Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I like to think of myself as a reasonably patient person but having waited for many months for the long-promised improvements to AES I'm beginning to despair I'll ever see them. I have asked at infrequent intervals for news on progress but have been left disappointed by the lack of an answer from Oliver. I have paid over £140 (€200) for my 15 credit packs and I imagine there are many hundreds of people who have paid the same or more. This is a huge amount to pay to one developer. Now whilst I realise he has problems trying to make AES compatible with FSX:SE or P3D I do get the impression that work improving AES for FSX:MS has been abandoned. The AES Development Preview topic started by Oliver in January 2014 has never been updated by him since. I find that extremely disappointing. I posted 2 questions on that thread and neither was answered by Oliver. Now whilst I accept there are still problems with FSX:SE and P3D compatibility it seems to me that work on the base product for FSX:MS users has stagnated and shows no sign of starting again. Until there is some news on development it's likely I have bought my last credit pack. Pity. This product was revolutionary when it came out but is now very expensive compared to the alternative GSX which has features lacking in AES. Perhaps Oliver can find time to answer my concerns. Only Oliver please. I would like to hear any news from the horse's mouth with all due respect to moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djembe 5 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 I am not interested in FSX:SE. But i will like to see something new in FSX, like new sounds, new vehicles, more animations, ecc. The true is i see some changes now compare to a few months ago, i was thinking that the software was abandoned, but now they release updates more often, and they use to explain in the "airportrequest" why a airport is not compatible. i spend also arround 160€ in this AES, is the most expensive addon i have for FSX. I expect more too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
João Peralta 8 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Well we are already 3 had hope earlier this year something new happen but apparently nothing. I have also invested some Euros and are not few. too bad I'm seriously thinking about investing in GSX, gives something more realistic to FSX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmaya10 32 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Unfortunately I'm some of this users that have to depend only about only one developer, Oliver, because I'm a FS2004 Die hard User. In my case, my passion and support maybe have gone too far as the among of money I've spend in this wonderful program. AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 04/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 04/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 04/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 04/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 06/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 06/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 06/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 07/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 07/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 12/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 13/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 14/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 14/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 14/08/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 03/09/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 29/11/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 02/12/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 22/12/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 22/12/2008 AES-171-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 30/05/2009 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 09/07/2009 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 26/02/2010 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 17/07/1010 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 30/09/2010 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 24/12/2010 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 18/04/2011 AES-219-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 24/06/2011 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 11/08/2012 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 02/02/2013 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 26/05/2013 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 15/08/2013 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 09/11/2013 AES-293-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 25/12/2013 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 15/05/2014 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 02/08/2014 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 30/11/2014 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 05/12/2014 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 13/06/2015 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 16/06/2015 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 30/10/2015 AES-294-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX 01/11/2015 I cant say nothing but thanks to Oliver for the opportunity to make many hours of fun and all the effort making correction, adjustments, changes, updates, to many airports that he has developed along. I understand that this work becomes more and more, and more heavy and difficult to handle and care, as every year the list became bigger. And for this same reason I guess that me as a user, no, a loyal User and costumer, as JP, Djembe, and Ray ask to the developer, just a answer, if the way is not supporting any more, there could be a buyer interested in continue the improvement of the product, or maybe the income of the payware can worth to have a group of programmers that make possible so long updates and adding of airports. In my case, and guess, in the case of the users that precede me, there is no intention to attack or disturb in any way to Aerosoft crew members, for the same reason I ask the same of Ray, answer of the developer, not moderators, no offence please. Mario Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emi 5161 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Dear Ray, work on both, the MS FS and the new flight sims is ongoing - it takes a lot of time though since AES besically need to be redesigned from scratch up as the previous method how to interface with the flightsimulator basically becomes useless if a flight sim gets updated every few months. Completly redesigning such a product to the same quality standarts you have now while still updating the old one with new airports (and there are new airports still being added - though it takes some time) eats up a lot of time and in the end delays both, the addition of new airports and the new version. Finally everyone will of course ask for the update to the new sims to come for free. So basically the community expects you develop a new product and are supposed to give it out for free, or are you willing to repruchase all credits you already have? This doesn't have it any easier. Other companies don't update their products for free (think about PMDG, Lockheed themselves, etc) where you might have paid a lot more (200 bucks for the Pro license of P3D2.5 and then you need to pay the full price for v3 again?). To bring this to the point: AES works fully and as advertised in those simulators for which we sell it - and in those it will always keep working. There are no limitations that you can continue using it on these simulators. Anything going beyond that is done because of the goodwill of Oliver (unless he makes it a payware update of course). As we told all the time already, it's planned to be updated in long term, but yes, this can mean years. Oliver is still doing AES as part time job and now people do not just demand him to add new airports all the time at the same rate it was possible for him before he had to update AES, now he shall, in the very same time, also quickly make a new program for which he'll likely not see a lot of money (keep in mind many FSX:SE and P3D simmers already have many AES credits and are unlikely to pruchase many new ones just because it works in the new sim now. Instead they'll want to reuse the old credits). Summarising all this: Yes, it's being worked on, yes, it takes some time, yes, you have gotten what you paid for, no, there's no right for anyone to get an update. (Sorry if this sounds a little blunt) This said let's wait and see if Oliver finds the additional time to answer, too, despite supporting new airports and creating a basically new AES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Hi Emi, I appreciate your response but I was really hoping to hear from Oliver. Are you his official 'voice' on the AES forum? Do you have any involvement in development of the product? I mean no disrepect but I really feel Oliver needs to answer the points I raised. Hopefully he'll give his side of things soon. But you went to some trouble to answer so I will respond to the points you make. I fully understand the problem trying to make AES compatible with P3D given the frequency of the updates. If the decision were mine I'd put a hold on that until LM gave some form of assurance that no further major updates were likely to be released for 12 months. Otherwise a lot of work could be wasted. Now onto FSX:MS and the question of whether any major update of AES should be free. Because of the way people pay for airports and with the base AES being free I don't see how a charge could easily be applied. In any case I'm happy with all aspects of the current version of AES with one major exception. When an aircraft is being prepared for departure one aspect of AES that is missing is baggage handlers loading the aircraft. The trucks arrive and the handler gets out of it but that's where the action stops. They just stand there as though they're on strike! I posted about this in this topic but no reply from Oliver was posted. http://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/98128-baggage-handlers-on-strike/ For a specialist program not to do simulate such an important aspect of aircraft handling is disappointing. Equally disappointing is the lack of any response from Oliver. I appreciate he's trying to make AES work with SE and P3D but he can't just ignore legitimate customer questions. It give me the impression he's not interested in supporting his product. I'm not asking for a 'complete re-design'. I'm just asking for an important aspect of aircraft handling to be simulated for the version of FSX I have purchased credits for. As we told all the time already, it's planned to be updated in long term, but yes, this can mean years. Well, come 27 January 2016 we will be talking 'years'. Two to be precise since Oliver posted AES Development Preview. No mention of any additional price was made in that post. Has any of that work been completed so an early version could be released? It's interesting that the post doesn't make any mention of baggage handlers loading suitcases or them being unloaded at the destination. If AES simulated that I would probably not have posted my complaint. You finish by saying I got what I paid for and yes, I can't disagree with that but you and Oliver must be aware of the lack of baggage handling and I would expect that aspect to be enhanced for no additional cost. Some say it should have been there from the start. As I have no immediate plans to move away from FSX:MS development of AES for other platforms is not important to me but probably is for others. Unless they have abandoned hope and moved to GSX of course. I imagine some will have especially with the excellent support Umberto provides for GSX and its frequent free updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djembe 5 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I understand the problem of the new simulators (fsx:se and p3d), but i do not care because i fly only FSX. Why do i need to resize every time the aes window when i start the program? Why this problem is not solved? How about the bagage handling? We need better animations, new voices, new fx sounds (the pushback truck sounds very bad), ecc. Why you do not change the way to select the arrival gate? We have many ideas to improve AES in FS2004 and FSX. Please make your customers happy, we spend a lot of money in your addon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmaya10 32 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Well, Emanuel is one of the people here in forum that try always to answer and make a good will for some questions that have the Aerosoft frequently costumers, but in this time, he gave us a little light about the real problem, (may be I'm wrong but) as usually the problem besides in money. Yes, money is the principal topic of our times and, obviously that is one of the principal interest in all of us, the people that have a work or occupation. Well, lets talk about of money, we are costumers, at least in my case I'm not close to pay for things that were made with quality, and care. It is fair, and perfect respectable get money for the work, even if it's named as an update, improve, better cars or animations, more functions, etc. You put the the price, not us. We are costumers and as a costumers are used to spend money in the things that are well done. If the problem is that is time for pay for updates, well it is time for, there will be users like me, that are dispose to pay for what you create. but create it, don´t say it is about the same things that I've listened for 3 years ago, a replay as Emanuel gave us. the problem is money, create, merchandise and make money then. Mario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 Well here we are 7 days after my post asking Oliver to respond to the points I raised and ... silence. How disappointing for a professional developer to ignore his customers like this. Not sure what else I can add. It does leave me with a bitter taste having invested such a lot of money in his product. Speaking personally I'd be amazed if we see any improvements to AES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deputy Sheriffs mopperle 4162 Posted December 16, 2015 Deputy Sheriffs Share Posted December 16, 2015 Sorry I really do not understand how somebody can be demanding like this. I spent a lot of money for my cars, but I never got one for free or at least an upgrade or any other special treatment. And all the money I gave them was spent for employees and developing new cars. They never approached me with regular updates on what is going on. And I spent a high 7 digit number in the last 10 years. And they were a professional multi billion Euro company. But I never had the idea to complain like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 Otto, I'm sorry you feel like this but with respect I asked for Oliver to respond and he has failed to do so. I am not going to get into a discussion with a moderator since how Oliver handles his business is not a moderator's responsibility. I said that if baggage handling was provided in AES that would satisfy me. I'm not looking for wholesale changes for no charge. The fact that baggage handling is not modelled in AES is a serious shortcoming that should have been addressed a long time ago. Whilst 11 people marked up my first post I see my earlier post today has been marked down. Hopefully not by a moderator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafal Haczek 1612 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I am not going to get into a discussion with a moderator how Oliver handles his business is not a moderator's responsibility. (...) has been marked down. Hopefully not by a moderator. Wer're not that bad, Ray, really. In my very personal opinion (not representing Aerosoft, please disregard my moderator's badge), it would be good if Oliver replied to your post. But for some reason he is not responding. Maybe he is busy, maybe he is abroad. I don't know. But we cannot make him write. In the meantime please enjoy an almost (I know, I know) perfect AES/GSX combo, like I and many others do. It works! Please login to display this image. In case we don't see each other here any time soon, all the best in 2016, Ray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Appliance 32 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I support Ray 100%. The lack of communication from Oliver, and not just this post, relating to improvements/additional features disrespects his customers. After all it was Oliver himself that specified what additional features would be added to AES ...depending on his time commitments. Disrespect also from moderators Emi and Otto who chose to chime in notwithstanding Ray's specific request that only Oliver should reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emi 5161 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Well here we are 7 days after my post asking Oliver to respond to the points I raised and ... silence. How disappointing for a professional developer to ignore his customers like this. Not sure what else I can add. It does leave me with a bitter taste having invested such a lot of money in his product. Speaking personally I'd be amazed if we see any improvements to AES. Ray, Oliver pays us at Aerosoft to handle the customer relations. He does not have the time to reply to all questions. We get tons of questions like yours per E-Mail day by day and the developers can simply not answer all of them. If Oliver would reply to every question he could also become a full time support officer and stop developing completly. Keep in mind what you see here in the forums is just a tiny fraction of what is actually happening daily. That's how support works with all bigger companies. If you're buying something from Microsoft or Apple, how likely is it that you'll ever get to hear a single word from the developers? Disrespect also from moderators Emi and Otto who chose to chime in notwithstanding Ray's specific request that only Oliver should reply. I don't see how it is disrespectfull if an Aerosoft official answers to a customerquestion. Our moderators only replied to other questions/comments lateron, I see nothing wrong with their replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 Wer're not that bad, Ray, really. In my very personal opinion (not representing Aerosoft, please disregard my moderator's badge), it would be good if Oliver replied to your post. But for some reason he is not responding. Maybe he is busy, maybe he is abroad. I don't know. But we cannot make him write. In the meantime please enjoy an almost (I know, I know) perfect AES/GSX combo, like I and many others do. It works! In case we don't see each other here any time soon, all the best in 2016, Ray! Hi Rafal, I mean no disrespect to the moderators in those references. I simply felt that my post was not a request for technical help but a request from the author for some news about his plans for AES and why an important element of its functionality was missing. I felt that only he could answer my questions unless he has shared his plans with you which seems unlikely. You guys do a great job with support and I will look again at merging the best bits of both AES and GSX. I have excluded all AES airports I have purchased from GSX mainly because two marshallers at the arrival gate was confusing and unrealistic. Maybe Oliver is on holiday, ill or just avoiding giving an answer. Who knows? I see he has gone part-time which is odd when so much development has been promised. Perhaps his heart is no longer in it. He used to provide support on this forum but that seems to have passed to you chaps now. So what is he doing and how can he be contacted? A happy Christmas and 2016 to you Rafal and all the support staff at Aerosoft. Live long and prosper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveCT2003 2553 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Hi Rafal, I mean no disrespect to the moderators in those references. I simply felt that my post was not a request for technical help but a request from the author for some news about his plans for AES and why an important element of its functionality was missing. I felt that only he could answer my questions unless he has shared his plans with you which seems unlikely. You guys do a great job with support and I will look again at merging the best bits of both AES and GSX. I have excluded all AES airports I have purchased from GSX mainly because two marshallers at the arrival gate was confusing and unrealistic. Maybe Oliver is on holiday, ill or just avoiding giving an answer. Who knows? I see he has gone part-time which is odd when so much development has been promised. Perhaps his heart is no longer in it. He used to provide support on this forum but that seems to have passed to you chaps now. So what is he doing and how can he be contacted? A happy Christmas and 2016 to you Rafal and all the support staff at Aerosoft. Live long and prosper! I support Ray 100%. The lack of communication from Oliver, and not just this post, relating to improvements/additional features disrespects his customers. After all it was Oliver himself that specified what additional features would be added to AES ...depending on his time commitments. Disrespect also from moderators Emi and Otto who chose to chime in notwithstanding Ray's specific request that only Oliver should reply. Very well said Ray, very well said. Thank you so very much for your words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 Ray, Oliver pays us at Aerosoft to handle the customer relations. He does not have the time to reply to all questions. We get tons of questions like yours per E-Mail day by day and the developers can simply not answer all of them. If Oliver would reply to every question he could also become a full time support officer and stop developing completly. Keep in mind what you see here in the forums is just a tiny fraction of what is actually happening daily. That's how support works with all bigger companies. If you're buying something from Microsoft or Apple, how likely is it that you'll ever get to hear a single word from the developers? I don't see how it is disrespectfull if an Aerosoft official answers to a customerquestion. Our moderators only replied to other questions/comments lateron, I see nothing wrong with their replies. Emi, Unless you can answer the questions on future development of AES then I don't see how you can speak for him. Unless you know things that you are not at liberty to reveal. If that's the case then I accept that. I don't expect Oliver to answer every question posted on the forum. That prevents him from further developing AES. But here we have a situation where he is not answering questions on the forum and not supplying updates to development work. Has he retired? It seems like it to me. The reason I asked moderators not to answer was not meant to be disrespectful to them but because I wanted an update to news Oliver himself announced nearly two years ago. He has never come back with any news so I will draw my own conclusions from that. Microsoft and Apple tend not to announce new operating systems and then not post any more news for 2 years. I've said all I can now. I'll wait for a response from Oliver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edetroit 529 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 FWIW I also support Ray 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveCT2003 2553 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 My friends, Emanuel is far more than just a support guy. If you'll look at my Avatar it says "Deputy", but look at Emanuel's and it says "Aerosoft". He's essentially an assistant Program Manager and he's busy 12 or more hours a day working and everything from attending meetings, testing software, trying to validate customer's problems, troubleshooting, handling customer's orders, problems with orders, etc. He's young, but I can tell you that he's earned my respect as someone who is extremely knowledgeable, intelligent, and he is in the loop. He is trusted and relied on directly by Aerosoft. Please, give him the respect that he has earned and deserves. Something people may not be aware of is that Aerosoft holds weekly and non-scheduled production meetings on products in development, and every effort is made to hold to schedules. Professional Program Management principals are in use and are working extremely well, and when delays happen there is often nothing anyone could do about them - in any world. There is a real company behind the Aerosoft website, with every concern that any other type of company has. In other words, Aerosoft is not just a loose collective of flight sim guys. Everyone on the Aerosoft team values our customers, it is this very thing which drives the Aerosoft Engine! Even though customers are valued, it doesn't mean we can give the answers they always want. As customers, you have clearly made your position known, you have been heard by more people than who posted in this thread, you were not ignored, you were taken seriously, and nobody is blowing anyone off and what can be done will be done. My friends, I just don't know what else to say about that. On the other side of things, Aerosoft is not going to bring customers into company operations any more than any other company would, okay? We are not going to turn this into one of "those" forums were people loose sight that customers and companies together make up our very special community, and that it is understanding and respect on both sides which must govern our feelings and our actions. I am thrilled at the family nature of the Aerosoft forums and we all need to help preserve it. I humbly and sincerely wish you guys the very best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewey 8 Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hello Ray, Just want to add my Two pence worth. I brought this topic up on the forum around 6 months after Oliver originally announced the changes that were to be made to the product, I asked why no information was forthcoming, and furthermore why airport additions had slowed by such a degree. I even had the audacity to suggest Oliver allowed other people to help with not only the development, but also adding other airports as I was told AES wasn't Olivers day job ( Seemed to me if nothing else he was missing out on making money )! What followed were a number of post's with a tone of almost fear of annoying,upsetting or even questioning Olivers intentions with the project. 2 years is simply to long. As a loyal customer ( in excess of £200 ) you have to question the future of AES, it certainly doesn't look like the announced changes are going to be delivered. And if they are why not simply give us an update? Furthermore new airport additions have slowed to a trickle. I absolutely love AES and think it's a wonderful part of this fantastic hobby we all share, but at the risk of horrifying a number of simmers out there I would rather be told that AES was finished than keep coming on here checking every night like a kid waiting for Santa to come only to realise my Mam and Dad had been stringing me along all the time. Kind Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Proudfoot 231 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Mark, Very well put and sums up my feelings. Oliver could sell AES source code and given its success it would command a good price and then he could enjoy his retirement. Development could then restart with the new owner. As things stand it's virtually stagnated. The Development thread should either be updated or removed. As things stand it's very misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emi 5161 Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Gentleman, I have already given you exactly that update above. There is nothing more to be said at this moment. We don't have any more information and Oliver doesn't either. Before this gets out of hand by a whether moderators, Aerosoft staff or the developers himself should answer debate I'm going to close this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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