Philosophy Behind the Release of FC3 by Matt Wagner

[+Dave 2,318]

Philosophy Behind the Release of FC3

 

Although it was not stated in the original announcement, I wanted to share the motivation behind FC3 and the logic behind some of the choices we made.

 

With the current divide between FC2 and DCS, we felt there was an unneeded gap between the two products that only served divide the larger Eagle Dynamics product community. Further, those flying DCS online really had no dedicated fighter aircraft, just mud movers. For a more encompassing online experience, this needs to change.

 

Given that "DCS: Fighter" is still a ways off, we hope that FC3 will serve as a good bridge while we continue to flesh out the stable of DCS aircraft (both 1st and 3rd party). However, given the time window for this and the available resources, there was a lot of back and forth discussion internally of what we could and could not do in a reasonable time frame. In the end, a list of improvements was created that we believe will most benefit FC3. Many of these improvements though (like AAM AFM, resource manager, etc.) could not be specific to an FC3 install, rather they would have to be part of DCSW or it would break the game online. Make no mistake though that these features were specifically created for and budged for FC3.

 

As for the new and improved F-15C cockpit, work on this started about a year ago because we felt of all the FC aircraft, it is the most popular. That is not a slight to the eastern aircraft, nor any indication of some sort of western bias. While we would also have LOVED to include a new and improved MiG-29 or Su-27 cockpit, the time needed would fall well outside the product window. As someone that has been flying Eagle products since the original Flanker, I too look forward to a new Crane cockpit!

 

As mentioned before by our moderators that show boundless patience, it is not our decision regarding the requirement for a LOMAC installation. This was a stipulation with Ubisoft that allowed us to create these addons. However, this is also a big reason why FC3 will probably be the last LOMAC product.

 

Finally, on the matter of price, we price all products based on the financial investment compared to forecasted revenue based on two decades of experience. For those that think we make money hand over fist making these titles, you could not be more wildly mistaken. If we solely based price on what end users deemed the cost should be rather than based on actual development costs, we would have been out of business long ago. As it is, we are often lucky to break even on these products.

[+SkateZilla 49]

Make sense... I'll prolly abuse the F-15s until Iris F-14 comes out.

[JediMaster 451]

If they're going to be lucky to break even on FC3, I'd say their cost structure is the problem. Compared to what other sims I've paid $40 for (Il-2 series, ROF, etc), FC3 offers significantly less when seen as the FC2 upgrade that it is. If you never bought FC1 or 2, it's a good deal, yes. For someone like me that already spent $100 on the LOMAC/FC family (buying all at release @ full price), not so much.

 

A lot of these things are not FC3-specific, they're going to be part of DCS World for 3rd party planes, too. So it seems like they're charging FC3 customers for things they need to put into DCSW that will make it worthwhile for the 3rd parties to make their planes. I mean, who will buy an F-14 if the missiles won't shoot down anything? Maybe DCS World shouldn't have been free to play. Maybe it should've been "Buy any DCS module or FC3 and get DCS World with it that lets you integrate with the others". After all, free DCS World w/Su-25T and no MP isn't really that big as an ad. Maybe it should've had the A-10A?

[+streakeagle 864]

Focusing on the F-15C means focusing on the US market, which makes sense for a lot of reasons.

I am the US customer they are aiming at and I prefered flying the F-15C in LOMAC/FC/FC2 primarily out of familiarity with the systems combined with the fact that it was one of my all-time favorite aircraft long before there were flight sims or even MiG-29s/Su-27s.

While I would prefer an F-4 to the F-15, I prefer the F-15 to the MiG-29 or Su-27.

The DCS:MiG-21bis, if done well and I am able to employ it as successfully as I can in the SF series may end up outranking the F-15C.

Of course, as an air-to-air fanatic, I prefer all of them to the A-10, Su-25, and Ka-50.

FC3 will hold me until the MiG-21bis, and the MiG-21bis may be my favorite for a long time until F-104/F-4 aircraft and others of similar capabilities from that era become available.

[ironroad 218]

Don't care, about the who, what, when, or why (or how much$$$)...just do the Eagle her due justice.

 

Meanwhile, I will be cleaning out the old hard drive and getting prepared for the online melee that is going to ensue in the coming weeks...

 

[Ruggbutt 45]

I will be cleaning out the old hard drive and getting prepared for the online melee that is going to ensue in the coming weeks...

Uhh, DCS doesn't work worth a feck online...................................It's broken, bad.

[ironroad 218]

Uhh, DCS doesn't work worth a feck online...................................It's broken, bad.

 

 

Ahh man,

 

That's like telling a child Santa Claus was killed the previous year in a car accident.

 

Not directed at you (or anyone here), but why in the high hell would the trumpet this thing up and then release with a non functioning...

 

 

NVM, just answered my own question, I remember how long it took to get LoMac 1.00 patched.

[+SkateZilla 49]

DCSW will be patched before FC3 according to WAGS, the problem has been identified and will be fixed in the Next DCSW Version.

[Ruggbutt 45]

DCSW will be patched before FC3 according to WAGS, the problem has been identified and will be fixed in the Next DCSW Version.

They said they'd do a lot of stuff in the past. Fly FC2 and tell me the missiles work right...............Same as in FC1. And Lock On after the first patch.

[+SkateZilla 49]

I'll pass on those.

[ironroad 218]

They said they'd do a lot of stuff in the past. Fly FC2 and tell me the missiles work right...............Same as in FC1. And Lock On after the first patch.

 

 

You mean the only patch, they left that game to rot only after two patch attempts. If it weren't for the modding community (to include stuff done by you and your squadron) and multiplayer, LoMac would have been a relic of Windows Me/Xp systems.

Edited September 6, 2012 by ironroad

[Ruggbutt 45]

If it weren't for the modding community (to include stuff done by you and your squadron) and multiplayer,

I appreciate the props. That's how I get paid for all that work I did!