“Have a burning feature request for X-Plane? We have a site for that! Here you can describe fun new features for our apps and then collect votes from other users.” With that Facebook post, Laminar Research asks users to share every feature and suggestion for their flagship X-Plane 11 they’ve ever wanted. Once posted on this easy to use website, users can upvote what they feel should get priority in a feature release, already creating a not very surprising trending range of topics: an improved atmosphere and lighting model, volumetric clouds, seasons, dynamic weather and multicore CPU-utilization. Coincidence or not, most of those ideas already exist in some way in MSFS.
Early user comments show some surprise about Laminar Research’s initiative because Meyers’ willingness to appreciate outside comments didn’t exactly cause a lot of wake turbulence in the virtual skies. Other users see an attempt at gathering input for XP12, or even the proof that competition works. You can follow the trends, upvote and add your suggestions at the XP feedback website.
Austin Meyers and his team, developers on a mission to create software that accurately reflects the laws of physics, are based in Columbia, South Carolina. XP version 11 was released in May 2017, and after quite a long and bumpy flight, XP version 11.50 landed in September. X-Plane comes in two flavours: a consumer version, next to an FAA certifiable professional version.