I guess it's a shame that feelings run so hot I am a happy client of Earth Sims, (and of FranceVFR as well), and I have spoken with Darren many times. Never have I ever had the impression that he was a thug or a pirate I'm sorry. I understand the time and energy you've put in to getting people to commit to something like AGX, and I can understand why you feel upset when that invisible work appears to be treated very casually.
I as well as many other simmers I know struggle to make the wonderful sceneries both your companies provide work together, which they really need to do since they are so close to each other geographically and both very very good!
There are some compatibility issues between your two sets of sceneries... I know because I've asked for support about it from ES, (not yourselves because of the perceived language barrier [my fault not yours!] and your forums being 99.9% in French), and I've tried to help a large number of other people with similar compatibility problems over several years.
Just like you, earth Sims is a small company and I'm sure you'll understand that support requests take up valuable time that could be spent developing! That's ok if you're as big as OrbX, but not if you're a very small team I think Darren's posting of the autogen files is probably to try to reduce those support queries that take up time rather than to try to sabotage AGX. I think your companies have more in common than separates you.
As a simmer who just wants to fly between different sceneries easily, whatever has gone on before, I'd ask you all to just work together to solve the problem that Microsoft left us all with....
I'll support any small developer who trys to make things better for the community. FranceVFR has tried with AGX and earth Simulations tried with MergES. Not every solution works out how it was originally intended but both of you deserve credit for trying to do something positive about a problem that neither of you caused.
I believe that there is only good intent on both sides, so could I suggest a potential solution?
1. Ask Darren to take down the files he published while you talk about it? Shows a bit of good faith in a situation where there is little trust.
2. He said he's happy for anyone to distribute Earth Simulations autogen definitions, so take him up on that positive offer and include them in AGX (Even if you don't trust each other much, what harm does it do? Only the end user benefits vastly so no one will argue!)
3. At the moment all ES are doing is offering your definitions, but if you include theirs why can't they distribute AGX as well to benefit a wider community? (Everyone gets credit for the physical and human effort put into an enterprise, and more simmers get to enjoy product compatibility, everyone spends less time on dealing with support requests)
4. We all live happily ever after with compatible definitions... (More time flying, less time arguing!)
5. Profit! (Not just a South Park reference You both potentially get more sales from either side of the channel)
6. Arno has raised the possibility of creating an autogen file merge utility at FSDeveloper recently. If ever there was an example of a community minded simmer who was completely selfless, it's Arno.... Both of you should work with him to solve the problem for the community . If you could together create an autogen merge utility that any developer or individual could use to eliminate incompatibilites at an individual user level then the problem is solved and everyone is happy.
I'm not suggesting a corporate ménage a trois just a little bit of Anglo-French detente
Cool heads not hot hearts - salut, et bonne chance!
K
PS speak with Alain about my PM.....