A final farewell. What do I mean might you ask? Well, I recently ordered a new PC to catch up with the times and move on to FSX like many people have or are likely going to do, moving on to far more complex planes than FS2004. But just today, while thinking about my new PC, it hit me, I've been using FS2004 for almost 10 years now, rarely even fiddling with FSX untill the order of my PC a few days ago. In those 10 years I've made many fond memories with FS2004, the first big one was the PMDG 747, which really made simulating fantastic. I love FS2004, with all my heart, and it holds a special place in my heart for being the sim that really brought to life flight simulation. I have well over 100 addons, both payware and freeware, for FS2004, everything from Aerosoft Anchorage to the Ifly 737. And I've loved them all. But I came to a decision. Almost nothing is being made for FS2004 anymore, and all the trully good addons are migrating to or being made for FSX only. It hurt some at first, but I knew it was inevitable. So a special message to everyone.

 

To Microsoft, the AVSIM Community, Aerosoft, and all the others out there that trully made FS2004 fun.

 

You've all done a fantastic job in FS2004, and I loved it for many years, from the friendly folks here in the forums to the developers in Microsoft, you've all made this the greatest Flight Sim experience ever. A big thanks, from the deepest pits to the highest skies of my heart, for all your wonderful hard work. It is sad that I must leave it behind me, but it's time I moved on. Once again, thanks. FS2004, you will never be forgotten by this FS enthusiast. It is with a heavy heart that a give a final farewell and a solemn salute to FS2004, and let it fly into the wild blue yonder as I go on to bigger and better things with FSX and whatever may be beyond that.

 

-Chris

I wouldn't say your goodbyes just yet. Many have tested the waters and returned

A final farewell. What do I mean might you ask? Well, I recently ordered a new PC to catch up with the times and move on to FSX like many people have or are likely going to do, moving on to far more complex planes than FS2004. But just today, while thinking about my new PC, it hit me, I've been using FS2004 for almost 10 years now, rarely even fiddling with FSX untill the order of my PC a few days ago. In those 10 years I've made many fond memories with FS2004

 

I know the feeling. I switched to FSX at the beginning of 2009, but I kept my FS9 installed until very recently. I have flown every version of Flight Simulator since version 2 (yeah, that was pretty ugly). FS4 was a quantum leap. FS2000 was also, but FS9 was the real watershed. It was the one that finally realized the promise of a desktop simulator. FSX is an evolution. I still think of it as the ultimate scenery enhancement for FS9. The thing that really sold me on FSX was the air modeling on small planes. It seems much more realistic to me than small planes were in FS9. FS9 was also the golden age of freeware. I have spent a lot more money dressing up FSX and buying planes than I ever did with FS9. Of course, those planes and scenery that I pay money for are unlike anything FS9 could do. I couldn't go back to FS9 now, but that's where my love affair began. That's where it quit being just another computer game and became a virtual world that I love.

It took me almost 2 years to migrate to FSX. I had (still have actually) nearly every add-on to ever come out for FS9. Aircraft, scenery, environmental, utility…you name it I had it.

I can tell you there are some aircraft that are truly more realistic in FS9. As a real world aviator I have flown a number of aircraft that fall flat in FSX and were stellar in FS9 when it comes to realism.

 

The one that really sticks out in my memory is Dino’s F-14. In FS9 the flight dynamics were as close to the real aircraft as anyone has ever been. His FSX version, although a significantly better visual model, has lost the “feel” of the Tomcat. Mind you…the flight dynamics of any aircraft can match the “book”, and not feel anything like the actual aircraft. There are a number of pilots here in the forums who can attest to that.

 

A 74,000lb aircraft carries a bit of inertia at 170kts. Engines take a few seconds to respond and even after they do, a few more to actually affect the aircraft’s path and speed. Low and slow behind the carrier you must be well ahead of the airplane or you are in a very bad way.

But with all that being said, I have enjoyed my time with FSX immensely.

 

Much better immersion, and with add-ons, you can really get sweaty palms on a non-precision approach to minimums at night.

 

Philip

Well worth retaining fs9 as a side by side sim with FSX, P3D. If only for the fact that it does not require online activation. Who knows what the future may hold.

Nah, He'll come back trust me.. :lol: :lol:

 

Good luck, when I have an expensive GPU and overclockable Motherboard, I'll take on FSX challenge

Nice post but trust me, it's best to keep it near by just in case. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of giving it a shot and see how well it performs with my current system. I am building a full size 737NG cockpit and I really want fluidity in all aspects of flight. I can get 30FPS rock solid, and stutter free with FSX but I'm always thinking... Can I get 60FPS rock solid, stutter free performance with FS2004? I know IQ wise it won't be the same but I wonder if the compromise is well worth it.

Nice post but trust me, it's best to keep it near by just in case. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of giving it a shot and see how well it performs with my current system. I am building a full size 737NG cockpit and I really want fluidity in all aspects of flight. I can get 30FPS rock solid, and stutter free with FSX but I'm always thinking... Can I get 60FPS rock solid, stutter free performance with FS2004? I know IQ wise it won't be the same but I wonder if the compromise is well worth it.

 

That's a fact. If you want butter-smooth performance, and aren't so concerned about visual detail on the ground, FS9 is the ticket, especially if you like big planes. I have all of my FS9 stuff. I haven't thrown away anything. I just bought a new i7-3770 and I am just now getting the performance I want from FSX. It is a total resource hog.

That's a fact. If you want butter-smooth performance, and aren't so concerned about visual detail on the ground, FS9 is the ticket, especially if you like big planes. I have all of my FS9 stuff. I haven't thrown away anything. I just bought a new i7-3770 and I am just now getting the performance I want from FSX. It is a total resource hog.

 

That is fair enough. It is hard and nearly impossible to look at the ground thus I cannot fully enjoy all the fancy details from high altitude. Preflight and setting up take 40 minutes at a gate, 10 minutes for taxi, watching PFD and ND, watch the pitch and speed, flaps/slat and finally cruising, ha?? I am at 20.000 already? now how can I peek those moving cars and landmarks? But when it comes to GA, well..

 

 

I have i5 2500k but my GPU is a very old one. Until then, I am more than happy with it to run fs9.

I still fly FS9 on a hi spec triple monitor system, even though I've had FSX for years. I have a lot of freeware FS9 sceneries of small airfields which won't run in FSX. In fact, I have a lot of everything which won't run in FSX! I couldn't imagine ever bidding farewell to FS9 - I even bought a new copy which is still in its wrapper, just in case.....

I've been daily enjoying the delights of FS 2004 (and earlier) since it was first released.

I also installed FSX when it was first released.

But its only in the past few days that I have been seriously trying out my copy of FSX, and with a few tweaks, it runs fairly smoothly on my lowly computer (Pentium P4 2.8 dual + nVidia 9500 GT 1 GB + 2.5 GB RAM).. with most of the sliders wound up.

Adding SP1 and SP 2 upgrades to my original FSX made a World of difference to the overall appearance and performance!

But for some reason, the quality and appearance never seems to match the colour, beauty, and accuracy....or the smoothness!, of my FS 2004 scenery.

 

The one thing I am finding REALLY annoying at the moment, are the XML Gauges in FSX. I can no longer add any of my zillions of lovely FS2002/FS2004 gauges, (many of them special), to my 2D FSX Panels with the aid of my FS Panel Studio! The two sets of gauges are incompatible!

 

So...in my case its Horses for Courses, and I keep and run BOTH Flight Sims, depending on my fancy at the time!

BOTH Sims deserve a place in my Computer!

 

Paul...FS 2004+FS Nav...and...FSX+FSTramp!.... :Big Grin: ...!

Hi.

 

Best of luck in your new sky.

 

Still, as a few other posters pointed out, there's no reason why you can't have both. I still return occasionally to Flight Unlimited.

 

You'd make Robert Pirsig proud...

 

D

A nice tribute Chris - and one that I suppose all of us will eventually echo. But for me, FS9 still provides the "magic" and having invested a ridiculous amount of money in addons, I'm probably going to stick with it for several more years. The main thing is to have fun - whether it's FSX, FS9 or any other sim. Good luck to you mate

Ian

I too keep FS9 nearby but after 6 months with FSX, FS9 is slowly showing its age. As previously mentioned by Fozzer, what I miss the most in FSX from FS9 are many of the panels which didn't require XML gauges to function. Two in particular that come to mind are panels by Simon Topmann for the Airbus A300-600 series and the magnificent panel of Fraser McKay for the L188A Electra. Both superbly done but not completely compatible with FSX.

 

IMHO, FS9 was a quantum leap in flight simming which really allowed MS to spread their wings and develop FSX. Not perfect by any stretch but I think you have to admit that they are both amazing pieces of software.

 

I think back to my days with Pro Pilot 99 and how revolutionary it was to see clouds that actually looked like clouds as compared to the offerings in FS98. I wish I still had my copy of PP 99 just to remind me of where this hobby has come from.

Of course, you're all forgetting one important point. Now that Chris has tried FSX, the Flight Sim Police are going to come round his house and break all his existing FS2004 add-ons, sceneries and planes and stop them from ever working again. So since there aren't many new add-ons for FS9, he has to switch to FSX!!!!

 

(Kidding. I kid because I love :lol:)

 

Actually I've got an upside-down perspective on FS9/FSX to you old timers. As a shiny new simmer a few months back I naturally went for the shiny-newest MS FS around (at least the newest that wasn't a Fisher Price toy, that is )

 

Then after investing in a few add-ons (GEX, UTX, TrafficX and a few airports) as well as buying some major PC upgrades so that it wasn't running like a slide-show, I saw FS2004 on sale at a silly-cheap price and thought "Why not give it a try?" It lacked a couple of features, and the default graphics weren't quite as pretty, but I'd say it was 85-90% as good as FSX, except it buzzed along happily locked at 60fps whereas FSX was getting 20-25fps.

 

Since then I've turned FS9 into a mini side-project. FSX is still my main sim, but I'm building up FS9 to be the best it can be, entirely using freeware add-ons. There are loads more high-quality freeware airports out there for FS9 than for FSX, and some of the best freeware aircraft too. Replacement texture packs, ENB and World Of AI all make it a serious contender, all for under a tenner. I can totally see why some of you old FS9 hands are still sticking with it - if I can get the results I'm getting with freeware, I can only imagine how good it must be for those of you who've ploughed a few hundred dollars of payware addons into your sims.

 

Respectfully

 

Dr V