In response to the CaptainSim 757 review

[cohort]

Mr. Mercado,

I just finished reading your review of the CaptainSim 757, and I have to disagree with your take on it. First off, to even try to compare this product to the LevelD 767 is not only a disgrace to LevelD, but it is simply outrageous. I will agree with you that the visual model, and wing views are amazing, but the functionality of the aircraft is very poor. For example: try capturing an inbound radial for a VOR approach. When shooting an ILS approach after the glideslope is captured, my CaptainSim 757 weaves back and forth like a ticked off snake and hits the runway at -1500fpm. My 767 does not behave in such a manner...

Cabin views are wonderful, but I don't fly my aircraft from seat 10F. I am about functionality. What good is an aircraft that looks great, but handles worse than the default 737? I have done aileron rolls in that 757 that could compare to an F-4. Is that realistic? I won't even go into the customer service aspect of CaptainSim but to say that it is right on par with Airaine. It's something to be said when credit card companies pull their contracts with a business due to customer complaints and disputes.

I am about realism, being treated fairly by a company that I gave money to, and not being lied to about a product that I am purchasing. And that is where this 757 falls through the cracks.

The CaptainSim 757 is nothing more than 3gb of eye candy.

Matt LaMay

[deepsea345]

Mr. LaMay,

On the subject of Mr. Mercado's comparison to the LevelD 767, I feel that it praised the LevelD product and is not a disgrace to them.

There are several people with the problems you have stated and many have found fixes for it. I will agree with you on the customer service aspect of CaptainSim, however, there are forums that may help you with the problems you are experiencing.

I have the CaptainSim 757 as well, and had the weaving problems, but it was soon fixed after a visit to their forums. (http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl)

[cohort]

Mr. LaMay,

On the subject of Mr. Mercado's comparison to the LevelD 767, I feel that it praised the LevelD product and is not a disgrace to them.

There are several people with the problems you have stated and many have found fixes for it. I will agree with you on the customer service aspect of CaptainSim, however, there are forums that may help you with the problems you are experiencing.

I have the CaptainSim 757 as well, and had the weaving problems, but it was soon fixed after a visit to their forums. (http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl)

Perhaps if you could point me to the specific thread that this issue was solved in, I will try it out. I have just spent the past 1.5hrs reading through posts, but could not find anything about the ILS weaving

Matt

[deepsea345]

here is the thread, the fixes are somewhere in the latter pages

hope this helps!:)

[cohort]

I have found the thread you are referencing. It did solve my weaving issue, but created another issue at the same time. The CaptainSim forums, in a sense, reiterate what my original post was all about. It is blatantly obvious that there are many, many issues that are wrong with the 757. You have to remember that many people spent upwards of $80.00 for their product. That is how much the PMDG MD-11 costs.

A post that I found in the CaptainSim forums:
I just want to make sure I understand Captain Sims official position on a final upgrade to the FS9 version of the 757...

Customers, like myself...who orignally may have bought the 757 way back when, using your nearly incomprehensible "block" system...before there even was a 757 for FSX, I might add...and thereby providing you with the capital for the research and development of a fully operational version for FSX...are not going to have access to the same upgrades provided to the customers who bought the FSX product yesterday?

This seems to be a very disrespectful and heartless way to pay a loyal customer back...and an ultimately self-defeating business practice...because no matter how great a product you produce in the future I for one, will never buy another CS simulation.

In more legal terms...you failed to make me "whole" as a customer, after promising a fully functional product...because it isn't economically viable for you to do at this time...and after you have accepted payment. Sounds like a breach of contract that is turning into a "bait and switch" business tactic to me...Not very pretty. By the way,I am not saying you did this on purpose, I'm only trying to convey how it feels.

But more importantly, from a customers point of view, it is at the very least...a breach of trust.

I made the commitment to support your development of the original 757 project with the expectation that I would eventually be flying a really great addon...for FS9...not FSX!!!

Customers like myself who are willing to take a chance on an "unfinished" product in its early developmental stages are not as easy to come by as you might think...

Think long and hard about your next complicated project that may require years to complete...who is going to want to take that chance again and end up with an incomplete product simply because a new version of flight simulator (in what ever form it will take) has been released.

Please say that you will reconsider your official position. Complete the FS9 757 project and then end development for the platform.

Do the right thing...don't leave loyal customers with a "half baked" product. Finish what you have started!

Respectfully,

Robert M. DeLorenzo

CaptainSims response was very typical.

We do understand and share FS9 users' feelings, but we announced the Block F (757 2.0) to be the last FS9 release years ago. So there was no tricks or surprises. Our clear message was(is): Keep current - switch to FSX!
We even released version 2.1 extra.

Unfortunately we cannot afford working for two quite different platforms anymore.
So development for FS9 is over (long time ago), all FS9 titles are at bargain sale for 9.99 as is.
There is no way back, we have to move forward.

You can read the entire thread at:
http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1242761218

And while I do no believe that CaptainSim used a bait and switch tactic, they should have to answer for what I would call false advertisement.

This is why I find that comparing the CaptainSim 757 to the levelD 767 is a disgrace to levelD. It is like comparing the Lago F-16 to the Aerosoft F-16. They are 2 different animals.

Matthew LaMay

[tigisfat]

Customers, like myself...who orignally may have bought the 757 way back when, using your nearly incomprehensible "block" system...before there even was a 757 for FSX, I might add...and thereby providing you with the capital for the research and development of a fully operational version for FSX...are not going to have access to the same upgrades provided to the customers who bought the FSX product yesterday?

You know what? You're right!! I bought a 1995 cobra, and I had to modify the crap out of it for it to make 400hp. The 2003 model makes 400hp already. Those jerks took my money and used it to develop the 2003 model; they need to either give me a 2003 or upgrade my 1995. After all, if you buy a car they owe you cars for life as long as they still call it a cobra.


Buddy, I hope you can sense that I was joking. ;)

[ticosimmer]

I absolutely agree with the complain. I bought the FS9 757, they did not gave it for free. What I have is nice eye candy aircraft, but when it comes to fly, it is a mess, plenty of bugs, weird behaivor, and ZERO support. Maybe the FSX version is ok, but at least the FS9 is not.
I have been flying the LDS 767, and it is beyond any comparaison. A professional package with absolutely professional support.
Final Quote, I ended up uninstalling the Capatain Sim 757, and will never buy anything from them again. Needless to say if you want some complain benchmarks, go to the forums, you'll find tons of complains. A product to forget abouit, the worst money spent on an add on that I have ever did
Cheers

[erwin.zeez]

Without a doubt, a fully simulated 757 was something that took way longer than it should have to show up in the FS market. It is my guess that after the enormous success of the Level D 767, and how in real life the 757 and 767 are so alike, nobody really deemed it necessary to go the extra mile with a credible effort to reproduce the 757. That is until Captain Sim decided it was time to please the true 757 die hards. Even though one might think that it really was not truly necessary or commercially feasible to reproduce the 757, I think it was a noble effort. The 757 came to replace one of the most beautiful commercial airplanes ever produced (esthetically speaking) the Boeing 727. I guess the designers at Boeing realized the importance of the airplane that would replace this beauty, and came out with something equally beautiful with all the modern goodies jetliners had to offer, this was the 757 in its essence.

The 757 is hard to miss once you are sitting at the gate waiting to catch your flight. Somehow its slick lines, oddly shaped cockpit, and its thin but longer than usual fuselage make for a beautiful bird to look at in the air and in the ground. One of the most economically efficient airliners ever made (take into account it is already outdated technology) it has one of the lowest operating costs on any modern fleet even up to this day, and its ability to operate in 3 different categories make it without a doubt a versatile, efficient and beautiful workhorse. Without a doubt this aircraft is the essence of the Boeing philosophy of quality, efficiency, and beauty.

The package I got to review this time around was not the usual download from the flight shop deal. This time around they sent me the boxed version with the complete set of different packs Captain Sim made for the 757. I'm sure we all agree Captain Sim has a semi complicated way of selling its products, there are about five or six different offerings for every one airplane they have, then more additions, then expansion packs, etc. But this time around Captain Sim got together with Just Flight to release all of the different 757 variants and liveries into one consolidated hard pack which has everything you will need to fly the 757 in commercial and cargo format.

[jima7011]

Fortunately, Level D is developing a 757. Though it is taking a loooooooong time.

I bought the CS 757, CS767, CS727 and C130.

The 727 and C130 are really excellent--757 still does not work 100% correctly (after several patches) and the 767, while certainly pretty and functional, is a frame hog and I suspect not optimized well.

The Level D is still the best--it is bulletproof and other than the 1 FMC bug-is still a joy to fly. Despite me really wanting to love the CS 757 and 767, they are just frustrating and annoying.

Tech support for CS is miserable because it's automated and very impersonal. I find more solutions reading their highly modded forums.

I will not likely purchase from Captain Sim again.

[Blue-Bird]

Mr. Mercado,





I am about realism, being treated fairly by a company that I gave money to, and not being lied to about a product that I am purchasing. And that is where this 757 falls through the cracks.

The CaptainSim 757 is nothing more than 3gb of eye candy.

Matt LaMay

Wow, at least you got 3 Gb of eye candy. I bought a Capt Sim 757 . It sold in BLOCKS??? Then he came along with more Block F and Block B etc, and I fell for one of those upgrades. It would not install at all. Computer told me that the version (either the original or additional Block is outdated and not compatible.) ????? When i see Capt Sim releases...... I quickly turn the pages and run.
I flew the 757 once for a year, and only a TWA Pilot made a 757 sim aircraft that actually worked, just like the real thing. I flew the DC-9 for 15 years and i bought a FLIGHT 1 iron fist DC-9 sim and it worked like the real thing. Capt Sim... HE SUCKS.
Who is Capt Sim anyway???
Capt. J

[sallyliao]

Those jerks took my money and used it to develop the 2003 model; they need to either give me a 2003 or upgrade my 1995. After all, if you buy a car they owe you cars for life as long as they still call it a cobra.