GotFriends Astro ONE - Released 4/20

[ak416]

Current List of Features:

- Fully Custom Physics Engine, Flight Model, and Electrical System built outside of Asobo’s limitations. This is coding-based and does not require WASMs or any external applications.

- Terrain Tracking and Fly-By-Wire Flying. Enjoy a near hands-free experience as your drop into canyons, follow the beaten path, and stroll over lakes in this unique ground detection safety mode. We have also included an axis in which you can adjust your LIDAR’s Safety Altitude on-the-fly.

- Sports Mode and Dynamic Boosting! Do you feel the need for speed? All safety features are turned off and maximum power is supplied to your motors for a fast, thrilling, limitless experience.

- Hover Mode will allow you to stop all momentum, center your aircraft, and prepare for landing whenever you need to. Just activate the mode, take your hands off the controls and let your automated system take full control.

- Additional Features: Propeller Guard Extension Kits, Swappable Plexiglass Shell, Emissive Liveries, Removable Mirrors, Rotor-Tip Lights, Foldable Arms, and Rechargeable Batteries… All with Persistence!

Full announcement here:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t...friends/586716

[Spook48]

Looks nice , but not for me

[Penzoil3]

Meh, not even an airplane. It's a toy for the Xbox crowd.

[DaveWG]

Looks pretty cool. Not the sort of thing I'd buy, though I'd try it if it was freeware.

[Sundog]

Looks like fun to me. It will be great for exploring some of the highly detailed scenery add ons.

[dvj]

Meh, not even an airplane. It's a toy for the Xbox crowd.

Drone Racing league most likely. One could envison that MSFS is going "Arcade" very quickly with this. It should be a separate game, not MFSF.

[DennyA]

(Insert Abe Simpson "Old man yelling at cloud" GIF here)

This looks fun. It's based on an actual vehicle in development, so it's not 100% fantasy.

If you've tried the Lake Skipper, there's something to be said for just zooming around in a fun vehicle. Life isn't all about serious simulation.

As for the Xbox (1) there are plenty of serious sim fliers who use Xbox; I'm an old flight sim fogey who started on FS2 on the C64 and I fly there sometimes; (2) the casual action market isn't going to fly MSFS no matter what vehicles you put in it -- there are plenty of action-based alternatives like Ace Combat and Star Wars Squadrons for that; (3) MSFS, Kerbal Space Program, etc. show there's a market for actual simulation on consoles; and (4) most important, don't bite the hand that funds you. MSFS is expensive to maintain and develop. The wider the audience, the more likely it's not going to get killed again.

Seriously. Not everything needs to be a study simulation with working fuses and 30-step startup sequences to be worth your time.

"Lighten up, Francis." -- Sgt. Hulka

[JohnC]

Theory of punctuated equilibrium

- Structured proliferation of product and developers is stable in a state of static equilibrium (FSX/Prepar3D 2006~2020)

- A punctuated event shakes the static environment into a state of plenty (release of FS2020), and the resource of customer dollars are easily earned

- The era of plenty is characterized by diversity, particularly of new development groups

- As novelty fades and/or customer base shrinks after the punctuated event, the resource of the dollar tightens. Simply making an iconic aircraft is insufficient, it must be have increased fidelity (Black Box, MilViz, PMDG) or be quirky and niche (Astro, Tie fighter).

- As the available resource of the dollar stabilizes, adaptive developers create substantive offerings through unique skillsets or collaborative builds and earn a spot in the new equilibrium


.....Dang-it, my brain leaked all over the keyboard again.

[Tom Clayton]

Even if you have to change a few axis bindings to get the full effect of the flight dynamics, the sim lets you save several different configurations anyway. I think the terrain following might take some of the challenge out of it, but still, with wide-open visibility, this is something that I can see being used as an alternative to the drone for exploring scenery or even canyon running. GotFriends has a good reputation, so I'm betting this won't be junk. If the price is reasonable, I may pick it up to play with it.

[LostPilot]

Some of the comments here are downright hilarious. A fun addon (based on a REAL WORLD AIRCRAFT) cannot magically make the sim an arcade game. Buy what you like!

[ryanbatc]

It is kinda cool... based on the real Jetson One.

Might be fun for exploring your local area!

[JohnC]

Some of the comments here are downright hilarious. A fun addon (based on a REAL WORLD AIRCRAFT) cannot magically make the sim an arcade game. Buy what you like!

This feels directed at my post. The only note I was trying to make is that we're moving out of the era of plenty, there was no prediction about what the future would/will actually be. In the FSX/Prepar3D era there was a continuous drive towards increased aircraft systems fidelity, I think in part because of the lack of graphical detail or depth of interaction with the world. FS2020 is a whole different system in its representation of the world.

In simple terms; It was statement that the glass is at 50% capacity, and the interpretation from there is up to you.

[DennyA]

Really, what we need is a clear labeling system. (I actually pitched this to the MSFS team back before release during casual conversations.)

It's absolutely fine to have fictional fun planes, or planes enhanced over the normal performance. It's fine to have planes where the systems are "lightly simulated." And it's awesome to have survey-level aircraft. As long as peoples' expectations are clearly set before they purchase (cough B.314 cough), folks should be happy to let all of these exists.

I start cold-and-dark on maybe 5% of my flights. I know some people who do it every time. I know others who start in the air. Variety is the spice of life and we don't all want the same things.

But being too demanding and focused on systems realism as a demand and a must can kill the hobby. IL-2 Sturmovik ruined combat flight sims for a decade, because Oleg and crew listened to the rivet counters that system simulation was the critical element and multiplayer was the important focus, so missions, excitement, fun, historical scenarios, and AI were all neglected. When in fact, if we'd had planes that flew realistically, but with exciting missions that felt like the missions you read about in WW2 memoirs instead of sterile encounters against brain-dead unrealistic AI, combat flight sims might have not gone from one of the most prolific genres in the 1990s to the tiny niche they are now.

TL;DR -- There are survey-level planes and there are fun planes and there are planes in-between, and that's awesome. As long as someone doesn't buy A thinking they're getting C, everyone wins.

When I flew in a real F-15, the only systems I used were the throttle and stick. Totally didn't get to start up the engines, and it did absolutely nothing to dampen the experience.

[DennyA]

JohnC, your post nailed it. I have more than a few planes in my MSFS hangar that I bought when there wasn't much out there. Now I'm skipping planes like the Maule that I'd have snatched up early on, because with the proliferation of planes I already have its niche very covered. So my money's going to innovative and different experiences like the Astro One, to cool unique niche planes like the Norseman, and to every dang warbird out there. But it's going to take something really special to get me to buy another STOL bush plane or Piper/Cessna.

[dvj]

With all of this wonderful coding and new aircraft, ASOBO still can't get us a decent flyby mode or fix that dang horizon line. Maybe, Microsoft should have hired GotFriends. -d

[Javis]

With all of this wonderful coding and new aircraft, ASOBO still can't get us a decent flyby mode

That's the agonising truth alright.

It's on the wishlist though "Can we have our Classic Fly-By views back please" Approach : Not Started. That's something, right ?

[Javis]

As for the subject at hand.... Hmmmm.... somehow some numbers and names popped up in my mind, i don't know why...Let's see... Microsoft Flight Simulator....,hmmm... the Astro One, a flying lawn mower, or.... anything from what popped up in my head :

T-33
T-2
F-86
F-89
F-100
F-101
F-102
F-105
F-106
F-4
F-5
A-1
A-2U
A-2F
A-3J
A-3D
A-4D
A-20
F2D
F3H
F4D
F4F
F7F
F8F
F8U
F11F
F2J
F3J
B-17
B-24
B-25
B-26
B-29
B-36
B-47
B-57
B-58
C-97
C-118
C-119
C-124
C-130
KC-135
P-26
P-36
P-39
P-47
P-61
P-84
P-89
Lancaster
Halifax
Blenheim
Mossy
Hurricane
A-12 Duck
A-16 Albatross
A-10 Catalina
L-049
L-749
CV-240
CV-440
CV-580
DC-4
DC-7
DC-8
DC-9
DC-10
F-27, F-50
707
727
757
767
Viscount
Electra
Comet
Caravelle

If i'm not mistaking we had just about anything from that list of venerable flying machines in FSX/P3D, FS9, FS2K2, etc and before. Can we wonder what's keeping them from the Mother of all Flightsimulators that is MSFS ? Is it the Astro One's ?... the Lake Skipper's ?.... the JW1's...? the Flying Flea's ?... i.e. the Bugs ???... Do we maybe need a fly swatter here ?

Money, money, money
It ain't funny
In our MSFS world

[Daube]

I'm surprised by some reactions here.
Some of you are implying that this addon is just arcade stuff for the XBox elementary-school kids, telling about low-level/fantasy aircraft models etc... as if it were a TieFighter very briefly visiting us before returning in another galaxy...

We can regret this addon is only "inspired" from the real aircraft instead of actually modelling the real thing, but unfortunately that real thing hasn't shown its full capabilities yet (since it's still experimental and being tested), and that shouldn't prevent the addon from having a realistic flight model...

For those who didn't know, here is how the real one performed recently:
https://youtu.be/GAVwYIvmNEM

[ak416]

I'm surprised by some reactions here.
Some of you are implying that this addon is just arcade stuff for the XBox elementary-school kids, telling about low-level/fantasy aircraft models etc...

It's the same bs you hear from the hardcore DCS guys anytime a military aircraft is released for MSFS. "Why would you want to fly a warbird if you can't shoot anything? It will be a nice toy for the casual simmers but it won't be realistic. I have a stick up my ass and I can't fathom anyone having fun unless they have fun in a way that I approve of".

It's not even worth engaging with them. These are the same kinds of people who moaned that the inclusion of the Reno Air Races was too "arcadey" and had no place in a flight simulator.

[Daube]

100% with you here

Personally I can't wait to make a some low-level flights with that addon in VR, it's going to be a blast
I just need to find where that house in the video is located, and attempts a similar flight in the area

[Spook48]

Even if its inspired by a real thing.
It still is not for me.

[LostPilot]

Just a reminder as well that Got Friends isn't responsible for coding fly-by views or whatever else Microsobo is responsible for. I'm not sure why those points are being brought up in response to this addon. The MSFS team did not take time away from your preferred enhancements to build this addon, Got Friends built it.

[dvj]

Just a reminder as well that Got Friends isn't responsible for coding fly-by views or whatever else Microsobo is responsible for. I'm not sure why those points are being brought up in response to this addon. The MSFS team did not take time away from your preferred enhancements to build this addon, Got Friends built it.

It was suggested that with all of special coding that GotFriends is doing for this, Microsobo should probably hire them to address some basic featurers and fixes that have been a problem or missing since the product launch.

[LostPilot]

Oh yeah, I agree with you there!

[JohnC]

So I guess the question is, do three wrongs make a right? The answer of course is, to each their own

- Reno-style air racing
- Ground effect vehicle (Astro ONE)
- Real-world automative race circuit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRITE3VKRTI