The painfully timeconsuming path to creating something new

[Vitus]

So.... I was just warned and banned from avsim for a day for having the audacity of posting the following story in the hangar chat. I am still bewildered by this experience and still await a response from the moderators over there.
I really like to share my experience and hopefully get some good ideas from the flightsim community.

I hope SOH does not see this as blatant advertisement and allows content like this to be hosted here. Please let me know if I'm in violation of any codes of conduct.

Hello Avsim!

I would like to share some of the joy and some of the agony I experienced over the past few years working on the simulation of ONE add-on for flight simulator. This is partially personal story, shameless product placement and rant. I started working on the Lockheed Vega about three years ago. The decision to work on that particular aircraft was driven by my passion for vintage aviation and the idea that the simulation of an aircraft like the Vega would be simple enough to complete within about a year time. Boy, was I wrong.

While the essential bits of this iconic aircraft - the 3d model and textures - were completed rather quickly, the simulation of the systems is an entirely different matter. The reason being that I couldn't be satisfied producing an aircraft that just looks good and flies well - I knew from the start that it is the systems simulation that transform a good aircraft to an outstanding add-on.

I launched Wing42 about a year ago and with it released the Lockheed Vega as an Early Access product. I received some criticism for that decision, being told that Early-Access is "money-grabbing" or "pay-for-beta". I whole-heartily disagree! While it is true that the sales I make with the Early Access definitely help financing the development, my main motivation to go down that path was to tap into the hearts and minds of the users and through the interaction with the customers shape the product as close to perfection as I am able to. And let me tell you: the feedback I received through this process has been way beyond my imagination. I can confidently say that the Wing42 Vega would've never gotten to this level of realism without the feedback and criticism gained through the Early-Access program.



The overarching goal of this devellopment is to provide the user with an experience, rather than just an aircraft. I am trying to replicate the experience of operating an aircraft in the 1920s as closely as the platform allows. This immersion into the past is what this add-on represents - at least to me, and I hope for my customers too.

To facilitate said immersion, I tried to replicate operating procedures well beyond the actual flying of the aircraft. With version 0.85 I implemented an interactive ground crew together with a dialog interface. The interface is used to instruct your rampie to install the various ground equipment available and he will respond to you and inform you when the instructed tasks are completed. Apart from the programming of this interface, I also commissioned some artwork to give "Heinrich" a face and I spent considerable time recording the different responses. Another example of how the Vega tries to immerse you into the 1920s lies in the design of the various 2d panels that come with the add-on. The goal with the UI/UX is to incorporate design features of that time and give every interface the look and feel of a piece of paper. As an example for that, have a look at what I am working on at the moment. The upcoming version 0.90 of the aircraft will feature the new "Aircraft Desk" which is used to interact with aircraft log and engine log as well as provide some feedback on the wear & tear of the airplane. I am currently working 70-80 hours per week on this and many other new features, in the hope to get it done by the beginning of June.



So far I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from my customers. I can't recall a single one who was unhappy with the product as it is right now. The feedback that I get from users is mostly suggestions of things they like to see in a future update, or a report of some feature that doesn't work just yet. Despite that, sales have been abysmal lately. I am under no illusion that by itself, this project would ever be able to recuperate the immense expenses that I sunk into this project. But my hope is that the technology that I created in the process of developing this aircraft can be transferred into future products as well and in that way transform Wing42 into a viable business. However, I am still a bit disheartened by the lack of interest by the community as a whole, therefore I'd like to end my ramblings with two questions for you:

1. What do you think is the reason for the disregard of the add-on in the wider flight sim community?
2. I welcome any suggestions how to boost the profile of Wing42 and the Lockheed Vega.

Lastly, I want to thank all of the supporters of my work and everyone who already purchased the Lockheed Vega already. I am certain you will be blown away with the release of the next update and I'll do my best to deliver as fast as possible.

Kind Regards,
Otmar

[FlyingsCool]

That's why I hang out here and not at Avsim anymore. I love these discussions, and love interacting with developers and people who like flight simming without the drama...

[FlyingsCool]

And, as a side note, your constant interaction with the community and release of beta product to the purchasers totally justified early access sales. Criticism should be reserved for those who sell things and don't deliver. You've delivered a million percent.

[FlyingsCool]

To answer your questions:

1. What do you think is the reason for the disregard of the add-on in the wider flight sim community?
2. I welcome any suggestions how to boost the profile of Wing42 and the Lockheed Vega.

1. It's a single product with likely somewhat limited audience. Flight simming is a HUGE expanse of interests.
2. It's your first product... It'll take probably a few years for it to really start gaining some traction....Marketing will be very important.
3. I'll bet the audience for beta product is somewhat limited. Many people will want to pay only for finished product.

In general, I think patience is in order on your part. My bet is interest will be slow to build, but that it will once you release the product for real. Then, I think the good thing is, hopefully you'll consider developing 2 or 3 more planes, and that the process will go MUCH faster for those planes based on your experience with this one. Having an expanded product line and high quality products like this one, will drive more and more word of mouth and more and more people to your site and to purchases.

To sum it all up - Don't give up! You're on your way You've created something very impressive here. I imagine you already have, but think about approaching the CalClassic folks. Big audience for you there.

P.S. Your plane is on my list of purchases to be made, likely over the next year or so.

[FlyingsCool]

P.P.S... And not wanting to have you dilute your work, but maybe get together with a really good scenery developer and create some period airports and scenery. It's always nice to fly in context.

Edit: I think I misworded what I meant, as scenery won't dilute your work in any way, but having to learn all you'll need to learn to create a new scenery would tend to take you away from your other work. There are plenty of people out there who you could work with to develop it... And I think such a product would be really key for a lot of people.

[SiR_RiPPER]

I don't frequent avsim for the same reasons, but to stick to the topic:

I've been through that curve myself and I believe that we'll come out of it soon. From my standpoint, the steps to growing are:

• Quality: that's something your Vega seems to have to the max
• Quantity: get more products out. One plane is a firework, no matter how good. Many planes are what will catch more people's attention, increasing your market. As we're doing simobjects, we need to put more products out. On the other hand, if you were developing something like AccuFeel or Chaseplane you could get 10x more sales than you would with an excellent airliner.
• Experience: That's something where views may differ. Your Vega seems to offer the full monty in managing the machine itself. My personal preference to take this one notch further would be to add, i.e., a scenery that matches the era. Be that a different product or part of the same.
• Honesty: Don't sell your stuff for what they're not. People hate it when they get less than they were promised. If there's a reason to withdraw a feature, be up-front and say why. If you can't do something, don't promise it.

[falcon409]

I would echo much of what FC had to say. The passion of a developer for a particular Era of flight is something that may not be shared by others in the Community in the numbers you might have wanted or expected. Everything has a niche and depending on the individuals that can be quite vast for some (WarBirds, Business Jets and larger Commuter types for example) and not so much for others (Experimental, WW1, Amphibs) those groups are passionate to be sure, but the actual numbers may not be what you would have expected.

Your Vega is a first rate Airplane and your desire to make it exceptional is evident, but it falls into a niche where your passion for that airplane and the Era of Flight it represents is not shared by a huge following, probably not in the numbers you had thought, IMHO.

Your reason for the Early Access Program as a way of releasing the product and the intentions you stated as your true reason for doing so are commendable, however, in the end. . .folks see it as "I'm paying someone to beta test an airplane". Simple as that and as FC stated, the audience for Beta Testing an airplane you paid for is limited and frowned upon in most cases. This idea has been used to the point of frustration by buyers who don't think it's a good idea or good form to pay for an airplane they view as unfinished.

You have a great product, you have a following. . . .in numbers that may grow over time and sales that will continue to happen. The best to you and your continued development.

[johnwillimas2]

Well, for what it's worth, this post encouraged me to head on over to the Wing42 site to have a look. (Which I guess plays to FlyingsCool's remark "Marketing will be very important".

It certainly looks like an impressive development and the deep simulation of systems is something that appeals to me (I've never really been a ctrl-E sort of guy). A2A have shown that there is a desire for classic aircraft with complex systems and I'm guessing that those who liked the Connie or the Strat might well line up for this too.

The question of paying to gain early access to software is always going to divide folk. On one hand its a great way to encourage a developer and to participate in the development of the product (I know I have a smug feeling when I use a feature that I've commented on or made a suggestion to improve). On the other the FS world is littered with products where development times have stretched into the far horizons (and in some cases never been realised - the AT Sims Antonov AN2 has only now fixed stuff in the original Sibwings product of at least 6 years ago!). Not many folk have that much patience. The issue will always be whether there are enough of the former to keep the developer going until they get to release

I guess my advice is the same as that of Winston Churchill, "Keep b***ering on!" I'm sure that the enthusiastic plaudits of your early access users will be a great aid to promotion once the product is complete.

As to why AVSIM got themselves in a twist over this, I can't imagine. Some folk have problems recognising the commercial realities of the world in which developers often want (quite reasonably) to get paid for their efforts. Certainly it seems you ask two very reasonable questions. From my own viewpoint the Vega isn't an aircraft I would have thought have buying - I don't think I ever flew the one one if FS2004 - but what I've read on the Wing42 site has me intrigued and I'll add it to my watch list!

Cheers and good luck - the FS community needs developers committed to pushing the simulation envelope with whatever airframe!

[Vitus]

Hey guys,

just a quick heads-up: Jim Young of avsim reacted to my message and unlocked the topic again. Not without leaving a remark (warning?). You can find it over here:
https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/5...something-new/

While I disagree with his interpretation of my original post, I am glad that he allowed it for others to read and react and I would like to leave it at that.







Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! One thing I want to stress straight away: I am actually extremely happy in the little niche of vintage aircraft and I think that it is big enough to build a business around. If anything, A2A showed us how success can be achieved within this space of aviation. While I am a wee bit disappointed about how the sales were going since update 0.85, I can appreciate and understand the hesitation many flightsimer have both towards Early Access and a newcomer like Wing42.

What's really interesting is your suggestions of taking sceneries into the portfolio. This has also been on my mind for a long time, among a lot of other things I have planned for the future of Wing42! If only I could work faster or longer hours, I have so many ideas what should come next

Marketing is another huge issue that needs to be tackled in one way or another. I try to get in touch with youtubers to help spread the word, I booked advertisement and I try (sometimes more, sometimes less frequent) to utilize social media to keep Wing42 fresh in the minds. But for the most part this is also a double edged sword. The more time I spend "advertising", the less time I got for the development and I really want to get the Vega out and move on to the next project...


Thank you all for your encouragement and your suggestions! I love this community!

[dvj]

So far I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from my customers. I can't recall a single one who was unhappy with the product as it is right now. The feedback that I get from users is mostly suggestions of things they like to see in a future update, or a report of some feature that doesn't work just yet. Despite that, sales have been abysmal lately. I am under no illusion that by itself, this project would ever be able to recuperate the immense expenses that I sunk into this project. But my hope is that the technology that I created in the process of developing this aircraft can be transferred into future products as well and in that way transform Wing42 into a viable business. However, I am still a bit disheartened by the lack of interest by the community as a whole, therefore I'd like to end my ramblings with two questions for you:

1. What do you think is the reason for the disregard of the add-on in the wider flight sim community?
2. I welcome any suggestions how to boost the profile of Wing42 and the Lockheed Vega.

Lastly, I want to thank all of the supporters of my work and everyone who already purchased the Lockheed Vega already. I am certain you will be blown away with the release of the next update and I'll do my best to deliver as fast as possible.

Kind Regards,
Otmar

1. The simple answer just could be that the Vega is just not that popular or attractive enough of an aircraft to inspire interest except from a few niche customers. This is a wonderful simulation, but one aircraft does not make a portfolio of products from which to generate continued interest or income. You also vanished it seems for a few months between updates which may have left potential customers wondering if there would be on-going sales and product support. There is also a child's "new toy" syndrome that folks go through. It's new for a few months of flying, but many find themselves going back to flying old favorites. I am certain there are many virtual hangers filled with gigabytes of unflown aircraft sims.

2. Today, there are folks who act as "influencers" in social media who demonstrate and talk about products. This goes a long way to stimulate interest, discussion and maybe a few purchases.

[Moses03]

Hi Otmar,

Have to ask, in your avatar are you chording a B-E-G# triad?

Your Vega is really nice!

Kevin