FSCaptain / FSPassengers

[Tim_Capps 474]

Just curious how they compare.

[DAD 2,648]

Just curious how they compare.

time to bump this up since I'd like to know this, too

[JET 1 0]

FSCaptain has a fully functional (area restricted) demo that you can try out. Why not see for yourself?I downloaded and installed it, but haven't had the time to mess around with it yet. It seems to have potential though, I have not used FS Passengers or any program of that genre as they seemed too lacking or unrealistic compared to real operations. Serving sandwiches to passengers and showing them movies - whaaat?Basically it adds an ACARS interface thru which you can select assignments, make position reports, ETE checks et cetera.I have had the idea of this type of a dispatch simulation for a longer time actually. The major concern in this type of a program is how well it can be customized to fit in well with a variety of other addons. For example, I like to use FS2Crew for my first officer simulation. FSCaptain allows me to turn it's built in FO voice off - good. The seatbelt switch can be assigned to a keyboard shortcut or xml variable so it suits addon planes better - good. The list goes on.

[Tomaz Drnovsek 440]

I have not used FS Passengers or any program of that genre as they seemed too lacking or unrealistic compared to real operations. Serving sandwiches to passengers and showing them movies - whaaat?

I have FSPassengers and is one of the best addons for FS.Did you ever fly on a commercial aircraft? Did you get anything to eat or if it was a longer flight did you watch movies? Geee, so unrealistic :)

[Tim_Capps 474]

I doubt it is the captain who is deciding when to serve sandwiches, but there is an option for automating that. I like FS Passengers a lot. It adds some interest during cruise and really makes you pay attention to the basics of good flying.I suppose I could try it out, but thought someone might be able to save me the trouble if they had both.

[Tomaz Drnovsek 440]

Yes, it's automatic (if you choose so). The addon is called FSPassengers as it simulates passengers aboard. I really don't know what's not realistic about that.

[JET 1 0]

I have FSPassengers and is one of the best addons for FS.Did you ever fly on a commercial aircraft? Did you get anything to eat or if it was a longer flight did you watch movies? Geee, so unrealistic :)

No, I didn't get any of those, I flew with Ryanair!Which addon is best is a matter of opinion. I did try the demo. Like others said, as the commander you should not need to worry about feeding your passengers or knowing what their overall mood is. In fact you would not even know the mood unless you made the cabin crew ask around! Things like that, and finding it generally incompatible with advanced addons it didn't feel like it suited me.Perhaps I should have added I don't care so much about the actual "career" mode where you earn money and manage the airline. I like to do things from the commanders perspective. I just need a program that gives me assignments and simulates the dispatcher communication inflight.The perfect dispatcher simulation (for me) would+ give assignments or schedules, detailed flightplans and briefings for the flight (customizeable, perhaps even by community over network)+ load payload and fuel as per the assignment (fully compatible with advanced addons)+ work as the inflight ACARS system with a dispatcher monitoring the flight (loads of functions here like weather and fuel calculations)+ customizeable sound sets for the first officer or other crew voices (for better compatibility)+ random event generator (incidents or emergencies not related to aircraft systems on the ground or in the air)+ post flight analysis (speeds, g-forces, landing parameters)+ a logbook system that show which routes you have flownWhat I don't need is:- a career mode where you advance through ranks or earn money- aircraft system failure generator as these are generally impossible to fit to 3rd party aircraft- a system that monitors things like setting the altimeter at correct TL or switching on the landing lights, unless they can be customized for any aircraft or route- manual cabin crew and passenger comfort handlingTo me it sounds like FSCaptain or a virtual airline would suit me much better that FSPassengers.

[Tomaz Drnovsek 440]

No, I didn't get any of those, I flew with Ryanair!

I understand :( Well, I agree with you. If you want a dispatcher simulation FSPassengers is not for you. Which addon is the best (if there is such a thing) is of course completely the matter of taste and personal opinion.

[Guest dano290]

FSCaptain has a fully functional (area restricted) demo that you can try out. Why not see for yourself?I downloaded and installed it, but haven't had the time to mess around with it yet. It seems to have potential though, I have not used FS Passengers or any program of that genre as they seemed too lacking or unrealistic compared to real operations. Serving sandwiches to passengers and showing them movies - whaaat?Basically it adds an ACARS interface thru which you can select assignments, make position reports, ETE checks et cetera.I have had the idea of this type of a dispatch simulation for a longer time actually. The major concern in this type of a program is how well it can be customized to fit in well with a variety of other addons. For example, I like to use FS2Crew for my first officer simulation. FSCaptain allows me to turn it's built in FO voice off - good. The seatbelt switch can be assigned to a keyboard shortcut or xml variable so it suits addon planes better - good. The list goes on.

Well I installed the demo but for the life of me I cant figure out how to get it started....do I srat with a 737 out of SEATAC or what?OOps never mind they tell you on the readme it doesnt work with vista. iM running win7 and it appears it wont run either I get a .dll file that wont install. It just sits there with the little circle turning but nothing ever happens....oh well maybe as time goes by Ill be able to install it. But for the record can someone tell me what airports it used on the demo?

[Guest ceo1944]

Well I installed the demo but for the life of me I cant figure out how to get it started....do I srat with a 737 out of SEATAC or what?OOps never mind they tell you on the readme it doesnt work with vista. iM running win7 and it appears it wont run either I get a .dll file that wont install. It just sits there with the little circle turning but nothing ever happens....oh well maybe as time goes by Ill be able to install it. But for the record can someone tell me what airports it used on the demo?

Hi Dano,The three airports available for missions in the free version are KSEA, KPDX, and KOLM, you could start from any of those and fly anywhere in the world. But alas, it doesn't seem to want to install on Windows 7 for you. FSCaptain has been tested on Vista and it does work, we had several beta testers and myself running without problems. There was one fellow who had a bit of a struggle but he figured it out and changed a Vista setting and it worked fine -- that's why the security warning is in the readme because it could affect someone else.I'm sorry you're having problems installing it on Windows 7 -- I haven't had a chance to try it on there but was hoping it would work. It doesn't do anything really fancy that other gauges don't do, so I don't know what the problem is, but in the next few days I'll buy a copy of Windows 7 and figure it out.I surely don't want anyone to not be able to try it out because it won't install!Hope this helps,Dutch

[Guest dano290]

Hi Dano,The three airports available for missions in the free version are KSEA, KPDX, and KOLM, you could start from any of those and fly anywhere in the world. But alas, it doesn't seem to want to install on Windows 7 for you. FSCaptain has been tested on Vista and it does work, we had several beta testers and myself running without problems. There was one fellow who had a bit of a struggle but he figured it out and changed a Vista setting and it worked fine -- that's why the security warning is in the readme because it could affect someone else.I'm sorry you're having problems installing it on Windows 7 -- I haven't had a chance to try it on there but was hoping it would work. It doesn't do anything really fancy that other gauges don't do, so I don't know what the problem is, but in the next few days I'll buy a copy of Windows 7 and figure it out.I surely don't want anyone to not be able to try it out because it won't install!Hope this helps,Dutch

Ok great; Ill try to install again and Ill get the name of the .Dll thats having a problem

[wombat778 0]

I'm sorry you're having problems installing it on Windows 7 -- I haven't had a chance to try it on there but was hoping it would work. It doesn't do anything really fancy that other gauges don't do, so I don't know what the problem is, but in the next few days I'll buy a copy of Windows 7 and figure it out.

Hi Dutch,FYI, I have Windows 7 64-bit, and it works just fine here. Very nice bit of software, I might add.

[Guest ceo1944]

Hi Dutch,FYI, I have Windows 7 64-bit, and it works just fine here. Very nice bit of software, I might add.

Thank you :) And thanks for the report. Doesn't solve dano290's problem but it tells me that there's no incompatibility with Windows 7, but probably just security-related permission-denied type stuff to resolve.And so it goes...Dutch

[Guest dano290]

Thank you :) And thanks for the report. Doesn't solve dano290's problem but it tells me that there's no incompatibility with Windows 7, but probably just security-related permission-denied type stuff to resolve.And so it goes...DutchSo I reinstalled it and now this is what happens...I power on then hit F1 then F1 for flight then F3 to accept then F1 to load and I get "cleared for loading" I hit F1 to start loading then the big one"Microsoft sim has stopped working" and Im taken back to my desktopHelp!!!!!

[Guest ceo1944]

Dano,The first step is to send me the FCOM log -- that's a file in the FSCaptain\Config folder called FCOM.log. If you would email that to me -- dutch (at) FSCaptain.net -- we'll get to the bottom of your issue. If you haven't already, you might want to join the support and other discussions at http://fscaptain.proboards.com - the first FSCaptain Hotfix pack will be coming out today, maybe if we're lucky we'll get you fixed today too.Dutch