Which non-aircraft add-ons do you recommend?

[FS4 0]

Hi,FSX is nice, but I'm still not happy with the performance after upgrading my system. However FS9 runs very well now. Are there any add ons (scenery, mesh, etc.) that won't kill performance, but enhance the sim more like FSX? Thanks.DaveABIT IP35 proCore2Duo E6850 @ 3.0 gh4 Gigs RAMEVGA 8800 GTS w/640 mb

[rpjkw11 0]

Ultimate Terrain is a must have and it's easy on frames. Also, you might consider Ground Environment Pro and Flight Environment. Both add an extra dimension and are also easy on the frames. I recently added FSGenesis' terrain mesh (I bought the bundle for $29.95, but they also have a lot for free) and I'm very happy with it and, once again, easy on the frames. Note: I don't have a high end system (1 gb of RAM and a NVidea 7600GS card with 256 mb memory), I keep all the sliders full right, and get 25-30 fps.Good luck with your questBob

[timers15 11]

My standard flight uses:1. UTOPIA2. AS V6.53. Radar Contact4. FSPassengers5. FS-recorder6. Ground Environment Pro7. Flight Environment 8. CIVA INS9. Feel like I'm forgetting something....

[Guest Zevious Zoquis]

If I were looking for the biggest improvment to the general flightsim experience, I'd start with ASV6.5, improved mesh (either specific high impact areas like the rockies or an all-emcompassing package like FS-Genesis global), Ground Environment Pro, and then the Ultimate Terrain stuff. Theres a ton of great freeware scenery available though - look for Holger Sandmann, Vista Australis, CanUK...

[Mike_CFII_MEL 788]

Hi,My FS9/FS2004 Must Haves1. FSGenesis Mesh2. Ultimate Terrain3. Ground Environment Pro4. Active Sky5. Airport Enhancement Services (AES)6. Flight Environment7. FSBuild8. Radar Contact9. Jeppesen's SimCharts10.Airports from: FSDream Team, BluePrint Simulations, Imagine Simulations, FlyTampa, Flight Scenery, Dream Scenery, Simmer's Sky, Simwings, Cloud 9, Aerosoft, SimFlyers, and 9 Dragons11. FSPassengersI know you said no aircraft. But for me it would be the Level-D 767-300ER.

[Guest Nealoc187]

Mine would be, in approximately this order:Activesky 6.5Radar ContactTraffic addon of your choiceFSGenesis mesh (a must have if you fly in hilly/mountainous areas)Ground Environment ProFlight EnvironmentAfcads for your favorite airports (can really liven up otherwise "dead" default FS9 airports).Of course this list can be tailored to your own personal preferences - if you value awesome sunsets and clouds more than accurate terrain elevation, move FE up and the mesh down, if you don't do much flying on IFR flightplans then Radar Contact will be useless for you, etc.All of these together make for an absolutely transformed FS9 experience. I can't imagine playing default FS9 now that I've been using these.

[Chuck_B 2]

Having just recently purchased it I would actually rank Radar Contact just slightly above my Active Sky as far as "must have's" is concerned -- of course, I would never give up my Active Sky either. Get Radar Contact - I was intimidated by the manual so I put off buying it for a long time, but it is great. I especially like the fact that I can hand the radios to my copilot and he will stay in touch with ATC, even on those 9 and 10 hour over night, long haul flights.I also just bought VoxATC for FS9 and it's a lot of fun, although not as good an AI controller as Radar Contact.My list of addons I WILL NOT fly without:FSNavigatorRadar ContactActive SkySoft Horizon (freeware)AISmooth (freeware) -- yes, even with Radar ContactFSGenesis MeshUltimate TerrainFlight Environment Pro

[Guest Nealoc187]

edit: nevermind I found it, I had to pluralize it to "soft horizons" vs "soft horizon"trelane - where can I find soft horizon? I just looked on avsim and was unable to find it. i don't know what it is but it sounds like it fixes the "sharp cutoff" of the default horizon which I would love. I've got my max vis in AS6.5 turned down to 29 miles because that prevents me from seeing the default horizon cutoff, but if i could have more visibility with no horizon cutoff that would be great. sending you a PM as well.

[Fielder 3,635]

FSCommander is a moving map/flight planner and whole lots more. If you cannot obtain FSnav, consider FSC.BTW, most LCD monitors only look good in their native resolution, but I find FSC's map is best read in low resolutions like 800x600 (to get large readable map fonts for freqs, ry altitudes, and such). Maybe there's a way to get FSC with large fonts at high native LCD resolutions, but I cannot seem to figure out how. Windows/desktop/properties/settings large fonts are OK for almost anything, but not big enough for FSC on an LCD in native. So I dusted off an old CRT display and it works perfectly at any of its resolutions, e.g. 800x600 on a second auxiliary monitor for FSC while FS9 is running 1280x800 on the main screen.

[Guest over and out]

1) anything you can get cheep since it's "old" FS9for example, I just got FSCommander for 15 and Cloud 9's Aviano air base for 20 bucks.Watch the sites for deals, there are many out there and for a small price you can make your FS9 soar like an eagle.2) I would recommmend:Active SkyGround Env ProSome kind of terrain mesha Flight Planner such as FSBuild or as above FSCommanderYour fav Airport (s) (I like the Cloud 9 LAX and the Imagine Charlotte-Douglas).Pete Dowsons FSUIPCAerosofts Freight Dogs (20 bucks)(yes it has planes but it has nice Alaska scenery and missions - highly recommended).Aerosofts Lukla - Mount Everest (very fun, has the world's highest airport)3) enhance by adding a client computer to run your planners, active sky, ground environment pro, plus you can have all your PDF manuals on the client so you can easly open them as you fly on your main computer,Pete Dowsons WIDE FS would be needed. (ps, the client computer can be older and slower and cheap, or an old lap top etc and still be very nice to have).

[Guest ThrottleUp]

Search Flightsim.com for Airland textures! The best runway & taxiway textures for FS9 IMHO :)Backup your texture folder first before trying em out. Whats roses to one simmer is goat-poo to another :(

[Guest SoarPics]

Airland texturesNevin, did you experience much of a performance hit with these textures? I noticed they are much larger than the stock textures... in some cases close to 20X the file size.Thanks,

[Guest ThrottleUp]

Hallo Greg :)No I do not experience any performance penalty. TBH I didnt even know they were that size until you mentioned it! I just downloaded it, unzipped into my Textures folder, fired up the sim, said "wow" and have been happy ever since :)

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

>Hi,>>FSX is nice, but I'm still not happy with the performance>after upgrading my system. However FS9 runs very well now. >Are there any add ons (scenery, mesh, etc.) that won't kill>performance, but enhance the sim more like FSX? Thanks.>>>Dave>>ABIT IP35 pro>Core2Duo E6850 @ 3.0 gh>4 Gigs RAM>EVGA 8800 GTS w/640 mb----------------------------------Actually...but this is not about flying:If you download a touring car, you can head out upon an FS9 road out of Las Vegas, and drive through the mountains! You can also do this on any of the roads in Holger's Glacier Bay. I drove a car right up to a log cabin half-way down a valley in that scenery. Think outside the box, and you can have a ball! :)The roads and highways out from Las Vegas are the best..as well as driving down 'Sin Boulevard'...lol. Stop by the fountains and watch the water show....:)Yeah..sometimes I have too much time on my hands...lol...Mitch

[FS4 0]

--double post