I hear what you are saying Heretic and I can understand those feelings.

Personally I'm a simmer, I have been so since the days of my first flight sims on my c-64 (Microprose F-19 Stealth Fighter, F15 Strike Eagle etc) where I was amazed by all the systems modeled in those early sims, and I have always enjoyed and looked for the deepest sim... while I appreciate some freeware FSX planes that are lovingly created, if there is a deeper sim alternative, that is what I will always enjoy flying more whether there is a price tag attached or not. I'm not able to be a real pilot so I want my sim to simulate as much of the real plane as possible.

FSX has been stable for a long time, and most of us hardcore FSX users have been flying it for many years and moved on from enjoying just the basic FSX default level model and sim depth and inop panel switches and indestructible engines.

Personally I'm very glad this stability has allowed the payware teams to produce some amazing revolutionary sim enhancements to FSX, that make it shine and compete with other modern sims (even study sims), without that I think many of us would have moved on long ago.

I wish you well with your freeware projects, but if your goal on freeware development is primarily for recognition and not personal use first, then I think you have a tough road ahead unless the freeware you are producing is revolutionary or fills some gap that is not otherwise filled. This is the same with modding for any games or sims but especially in FSX where there is so much high quality payware available and the bar keeps being raised (thankfully).