Free players in shared cockpits

[Japo32]

IL2 Great Battles allow usage of maps in multiplayer even they are not payed. 

The Hunter call of the wild do the same...

 

I know ED has to make money on this, but even sometimes they offered 1 month or 15 days totally free play. 

We have friends and those friends not always buy the same planes/helicopters we do. 

UH1H, MI8, F14, Gazelle and future Hind (and Apache) offers the option to play together with a person in shared cockpits, and it is difficult to find your friends joining those aircrafts.

 

What if ED allow everyone to use NOT the pilot seats, but only in multiplayer, the gunner (or RIO) positions for free? 

What if maybe, if you think that it is too much generosity, users can win mile points somehow in minutes playing for free in those gunner seats? (would be needed lot of time to learn those positions).

 

As The Hunter and IL2 finally people that play free, ends buying the maps to play alone and not depending on someone, you could have the same result in DCS? and we could have more possible human crew for our flights.

 

 

 

[Mars Exulte]

 Regarding multicrew, the kind of stuff we've got here isn't as simple as to just ''jump right in'' like a tail gunner or something. Copilots, RIOs, heli gunners, there's quite a lot of switchology involved in those positions, you're not going to have hordes of randos helpfully jumping in to take a position.

 

  Also, ''not owning'' an aircraft also means you don't have the cockpit or any related files for its systems or simulation, meaning at a minimum you have to download several gigabytes of data ahead of time.

 

  As for the maps, I understand why they charge for them. They're creating a lot of new technology for it (much of which is itself being distributed for free). The maps are not autogenerated splurg either, they have a fair amount of time invested creating assets and designing the environment.

 

  This is a niche, low income environment. ED isn't doing anything that very nearly EVERY OTHER SIM is also doing for all the exact same reasons. All this ''gib free stuffz'' nonsense really irritates me. This is a business, not a charity, and there's a lot more effort put into the products here than in most this other stuff. They earn their wages. Pay them. If somebody can't or won't buy a certain thing, too bad for them. This isn't Pokemon, you don't need to ''buy them all''.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Mars Exulte

[71st_Mastiff]

if we made the world free? who would work?

[cfrag]

I believe I understand the desire - I too sometimes wish that good things were free or at least less expensive. But that is just one side of the coin. On the other side, as was already pointed out, are the hard-working souls that make this possible, and who need to put bread on their family's table. It's a risk/reward thing. How many more units do you think you would be able to sell if you allowed something like you propose, and how much would it cost to implement such a scheme.

 

Currently, ED and their partners seem unwilling to take that gamble, and even though I sometimes wish it was otherwise, I respect and understand that stance. Maybe the'll change their stance later, but I don't mind.

 

Here's why: let's approach this discussion from a different side: Personal Value versus cost. If you (or your friends) play DCS for its entertainment value, say for 8 hours - what would be the pecuniary equivalent for other activities? If I went skiing for a day, that would put me back some 80-150 USD. If I went to the cinema four times - 60 bucks. If I went to a restaurant twice - 200. If I went on my terrace to sunbathe - 5 (for water, crackers, and sunscreen). The important part here is that everything that you deem worth doing usually has a cost, and that when that value exceeds cost you should do it. If you and your friends like DCS, make the calculation and when the price/hour is competitive with other activities, enjoy spending the money. So far I have bought more than 20 modules, putting my the DCS price tag at some 1200 USD (not counting hardware). Steam tells me that to date, I've spent some 2000 hours in DCS. That's less than a buck per hour, a veritable steal compared with other entertainment activities. Now, your mileage may vary, but I'll be purchasing that Apache with a big, fat grin

 

[Trakkar]

I often wish for some sort of "Buddy"-Key System that I could give a friend that wants to play as a RIO but doesn't want to buy the whole plane.
I mean, it would be nice, if F-14 owners would have an option, to invite 1 Player to be his RIO. And that's "locked" until revoked.
Therefore you wouldn't spread it too thin, and people who just want to be the back seater can do so but ONLY with his Pilot.

Or, maybe offer a "Crewman/RIO" purchase you can't become the Pilot, but it's 50% off.
There are solutions to this, if you really want to.

Best example is the Albatros. It's a Pilot TRAINER, but you have to buy it first to be trained in.... That's kinda... dumb.
 

[Japo32]

I think some people didn't understand what I wanted to say. English is not my natural languaje so I understand the missunderstanding.

I am not pretend they put their work for free. I know they have to earn money for living. I do make planes for xplane and MSFS and sell them, and also has made some free stuff, and I would do more if I knew how to program it. 

There are free games out there that earn a lot of money, becuase the "free" is the lure (??) that makes the new users "bite" the product and try payware addons, I know there is the TF51D  and the Sukhoi with a free map, but mostly all new user face an offline or maybe an multiplayer with people they don't feel friendly, and they may think DCS is something totally different that they are searching for...

 

I have a friend. I have recomended DCS to him for 8 years until he bought a F18. I do have almost all the planes. the Hind is already reserved. I could put those friends of mine in my cockpit and teach them the gunner seat while we are flying. For sure some of them would finally buy the same plane/helicopter once they see the great DCS it is, and I would have also fun, because I could share coop missions with them ( and I payed my planes already)

I have read so many times DCS is a "niche" product. Maybe it is because we treat it as that. 

I have made videos to teach others how to fly planes... but for sure there is nothing as flying with the "teacher" in the same cockpit online. But most of them wouldn't buy any 30$ plane for first time until they try... but the SU25T or TF51D is not atractive enough for them. 

 

I hope now it is more understable what I wanted to say (glups!!  )

[Evoman]

I was just thinking about this very thing these past few days. I have a lot of friends I have told about DCS over the years but at the most two of them have downloaded DCS. But after they tried it with the SU-25T while using a keyboard and mouse well they ultimately lost interest.  But I bet that If I could take them for a ride in my F-14 as RIO where they just have to go along for the ride off a carrier and back it would leave a better impression on them. Then if they would like to give it a try I could start them off in my L-39 with them as the pilot an me as the instructor. Which by the way it would be great if we could at the very least be able to give access to the pilots seat to friends in only the trainers.

But I very much like the idea of a Buddy-Key System to at least be able to give friends a demo ride.

[Mars Exulte]

@Japo32

  You're writing fine, don't worry! I didn't intend any particularly harsh criticism. It is annoyingly common for people to make ''I want more free stuff'' threads I understand that's not exactly what you were saying.

 

  I do kind of like the idea of a buddy key. That might be worth exploring/considering. Like a temporary key that can be loaned out for backseating. Especially for the dedicated trainers, it's worth it.

 

 Of course, these days, they're doing free flights semi-frequently, too, which kind of solves the issue, as well. Just requires waiting for the freeflight window then snagging your friend for a ride along.

[Japo32]

Didn't think about the trainers, but for sure that would be awesome if they could use the student backseat if a owner of the plane wants to teach him/her. The trainers would have a reason to be in DCS. Not only we have fun flying missions but teaching our friends.

[Mr. Big.Biggs]

4 hours ago, Japo32 said:

I think some people didn't understand what I wanted to say. English is not my natural languaje so I understand the missunderstanding.

I am not pretend they put their work for free. I know they have to earn money for living. I do make planes for xplane and MSFS and sell them, and also has made some free stuff, and I would do more if I knew how to program it. 

There are free games out there that earn a lot of money, becuase the "free" is the lure (??) that makes the new users "bite" the product and try payware addons, I know there is the TF51D  and the Sukhoi with a free map, but mostly all new user face an offline or maybe an multiplayer with people they don't feel friendly, and they may think DCS is something totally different that they are searching for...

 

I have a friend. I have recomended DCS to him for 8 years until he bought a F18. I do have almost all the planes. the Hind is already reserved. I could put those friends of mine in my cockpit and teach them the gunner seat while we are flying. For sure some of them would finally buy the same plane/helicopter once they see the great DCS it is, and I would have also fun, because I could share coop missions with them ( and I payed my planes already)

I have read so many times DCS is a "niche" product. Maybe it is because we treat it as that. 

I have made videos to teach others how to fly planes... but for sure there is nothing as flying with the "teacher" in the same cockpit online. But most of them wouldn't buy any 30$ plane for first time until they try... but the SU25T or TF51D is not atractive enough for them. 

 

I hope now it is more understable what I wanted to say (glups!!  )

Yes I understand. What you are saying is they should make money but somebody else should pay them.  It’s ok tho, that’s the wave of the future and your being force fed it so it’s not your fault for feeling that way. Somewhere  along the way, folks got convinced that its not what you do, but what you feel that matters and most don’t feel like paying...  shit, whats your paypal, may as well write you a check too...

[Evoman]

41 minutes ago, Desert Fox said:

 

For free i was thinking about "spectator only" seats in trainers for education and giving mommy/wifey/doggy a VR ride, but i realized that would really devalue those modules in terms of their main sales argument.

On the contrary. If the trainers were to be the only ones with the added perk of giving friends a ride and training them it would actually increase the desirability of owning at least one trainer. I haven't flown my L-39 in a few years because I rather fly other aircraft I enjoy better. But if such a perk were to be added to all trainers you better believe I would dust it off to use it more often to introduce friends to DCS.

But I guess this might be too late for ED to take advantage now that the T-45 Goshawk free mod is in development. 

 

 

[Mars Exulte]

33 minutes ago, Evoman said:

But I guess this might be too late for ED to take advantage now that the T-45 Goshawk free mod is in development. 

  The Mb-339 has been multicrew for a while, too, afaik, before becoming official, so if people REALLY just needed a ''freebie'' that's been an option a loooong time.

 

1 hour ago, Desert Fox said:

DCS btw is not a niche product because it's missing free content. It's a niche product because its complex.

 

  This is the part people keep imaginatively disregarding. I've already been there and done that with multiple people, BUYING the modules FOR them, if they'll just TRY it (including L-39, Yak-52, Gazelle, Combined Arms, etc)

 

  Wanna guess how much difference it made?

 

  There's exactly TWO categories of people, those who are willing to learn and those who aren't. That simple, and it always will be. No amount of sugar coating or handholding is going to change that ultimately.

 

  For example, stuff like the ''fancy fly it for you/workarounds'' suggested in the wishlist make things ''easier''... for people who are already here, who ALREADY made a major time committment and learned some of the basics, at least, but it's going to do exactly zip for retention or attracting noobs. People aren't ''leaving'' or ''not coming'' because they can't AAR. They leave cause they sit down, after about five minutes determine ''this is going to be more complicated than CoD 16'' and bail.

 

  As passionate and determined as much of this community is, and as much as we'd love to share it with others, the unfortunate reality is just that 99% of people don't have the patience or interest in aviation to spend the time and effort required to even turn the damn plane on, much less ''learn to fly'' it.

[Harker]

 
  This is the part people keep imaginatively disregarding. I've already been there and done that with multiple people, BUYING the modules FOR them, if they'll just TRY it (including L-39, Yak-52, Gazelle, Combined Arms, etc)
 
  Wanna guess how much difference it made?
 
  There's exactly TWO categories of people, those who are willing to learn and those who aren't. That simple, and it always will be. No amount of sugar coating or handholding is going to change that ultimately.
 
  For example, stuff like the ''fancy fly it for you/workarounds'' suggested in the wishlist make things ''easier''... for people who are already here, who ALREADY made a major time committment and learned some of the basics, at least, but it's going to do exactly zip for retention or attracting noobs. People aren't ''leaving'' or ''not coming'' because they can't AAR. They leave cause they sit down, after about five minutes determine ''this is going to be more complicated than CoD 16'' and bail.
 
  As passionate and determined as much of this community is, and as much as we'd love to share it with others, the unfortunate reality is just that 99% of people don't have the patience or interest in aviation to spend the time and effort required to even turn the damn plane on, much less ''learn to fly'' it.

I feel that you hit the nail on the head here. I've shown DCS to multiple friends, they expressed their amazement at the detail and complexity and yet none of them wanted to get into it. It wasn't a money problem either, it was an interest/commitment problem.

[Exorcet]

ED has apparently had success with free fly periods. These pretty much solve the issue of getting people to try modules or experience flying in the second seat. The only way it wouldn't work is if someone is really unlucky and misses every trial.

[Japo32]

I think things are not black or white. There are people that don't want to learn now, but maybe in the future they will. For example, my childhood friend, as said, I have been 8 Years showing him cool SHORT videos to make him interest. Always it was something like "wow! great graphics" but no more. Recently he bought the Reverb G2 with me, and THAT was the key to pay attention to DCS and make him buy a hotas after trying. Now he is learning with me, but instead of beeing inside his cockpit, I had to watch his Discord stream to I correct him.... It is an OK method, but not the desirable. He changed and discovered that he is enjoying learning (by the way ED, you could put a referal code as StarCitizen, because we, the users, make you bigger with our videos or talks to friends about DCS)

 

BUT I didn't want only to touch the trainers. (Thanks @Evoman Didn't know the T45!)  

My initial point of interesest was to allow my friends somehow to use the "gunner" positions in my F14, future Hind, Apache or just the Huey. DON'T ALLOW them to fly those planes!!! no!! Just gunner, or navigation/engineering positions. Just to let us enjoy fully the products buyed. It is really hard to find good missions where I can have a human RIO, or gunner in the UH-1H (usually buyers want to fly their buyed plane, not beeing inside others aircraft).

And maybe that doesn't have to be totally free. Maybe buyers can earn points to allow buddy flying. Maybe you can just link your account with only one friend...  maybe renting of planes... but allow it only in multiplayer when there is someone connected that bought the module.

 

But I believe the "free" is key in the succeed. Noone that is not so much convinced will pay XX$ for flying with friends... specially when DCS is so complicated. But if those positions become free, even someone that never used DCS before, could just jump into a UH-1H and occupy the side machine gunners and have fun.... and I really think ED wouldn't suffer too much his economy because of that. Even I think they would increase it. Imagine all those guys that play for free in a UH-1H that would be interested more in the DCS WORLD after a great experience flying in his friend aircraft.

Why ED is making MAC? of course to earn more money to compete with WarThunder, but if people thinks that lot of those users will jump into DCS, I think they are wrong, because already there is a WarThunder product. The catalyst (sorry if it is not good English) that would make come more users into DCS is always the same. Make your friends come easily to play with you and have fun in multiplayer (coop also) sessions. There are aircrafts that not need so much learning to help with guns or navigation (MI8) to the pilot (others of course, are difficult)

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Japo32

[probad]

you want to poison the dcs community further with low investment audience?

 

sometimes more is not automatically better.

Edited April 1, 2021 by probad

[Japo32]

That reply is actually what I think makes DCS a niche. There can be thousands of stupid people flying below bridges, shooting everything... etc... (in fact they can fly already now for free) The solution? A password in the server. End of problem. When I say "friends" are true friends.. and I know who I would invite to my cockpits.

Edited April 1, 2021 by Japo32

[G.J.S]

I think the free play periods that come around are the perfect shop window for prospective pilots. They can try most pay modules to see if they wish to continue and shell out money to own them outright. 
The majority of enjoyment I feel comes from learning an airframe. That’s why I pay. Admittedly, I don’t own all modules, only those which will spike my interest (and I live in hope of an F-4 again!!), but it’s the learning, and building upon that learning that keeps me coming back.

The whole “give someone a back seat key” thing would be a waste, as they would need to download everything anyway.

If they want a taste, there is the base sim which is free, and includes 2 aircraft. Free play periods are frequent enough for them to try others.

 

No need for a key to ride with nothing.

[Japo32]

But what would change your way of enjoying DCS if there is the possibility of joining only free gun possitions in the shared cockpit ones for free, and of course with your consent? I always believe that when you have more options in life, more freedom and ways to enjoy it. I think that would change nothing of your fun or vision in DCS. wouldn't affect anything to you. Well yes... if there are more buyers ED would have more money and they would maybe release Vietnam maps and the F4... for example.

Edited April 1, 2021 by Japo32

[StevanJ]

46 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

I think things are not black or white. There are people that don't want to learn now, but maybe in the future they will. For example, my childhood friend, as said, I have been 8 Years showing him cool SHORT videos to make him interest. Always it was something like "wow! great graphics" but no more. Recently he bought the Reverb G2 with me, and THAT was the key to pay attention to DCS and make him buy a hotas after trying. Now he is learning with me, but instead of beeing inside his cockpit, I had to watch his Discord stream to I correct him.... It is an OK method, but not the desirable. He changed and discovered that he is enjoying learning (by the way ED, you could put a referal code as StarCitizen, because we, the users, make you bigger with our videos or talks to friends about DCS)

 

BUT I didn't want only to touch the trainers. (Thanks @Evoman Didn't know the T45!)  

My initial point of interesest was to allow my friends somehow to use the "gunner" positions in my F14, future Hind, Apache or just the Huey. DON'T ALLOW them to fly those planes!!! no!! Just gunner, or navigation/engineering positions. Just to let us enjoy fully the products buyed. It is really hard to find good missions where I can have a human RIO, or gunner in the UH-1H (usually buyers want to fly their buyed plane, not beeing inside others aircraft).

And maybe that doesn't have to be totally free. Maybe buyers can earn points to allow buddy flying. Maybe you can just link your account with only one friend...  maybe renting of planes... but allow it only in multiplayer when there is someone connected that bought the module.

 

But I believe the "free" is key in the succeed. Noone that is not so much convinced will pay XX$ for flying with friends... specially when DCS is so complicated. But if those positions become free, even someone that never used DCS before, could just jump into a UH-1H and occupy the side machine gunners and have fun.... and I really think ED wouldn't suffer too much his economy because of that. Even I think they would increase it. Imagine all those guys that play for free in a UH-1H that would be interested more in the DCS WORLD after a great experience flying in his friend aircraft.

Why ED is making MAC? of course to earn more money to compete with WarThunder, but if people thinks that lot of those users will jump into DCS, I think they are wrong, because already there is a WarThunder product. The catalyst (sorry if it is not good English) that would make come more users into DCS is always the same. Make your friends come easily to play with you and have fun in multiplayer (coop also) sessions. There are aircrafts that not need so much learning to help with guns or navigation (MI8) to the pilot (others of course, are difficult)

 

 

Some Valid points.. The number of times ive jumped into a server, and seen 11 seperate Tomcats and No human RIO in any of them..
I get it, Who wants to be Goose, when you can be Maverick?
Pilots are always asking 'anyone wanna be my RIO', but no who has a Tomcat actually does want to be a RIO from what ive seen..

Maybe raise this in the F-14 thread and see what those pilots say?
It wont effect single player, it might make F14 multiplayer better?- But initially id be worried that 'having the RIO place filled' might take up a valuable player spot for another Pilot in an FA18, or somewhat.

If im in a small player server, and 10 Tomcats 'get a free RIO', We now have 10 less players killing the SAM's. It might work- it might push the balance?
What do i know?
 

Edited April 1, 2021 by StevanJ

[G.J.S]

15 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

But what would change your way of enjoying DCS if there is the possibility of joining only free gun possitions in the shared cockpit ones for free, and of course with your consent? I always believe that when you have more options in life, more freedom and ways to enjoy it. I think that would change nothing of your fun or vision in DCS. wouldn't affect anything to you. Well yes... if there are more buyers ED would have more money and they would maybe release Vietnam maps and the F4... for example.

 

There wouldn’t be that possibility via just “a key”. They would need to download the base sim, then download the airframe you are using to see what you see. You said you made planes for XPlane and MSFS2020 - if the key thing were the way to go, then only one person need download a plane of your creation, and then he/she could give out keys to whoever and that way hundreds of people could enjoy your labours, via just one download. Now imagine if you were selling that plane - 20000 people using just one purchase? Not a great business model.

[StevanJ]

23 hours ago, cfrag said:

I believe I understand the desire - I too sometimes wish that good things were free or at least less expensive. But that is just one side of the coin. On the other side, as was already pointed out, are the hard-working souls that make this possible, and who need to put bread on their family's table. It's a risk/reward thing. How many more units do you think you would be able to sell if you allowed something like you propose, and how much would it cost to implement such a scheme.

 

Currently, ED and their partners seem unwilling to take that gamble, and even though I sometimes wish it was otherwise, I respect and understand that stance. Maybe the'll change their stance later, but I don't mind.

 

Here's why: let's approach this discussion from a different side: Personal Value versus cost. If you (or your friends) play DCS for its entertainment value, say for 8 hours - what would be the pecuniary equivalent for other activities? If I went skiing for a day, that would put me back some 80-150 USD. If I went to the cinema four times - 60 bucks. If I went to a restaurant twice - 200. If I went on my terrace to sunbathe - 5 (for water, crackers, and sunscreen). The important part here is that everything that you deem worth doing usually has a cost, and that when that value exceeds cost you should do it. If you and your friends like DCS, make the calculation and when the price/hour is competitive with other activities, enjoy spending the money. So far I have bought more than 20 modules, putting my the DCS price tag at some 1200 USD (not counting hardware). Steam tells me that to date, I've spent some 2000 hours in DCS. That's less than a buck per hour, a veritable steal compared with other entertainment activities. Now, your mileage may vary, but I'll be purchasing that Apache with a big, fat grin

 

I love this analogy.
I suppose if you take it and use it with the opening discussion from @Japo32

Its a little curious, but how do you calculate personal value with regards to an actual personal experience?
If an F14 Tomcat never flies RIO, would that value that component in the module at 0 too?
If a hind player wanted to be 'the pilot' and never wanted to be 'the gunner' would it be fair to charge him 100% using the same perspective?
If i eat from a restaraunt and the standards arent what im happy with, we can complain and usually parts of the meal are removed from the bill.

I dont think id be able to address the points in an early access module.
I know the modules are the modules, Im speaking hypothetically..

Personally, Id happily pay full price for the Tomcat as a pilot (ive not yet bought it), But id really be interested to see an 'option to be in the RIO seat' even at a cost, and that came off the cost of the F-14 (Pilot seat).
Ive never really thought about 'being a gunner' in the same way ive never dreamt of being a RIO when watching Top Gun, but as im limited in the way i control a module (i use Touch Controls, not a HOTAS)- Id love to know that i could still contribute to the game, and dev's and 'be a gunner, Rio, Weapons Operator etc' if I paid a little bit to towards the module, and also had that discounted off the overall cost, as the module became developed.
I just think it might be so overly complex to approach though.
Which might be a shame, as its not that much of a bad idea, it just needs a little tinkering..
Free? Maybe not, But a contribution towards the cost of the module - And it sounds like a great idea for the multicrew pilots.
And i personally LOVE nothing better, than getting a kill over the ever rare two people in a Tomcat while im in my FA18. Nothing seems more satisfying.

Knowing that theres always someone out there that might want to jump in the 'back seat' (or front in the Hind). Might be a good thing.
And if i could pay 'a little towards being a gunner first', It would mean by the time i ended up in the Pilots seat, i could 'explain to the new player' how to operate the systems that ive put my time into..

Edited April 1, 2021 by StevanJ

[Japo32]

10 minutes ago, G.J.S said:

There wouldn’t be that possibility via just “a key”. They would need to download the base sim, then download the airframe you are using to see what you see. You said you made planes for XPlane and MSFS2020 - if the key thing were the way to go, then only one person need download a plane of your creation, and then he/she could give out keys to whoever and that way hundreds of people could enjoy your labours, via just one download. Now imagine if you were selling that plane - 20000 people using just one purchase? Not a great business model.

But in DCS they allowed millions of downloads (if there where millions users) playing for free almost all their planes. They downloaded the content and then, when the free period ended, they still had the modules on, but couldn't be used.

The DCS system is what it could make possible the free seats systems, as it depends not on keys but on users login (and system link?). A user that didn't buy anything couldn't fly the installed planes offline, and only online if allowed by other user. And of course ED would make free to download those aircrafts for everyone. I don't see the problem.

 

Have you seen anytime any DCS module pirated? Me not. Even Campaigns.... so a no buyer user couldn't use the free seat modules when "he" wanted and still the business would be on. of course in MSFS and XPlane that is not possible at all. That is the reason when I said "if I knew more in programming (and could have servers to control access).

[G.J.S]

14 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

But in DCS they allowed millions of downloads (if there where millions users) playing for free almost all their planes. They downloaded the content and then, when the free period ended, they still had the modules on, but couldn't be used.

 

To continue to use - you pay. It really is that simple.

 

14 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

The DCS system is what it could make possible the free seats systems, as it depends not on keys but on users login (and system link?). A user that didn't buy anything couldn't fly the installed planes offline, and only online if allowed by other user. And of course ED would make free to download those aircrafts for everyone. I don't see the problem.

 

Good luck pitching that to them, or anyone!.

 

14 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

 

Have you seen anytime any DCS module pirated? Me not. Even Campaigns.... so a no buyer user couldn't use the free seat modules when "he" wanted and still the business would be on. of course in MSFS and XPlane that is not possible at all. That is the reason when I said "if I knew more in programming (and could have servers to control access).

I give up . . . 

[Japo32]

Of course!! To continue use by their own, they would need to pay! it is really that simple!! 

Imagine yourself after 2 or 3 missions with your friends that had so fun, and they don't own none of the DCS products... Wouldn't "you" buy one of the planes for not depending on "your" friends to try again?

As you said, you own not all the planes (I almost have everyone but the Anton and the ChristianEagle). Imagine a friend invites you to a mission in the future hind as shooter and you enjoy it... if you didn't plan to buy it, would you change your mind after that mission and buy it? or whould you need to wait a full year until ED would allow you to use DCS for free 15-30 days?

 

ED would have sold another module, and your friend would have fun also having you in his cockpit. I don't see where others see the trouble... really. OF course ED could not like it somehow, but normal users???

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Japo32