about ORBX (FTX) and 'how real it gets'.....!I am flying in the Tiger Moth taking in the towns and cities below my wing around Victoria, B.C.I can't get enough of this PNW! There are cars parked out in front of the homes on the street...and can be seen so clearly. Cars clear as a bell, in the parking lots of Condo's and apartment buildings.The resolution of the tiles is stunning! I have never seen anything of the like since starting this hobby in 1984. Nothing like this... For instance, you see a nice little valley with what appears to be only trees and brush populating it...but...when you start your fly-over, behold, there are HOMES nestled in the small valley, with some on the tops of peaks...BUT...with supporting ROAD STRUCTURE to get to that house and not merely AUTO-GEN doing its blind 'thang. These tiles were crafted and you sure can tell. Where in other 'canned' scenery coverage for FSX in general that you fly over in 'soft focus' because you already KNOW what each tile will be...NOT WITH PNW. This is a simulation of the covered area and each square mile is different, I swear! You need to RUBBER NECK and enjoy each square mile of your purchase. It would take you months to complete the fly over of everything to see and discover.I saw Geofa's compare shots of the real world vs. PNW's rendition of the same scene. I have to tell ya, there is NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE any longer. For those that have not as yet joined the PNW Club, you fly over this scenery...and you need to go as slow as you can to actually STARE at things below your wings. Nothing seems to be 'canned' and repetitive. The towns look...RIGHT. The cities look...RIGHT! The 'burbs have everything where they should have...and houses line the street exactly as they would in real life. The placements are as they are in real life. Rivers, lakes, ponds, the kid's kiddie pool in some body's back yard looks right! This scenery package might cause you to drop out of the sky, because you are NOT T-scanning your instruments as your face is buried towards the deck...taking it all in, nice....nice and slow....oh yeah.....Post Edit: Here is another example of crafted scenery; I just flew down into a lake basin in the Tiger Moth. At the head of the basin was a Power House (of which I have never seen in scenery before) with its eight towers forming the power grid. Well...as I flew past, the long line of transmission towers started making their way across the top crest of a cliff and then they themselves spread out to forest cut-backs to fan out the power towards the towns and cities. You could choose to fly the line and see where they went. :) The detail is beyond words....for a product with such a fair asking price. The more you fly and explore, the more you realise that they offered this package at a very reasonable price point.Folks...this scenery is something to savor as you take to the sky. Microsoft never knew what 'as real as it gets' was...until the ORBX Crew stepped up to the plate, and this is truly a classic understatement....Signed: One HELL of a satisfied and blown-away FTX customer! I'm going to go out and buy a t-shirt with the caption 'PNW RULES!' I'll merely laugh as nobody will know what the heck that means....but, I WILL, and that's ALL that matters!POST EDIT: Everyone who has this gem...grab the Tiger Moth as this is the perfect plane to explore, with open cockpit and a cruise of 86 knots. You can really have fun sight-seeing with this baby.Post Edit 3: One last comment. In flying over FTX's Pacific North West Scenery, you for the first time are actually 'flying'. You no longer need to have the 'graphics generator' between your ears engaged. You only have to glance down below your wings.... Your mind accepts that this is real.... The eagle has landed. OK, I'm done. Back to my flight in the mountains and who knows what else I will find...but I promise I won't come back to swell this post....LOL Happy flying everyone!Mitch

I couldn't agree with you more, and I'm sure a lot more people behind me will agree. The tiger moth is fun, so is the A2A cub, A2A P-47, Realair Scout, Realair SF260.......oh you get the point! Wonderful scenery.

It makes a mockery of all the nay-sayers of two (three?) years ago, doesn't it? I reckon both FS9 and FSX have grown in useage - not dying in any way at all - as they said. The devs, if anything have got stronger, because they now have a stable platform to work with. Comparing my sim and rig to as it was four months ago - it's not even in the same ballpark. The i7 and it's ability to easily overclock has done this, because it allows us to make full use of products like PNW along with EZCA (it's at Flight1 NOW!), HiFiSims' ASE - also just out, and Real Environment eXtreme - and the new aircraft innovations such as A2A is producing. I can't believe a couple of nights this week I was bouncing the A2A's fat-tired Cub along the gravel bars near Darrington - even skipping across the water! Unbelievable! ...and I (used to?) prefer airline flying! Life is good. :(

Agreed! Except, from attending the developer conferences I can say Aces did know the real potential in 3PD

You people really making me want to buy this thing even though I don't do much VFR flying. I can't stop looking at the screenshots. ORBX, please do the entire world!!!!!!

FSX has superbly scaleable core engine. I've been extoling its virtues since it was released. We've never once strayed from backing it 100%. We have a lot more tech to add to PNW and other projects, this is only the beginning. Developers need a stable codeline to "get to the metal", it's the same with console hardware - the GEN3 titles are the ones that really shine. We have stuff in the pipe which is more than just scenery .. :( To anyone who thinks the FS franchise is dead ... think again.Thanks for the props, it's truly appreciated!

about ORBX (FTX) and 'how real it gets'.....!I am flying in the Tiger Moth taking in the towns and cities below my wing around Victoria, B.C.I can't get enough of this PNW! There are cars parked out in front of the homes on the street...and can be seen so clearly. Cars clear as a bell, in the parking lots of Condo's and apartment buildings.The resolution of the tiles is stunning! I have never seen anything of the like since starting this hobby in 1984. Nothing like this... For instance, you see a nice little valley with what appears to be only trees and brush populating it...but...when you start your fly-over, behold, there are HOMES nestled in the small valley, with some on the tops of peaks...BUT...with supporting ROAD STRUCTURE to get to that house and not merely AUTO-GEN doing its blind 'thang. These tiles were crafted and you sure can tell. Where in other 'canned' scenery coverage for FSX in general that you fly over in 'soft focus' because you already KNOW what each tile will be...NOT WITH PNW. This is a simulation of the covered area and each square mile is different, I swear! You need to RUBBER NECK and enjoy each square mile of your purchase. It would take you months to complete the fly over of everything to see and discover.I saw Geofa's compare shots of the real world vs. PNW's rendition of the same scene. I have to tell ya, there is NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE any longer. For those that have not as yet joined the PNW Club, you fly over this scenery...and you need to go as slow as you can to actually STARE at things below your wings. Nothing seems to be 'canned' and repetitive. The towns look...RIGHT. The cities look...RIGHT! The 'burbs have everything where they should have...and houses line the street exactly as they would in real life. The placements are as they are in real life. Rivers, lakes, ponds, the kid's kiddie pool in some body's back yard looks right! This scenery package might cause you to drop out of the sky, because you are NOT T-scanning your instruments as your face is buried towards the deck...taking it all in, nice....nice and slow....oh yeah.....Post Edit: Here is another example of crafted scenery; I just flew down into a lake basin in the Tiger Moth. At the head of the basin was a Power House (of which I have never seen in scenery before) with its eight towers forming the power grid. Well...as I flew past, the long line of transmission towers started making their way across the top crest of a cliff and then they themselves spread out to forest cut-backs to fan out the power towards the towns and cities. You could choose to fly the line and see where they went. :) The detail is beyond words....for a product with such a fair asking price. The more you fly and explore, the more you realise that they offered this package at a very reasonable price point.Folks...this scenery is something to savor as you take to the sky. Microsoft never knew what 'as real as it gets' was...until the ORBX Crew stepped up to the plate, and this is truly a classic understatement....Signed: One HELL of a satisfied and blown-away FTX customer! I'm going to go out and buy a t-shirt with the caption 'PNW RULES!' I'll merely laugh as nobody will know what the heck that means....but, I WILL, and that's ALL that matters!POST EDIT: Everyone who has this gem...grab the Tiger Moth as this is the perfect plane to explore, with open cockpit and a cruise of 86 knots. You can really have fun sight-seeing with this baby.Post Edit 3: One last comment. In flying over FTX's Pacific North West Scenery, you for the first time are actually 'flying'. You no longer need to have the 'graphics generator' between your ears engaged. You only have to glance down below your wings.... Your mind accepts that this is real.... The eagle has landed. OK, I'm done. Back to my flight in the mountains and who knows what else I will find...but I promise I won't come back to swell this post....LOL Happy flying everyone!Mitch

Mitch,Now don't be shy and reticent about this. How do you really feel about FTX PNW? :( StephenPS: I met with a group of flight simmers tonight and for once I was not the only one singing ORBX songs. One guy was passing out pages of the PNW operator's manual, showing the pictures. His computer was downloading the package so he could heardly wait to get home.

The last time flight simming was this good...............was when Pro-Pilot used Salt Lake City, Utah asit's default startup... :( L.Adamson --- KSLC (Lot's of mountains)

The last time flight simming was this good...............was when Pro-Pilot used Salt Lake City, Utah asit's default startup... :( L.Adamson --- KSLC (Lot's of mountains)

Man those clouds in Pro-Pilot were ground breaking weren't they? God, I can still hear the bickering in my head, "I don't know, Pro Pilot just doesnt run as well as my super smooth FS5.1 does""Yeah, well look at those clouds!"I believe I was 12 when I got that game.Thanks for the memory :)P.S. - I think these guys should just buy the code from MS and just make their own damn simulator! I'm sure MS could be bought cheap....I got $5 on it.

You people really making me want to buy this thing even though I don't do much VFR flying. I can't stop looking at the screenshots. ORBX, please do the entire world!!!!!!

----------------------------------------I used to be totally into Heavy Iron at the FL's with FS9. Since having purchased GEX/UTX and now a very detailed and focused area of one of the most beautiful areas of the entire world....the Pacific North West, I find myself TOTALLY going no higher than 5,500 A.S.L. for most of my flying time. I usually tool around FSX/UTX/GEX/ or FSX/PNW at 3,500 A.S.L. Why? Because there is so much to now SEE! FSX stays focused right down to the numbers upon the runway, unlike FS9 where you need some altitude before the ground looks good.I will say this...once you take FSX out for a VFR or Low Altitude Airway IFR, and add in PNW...you absolutely will start buying G.A. aircraft and enjoy what we already are.... Here is another angle. Since having been flying in ORBX's PNW, because the detail changes along with the topography, you TRULY have a sense of linear progression ie: flying over and above the ground. Not just repetitive tiles giving you the same town, or golf course, cemetery etc...but actual proper placements. Fly between airports and you now ENJOY the flight path, and have a real sense of accomplishment after landing at the terminus. This is the best part of G.A./VFR flying. In FS9, you don't sense the same as FSX with such an add-on as PNW. Buy the package, fly between airports at around 5,500 FT, and you will see what my sound bytes are all about!Enjoy, if you dare! ;)Mitch

FSX has superbly scaleable core engine. I've been extoling its virtues since it was released. We've never once strayed from backing it 100%. We have a lot more tech to add to PNW and other projects, this is only the beginning. Developers need a stable codeline to "get to the metal", it's the same with console hardware - the GEN3 titles are the ones that really shine. We have stuff in the pipe which is more than just scenery .. :( To anyone who thinks the FS franchise is dead ... think again.Thanks for the props, it's truly appreciated!

----------------------------------------------------------------------John, you and your entire team DESERVE the accolades. You have a tremendous success here! By the way...how 'bout you folks giving us this detail around the Great Lakes? If you state you are going to publish this....there would be dancing in the street! :)Again, you guys with PNW, have made my Flight Simulation century. :))))Mitch'er

Mitch,Now don't be shy and reticent about this. How do you really feel about FTX PNW? :( StephenPS: I met with a group of flight simmers tonight and for once I was not the only one singing ORBX songs. One guy was passing out pages of the PNW operator's manual, showing the pictures. His computer was downloading the package so he could heardly wait to get home.

-------------------------------------------------------------------Hey Stephen, I tried as hard as I could to 'dull down' my PNW enthusiasm. Did I succeed? ;)Happy flying!Mitch'er

I too am impressed to say the least! Best 50 bucks I've spent in a while. I might not be the typical user of this add-on as I don't fly VFR much. There are some good medium range airports that they've detailed which are great for the JS41 for example. Descending through the clouds layers into the beautiful scenery at Port Hardy, BC to join the final approach course was so life-like I couldn't believe it. Very well done and I can't wait for the next installment but there's plenty of territory to cover yet - should keep me busy for a while! Think they'll go north, west, or south next? My hope is west :( Imagine what they could do with Glacier and Yellowstone...Getting to my point, the bottom line for me at least: the end of the FS development cycle might have been the best thing for the hobby (minus the folks who lost jobs of course) - It gives 3rd party folks time to focus and think outside the box. 2 years ago there's no way I would've said that but certain companies have changed my mind and the list gets longer and longer. Now if we can only find a way to make bumpy/sloping runways commonplace I would be a really happy camper! :(

OK, I'm done. ...I promise I won't come back to swell this post....Mitch

MitchYou broke your promise.SHUT.....UP......!!!! :( My meagre FSX funds are already spent out this month (planes, not scenery), so I have to wait, despite your best efforts!!! :( But NEXT month... :( Ian

... there would be dancing in the street! :)...

We should just do it just for that, we would need photos ;)

I've read that the Orbx scenery has a conflict with other products like GXE, UTX and landclass & mesh products. It was confusing enough so that I just skipped the product altho their reputation is without question. Now reading all the glowing reports on the product I figure I misread something.Can anyone explain about the "switch on/off" stuff that I've heard about?Hate being so vague - seems it was something like do not use product x unless you switch off orbx.Any clarification appreciated.