My only fear with P3D is that they close the doors. LM is branching out on various commercial products. One of them is an autonomous underwater vehicle for the gas and oil companies. What might be interesting to watch is whether or not they use their own P3D on this current project and those slated for the future. After all, they did add code for this.Bob

Edited January 4, 201214 yr by N1G

Hi,Prepar3D is basically FSX on steroids. There are two options, a $500.00 one time fee to own or a $10.00 month subscription, I've enclosed a link to L/M and P3D. I just hope L/M sees this tremendous opportunity that's before them (now that MS Flight has dropped the ball) and offers the serious home sim pilot a better one time fee for P3D.http://www.prepar3d.com/

How does X-Plane 10 compare to Prepar3D?

I am really disappointed with Microsoft flight. :(

Hi,Here is a C/P with some information about P3D.What has Lockheed done with ESP ??Lots !!!!!!!!!These are just a few things since April 2011.New Features

• Multi-Touch support added
  • Multi touch on single touchpanels and across multiple touchpanels

  [*]New functionality to Save and Load Custom Control configurations[*]New SimConnect APIs Added to support enhanced development

  • Synchronous SimConnect
    • Allows for “blocking” callbacks, meaning that the SimConnect server side will wait until you release it to continue running the sim
    • Both new APIs and additional flag values for existing APIs

    [*]Ground Info Query

    • Allows querying for a grid of ground alt info around a point or a SimObject
    • Can query for just ground, or ground and platforms (landable surfaces)

  [*]External Simulation Support Available through SimConnect

  • Allows writing an external simulation via SimConnect
  • Primary External Sims are the main sim for a SimObject, they compute everything
  • Secondary External Sims allow adding additional secondary sims to handle simulating/animating subsystems
  • SimObject containers can be created that use External Sims (via the aircraft.cfg/sim.cfg file)
  • Existing objects can be created and have their existing simulation overridden with a primary external sim at runtime
  • Secondary external sims can be attached to existing simobjects at runtime
  • Simple sample external sim included in the SDK’s SimConnect samples directory

  [*]Additions to the standard vehicle models (legacy aircraft showing some of the proud history we have!)

  • Lockheed P-38 Lightening courtesy of Just Flight Inc
  • Lockheed C-69 Constellation “Connie” courtesy of Just Flight Inc

GPS Gauge Enhancements to Allow FAA Qualification

• GPS welcome/verification page
• Support for SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures) and STARs (Standard Arrivals)
• XML format defined for SIDs and STARs
• Added synchronization of CDI scale with analogue instruments

SDK

• Updated Sensor view integration, examples and documentation
• Multi-channel instructions rewritten for clarity
• GUID generator example
• Documentation to add SIDS and STARS
• How to control observer views through SimConnect

Performance Improvements

• More efficient handling of Bathymetry
• Optimizations for running with Bathymetry disabled
• Upgraded rain/snow shaders to 3.0
• Upgraded default aircraft shaders to 3.0
• Default system performance configuration has been updated

User Interface Updates/Modernization Continue

• Redesigned, dynamic menu system
• New modernized screens
  • Kneeboard
  • Settings
  • ATC
  • Fuel payload
  • Multiplayer chat
  • Flight plan

****************************************************************************************Ver 1.2 which was just released yesterday !!Full Windows 7 Support

• User interface redesign
  • New interface and extended multiplayer experience
  • Observer view camera management redesigned and expanded
  • Save flight user interface redesigned
  • Alert system and progress dialogs redesigned for continuity
  • End flight interface redesigned and clarification added

Additional Aircraft Added to Standard Vehicle Set

• Beechcraft Baron 58
• Beechcraft King Air 350

Multiplayer Experience Redesigned and Improved

• Redesigned, streamlined multiplayer user interface
  • All multiplayer screens have been redesigned including the mission resolution and racing results windows

  [*]Multiplayer simplified and streamlined for the end training user[*]Connect to IP now works on a global scale[*]Several improvements to the internal voice communication system

  • Removed local echo
  • No longer sends communication data packets when no one is talking
  • Able to select a sound device other than your default system sound device for multiplayer voice communication

  [*]Submersible and other SimObject categories are now supported by multiplayer[*]Multiplayer chat redesigned and able to be maximized and resized[*]Other miscellaneous multiplayer updates

  • When ending your multiplayer session you are no longer placed back to your simulator’s default flight
  • Add-on scenery is now an allowable option in multiplayer sessions
  • Tower controls now have access to the map feature
  • The ‘Join Aircraft’ button now swaps to ‘Leave Aircraft’ when joining a shared aircraft
  • If the map is chosen to be disabled, users can now not access it via the map button on certain aircraft panels

Other New Features in v1.2

• Users can specify where flight plans are saved and loaded from
• Enhancements to the Submersible SimObject Class
  • Animations and lighting support added to submersibles
  • Proper lighting at depth
  • Submersibles are properly rendered on the ground

  [*]Observer view system enhancements

  • User interface redesigned for clarity and ease of use
  • Observer views can be easily configured with sensor and color views

  [*]Users are prompted when they attempt to load an incomplete or incorrect mission file that does not load correctly[*]Users can sort the columns of data in the Select Airport user interface[*]Tail number, call sign and flight number can be set on an aircraft’s ‘View details’ screen[*]Underwater scenery is now visible from above water if appropriate detail settings are selected[*]Menu system font has been changed for increased visibility and readability[*]The scenery library dialog now defaults to a user’s Prepar3D installation directory, not the desktop

  • The ‘Use Directly’ and ‘Cache Scenery’ radio buttons have been further explained with tooltip text

Performance Improvements

• Rendering pipeline performance improvements show a marked performance improvement in all cases
• Enhancements to water detail effects and rendering settings
  • Water effects settings are now divided into two sliders, Reflection Detail and Refraction Detail, which are clearly labeled
  • The Low, Med, High names have been replaced with text describing what scene elements are rendered at each setting
  • The water clarity slider controls the transparency of the water surface
  • Learning center article expanded upon to further explain details of each setting

Multichannel Capability Extended

• Expanded field of views able to support up to a 360 degree field of view
• Documentation and samples expanded in the Learning Center and further examples added to the Software Development Kit

Learning Center Documentation Enhanced

• Additional examples for new multichannel 360 degree field of view support
• Additional articles added including navigation section and glossary
• Multiplayer learning center article expanded for new features

Software Development Kit Enhancements for Developers

• Modeling tools have been updated to support 3D Studio Max 2010, 2011 and 2012
• Configurable ground clamping capability
  • Added ability for SimConnect to “tag” the SimObjects that it creates
  • Added new API, AISetGroundClamp, that allows turning on the ground clamping facility which will push objects that are underground back up to ground level

  [*]Additional ExternalSim capabilities

  • Additional SimVar support to External Sim
    • Added fallback support for any SimVar not natively supported by the current Category Sim Class, so all SimObjects inherit this ability.

    [*]New example and article documentation on leveraging the new ExternalSim APIs to run the user’s own aerodynamic model and simulation through SimConnect in Prepar3D

Known Issues Resolved

• Kneeboard and mission issues
  • HTML code is no longer improperly rendered in the missions tab on the kneeboard
  • The screen location of the kneeboard is saved and loaded from saved flight files
  • Prepar3D now recognizes and processes the ‘MissionBrief’ entry in a mission’s ScenarioMetadata
  • The kneeboard is rendered after a mission loads 100 percent, not before

  [*]Various crash issues resolved

  • Prepar3D no longer crashes upon exiting on Windows XP in certain cases
  • Prepar3D no longer crashes in certain cases if the user chooses to show the desktop as the splash screen is loading
  • Prepar3D no longer crashes when loading the Pilot Records on Windows XP

  [*]Other issues resolved

  • Prepar3D correctly restores from the task bar if another window has focus
  • The user is prompted when trying to save an observer view with the same name of a previously created observer view
  • The “Show/Hide Airports” and “Show/Hide ILS Feathers” are correctly de-coupled in the map user interface
  • Map mouse buttons now change state after clicking on them, not after the mouse leaves the button
  • The save flight dialog now correctly shows in full-screen mode on Windows XP systems
  • Check marks rendered in white in Windows XP are now rendered in black

What exactly is the steroid portion?

Hi Ben,Guess you can compare P3D's features that I posted against that of XPlane10.

How does X-Plane 10 compare to Prepar3D?

Edited January 4, 201214 yr by Mike_CFII_MEL

Ahhhh. Someone need a big ole hug.

microsoft needs to know that their audience want something realistic, not a arcade game

Well, if Flight fails to "take-off", MS can always buy back Prepar3D from LM and callit FSXI :Big Grin:Cheers,- jahman.

Hi,That's Funny.... :(

Well, if Flight fails to "take-off", MS can always buy back Prepar3D from LM and callit FSXI :Big Grin:Cheers,- jahman.

Well, if it's free, I'll probably be downloading it sometime in the future, but not using it on a regular basis, and gone by a couple of weeks. The only really bad thing I have to say is that the ground textures look awful. I couldn't stand watching that video. But if Prepar3D is the way of the future, and Lockheed lowers the price, sign me up.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by Wendall

Flight doesn't seem too appealing to me. I tried XPlane 10, but I couldn't get my X52 joystick to work, so that's out. As for Prepar3d, they keep saying this isn't for home users, and is designed as commercial software. When I use FSX, I am using the aircraft like a real world pilot would, so I guess it's sort of an educational tool for me. I'm not getting my pilot's license, but I'm certainly not doing barrel rolls in a 747 as some casual gamer would.Not sure what their definition of non-commercial use is. I mean if you're using it as a learning tool, then it wouldn't be a game anymore.

That being said, I still haven't lost out hope for Flight. There has still been no word on if and how add-on developers will be allowed to develop for flight and that's the big thing. I doubt many of us would think for a second about continuing to fly FSX or FS9 if we found out we wouldn't be allowed any add ons at all. The add ons from all the great developers is what makes it great.

Well Noah, I have lost hope for Flight. The primary reason that the FS franchise has been so well developed for over the years is that it provided a fairly large, even it incomplete, platform on which TO develop addons.Flight has stripped everything except "eye candy" out of it. The once broad platform is now a mere knife edge, nay not even that! A pinhead is all that is left...Load FSX and turn OFF every feature except the Graphics settings. Put them at 100%. Disable any CH products you might own except for the yoke/stick aileron, elevator, rudder, and throttle controls. None of the buttons, switches are enabled. The Hat button works normally.Only User Defined Weather works. Fly only around the main island of Hawaii in a Stearman. You'll still have a better "experience" from FSX than you will have with Flight.No AI, no ATC, no "living world" at all. Just a totally sterile environment, albeit with highly detailed scenery. How utterly boring!No external apps at all. No SimConnect needed for that! No FSUIPC either for two reasons; one Pete stated he couldn't be bothered with it, and -more to the point- no possible way to use it anyway!!!

Well Noah, I have lost hope for Flight.

Actually I posted this before I saw the other thread about no third party add-ons, you're quite right. I have lost any hope of myself enjoying Flight, but my 5-year-old will enjoy it!That being said, now that I have realized what Flight is, I will understand that it is in no way intended to be anything other than a toy, and there will likely be some time I may actually feel like dive bombing hot air balloons or whatever just because I dont feel in the mood for a full sim.I liked playing Pilotwings sometimes too. Just a different purpose.

Flight beta is out. Will try it out tonight and let you guys know what I think

Flight beta is out. Will try it out tonight and let you guys know what I think

LOL I seem to remember being skoffed at a couple weeks ago when I said there would be people that disregarded the NDA here,

microsoft needs to know that their audience want something realistic, not a arcade game

I hate to break it too you, but to Microsoft, we aren't their target audience! Whether we like it or not, the hard core simmer is just a niche market for MS. Their core demographic audience is the average gamer, who may be quite content with an arcade game. I'm thankful FS as we know it, has lasted this long. Much of the reason was the interest Bill Gates himself had in the FS franchise. Now that he's out of the picture, it was just a matter of time that the MS bean counters were going to make drastic changes such as this to how the future FS would be marketed.

No AI, no ATC, no "living world" at all. Just a totally sterile environment, albeit with highly detailed scenery. How utterly boring!

Not at all! There's those wonderful golden donuts in the sky that you can spear with the Icon A5! You should be thrilled! (for 30 seconds, at least...)Cheers,- jahman.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by jahman