My Big Question...!

[Kiwikat]

I've been wondering this for a long time.

SOH is a tightly knit online community, however we can never get a multiplayer event together. I've noticed this on other forums as well. So I've got a few questions about multiplayer.

1.) Please vote in the poll.

2.) If you do use multiplayer, why? If you don't use multiplayer, why not?

3.) Why do you think others DON'T use multiplayer?


Please take a minute to vote and answer the questions.

Thanks guys! I hope to get a discussion going... :ernae:

[Kiwikat]

1.) I voted often.

2.) I fly multiplayer because it is a good opportunity to get to know others in the community on a more personal level while enjoying a hobby we share. It adds a personal experience to the sim that you do not get when flying by yourself. You can also do cool things like fly-ins, formations, and racing in multiplayer.

3.) I'm not entirely sure why others don't use multiplayer. That is part of the reason I made this thread. I think a lot of it has to do with shyness. People are comfortable doing their own thing and don't see any reason to try anything new. Perhaps I am wrong though...

[CG_1976]

I fly about 25 hours a week over at RWATC http://www.realworldatc.com/index.php
I can rebt my tiedown or jetway and rack up E-cash and learn at my own pace to fly with a ATC then have a push and shove Vatsim--- just my personal opion on Vatsim and how I feel. I commend all who fly excellent at Vatsim.

[N2056]

I can play, or I can create.
I choose the latter :d

[Tako_Kichi]

I didn't participate in the poll as I mostly fly in MP (in fact most of my flying is done in MP when not beta testing or painting) but I almost never use any of the MP options listed as 95% of the time I fly on a direct connection with friends.

[Kiwikat]

I didn't participate in the poll as I mostly fly in MP (in fact most of my flying is done in MP when not beta testing or painting) but I almost never use any of the MP options listed as 95% of the time I fly on a direct connection with friends.

That is what the etc. is for So please select often if you could.

Could you guys PLEASE answer my #3 question?

[falcon409]

Great question. Actually you could even split it into a question about what server we most often use and why. . .man this would be almost as long a thread as the one for the L-39, lol.
I fly MP flights at least 4 times a week on several different servers all using FSHost Client. Why?. . .just more interesting that way. I may go online with the intention of flying a current hoplist and end up flying a totally different flightplan with a bunch of the folks on the server, always interesting.

There are at least a few reasons I run into all the time for why others don't use MP. Some servers ask that use Team Speak for Comm, not a lot, but some. . .most servers have it available but it's up to you to use it or not. But in some cases, where you are asked to use it to eliminate the chat window (just get's in the way and I rarely answer a chat message when I'm flying because I don't want to take the time, during an approach to go type an answer) some pilots will simply not fly because they don't speak very good english or they don't like the way they sound or they don't speak english at all.
Another reason I've found is that on an FS9 server, there is a conflict with ICAO codes matching between the sims, so if you're flying FSX, there could be half a dozen airports that don't match what FS9 shows and you can be stuck at one airport if you can't use the ?hop= trigger to jump to the next hop. I finally quit flying a few servers because there wasn't an admin available most of the time to monitor the flights and get you out of situations like that.

[Kiwikat]

Those who are answering "Never", could you please elaborate why? This poll is mostly targeted at you.

[N332DW]

direct connect - flightsimnation / ventrillo , ... and once in a while gamespy
- single player is for beta testing only usually

[N2056]

For me, as a developer I spend my time in a pretty constant loop of model/export/check in sim...I hardly fly on my own for 'fun'. Maybe an hour a week! With that in mind, I hope you can understand why I have little time or interest in the multiplayer thing

[Bjoern]

I never have and never will see MSFS as a multiplayer sim.
My first and only time of flying online was back with FS98. We all started at Meigs, but the group dispersed immediately after take-off.
This kind of spoiled it for me, since it was no different from singleplayer, except for a bunch of dudes located somewhere in the area.

I don't see much purpose in multiplayer free flight anyways. What's there to be done except practising formation flights?

Online tube driving isn't any better. You'll have to sign up here and there, get various programs, disable your AI and most probably won't even have a controller anywhere near you.

However, I like things like FSEconomy and FSAirlines, which add a bit of competition and purpose to the whole "commercial" flying in MSFS via an online community and an economy system.
The best thing about them is that I can still fly like I usually do - offline, with Radar Contact running and tons of AI.
To be honest, I couldn't care less if that contrail crossing my path is Bernd from Munich or a generic AI pilot. They're both just callsigns and flight numbers. As soon as they've passed me, they're gone both from my view and from my mind.

FS skies belong to me and my AI alone.

[falcon409]

WOW, I am already amazed at the Poll numbers. The servers I fly on always seem to have pretty good participation, not huge mind you, but decent numbers.
This is where the option for what method of MP most people use might also play into why they don't fly online much. Some folks are passionate about VATSIM, just think it's the only way to go, but most that I talk to online gave it shot and said "no thanks". . .Reason? VATSIM controllers are a mix of retired ATC, current ATC, Licensed Pilots and folks who just get into the whole ATC concept. On all accounts I think that's awesome because you know the majority of those folks have been there. What I found from personal experience and discussions with others is that VATSIM isn't someplace you can just pop into, setup a flight and enjoy the flight time. These guys expect you to know the ATC system and adhere to it and if you don't. . ."please stay out of the way". Bam. . .I'm outta there, I have enough pressure on a day to day basis without having to have a glass of Alka-Seltzer at the ready when I'm flying online, lol.

So, that may be one reason that some folks step away from online flying, if they think that every server is going to be some form of what they heard VATSIM is like.

[Kiwikat]

Yeah I tried VATSIM for a little bit. It isn't really my thing. I'd prefer to have fun with a group of friends on gamespy, direct connect, or FSHost. Teamspeak is also nice...

[PRB]

Never have done MP in FSX, but love it in FS9. I won’t fly FS anything in window mode, and you can only fly MP in FSX if you fly in window mode. That’s a deal breaker, so I do MP only in FS9.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
MP is what has made FS loads of fun for me. We sometimes hear talk of “immersion” in FS. Well, for me, MP has made FS “immersive”. Talking to my on-line flying shipmates is fun!

[blazefox2]

i flew with a lot of virtual militaries only recently to leave that area behind but i try my best to at least go onto a few sessions with freinds although since the move i doubt i will get much if at all online flying for a while

[falcon409]

Bjoern brings up another facet of MP Flight (this isn't a swing at you either Bjoern). His only venture into MP flight was back during FS98 when a group got together and after take off immediately went their separate ways. . .I don't blame you for thinking "is that it?", lol.
An example of an organized MP flight would be the folks at WSP (World's Serious Pilots). Every Wednesday evening they get together for a group flight, usually at least an hour in duration and most of the time everyone is flying the same airplane. They have a set flightplan, everyone knows the route, altitude, airspeed, etc and real world weather. Off they go and all use TS for Comm, so there's chatter going on almost non-stop. Bill Holland's NJ Short Hops is another place that always has a good group of pilots flying as well as Figs Hops and a few others. Things have changed since FS98.

[CG_1976]

WOW, I am already amazed at the Poll numbers. The servers I fly on always seem to have pretty good participation, not huge mind you, but decent numbers.
This is where the option for what method of MP most people use might also play into why they don't fly online much. Some folks are passionate about VATSIM, just think it's the only way to go, but most that I talk to online gave it shot and said "no thanks". . .Reason? VATSIM controllers are a mix of retired ATC, current ATC, Licensed Pilots and folks who just get into the whole ATC concept. On all accounts I think that's awesome because you know the majority of those folks have been there. What I found from personal experience and discussions with others is that VATSIM isn't someplace you can just pop into, setup a flight and enjoy the flight time. These guys expect you to know the ATC system and adhere to it and if you don't. . ."please stay out of the way". Bam. . .I'm outta there, I have enough pressure on a day to day basis without having to have a glass of Alka-Seltzer at the ready when I'm flying online, lol.

So, that may be one reason that some folks step away from online flying, if they think that every server is going to be some form of what they heard VATSIM is like.

That is the whole reason why i choose to fly over at RWATC. You can actually enjoy your flight time and ATC in harmony.

[GT182]

Voted Rarely. Haven't flown FSX MP, but I used to do weekly missions with IL2. Hope that counts a little.

I used to fly MP on HyperLobby, but IP to IP is better overall with less problems. And we used TeamSpeak for coms.

[Kiwikat]

I know it is a bit farfetched but I think it would be cool to make a Sim Outhouse multiplayer group...

We have such a nice community here. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to extend it from the internet into the simulator...

[bkeske]

Those who are answering "Never", could you please elaborate why? This poll is mostly targeted at you.

I fly very structured flight plans most the time, concentrating on as much realism as possible (flying by 'the rules', observing correct altitude, space, etc.). Plus, when I fly, it is my 'personal get away time'. Finally, I never remember my father or his pilot buddies ever going up to fly in formation (or whatever), so it just has no interest to me. I just cannot relate to it based on my real world flying experiance. I suppose dad would have done this in the Air Force, obviously, but he never allowed me to join him back in those days

[hobofat]

I don't fly MP because my free time for flying in the simulator is quite erratic, and never seems to align with most people's multiplayer schedules. This might partially be my timezone (GMT -10), but even so, I fly when I'm willing to devote what little freetime I have to flying, and that pops up at the weirdest of times these days.

[glennc]

I never fly MP for several reasons:

I think I'm a reasonably proficient FS pilot and I'd rather not have anyone else tell me otherwise.

My FS machine is about five feet from the couch where my wife is when she's home. She wouldn't understand the conversation over the head set, and it would interfere with her watching TV or on the phone - not to mention, "Why can't you talk to me?". In the real airplane is one thing. In the living room is another.

I don't want the structure. Again, real aviation is one thing, the simulator is another. In the simulator, I can be as procedurally correct as I want, or not. If I have only a few minutes and I want to cut it short, I can just do a straight in approach that I would never even think of for real.

Most of my flights last less than an hour. 30 - 45 minutes isn't unusual, neither is 15 -20.

And, I'm just too lazy to set it up.

Glenn

[Kiwikat]

I don't want the structure. Again, real aviation is one thing, the simulator is another. In the simulator, I can be as procedurally correct as I want, or not. If I have only a few minutes and I want to cut it short, I can just do a straight in approach that I would never even think of for real.

A LOT of people seem to have this impression. You don't have ANY structure when flying around with just your friends. Usually it's flying formation or practicing navigation. There seems to be a generalization that all multiplayer is strict like VATSIM.

[falcon409]

Ok, one more plug for MP and I'll quit, lol. Time zones can be a back breaker when you are trying to setup a coordinated weekly or more often MP flight online. Right after Lago released their MB-339, a group of us (about 10) got together and started flying 3 times a week. At that time I was working night shift so we flew from about 9am CST til around noon I guess and we did that for almost 2 years before Lago finally decided to pretend like no body existed anymore and we were forced to go our separate ways. I set up a server using FSHost and a TS server for Comm and we flew and had a blast. Pilots in that group were from Italy, Scotland, Israel, Canada, Great Britain and the US. The club we had organized, called "The Flight Zone", had as a total membership over 280 pilots. . .10 flew every week. . .the same 10. The reasons for such a small participation were endless, but mostly because the times we flew, it was difficult for them to make it. So time zones play into why some folks don't bother.

[falcon409]

. . . . . My FS machine is about five feet from the couch where my wife is when she's home. She wouldn't understand the conversation over the head set, and it would interfere with her watching TV or on the phone - not to mention, "Why can't you talk to me?". In the real airplane is one thing. In the living room is another. . . . . .
Glenn

Oh man Glenn, the puter needs a new home, lol.