Hi everyone. Great forum. I recently purchased FSX after playing it a few times at a friends house. After doing some googling, I see all these amazing addons for planes, cockpits, etc etc. What is the best way to start downloading and using them? I see a lot of stuff I might be interested in on fs-freeware.net. Any help would be appreciated.

First, make sure you have FSX running properly before loading it up with addons.

Hi everyone. Great forum. I recently purchased FSX after playing it a few times at a friends house. After doing some googling, I see all these amazing addons for planes, cockpits, etc etc. What is the best way to start downloading and using them? I see a lot of stuff I might be interested in on fs-freeware.net. Any help would be appreciated.

 

What kind of PC setup do you have? Addons are very nice, but they often demand CPU cycles and what not...so depeneding on the PC you have then we can suggest some for you. Otherwise if you load up with add ons then your PC would be crawling and you would end up hating FSX.

 

:)

 

Manny

Vista 32, 8GB RAM, Pentium 3.2 GHz dual core, nVidia GeForce 7800 GT. I used to run World of Warcraft almost maxed out and I got around 50fps, FSX Deluxe with Acceleration

Welcome to Avsim!

 

First, make sure you have FSX running properly before loading it up with addons.

+1

Follow Srdan Kostic's tweaking guide and Bojote's Tweaking and Tuning Tool for best performance, also be sure to have either SP1 and SP2 or Acceleration installed.

Then I'd say: Test everything that is freeware, since you'll only waste your time on that stuff. For payware, just do a little research on the internet, especially on this forum. Avsim also has a lot of reviews of add-ons, so you'll know what to expect from a particualr add-on. Also post here, if you want any recommendation, the guys around here are very helpful.

Before you buy any add-ons be sure they match your system specs, because as Manny has pointed out, bad performing things will make you hate FSX.

 

Cheers

Flo

Vista 32, 8GB RAM, Pentium 3.2 GHz dual core, nVidia GeForce 7800 GT. I used to run World of Warcraft almost maxed out and I got around 50fps

 

O yeah..Welcome to AVSIM... How rude I am. :)

 

OK... with that hardware... go a little slow with addons..FSX is a resource hog and you can cripple your FSX very easily with adding addons. This is what I would suggest

 

1. Adding any kind of phototextures...or photo sceneries like Mega scenery would actually improve performance and enhance your FSX

 

2) Adding add on aircrafts is not an issue since ,, performance is affected only for that specific aircraft.. if by adding an aircraft, your PC slows down to the point that you are not enjoying, just switch the aircraft.

 

3) Addon airports you have to be a little judicious.

 

 

4) Do not add those addons that tries to enhance the whole world or whole continents ... except maybe REX for clouds and water. Just go small area by area... JMO.

 

 

5) Yeah... there are tons and tons of freeware right here in AVSIM library... but you would have to hunt for it a little. but its a good learning excercize as welll since most often you have to create directories and add scenery and what not.. rather than just hit the exe and its all done for you.

 

My fav freeware addon for FSX today is for Neatherlands.. NL2000 for fsx

 

http://www.nl-2000.com/nuke/

 

check where you can download this from...

 

There is one that covers Belgium... look for the topic in this thread... its down further somewhere.

 

Manny

Thanks for the help. Do I have to install the photo secenery area by area?

Install FSX, how to do that properly is a story in itself. Set framerates a 30FPS. Load the default Lear 45 at KSEA Seattle. Fly @ FL210 and land at KPDX Portland. Check back on your performance or how you feel it performed.

10-4 Will do and report later

Follow Srdan Kostic's tweaking guide and Bojote's Tweaking and Tuning Tool for best performance, also be sure to have either SP1 and SP2 or Acceleration installed.

 

Just one thing, don't pass your fsx.cfg both through Bojote's tool and Word Not Allowed's guide. Follow just one method on a clean cfg.

I had similar questions when starting.

 

Get your FSX setup running well.

Check my old thread if you like...

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/364639-best-mods-that-greatly-enhance-the-game/

 

Try the free stuff first then you can get an educated guess on what you really will enjoy with your $$$$$.

Thanks for the help. Do I have to install the photo secenery area by area?

 

Yes.. I don't believe anyone here has the whole world covered in photoscenery.. it could take 500TB possible... depending on the granularity of detail. LOL :)

 

 

Good areas to fly in FSX where you have minimal performance hit are

 

1. (Hawaii) Add on = Megascenery Photoscenery for Hawaii. (Payware)

 

2. Princess Julliana and St Barths ..Addon = Fly Tampa. (Payware)

 

Islands are always good...

 

But like others have said, start with default FSX as much as possible and get that working properly... and start slowly.. before spending $$$

 

Some of the FSX aircrafts are awesome... The DC3, the Caravan, the Cub, and the Goose... etc. Learning the navigation itself would keep you entertained for a long time. Doing ADF approaches, ILS, VOR tracking etc.

 

Check this site out.. save it.. it would be your best friend...

 

http://www.navfltsm....nav-general.htm

 

 

Manny

10-4

 

No No son, Roger Wilco. 10-4 is a trucker reply on a CB if asked if it had been 6mo. since he bathed. :)

 

Good areas to fly in FSX where you have minimal performance hit are

But for testing purpose, you dont want to do that! Lets make sure his system will handle a decent default scenery with a descent aircraft. Ive always used that route for testing way before FS2004. Mountains, water, forest, airports etc.

Hahah, roger that. I work in a prison, so 10-4 is standard response.

Hahah, roger that. I work in a prison, so 10-4 is standard response.

 

LOL. just shosin ya. I once heard a flight instructor chew a person out for saying 10-4.