Now that is Antipodean.... 8P :england-flag:

Despite all the criticism Orbx England is still the best depiction of the country available. Better than default, better than UTX+GEX, and better than the Horizon VFR photo scenery.

 

I'll give you the first two....

For the record, it's "Nudge nudge, wink wink" -_-

 

 

:biggrin:

 

:LMAO:

For the record, it's "Nudge nudge, wink wink" -_-

 

 

:biggrin:

 

Ron, you look absolutely ridiculous as a baby with a soother in your mouth, but I love it.

 

I nominate you AVSIM Comedian of the Year!

+1 :LMAO:

I think the people complaining don't fully understand what the Orbx approach is. They are not making VFR photo scenery that will show every landmark and building. What they do is make a set of landclass textures that are much more representative of the real area than the default fsx ones. Of course when you know the area well you are going to see through this technique and realize that it doesn't come close to showing the location in full accuracy. But it is still he best landclass available for any area they do and if you understand the technique you can come to see it for what it is, and not expect it to be 100% accurate, full of landmarks VFR scenery.

I think the people complaining don't fully understand what the Orbx approach is. They are not making VFR photo scenery that will show every landmark and building. What they do is make a set of landclass textures that are much more representative of the real area than the default fsx ones. Of course when you know the area well you are going to see through this technique and realize that it doesn't come close to showing the location in full accuracy. But it is still he best landclass available for any area they do and if you understand the technique you can come to see it for what it is, and not expect it to be 100% accurate, full of landmarks VFR scenery.

Outstanding!!!!!! Give me strength....

 

Have you read ANY of the threads on the UK? Sorry to be so rude but this has been covered in EVERY thread about this scenery right from the start ....and in some detail! ....oh and in most cases you're wrong.

 

We'll see what could have been achieved when SP1 is released ....or not? Other areas are now on their 2nd or 3rd patch.

I see this thread is rapidly becoming another ORBX England brasher, whereas it started out commenting on the PC Pilot article. I've been very close to cancelling my subscription lately as their reviews have become nothing short of printed commercials recently as pointed out by Geoff in his original post. But the ORBX England review gave me a glimmer of hope as it pointed out the shortcomings of this package. I've no intention of buying it as there aren't enough days in the week to start flying in another area - my "home" area - but the article confirmed my own thoughts from screenings posted on various forums (fora?) ... If just doesn't look particularly much like England!

 

Anyway, the review seemed prepared to be much more critical than I expected, and despite the tiny (read useless) photos and the crazy 90% score, confirmed that I could definitely live without this package cluttering up my hard disk.

 

So well done PC Pilot, my subscription cancellation is cancelled ... on condition that you continue this swing towards more critical (read useful) reviews.

Easy just stick with stock fsx scenery for uk than or find another scenery package than

I think the people complaining don't fully understand what the Orbx approach is. They are not making VFR photo scenery that will show every landmark and building. What they do is make a set of landclass textures that are much more representative of the real area than the default fsx ones. Of course when you know the area well you are going to see through this technique and realize that it doesn't come close to showing the location in full accuracy. But it is still he best landclass available for any area they do and if you understand the technique you can come to see it for what it is, and not expect it to be 100% accurate, full of landmarks VFR scenery.

 

'Tis true, but it's valid criticism. People have been thinking they were flying over 'real' Australia etc, whilst flying over what is of course repeating landclass tiles (trust me, the Oz version of Orbx looks only like the most generic version of where I live).

 

Orbx regions are eye candy. If you want and enjoy that, it's great landclass. If you want real, it's not your solution - that's photoreal.

 

Good for everyone to reflect on what they want and what they have. Personally, i'm going thru a bit of a 'post landclass' phase - it's so yesterday...

 

I gave up on landclass textures long ago. They may be better than default (let's face it, what isn't?), but I am afraid that my brain can all too easily see the unconvincing joints between urban and rural textures.....in the same way that it can also detect that the random scattering of default autogen trees and buildings is totally unconvincing, and therefore rubbish. Photoreal scenery may have its flaws (the resolution may not be good enough, some of the colours may be a bit oversaturated, lack of autogen etc), but overall it kicks landclass textures from here until next Tuesday.

I gave up on landclass textures long ago. They may be better than default (let's face it, what isn't?), but I am afraid that my brain can all too easily see the unconvincing joints between urban and rural textures.....in the same way that it can also detect that the random scattering of default autogen trees and buildings is totally unconvincing, and therefore rubbish. Photoreal scenery may have its flaws (the resolution may not be good enough, some of the colours may be a bit oversaturated, lack of autogen etc), but overall it kicks landclass textures from here until next Tuesday.

 

Chris, to be honest I'm suprised more simmers don't see this - in a community so dedicated to realism.

 

Once you actually look down at what the Orbx roads are doing - or fly with an iPad attached to a mapping program and try and identify interesting lamdmarks - you immediate realise just how 'fake' landclass has always got to be. I, too, liked it initially - I have hundreds of dollars of Orbx stuff - but I don't really enjoy flying it much any more.

 

I wonder if post Orbx UK, more simmers will actually look critically at what's out the window and decide they want reality (once your brain notices the flaws - it then hard to ignore them.)

 

With photoscenery now, resolution is no longer a problem (previously source imagery and computer tech did make this a problem). Color difference from photography in different weather conditions remains the main challenge to 100% immersion (for me) still.

Chris, to be honest I'm suprised more simmers don't see this - in a community so dedicated to realism.

 

I'm not sure most simmers are that dedicated to realism.

 

I have tried a few photosceneries and they didn't cut it. Yes they were more accurate, but still killed immersion as instead of flying over generic landclass I now felt like I was flying over photographs, but I fly low and slow.

 

ORBX seem to have found a good tangent between artistic/realistic/accurate, and Ultimate Alaska X is promising in places with its combination of generic landclass and more accurate autogen in populated areas.

Chris, to be honest I'm suprised more simmers don't see this - in a community so dedicated to realism.

 

Once you actually look down at what the Orbx roads are doing - or fly with an iPad attached to a mapping program and try and identify interesting lamdmarks - you immediate realise just how 'fake' landclass has always got to be. I, too, liked it initially - I have hundreds of dollars of Orbx stuff - but I don't really enjoy flying it much any more.

 

I wonder if post Orbx UK, more simmers will actually look critically at what's out the window and decide they want reality (once your brain notices the flaws - it then hard to ignore them.)

 

With photoscenery now, resolution is no longer a problem (previously source imagery and computer tech did make this a problem). Color difference from photography in different weather conditions remains the main challenge to 100% immersion (for me) still.

Hi Rob, Christopher,

Of course landclass is always going to be an illusion of reality and accurate roads and railways really do show it's weakness. However photoscenery is also really unconvincing at UK VFR altitudes. The colour and seasons are a definite "to do" for photoscenery and some autogen would greatly enhance it. Look at Earth Simulations Alderney. In fact if you fly in the UK or Europe it's worth getting. It's a pretty good example of photreal with autogen ...BUT even that lacks a major landmark, a fort you'll see a flat photo of overlooking the harbour.

 

I think the way to improve landclass is by placing custom 3D landmarks. FTX made much of the masts and transmitters they placed by hand. Only trouble is that if you're fying low enough to see a mast or transmitter in the UK you're probably illegal, in a police chopper or about to crash? From 2000' in the RW they are almost invisible! Even with a chart and knowing exactly where you are they take a bit of spotting! However the UK is littered with Castles, Stately Homes, Power Stations and other RW landmarks. I don't expect FTX to be Google Earth but they could add some custom built models of specific landmarks?

 

I've no illusions about Oz either. having flown over the bush it's actually quite a complex landcover and when I tried to replicate this experience in FTX Oz it was an eye-opener?

 

Why it works better in "New World" countries is because you have a lot of grid road systems, large plots for any kind of building and in some states in the US even rural areas have basically a grid road system. The "Old World" nations are the result of centuries of often chaotic development. Shapes and boundaries set by a lifestyle that long since dissappeared but adhered to by succesive development. Basically the Autogen needs some customisation if Europe is going to look right and little if any of what you have in Oz NZ or the US is usable. We're a crowded tiny island with a large population. Land is premium so buildings are very different from yours. Sure the cities aren't that different but the suburbs and rural areas are completely different. The technicalities are obviously key but without establishing exactly what you're trying to create in the first place they're just part of the issue?

 

At 5000' almost any type of scenery looks reasonable and far better than default. Lets see what they come up with in SP1? Feeling lucky?

 

Geoff

Chris, to be honest I'm suprised more simmers don't see this -...

Frankly I'm surprised anyone puts up with photo scenery with its lack of autogen, no seasonal variation, fixed shadows around structures ... A bit too much of a "flat earth" for me to believe it.

 

I much prefer the compromise that a well-executed landclass gives. And I guess with the success of Orbx I'm not alone. Each to their own though.