Vially - Yes, PP 2012 or DS 4 is required for any weight mapped figure in this community.   The point of these figures is taking full advantage of the latest features available to them.  Conversely, if you don't feel like you need PP 2012 yet, you don't need a weight mapped figure, since weight mapping is one of the major improvements available in that generation of Poser.  The same is true for materials with true SSS.  This is all part of the features that you have to weigh against the cost of purchasing either new software, new content, or both.

This isn't an exclusive "club," so don't feel left out.  I'm probably making more of this than necessary, but I know there's often backlash to the popularity of new tech in this community, and it seems to be based on the idea that the people using it and posting about it are trying to say people have to embrace the new technology.    And some advocates of certain technologies come very close to doing so.  The group behind V4 WM, Antonia WM, and Antonia Standard  has never done this.  All they have done is advocate for people in the community doing their own thing, in their own way, and not being hindered on anyone else's decisions to do it. 

Yes, in this case, what they have done and what they've taught about involves PP 2012 technology, because that's the technology they use and enjoy using.  And my guess is that they will continue to use PP 2012 tech, until something more powerful comes along.  But not because there's any push for exclusivity.   New figures are coming out, and from what many of their developers are saying, more than one will have a standard and a weight mapped version.  Antonia Standard showed just how much can be done for bending even without weight mapping.  And it's not as if the group behind these projects are the only ones who can do creative work.

As awesome and amazing as the talent, focus, and skill of the people behind this project are, it's not as if they have some superhuman abililties, or even (for some of them I know) an incredible amount of spare time.  They only got support from major entities after they did their work.  The point of this project isn't that only they can do work like this, or that only weight mapping matters.  It's that all of us in the community are only bound by what we decide to do and what we want to create. 

So don't feel bad about not having PP 2012 yet.  Just make the most of what you have now, and focus on making the works you want and sharing what you're doing with others.  Because you never know who might be inspired to join you in what you're doing.