I'm undoubtedly stupid, but I can't for the life of me figure out what Prepar3d is and/or what it does. Is it a new flight simulator kinda like MSFS and XPlane? Is it an add-on for FSX? If the latter, what does it do? If the former, what is its connection with FSX? Do I need FSX to use Prepar3d? Sorry guys... my autistic brain is playing up, and I can't find sufficient data in the official www.prepar3d.com site to even remotely figure out what on earth it IS... The info is undoubtedly there, but apparently in a format that doesn't mesh with me. I'm a bit upset... this is the first time that I really can't understand what something is and/or does...

It is a new flightsimulator in which you can use pretty much all the add-ons from FSX.

 

It is based on the old engine from FSX but with many bells and whistles and updates on top. Additional patches and upgrades are underway from L-M.

Prepar3D is an evolution of Microsoft's ESP. ESP was the commercial version of FSX. Lockheed Martin bought ESP including the source code and hired many of the original developers to create Prepar3D.

Prepar3D is backwards compatible with FSX. It handles just like FSX and have many enhancements, specially in the graphics. Unlike FSX, it is in constant development and you can find tech support for it in their Official Forums.

 

Since Prepar3D is a commercial software, it does not have a User Interface like FSX. You basically start with the default flight: A Mooney in Norfolk. You can create your own default flight and there is a User Interface that allows you to create your own starting flight before P3D runs.

 

Almost all FSX add-ons will work on Prepar3D. You must try to see if your add-ons will work.

 

There are three licensing versions:

 

Professional at $199

Academic at $49.99

and Developers at $9.99 month.

 

Patches and upgrades are free whitin their own version. Currently it is 1.3, in this case all 1.x patches and upgrades are free.

Version 2.0 is expected for the end of 2012. If you want it, you will have to purchase another license.

 

Beyond that, you can do everything you are able to do in FSX.

If it helps you, there is an Avsim review of P3D coming soon - I got asked to write it about two days ago.

 

Al

Version 2.0 is expected for the end of 2012. If you want it, you will have to purchase another license

 

Any gaurantee it won't be "commercial" use only and cost $5000.00?

Guys, thank you very much, you cleared it up for me! And Chock, I'm looking forward to your review! Why, it might even help me make a decision to buy it which, due to the usual monetary circumstances, is a step not to be taken lightly! Thanks again, you were all of much help. Be well!

Any gaurantee it won't be "commercial" use only and cost $5000.00?

 

even if lockheed came to some peoples house and installed it for them some people would continue to doubt them. It is plain to see that they WANT the flightsim community Microsoft gave up. Users are giving them an unlimited stream of feedback for things to be worked on. That make the community valuable to Lockheed since they probably want a good product to sell on a commercial scale.

 

But to put it in another way:

 

For year people were crying out for communication from Microsoft, patches from Microsoft, any indication Microsoft listen to the community. Here come Lockheed who listen, answer questions, consider ideas, provide a stream of update. What do people do? Constantly doubt them.

I work for a cable company in central florida. We used to charge thousands of dollars to run a 1000' extension of the cable system to get signal near enough to a customer's house if they were the only ones or if there were a few customers, they would all have to sign up and share the cost of construction between them all. Now, it's all about the RGUs (revenue generating units) and LM is the same as any company. We now run those same extensions just to get more paying customers as income is slowing and sources of income or becoming more narrow. LM have no guarantee as to longevity of a product and when you buy it, it may not work TOMORROW as they have the right to do so with their product. But, here's the catch with LM. ANY income only further's their companies goals and ensures an income stream with which to continue development on the product that will eventually be sold for much more money that home users afford, but those home users also were beta testers, reporting issues, constantly updating a product and testing the new features and developments. This is a very valuable service that many companies pay for near the end of development to have the product tested thoroughly and here we are, paying them to beta test their product. As long as we, as a community, don't start to become more expensive than the income they get from us (with complaints and denegrations of the company that come from a minority), this product will remain as it is. They stand to gain. We stand to gain. It's a great relationship as long as we maintain our benefit to them.

I'm undoubtedly stupid, but I can't for the life of me figure out what Prepar3d is and/or what it does.

 

I can't figure it out either. I watched the trailers and saw military vehicles and submersibles in addition to aeroplanes. It is hard to understand how that type of vehicle can be operated on an FSX platform. One of the trailers makes great play of the 'multiplayer' facility as though this was something invented by Prepar3D.

 

There seems to be an emphasis on training but exactly how this works is unclear, as is the difference between the various versions.

 

Perhaps I have missed something obvious.

You guys beat me, you really do. Lockheed Martin, as has already been said in this thread, have bought the ESP or base code of the orphaned FSX from Microsoft.

 

The scenery engine is so powerful LM can use it for surface and sub-surface simulations other than flight. So what? I am sure in years to come you will be able to buy a bus simulator add-on, tank driver add-on and so on. Why, because LM have purchased the ORPHAN FSX and intend to use it commercially, but they have provided at less than the original cost of FSX an Academic version which we can all use for whatever form of flight training we want. And if you need that spelled out in words of one sylllable then stick to FSX.

 

Already P3D is up to v1.3 with more updates to come. Meanwhile a v2.0 which will use DX11 will incorporate all the improvements and move to another level.

 

If you don't trust LM to keep P3D then don't touch it

If you think FSX didn't have ground items, such as moving vehicles, moving people as in Orbx, and all the flows which is an equivalent of tanks and what have you then you are not very observant. Bob after all, gets you out of the aircraft. I am sure Orbx isn't far from putting us into a ute.

If you don't want to change, and stay with a broken and unfixed FSX do so

But please don't imply that those of us who have gone with it, and are benefiting from the upgrades to the code, should really have stayed with FSX out of some curious definition of purity.

You guys beat me, you really do. Lockheed Martin, as has already been said in this thread, have bought the ESP or base code of the orphaned FSX from Microsoft.

 

I admit that I'm a bit of a bloody galah, but after having been given the drum earlier on in this thread I got that part alright. On the other hand I didn't need to have it spelled out in "words of of one syllable" either, so how about pullin' in your scone, sport?

broken and unfixed FSX

 

If you are implying P3D has fixed all FSX short comings I believe that to be incorrect. Though textures are somewhat better, mainly shaders. After months of using P3D heavily I have found just as many "broke and unfixed" items in P3D as FSX, the menues.dll errors constant crashes for one. They are working on the fixes for v1.4, but to imply P3D is more stable is not entirely tru. I find P3D to be less stable than FSX , using FSX designed apps anyway. It would be misleading to make people believe P3D has fixed all that is "bad" in FSX.

 

Meanwhile a v2.0 which will use DX11

 

Its my hunch this will be a completely different platform and also requiring a new license. Who knows if the same user structure will be employed. It could be in the $1000.00's range? For sure most if not all addons for FSX will not be compatible with 2.0, L.M. has already eluded to the difficulty of 2.0 DX11 backwards compatability.

I admit that I'm a bit of a bloody galah, but after having been given the drum earlier on in this thread I got that part alright. On the other hand I didn't need to have it spelled out in "words of of one syllable" either, so how about pullin' in your scone, sport?

 

What dialect of english is this and what does he mean? :-)

 

PS. (I'm serious)

he's saying he may be a bit thick headed, but was given the missing info drummed into his head earlier in the thread. But he's not an idiot, so he doesn't need it spelled out in mono-syllabic words, so he's asking for Jaap to a truce ("pullin' in the scone" is like asking him to take a bit of the edge off his writing)

 

Hopefully that helps a bit...

What dialect of english is this and what does he mean? :-)

 

PS. (I'm serious)

 

Australian, sort of (wide grin)!