My FS-GS experience, not the norm

[Guest Paragon]

Thanks...-Mikkel

[Guest panda234]

Michael, I had the "blurry terrain" problem for the longest time--drove me nuts. Spent hours on it. Have a 9800 Pro so bought the equivalent nVidia card (forget what it is now) and solved the problem but wasn't happy with the overall graphics so returned it. Finally did 3 or 4 things, including loading the Intel Application Accelerator and upgrading the mb drivers and it was fixed. Can't pinpoint exactly what fixed it though. billg

[Guest Edam]

Indeed, and mine says..."Incoming mail is certified virus Free.Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).Version: 6.0.693 / virus Database: 454 - Release Date: 5/31/2004"It's similar with the outgoing mail.But, since NOD also seems to take up more resources is enough for me not to want to use it.But thanks for the reply, Grahame.

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Wilson,"I had tried every tweak posted at AVSIM -- twice :-) ! As a result of some of those tweaks that were completely wrong, my system was not performing properly."......I believe these remarks encompass the very nature of the problem. Many of us are lured, myself included, into trying a multitude of tweaks. Some are indeed helpful but most, while recommended with the best of intentions, are offered with very little regard for the end user's individual setup. Once applied, often a tweak will remain and, in time, we will forget why and in what circumstances we chose to apply it. Several months down the line and many mods later we start to feel confused and dissatisfied with the performance of our systems and contemplate drastic actions like a complete reformat to restore the status quo. Sounds familiar?!When I built my current system nearly 2 years ago I decided at last to heed those lonely voices of wisdom that constantly implore us to stop meddling with Windows. I am not a fervent supporter of Microsoft as a company as I continue to feel that their attitudes towards the end user borders on arrogance and could do with a thorough overhaul. Nevertheless, I do use and like their software and respect the fact that their influence is now worldwide. I have come to accept that a great deal of work and effort has gone into the development of their operating systems and if we try to make significant changes to the way they function then we only have ourselves to blame when things start to go wrong.As most of you know by now, I am one of those who was persuaded to give FS-GS a try and was not disappointed with either the quality of the service or the results achieved. Prior to receiving my appointment I had an hour long discussion with Michael Greenblatt about my current setup and I detailed any changes I had made since installing Windows XP. This included hardware, software and drivers. During this conversation I believe Michael came to trust that I was reasonably computer savvy and had achieved a system setup that was currently stable and had many software components installed that met with his approval. Following my experiences with Windows 95 and then Windows98/SE/ME I was absolutely determined to research everything carefully before permitting any installation on my new HDs. In the same way, whenever software is removed I ensure, as far as is possible, that complete removal of all components does in fact take place. I keep a tidy system, look after the system registry and regularly defrag my drives/partitions and check for errors. Despite all the foregoing, Michael expressed reservations about certain areas. For example, the installation of Windows XP on a small partition separate from the rest of your installed software is known to be both inefficient and unnecessary. I have to say that I dug my heels in firmly on that one as this setup appeals to my tidy tendencies and I had no intentions of starting over again. He accepted this but suggested I might consider leaving my drives unpartitioned at the next build.Overriding Windows management of the Page file is another area fraught with potential problems and performance considerations. Despite this he accepted my reluctance to move the swap file from my second drive, but insisted I should allow Windows to manage the size of the Page file and not split it between drives.NAV is a serious hogger of resources. Normally in most situations this would not be noticed but when you couple one resource hungry application with another like FS then you will likely pay the penalty in terms of performance. Disabling NAV is not enough as my understanding is that there is still much going on deep behind the scenes. After much discussion, I spent some time between this initial contact and my scheduled appointment carefully uninstalling Norton SystemWorks (Symantec's site is a great help in helping you do this properly) and immediately noticed an improvement in the sim's fluidity. I have been a Norton fan for many years but was persuaded in this instance to try uninstalling it in favour of AVG which appears to be significantly more system friendly. I have no regrets as I have found that everything I could do with NAV is also possible with AVG, and currently the latter is FREE.I decided to apply for the service offered by FS-GS because a) I was experiencing some stuttering during turns in certain situations and :( I was curious to find out whether my current system could allow FS to perform as well or better with higher slider and graphics settings. I was not disappointed and any thoughts of hardware upgrades are now history for the current version of our favourite sim :) I was more than happy to pay up for the service as I am now, at long last, able to relax, admire and enjoy the sim without the previous perpetual ongoing fiddling with settings. This was just the preamble and preparation for the main service and also included the requirement that I got rid of any spyware. The main service lasted a further 5-6 hours and I have to say that I have nothing but praise for Michael's patience and consideration as he led me through the process. Furthermore, he offers a free after sales service whereby you are invited to call upon him at any time if you need advice prior to purchasing various addons or making changes to the sim or system setup.MikeP4 2.4GHz (400FSB), 1Gig PC2100 DDR Crucial, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (Omega 2.5.36b), SB Audigy (5.12.0001.0443), Hyundai ImageQuest Q17 17" TFT LCD 20ms Monitor (1280x1024x32), Gigabyte GA-8IRXP MoBo, Ultra-Quiet PSU 400W, WinXP Home (SP1), DirectX 9.0b, AGP Aperture = 128MB

[Guest SoarPics]

I urge anybody who is contemplating upgrading their hardware (as a solution to any problems they are having with the sim or system) to first look at Mike's (Cruachan) specs and then give serious thought to first contacting Michael at FS-GS.I'm involved as an instructor in modern tactical weaponcraft training, and I can't count how many "casual" shooters have asked me over the years what gun they should buy. My response is always the same... the one they have now will work just fine, but buy some training instead. I rarely succeed in convincing them, though. Seems it's human nature to want to buy a new piece of hardware rather than work with the stuff we have now. It's far too easy to fall into the trap of throwing the latest and greatest video card or CPU into the computer to make it perform better.Fact of the matter is this sim will work just fine with current hardware (the 9800 Pro offers great bang for the buck right now). But only if the system is tuned and configured properly. How many times have we seen posts by folks who have the absolute best hardware, yet they continue to have problems with the sim?For anyone wishing to resolve issues they are having with the sim (or system overall) the price FS-GS charges is a steal. And a whole lot cheaper than the latest video card and/or CPU.Greg

[Rudi 0]

I use Kaspersky AVP instead of Norton and have been very happy with it. You may want to look at this alternative - hope this helps, Rudi.

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Greg,"Fact of the matter is this sim will work just fine with current hardware (the 9800 Pro offers great bang for the buck right now). But only if the system is tuned and configured properly. How many times have we seen posts by folks who have the absolute best hardware, yet they continue to have problems with the sim?"....couldn't have put it better myself! Thanks for your support Greg.After the initial stages of the System Unification Service were completed (including the proper setting up of fs9.cfg), there I was sitting in the default Cessna 172 waiting to roll down the runway for takeoff. Michael then gave the go-ahead and off I went to begin the next stage - finding the FPS "sweet spot" - and, yes, surprise surprise my initial reaction was indeed one of mild disappointment!? Why? The frame rate counter was off but I could sense that the frame update was probably in the low to mid teens. On leaving the runway and after a few moments of banking left and right and looking around I started to recall what had actually changed in the sim, and then it suddenly dawned. There was no stuttering, the frame update was smooth and regular and flight realism seemed more than acceptable, yet......>>ALL my sliders were now FULL right (including FULL autogen) except for Terrain Detail (Land Only),>>The default.xml file had been reinstated,>>Sight distance was 80 miles (previously 60) with Fair Weather,>>UT traffic density was 100% (previously I could only really manage 20% max without significant impact on performance),>>FSGenesis 38.2m West Coast terrain mesh was still installed,>>FS9 Default Clouds had been reinstalled + cumulus dxt3 and cirrus dxt3 from Chris Willis' HiFPSv2.zip + 140 sky_*.bmp files from Nils Danielsson's fs9skytext.zip>>I was still running with my 'WATER RECOMMENDATIONS' combo...**Johan de Vries and Ed Truthan:oceansfx.zipoceanstx.zipofx20sa.zip (OceanFX 2 - FS2004)**Bill Lyons:fs9wat2a.zip ( file required - 'InstlWat2.zip' contained within the parent archive).**Daniel Buechter:new_waves3.zip (NOT the dxt version)>>My Direct3D settings, with no apparent slowdown, were now...Anti-aliasing 6x (previously 4x)Anisotropic Filtering 16x (previously 8x) - QualityThis experience was enough to convince me that something remarkable had happened. I was actually enjoying the sim with ALL the bells and whistles!Since then I have installed FScene's European, USA and Canada ground textures along with USA-Roads and FS2004 has been elevated to yet another new level of realism and beauty and with no impact on performance.It is clearly important to emphasize the fact that we should all remind ourselves to maintain a level of reasonable expectation. So often I read complaints about the performance of the sim only to discover that the complainer has modified and customized the sim far beyond the default setup. What we tend to overlook is the significant impact some 3rd party addons have on the sim's performance and fluidity. In time we learn the names of designers and programmers who have mastered the art of producing sim friendly addons and we will favour those products over some others. Often, however, there are no alternatives, and if we particularly want to include that particular scenery area or complex aircraft in our installation which, unfortunately, we have discovered causes some slowdown in performance then we should be prepared to accept that some compromises will be necessary when we visit that area or fly that particular aircraft. Having said that I can say, quite truthfully, that since the FS-GS experience I have not touched my slider settings and have actively resisted the temptation to do so. The fact of the matter is that there is no longer any necessity as more often than not the sim is now uncannily smooth in the vast majority of situations, far more than before.Here are a couple of nice images from the sim - no particular reason other than I like them a lot :) I've fallen in love all over again :-jumpyhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/82693.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/82694.jpgCheers!MikeP4 2.4GHz (400FSB), 1Gig PC2100 DDR Crucial, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (Omega 2.5.36b), SB Audigy (5.12.0001.0443), Hyundai ImageQuest Q17 17" TFT LCD 20ms Monitor (1280x1024x32), Gigabyte GA-8IRXP MoBo, Ultra-Quiet PSU 400W, WinXP Home (SP1), DirectX 9.0b, AGP Aperture = 128MB

[Guest Wills402]

I'm running NOD32 myself and second the recommendation.Willhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/ng_driver.jpg

[Chris Willis 8]

Hi Ed and All,For those want to know all there stuff name on their system,A free program, detecting all your cards,Operating System,System Model,Processor Main Circuit Board,Drives,Memory Modules c,d,Users,Local Drive Volumes,NetworkDrives,Printers,Controllers,Display,Bus Adapters,Multimedia,Communications,Other Devices,virus Protection,Installed Microsoft Hotfixes,DirectX and all detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, download:http://www.belarc.com/free_download.htmlhttp://www.belarc.com/Programs/advisor.exe

[JimmiG 244]

"For example, the installation of Windows XP on a small partition separate from the rest of your installed software is known to be both inefficient and unnecessary."Unnecessary perhaps, but inefficent? I like to have WinXP on a separate partition for several reasons: Defrag. I can defrag and Bootvis my system partition in no time. Having FS9, 20GB of addons, 40GB of music, movies and pictures, all my programs and games (60GB) as well as downloads that are written a little at a time to disk, on the same partition is a headache when defragging. It takes forever and is very inefficent. The way it is now, it's very quick and I don't need to defrag the other partitions very often since I don't modify those a lot.There are some disadvantages:-If you make it too small you're in trouble.-If you make it too big you're wasting a little harddrive space. But then again, I've got 280GB of storage and with the price of harddrives now, adding another couple of 100 GB's isn't exactly expensive.-You need to store documents and music in some other folder than the default My Documents (though you can change those paths using regedit)"Overriding Windows management of the Page file is another area fraught with potential problems and performance considerations"Again, this depends on your individual system and what you use it for. I have a 1GB fixed size swapfile because X-Plane has a tendancy to eat up lots of RAM when reading large sceneries. In addition I have it on the second drive so that X-Plane (on the first drive) can read data from and swap to another drive to prevent r/w head thrashing. For FS, there's no reason to not let Windows manage the swapfile.I think it comes down to personal preference as well as what you use the system for. Even very experienced computer users will have different opinions about how things should be done. There's no "correct" way really. You need to look at the advantages and disadvantages as well as what is best for your system/usage habbits.

[Guest daveg4otu]

After reading all the above - and the previous threads on the same subject, it seems to me that it's really a case of individual preference.I have not used the FSGS service - nor would I - not because there is anything wrong with it - in fact, for some peolpe it is most likely a blessing.However, I think , that the majority of people on these forums are inveterate " tweakers" and "fiddlers"(Why else would most of us be reading this now?) who have probably tried most known tweaks and will most likely try any others offered by almost anyone- if only to see just what happens.My point is that it is all very fine paying

[Guest ba747heavy]

>I understand that I could get attacked, flamed, whatever for>saying this, but this is MY honest opinion, and I would>appreciate that people accept that.I couldn't imagine anyone getting upset with your point of view, as it seems to be well thought out and factual, not emotion / flame based.

[Guest Paragon]

Is there no free version? All I see is the trial and commercial version. If I buy I have to renew the license after just 1 year!!! I don't understand this...every other company provides a free version.-Mikkel

[Guest Edam]

Just go with AVG and forget that NOD thing.http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

[Cruachan 705]

"I like to have WinXP on a separate partition for several reasons: Defrag. I can defrag and Bootvis my system partition in no time. Having FS9, 20GB of addons, 40GB of music, movies and pictures, all my programs and games (60GB) as well as downloads that are written a little at a time to disk, on the same partition is a headache when defragging. It takes forever and is very inefficent. The way it is now, it's very quick and I don't need to defrag the other partitions very often since I don't modify those a lot.".....exactly why I resisted any changes in this area and this was understood and acknowledged by Michael as perfectly valid reasons for preserving the status quo. In any case, the results I am seeing would seem to suggest that having it all on one partition is unlikely to produce any significant or noticeable further improvements in performance. Like yours, my PC is not dedicated solely for the running of FS. Mike