Tom: First off, I would like to thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview, Stephen.

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Austen Doyle
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1 Tom: First off, I would like to thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview, Stephen. Stephen: You're welcome; it's always a pleasure to hear there is another segment of the flight simulator community interesting in the future of Flight simulation and what we're doing here at Next Generation interactive Software. Tom: For our readers who are unfamiliar with NGiS, could you provide a brief description of who you are and what you hope to accomplish? Stephen: Next Generation interactive Software / NGiS; is a new company completely staffed by very talented flight simulator enthusiasts who have waited 10 long years for the next iteration of flight simulation. Yes, we do have P3D, Xplane, as well as the upcoming Dovetail Games FS, but all have been or will be built on old technologies. A lot has happened in the past 10 years in the way of hardware and software advancements and we here at NGiS feel it's time to move forward. Tom: How big is your team? Stephen: At the moment we have 31 team members and growing on a weekly basis. Some of the names on our team you'd recognize as long time members of the flight simulator community, a couple are former Aces Studios team members, a couple are Level D flight simulator developers, a couple PhDs in physics, the absolutely best weather experts, fantastic team of 3D modelers, incredible terrain specialists, and a fantastic team of Quality Asssurance and Admisistrators. Many of our team members are multi-talented in that they are specialists in their fields but are also quite capable of taking on additional assignments outside their personal specialties. As a side note and a bit of shameful advertisement... we're always looking for talented individuals to join our team. We are an international team and you can learn more about our opportunity by reading Career Opportunities on our Home page. Just a heads-up; we are limiting our numbers for the immediate future and team slots are filling fast, so if anyone is at

2 all interested, please contact us. Tom: One of the many features listed on your site say your goal is to get high fidelity aircrafts in NGFS that provide accurate flight model systems. To what extent can we see the level of detail go to for the aircraft and are there currently any comparable aircraft on the market for other sims that reflect where you want to be? Stephen: Several of our Team Members are pilots themselves, ranging from private to airlines, and I doubt seriously that any one of them would allow the Next Generation Flight Simulator / NGFS to get released with sub-standard flight models and systems. Having two Level D Simulation Software developers on our team should also speak volumes as to the level of realism we will expect from every aircraft that is introduced into the NGFS. However... this does not mean that the end-user would not be able to tweak their aircraft to allow every level, from beginner to expert, the opportunity to enjoy the experience of flying in a virtual world. We also intend to release two versions of the Next Generation Flight Simulator, Entertainment and Professional. The Professional will eventually be FAA ready and certified. When it comes to comparable aircraft on the market, we not only want our in-house models to reach a Gold Standard, but we will also expect every 3 rd part developer to meet a Gold Standard certification as well. Those 3 rd party developers who choose to go outside the Gold Standard, customers will need to rely on reviews as well as reputation to ensure that the aircraft they're interested in are fully compatible with the NGFS. It is our sincere hope that the likes of PMDG, Carenado, Alabeo, and others will be interested in supporting the NGFS. Tom: Regarding default aircraft, what could the user expect to see in the final product? Stephen: First of all let me clarity... The Next Generation Flight Simulator will never be a final product? Development will be continuous throughout the years, always looking for that next level of as real as it gets. Besides the world is a huge place and to have the entire planet at

3 the level we want to achieve in a reasonable amount of time isn't doable. However, I can assure you that what you'll receive in the initial release, Next Generation Flight Simulator 1.01, will be far more advanced than what you now get with vanilla FSX or P3D and we'll have to see how it compares to Dovetail Games FS, but I have no doubt that end-users will be thrilled with the level of detail that they'll receive in the initial release. The same goes for aircraft and what is included in the initial release will depend upon licensing as well as the number of 3 rd party developers who decie to jump on board before the initial release is out the door. Also our Crowdfunding Campaign (still a way off) will include Stretch Goals that when met will allow for various other aircraft to be included in the initial release. After the initial release, you can expect a myriad of aircraft to be developed in-house at the before mentioned Gold Standard and released to the public on a regular basis. Although the number hasn't been set, after the initial release, end-users can expect the first half-dozen or so aircraft developed in house to be added to the initial fleet, at no additional cost. This should bring your total number of different aircraft to a full dozen, plus the variations allowing for an across the board fleet of various different aircraft that you'd expect to see in a Next Generation Flight Simulator. Tom: Your website shows tech demos of UNIGINE v2 being used for space simulation. Will NGFS have space simulation and exploration? Stephen: NGFS itself will allow for orbital and moon landing simulation, but probably not in the initial release, but shortly thereafter. UNIGINE 2 makes this totally possible on a level never before seen. Publically, few know the power of UNIGINE 2 and it's immediate roadmap for constant improvement and UNIGINE & NGiS would like to keep it that way for the time being. At NGiS our goal is to eventually encompass our Solar System and beyond with a unique

4 experience that is currently on the drawing board. Can't say a whole lot about it at this time, but rest assured it's being designed to be something that goes beyond current space games and simulations. Tom: A feature a decent number of people like to see is combat elements. Since you are planning multiplayer support, do you have any plans to include air to air combat between players? In a way combining the best things from popular combat sims (of all era's) and normal civilian aviation sims. Stephen: Yes! As explained previously, NGiS is a software development company that has some pretty lofty goals that will include numerous simulations and entertainment elements in the not so distant future. It's how end-users will be able to interact with the simulators, entertainment, etc. that will be the standout features that will separate NGiS from the rest. Of course, it's all proprietary, but as we continue the development phase and get closer to the initial release more and more information will be made available. Tom: Do you plan on having shared cockpit support? Stephen: Absolutely! This feature is high on the end-users list and this is one that we've all been waiting on for a very long time. Our goal is to have this feature in the initial release as it's a high demand feature, but we'll need to wait and see for sure. Again, another proprietary item, but I can give you a hint... head tracking and avatars will play and important role in this feature! Tom: With the upcoming release of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive as well as other VR platforms, do you plan on integrating VR support into NGFS? Stephen: All of these, and more... UNIGINE provides this capability and we fully expect to utilize this to the fullest. Tom: Another feature listed on your website is damage modeling. To what extent can users

5 expect to see this modeling and can it be switched off for users who may want a more casual simming experience? Stephen: Damaging is a high demand feature as well, but it's a very touchy subject that will need to be dealt with as we move forward. Apparently... well-known aircraft companies frown on having their aircraft disintegrate in midair, or even wheels falling off, etc.; so we'll have to approach this very carefully. However, we are strongly considering a wear and tear module that will keep track of the hours used on components and it will be up to the end user to maintain their aircraft in order to keep it air worthy. Again, proprietary in nature so can't give a lot of details at the moment. Tom: Do you have plans on implementing built in tools for flight sim video producers? Stephen: Something that we haven't considered, simply because it hasn't come up before, but we're open to all suggestions and feature requests. If this is truly something that endusers want, I would recommend posting the feature in our forum. Our moderators will then post it on our Features Board and others can then vote on it. The higher the number of votes a feature receives that higher the priority. Tom: With real world weather being planned, can applicable aircraft be expected to have functioning weather radar systems? Stephen: Most definitely! This goes back to the question you asked earlier about aircraft and is a matter of all things in due time and is dependent upon the level of aircraft that are included in the initial release as well as 3 rd party participation. Tom: What is planned with regards to 3 rd party addon support? Stephen: Everything! For any new flight simulator to be successful, 3 rd part addon support is essential. It will be extremely difficult for one entity to produce and release all things necessary for a worldwide flight simulator.

6 Tom: Will there be an open or closed beta test when that stage arrives? Stephen: Closed Beta would be the initial answer and we'll call on members of the flight simulator community as well as newcomers to be included in this closed beta phase. The majority of beta testers will be gathered during the Crowdfunding Campaign as a certain level of pledge will include the opportunity to have access to the beta testing. Pledges and pledge levels are being discussed and more information will be forth coming. Tom: Thank you very much for participating in this interview, I'm sure all of our readers will look forward to what you plan on bringing to this great hobby! Stephen: You're most welcome and we're just as anxious to bring it to the public.

Microsoft Flight Simulator X Controls Guide READ ONLINE

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