 minutes ago, MemphisBelle said:

Will you remain silent like RAZBAM did and reveal the release day with the actual EA release

I know that I will not wait until last minute to pre-purchase  

[MemphisBelle]

10 minutes ago, Rudel_chw said:

I know that I will not wait until last minute to pre-purchase  

I will not too. I mean, the Mudhen is a great Jet, but I still did not purchased it...but the Phantom will be a day 1 purchase for me.

[Dragon1-1]

Hopefully now the endless torrent of Mudhen hype will cease and we can get some Phantom stuff.  I'm certainly more excited for that one than for the Mudhen, especially after what Razbam pulled at preorder launch.

[felixx75]

On 6/23/2023 at 12:04 AM, aztec01 said:

[...] I don't expect the Rhino until 1Q 2024 at the EARLIEST [...]

Q1 2024 would mean they had misestimated by more than 1 year, I can't believe that. I assume that the F-4 will appear by december 2023 at the latest (but rather earlier), unless they release the module in a much more advanced state than originally planned, then it could actually also be 2024. 

[TOViper]

On 2/13/2023 at 6:20 PM, lunaticfringe said:

The pilot overhead in the F-4E (and Phantom in general) is substantially higher than the pilot of the F-14.  The Phantom pilot is responsible for all stores management (including selective jettison), as well as weapon release grouping and timing profiles, directly assists in Sparrow tuning, and performs DDS programming (while the WSO selects mode).  The pilot selects all air to ground employment modes, and in some instances a profile will require a mode change just prior to release (example: Target Find cannot provide the release signal, thus requires selection to another release mode once the offset target is sighted and on approach). 

The Phantom is an odd mix, as capability outstripped the original cockpit ergonomics design in very short order, and it shows in how seemingly related tasks are distributed throughout the cockpit in strange fashion. There is a method to the madness (for the most part) once you get an understanding, but it will likely take some time for everything to "click". 

Following this, I am looking forward having my buddy as WSO in the back seat commanding me around ... I will like it.
This all is where the term "crew" comes to live, what many of us were looking for since the release of flight sims in the early nineties ... now HB makes another dream come true.
Stop. Viggen is already around since 2017. This one was the first dream ... hm ... Tomcat was second. Now, Phantom will be the 3rd.

Edited June 24, 2023 by TOViper

[pii]

On 6/22/2023 at 6:04 PM, aztec01 said:

I don't think Razbam's Dirt Chicken will inhibit sales of the F-4E

lol Dirt Chicken

[1130]

September， well...

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:27 AM, 1130 said:

September， well...