It has been a while since we last heard from the team at POSCON, but we have finally got a long-awaited update on the next-generation flight simulation network. In this development update, POSCON founder Andrew Heath shared where the team is at and some information on how you can sign up today.
Andrew opened the post with a quick comment to confirm that POSCON is not dead at all. Speaking with confidence, Andrew said, “our technology is far superior to that of our peers and we will be a significant force to reckon with in the near future.” The reason for the team’s lack of public updates lately is the fact they have been quietly developing the platform based on feedback from the early beta testers. One area that had a lot of focus in the past year was the protocol used for the voice software. That was completely rewritten to ensure it can sustain the projected growth of POSCON.
In addition to just wanting to buckle down with development, Andrew said that they didn’t want to give in to the ‘hype train mentality’ nor give away too many secrets to see competitors copy ideas.
Moving away from the reasons behind the silence, attention was then turned to what other progress has been made during this period. With the voice protocol changing, the team felt it was better to integrate the voice software into the Launcher Client. This provides the team abilities to expand the capabilities and possibly support web-based pilot and ATC clients in the future. A range of new settings can be adjusted via the launcher now. Furthermore, there is a clear indication of the current voice status using a number of icons.
The new voice protocol has also allowed for other improvements to the voice software. This includes:
- Upgrades to the radio-frequency physical model which helps to better simulate real-world radio interference
- Antenna position now varies by aircraft type and thus improves ground effects near the airport surface
- Server-side memory optimization and multi-threading
- New stuck-mic protection (35 second timer, then mic cuts out)
Other POSCON Improvements
In addition to the voice protocol, POSCON has spent time improving the POSCON HQ. One of the more important changes is with the new ‘Virtual Operators’ section. Essentially, this allows virtual airlines to sign up into the community and then benefit from integrated connections to ensure members fly with the correct aircraft, callsign, etc.
The HQ has also seen improvements to member and overview pages to offer a better user experience.
Finally, Andrew says that 2022 will be a big year for POSCON with a focus on marketing happening. Andrew closes the blog post by saying, “we want to thank those who have kept the faith throughout the years. Without you and your encouragement, this wouldn’t have been worth it!“
You can read the full post over on the POSCON forums right now.
