That depends on what you mean with "from scratch".

I'd like to add Eagle Dynamics, for example.


But also X-Plane is still alive and kicking, as well as Condor.

And at least we get some updates on projects like FighterOps, Thunderworks and Seven-G, which say's they are at least still working on the titles, whenever they will be ready.

I agree it's still a niche genre, but it's not as dead as it was 5-8 years ago, even if M$ abandoned the Flightsimulator series. And even here M$ already stated, that this does not mean the FS-series have come to an end.

This gives me some food for thought. I wonder if what is currently on release to the public is actually a late beta, and perhaps (this could be pure wishful thinking on my part) they'll release a solid/polished more expensive version with more flyables later, *and without the online requirement for every mission*. ie, like any normal sim release, online activation or similar, but that would be it.
Because what they have at the moment is a sim that only the keenest (good beta testers) have purchased, and with small piracy chance.
Is anyone else wondering about this?

Maybe I didn't make it clear that I was talking purely WW1 and WW2 prop sims. :)

Will they release a solid/polished sim later. Yes, thats the whole idea of the developer in it over the long haul developing consent updates, paid and otherwise over the next many years. After exhausting all avenues of improvement in the relatively small WW1 front they could expand their gained expertise into other time periods of combat flight.

Will it eventually not require online registration, maybe, but I doubt it. Unfortunately Piracy has dictated some form of protection, so they can be compensated for their years of hard work.

Is this a sim only the kennest have purchased, again not very likely, even a few who purchased ROF don't even like WW1 flight sims, but wanted to support the combat flight sim genre.

Not clear enough for me, it seems ;)

I've been thinking about the current release being a deliberate unannounced beta test and it's making a lot of sense- if you proceed on the assumption that requiring people to connect continuously even for singleplayer is going to cost a significant number of sales in the long term. I was dead keen right up to the point they announced the connection reqs, but it's killing my interest- I, along with many others in Oz, don't have reliable broadband. And, if the company does go under, potentially there'll be a lot of coasters around.
So maybe this is not the 'real' release. RoF in its current form is just an open beta that people have paid for the opportunity to test. RoF developers get the money required to keep going until the game is a stable release. Requiring a server check at the beginning of every mission locks down piracy, and reassures the investors in the meantime. When I say that the keenest ones purchased, there's still a LOT of people holding off until they see that the company won't founder, and in the meantime, RoF gets a huge amount of feedback from the people who most want to make the game a success.
Part of this would be the forced updates, which is something else I loathe- patches do break stuff sometimes, and I don't want to have to wait 2 hours to download the latest before I can play- with updates, everyone plays the same version for 'testing'.
So, here's what I'm hoping would be the idea: After 6 months, RoF announces that they're moving to different distribution model; puts out boxes with stable 1.08 version including 8-10 flyables charging normal game release price; box requires internet/phone activation/disk check etc, but doesn't require continuous connection for SP; wild rejoicing on the part of all of those left out previously, and I purchase game :)
Presumably game gets cracked at some point, but sales rise considerably anyway.
Might be additional paid patch with extra flyables, reqs another activation to get on servers.
I really hope they've got something like this in mind, because their current business model seems... rubbish.

I understand that people need to support the genre, but I'm not purchasing a game I can't expect to work for me.

I have no problem with a staggered release, even if some aspects don't work! (ie with bugs). Empire Total war was released with bugs but I was glad to get it! I was forced to upgrade my system, no problem, i needed a good reason to upgrade. Now ETW is great, with patches and DLC (Down Loadable Content)

I have no problem paying $100 for a quality game like IL2 II (SOW) and $20-$30 for DLC, and even paying <$10 for external modders additional aircraft!

As to a full air / land / sea system, I would love to see an invasion plan and interaction between all aspects of 1940 military to achieve / defend against this.

He111

Remember, quality will always win through.

1C has nothing to worry about.... WWI siming is different.. and frankly... neoq needs to polish & finish thew WWI stuff before even thinking of going to WWII.. not only that.... because of the differences in the two sims... and if you want a small taste in IL2 just fly nothing but a I 153, a U-2VS, or a Gladiator against other similar aircraft for a week straight.. and then consider that the above mentioned planes are actually more powerful than the WWI aircraft... and you will agree that 1C has nothing to worry about as long as they release SoW... and I have no doubt that will be forthcoming.

Shouldn't you be hosting a coop instead of posting>?

I agree Bear...it will be years before the ROF developers can even think about getting into the WW2 theaters. ROF will do well sticking with WW1 stuff for the foreseeable future, as they have little competition. The developers have alot of work to do, fixing, improving and adding content to ROF.