I understand that not all will agree with my words, but we live in a democratic society where the opinions of all are equally respected. If there is any item mentioned in this following text that does not correspond to your opinion, I’d like to hear your side of the story. If there is any item mentioned in this following text that is factually incorrect, I stand corrected.
Firstly, sources have shown that clouds will be implemented to IF before taxiway lights. This is a fundamentally flawed way of prioritizing the developments. Clouds may be a cosmetic enhancement to the simulator, but it can obscure the view of the airfield, and fog can cause collisions or taxiway excursions due to poor visibility. Taxiway lights have been known to help solve such problems, as they can shine through thin clouds and fog and therefore enhance visibility. Therefore, it is only logical that the taxiway lights be implemented before clouds are introduced, but instead, they have put the cart before the horse, and therefore demonstrated poor ability to prioritize developments. Furthermore, taxiway lighting is by miles the single highest demanded feature. What makes taxiway lighting so unique and significant is that it alters the experience of flying in IF for all. With taxiway lights, players will no longer have to constantly change their in-game time for visibility. Not only will taxiway lighting enhance the experience by increasing realism (which is the ultimate objective of IF), but it is a feature that all can benefit from. No matter what aircraft one flies, whether it be GA or heavy metal, taxiway lights will aid realism by allowing everyone to taxi at night. Not prioritizing taxiway lighting suggests that a large, and perhaps the largest missing piece of the puzzle will continue to be missing as other features are implemented into IF. Players of IF will eventually lose their patience from waiter fatigue because this crucial feature is not prioritized. The anxiety and bothersome feeling of uncertainty will continue to plague users and only worsen as users grow more frustrated by the day. It is crucial and obligatory, that taxiway lights be prioritized as part of the development to satisfy the community and uphold realism.
Secondly, although the development group has made meaningful progress in enhancing the user interface and set a new standard in aircraft realism, there is still much work to be done for the other aspects of the simulator to meet the new standards. As a result, we as paying customers who subscribe to the goods, products, and services of Infinite Flight, should be given a higher degree of transparency regarding future developments and the progress of ongoing developments. It has been known that some enjoy the “element of surprise” and the feeling of “what do they have in store for us next,” but others simply want to know if the investments they have made is being put towards making meaningful progress and developments, for the benefit of all who subscribe to such goods and services.
The majority of the community live a free and democratic society, and therefore, we should be allowed to put forth our ideas and opinions. Modern society as we know is foundered on the building blocks of democracy. Democracy allows people to express their opinions and feelings, and as part of upholding democracy and freedom, we as paying consumers for goods and services should be allowed transparency and a higher degree of insight into the progress made by providers of goods and services.
Disclaimer: While I do understand that implementing taxiway lights is by no means an easy task due to the variety of devices that IF caters to, it is still imperative that progress on taxiway lights be accelerated, allowing for implementation within the shortest time frame possible to enhance realism and to satisfy the community. As of now, clouds are being prepared to enter beta testing, whilst having clouds does improve realism, taxiway lighting is still a critical piece of the puzzle as:
- It has the practical advantage of allowing players to taxi at night
- It too improves the realism of the simulator.