Yes, I finally got FS2002. I'm always a year behind each Fs version. Couldn't part with FS2000 and its wonderful ATC addon-Proflight 2000.Anyways, one thing I immediately noticed about the new sim is the poor lighting quality. Even in high summer, the scenery looks like it's a perpetual autumn sunset. There's no full summer dazzling brightness as in the FS2000 version.It looks very soft, but it feels that a dark lens is hovering the scenery, making it darker than in reality.Just wondering- any way to tweak the lighting levels?Eytan Ornstein

I haven't noticed, but 2K2 is more atmospheric. Check that your monitor is calibrated correctly.

I notice this too, immediatly, after coming from FS2000, very, very underlit. I have the syncMaster 750s 17" monitor..... I would like to know, if you hear anything, drop an email to: [email protected]

Huh. I thought the opposite when I switched. Its got to be hardware specific. I use a 19" Sony Trinitron (Multiscan G410) & A Geforce 4 128mb. I find 2002 to be as bright and cheery as ever and my monitor brightness is set under 50.

Eytan:Ah, the question we've asked many times and probably THE one thing no one can understand why MS changed about FS2000. You can import your night scenery textures from FS 2000 into 2002, or you can download the very nice night replacement textures from FSW:http://simflight.com/fswFS2002 is indeed darker than it's predecessor, as the dozens and dozens of posts on this subject 1 year ago would attest to. That's why if you do tweak your monitor brightness mode to compensate,and if you ever then decide to post screenshots in the Screenshot Forum, you'll have to edit the shots in "normal" brightness mode or else you'll end up posting just another of the "too dark" screenshots you'll find there.Good Luck, Alex ChristoffN562ZMinneapolis, [email protected]

I'm using win98SE so I don't know about XP but what I do is go into Properties>Settings>Advanced>Color Correction and then adjust Brightness and Gamma of video card up a little bit. Save the profile and then use it when playing FS2002.

I agree with aca_dia's post above. Maybe that is because I am using the same Sony monitor. However, when I was using my four year old (now spare) Samsung 17" monitor and aging Elsa Gladiac 32mb AGP, I was not happy with textures and could not make out runway lights or taxi lights during approaches or taxiing at night until I was almost on top of the runway. After simultaneously installing a Leadtek Ti4400 128ddr mb A250 AGP card and 19" Sony Multiscan G410R monitor back in December, that all changed. I too used to wonder why everyone seemed so enthusiastic about the clarity of FS2002 (especially during night take offs and landings. Now I know. They had all spent some big bucks for quality monitors and AGP cards. With the upgrade in my AGP card and monitor, FS2002 textures and night flying lights and scenery at my house are--this is quite a leap here--probably equal to what Bill Gates enjoys at his modest digs beside Lake Washington when running FS2002. Too bad it comes down to anteing up mo' money to really get into the game. http://members.cox.net/rfromholz/sig4.GIF

The FSW site is great. It brightens the sky, but not the landscape and 3d objects. Guess I'll have to live with the lower lighting levels.Adjusting the monitor brightness helped somewhat.BTW, the colourful dawn/sunset are alomost absent from FS2002. Check out the screenshot.FS95 had more exciting sunsets! Eytan

I use a little application called Powerstrip that allows me to assign gamma, contrast, and brightness controls to key combinations so that I can adjust these things while in the game. It works very well. It also can be used for overclocking and video tweaking. It's payware, and there might be other cheaper (or free) applications that allow you to do the same thing.Greghttp://www3.sympatico.ca/gregory.moffatt/DHC-8_profile.jpg

Hehe... You mean a sunset like this? The pic is just a few hours old and was taken at EDFE. Really nice today, indeed. :-)Etienne :-wave

I agree with all,I just upgraded my GFoce 2GTS card to a GForce 4 4200Ti. Now that I can adjust the gamma, color and brightness, FS2002 is much brighter. I think that MS must adjust the color textures with the next version of FS2kX. We should all be able to run FS2KX at at defualt settings and not have to do all these adjustments.Bob Johnson

Great shot!That's exactly the colours I'd like to see in FS- a little orange or pink mear the horizon.FS Clouds used to do that in FS2000. It made me fly always around sunset time.BTW, is that your little GA plane in the photo?Eytan

>Great shot! Thanks!! I have some more of yesterday, maybe I'll post some in the SS forum or get them onto my site.>BTW, is that your little GA plane in the photo? Oh dear, believe me, if that was my plane, I'd be really, really happy.No, I am just 15 and don't (yet ;-)) own a plane... That's a charter aircraft of Diamond Aircraft, I am having three weeks of practical training there (actually almost over :'( that's REAL bad), should be a DA20-C1 Eclipse or some. It was just standing so nice in the sun that I just had to get it onto the shot. :-) I'll try to get a job for holidays at Diamond Aircraft. That's at EDFE, by the way.Cheers! :-beerchugEtienne :-wave

Also in the display settings in fs2002, you can brighten up the sim by just moving the bar from 3 or 4 which is default to 8. This will lighten things up a bit.

Wow... what graphics!!! How do you get the anti-alias to smooth out all the "jaggies" around the wing edges? :-rotor ... and those clouds -- outstanding!!! :)