Parallel 42 has taken to its website to release Marketplace Stars for the Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) Marketplace. Parallel 42 Stars aims to reduce users’ regretful purchasing of poor-quality addons by having a colour scale that represents the overall quality of the addon based on its review rating.
Marketplace Stars’ Key Feature
The main feature of this product is the colour system used for product ratings in the in-game Marketplace. Parallel 42 uses the following rating: green represents a product with four or more stars, orange represents a product with two or more stars, and finally, red represents a product with one star.
If a product rating has decimals included, the opacity of the last star represents that value. The dimmer the last star gets, the lower the rating gets.
Other notable features also include enhanced visibility in the Marketplace. Parallel 42 aims to clarify by removing the guesswork to see the ratings. Parallel 42 aims to make Marketplace Stars as simple as possible and understandable to all users. Furthermore, Marketplace Stars aims to be a simple addon, by creating an easy installation process in the MSFS Marketplace.
Impact on Community
One statement I wanted to focus on was Parallel 42’s aim to reduce regretful purchases. The issue of hosting poor-quality addons in the Marketplace has already been covered here. The question begs itself: Will this addon prevent users from purchasing low-rated addons? The answer is, it depends on who the user is.
For example, the majority of MSFS users are casual simmers, and as such, they will look forward to using the Marketplace. Hence, this addon could potentially highlight poor-quality addons for casual simmers. On the other hand, if you are a more experienced user, this addon may not add too much value to your experience, as this would just be more of a user interface enhancement.
The Marketplace is known to have poor-quality aircraft add-ons. However, users could potentially benefit from this add-on for scenery. Again, while a casual simmer may not be intently looking for the slightest details that a more experienced simmer might be, poor scenery can diminish the overall immersion of the experience.
Overall, this addon does not introduce a revolutionary system to warn users of poor-quality addons. However, it introduces a new UI change for a more colour-coded system. While it may not have a major impact on the community, it could potentially aid the more casual side of the community or those who would have no other choice but to use the Marketplace.
If you are interested in this addon, Parallel 42 Marketplace Stars is currently on sale on their website only. It is usually priced at 5 AUD (discounted to 0 AUD) but is free in other currencies. For any other Parallel 42-related news, check out the 777 immersion pack article here. If you are interested in any other news and reviews do check out our other articles here.
