Megascenery Earth v2 cost

[Manny 1,293]

I don't understand the impetus to go from right to left in releasing the states? I would think it would be smarter to release products by what would be more appealing to simmers

[JSkorna 137]

Less cost for the simmer? California is going to cost more than MA or RI.

 

Less time needed to get to market?

[tttocs 301]

Fixing runways users will do that anyways,

 

Which users? :-) I realize that for many, playing with scenery and such-like is part of the hobby, but many of us don't enjoy that aspect.

 

We get these great pictures showing photo at its best and people may not be aware there's a downside. If you're like me and enjoy airport operations and feel that's a big part of flying - if you generally start cold and dark on the ramp, and always taxi to parking at the end and run shutdown checklists and so forth, and if you like your airport area operations to feel like the real thing, well... I won't say that photo might not be for you, but you will at least need to consider what you'll need to do to help pure photo meet your needs.

 

I'm not anti-photo - I have areas from MegasceneryX, Megascenery Earth V1 and some Blue Sky, enjoy all of them and have my eye on several Earth V2 products, but in each area I currently own, I've added pieces to deal with some of the downside and there are some airports I just don't go to. When I read comments implying that photo is the greatest thing ever, I can't help but point out the other side of things.

 

PCAviator, I know you've related the airport information before, but I do appreciate you taking the time to do so again. Your comments on Blue Sky are correct, of course, and I'd also add that they generally do less populated areas with fewer airports. Still, I can't help but react as a consumer and say that I prefer that approach (and the approach that the MegasceneryX line took). In asking the question again, what I was looking for was some feedback from users.

 

OK, I'll leave the poor battered horse be now.

 

Scott

[meshman 109]

I don't understand the impetus to go from right to left in releasing the states? I would think it would be smarter to release products by what would be more appealing to simmers

 

Population density is greater on the east coast and diminishes as you head west. There are significantly more airports in the eastern third of the country than the western third. People want to fly over their house and out of their airport, so it would seem the market for customers is greater on the other side of the country (for me)?

[Jim Young 2,356]

Aligning airports takes a bit of time, and a LOT of time if you have to do each and every one. From a commercial point of view, it is something that is difficult to justify on a time vs cost (consumer) platform. Like any scenery, there are always compromises that need to be made... This just happens to be one for MSE 2.0.

 

The commercial developers who sell aircraft like the PMDG737NGX and the iFly737NGX provide us with the basic model and a paintkit for repaints. Like repaints, etc., it would be nice if individual users could make the necessary alignments to airports and share them in the AVSIM Library. Same goes with water-masking or any other known anomalies. I would need a little tutorial on how to do this but know there are some members who are real experts. Just a suggestion....

 

Best regards,

Jim

[gizmosellsbunnys 106]

I don't understand the impetus to go from right to left in releasing the states? I would think it would be smarter to release products by what would be more appealing to simmers

 

Why have 10 variations of photo-scenery for the Bahamas and Hawaii or French Rivera. That market is saturated.

 

OK, I'll leave the poor battered horse be now.

Yeah, agreed.

 

 

Which users? :-) I realize that for many, playing with scenery and such-like is part of the hobby, but many of us don't enjoy that aspect.

 

Could play with scenery all day long and build it, but I know water masking is not much hard its just time consuming work.

Perfer low and slow and hand flying landing I do start at the gate and move around the airport with the small ga planes. The big commercial jets have not played with one since 2010.

 

Scott

[tttocs 301]

it would be nice if individual users could make the necessary alignments to airports and share them in the AVSIM Library.

 

I agree, Jim. If memory serves, there was a gentleman who did a boatload of V1 corrections and enhancements for an eastern state or two and shared them. It's unfortunately not my skill set - I don't think anyone would want any "corrections" I made! ;-)

 

Scott

[Guest]

If you're like me and enjoy airport operations and feel that's a big part of flying - if you generally start cold and dark on the ramp, and always taxi to parking at the end and run shutdown checklists and so forth, and if you like your airport area operations to feel like the real thing, well... I won't say that photo might not be for you

 

I am like you and I do start cold and dark at a gate or parking spot. MSE + Airports + GSX + Traffic 360 + REX WILL make your airport a busy place. GSX has really brought airports to life ... amazing product, it still has a few bugs such as not finding available gate parking when I landed at KLAX yet FSX told me to go to gate 81 which was open and available ... but GSX wanted me to wait for some other gate to open up (27min wait) ... so a few bugs in GSX but I think those can be shorted via their SDK.

 

But either way, the combination above was great experience. It was such an immersive experience that I wanted to record it (one of these days I will, but an uncompressed 45-50 min flight @ 2560 x 1600 it would be a 180-200 GB video file and not suitable for distribution on YouTube or Vimeo or the web at all) ... from looking down thru REX clouds to seeing I-5 Hwy (I have traveled many times) going up over the grapevine passing over Gorman and into the Los Angeles valley.

 

My basic approach to a nice lazy weekend of flight sim is:

 

1. Good cup of coffee (very important and buy far the cheapest add-on)

2. Buy the photo scenery (usually MSE for US)

3. Plan a route (FS Commander & SimPlates)

4. Buy my route airports if available (sometimes they "define" my route)

5. Get the weather for the route via REX

6. Load up an aircraft that can cover the route in 1-2 hours (I actually do more default FSX aircraft because they are compatible with my GoFlight controls) but I'll do the PMDG NGX if I have more time available (there is a utility to map my GoFlight controls for NGX)

 

Anything photo I don't have, GEX takes over. But keep in mind MSE V1.0 comes with AutoGen, the V2.0 does not ... so the V2.0 are VERY fps friendly.

 

Another developer is working on a product that will allow GoFlight controls to work with ANY 3rd party aircraft without the need for FSUIPC ... this is still in Beta but once it's done it'll open the doors to more aircraft for me. I'm just too used to working with cockpit controls and when things get busy (no crews but me alone) I find the GoFlight panels help me get things done quickly!

 

As far as scenery visuals, IMHO the West Coast (Washington, Oregon, California) has the East and Middle beat by a country mile ... but I'm a little Bias obviously since I live on the west coast.

 

I haven't dedicated a full blown home cockpit to a spare bedroom yet ... maybe in the future I'll build one ... but however you like to flight sim, photo realistic adds yet another great dimension to FSX, P3D, XP10.

 

Rob

[meshman 109]

Same goes with water-masking or any other known anomalies. I would need a little tutorial on how to do this but know there are some members who are real experts. Just a suggestion....

 

There is no manner to affect an existing BGL file. Only with the source material can you implement blend or water masking.

[1mikel151 71]

I agree, Jim. If memory serves, there was a gentleman who did a boatload of V1 corrections and enhancements for an eastern state or two and shared them. It's unfortunately not my skill set - I don't think anyone would want any "corrections" I made! ;-)

 

Scott

 

Look for Drew Sikora in the library. It's not hard to alter airport layouts to match and to even add objects and autogen around airports. I make LOTS of photoreal areas for my own use since I am a HUGE fan of photoreal, but the quality I see with MSEv2 is hit or miss at best and since I am a low and slow/heli flyer the resolution has to be high so that is looks good at lower altitudes, which unfortunately increases the file size quite a bit.

 

I can truly appreciate Helen P's enthusiasm for MSEv2 seeing as she is new to photoscenery. It is definitely a step up from V1, but not quite there for my tastes since I make my own and have higher expectations and different flying habits.

[cmpbellsjc 2,963]

Our goal is to try and get all of the USA covered in the new MSE 2.0 project so everyone in the USA has at least the opportunity to try photoreal scenery in their own back yards.

 

Two question for you specifically.

 

1) It was said that at some point night textures will be available as a free download. Is there a set time frame for this and/or will that work be completed after the the whole US is done. The reason I ask is that I fly about half the time day and half night so the night textures are important to me. That was one of the things I liked most about MSE v1.0 was the excellent work you guys did on the night textures and made it a joy to fly over in the evening. Granted, I could always disable MSE v2 for night flying, but I would prefer not to have day only and disable for night time.

 

2) Once the US is done, will PC Aviator consider selling City packs or breaking it down into a smaller tile sections? Reason being is that while the whole state is a good deal, in the past with MSE v1 and the older MegaScenery titles, I was quite happy to just buy 4 or so of the tiles from MSE that covered the greater area of my departure or arrival airport. While I wouldn't mind having the whole state, I do like the option to just have the surrounding city tiles to not only save HD space, but also since I fly mostly airliners, photoreal covering the entire state isn't that important to me at 30K+ feet. Take Georga for example, I would be interested in buying something that covered the greater Atlanta area with night textures, but have no need for the entire state or its capacity on my HD.

 

Look forward to your answers.

[starcd53 0]

I hate to sound negative this first time, but that is what brought me here to make this post. I have purchase 90% of all the original MegaSceneryEarth products over the years and have flown most of it. I have waited for more of it like most of you and now 2.0 has arrived. Boy was I excited. I immediately purchased 13, 2.0 States, NEW YORK, VERMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE,, NEW JERSEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHSSETTS, OHIO, INDIANA and ILLINOIS.

I have flown all of them at 15,000 feet and discovered that 90% of them have 0% water masking which results in Dead Brown Rivers, Lakes, Creeks and Ponds. The very large Lakes, the developer went back and water masked those off. Every 2.0 State has a horrible Green Neon Tint color overlay that makes you feel like you are flying in an Alien World. Even the main interstate Highways have this slight Neon Green tint. This is not real life colors like the previous MegaSceneryEarth product. Not even close. This is the reason the 2.0 States are being released so rapidly. There is very little work being done on each 2.0 State prior to release. I for one will not purchase any additional 2.0 State products until what I have purchased is re-worked to include water masking. At this point These 2.0 States are not worth the cost they are asking for without water masking and with that horrible Green Neon Tint Overlay on everything in the State. They are just not worth the price they are asking. I have removed all 2.0 States from my 512 SSD Drive and re-installed my Original MegaSceneryEarth Products. That took a solid weeks work. At least I am back flying in the real world now. Look for some pictures detailing my results in the next week or so on this forum. It will demonstrate my results. I wish I had more positive news. But this is real life. Hey, if you buy all 48 2.0 States, it’s going to cost you close to $ 2,000.00. It’s better to get the product right the first time you buy it. Hey if you fly at 35 to 40,000 feet you don’t notice it that much, but if you fly at 15 to 20,000 feet you notice it a lot!

Edited February 10, 2013 by firehawk44
Removed e-mail address of poster. Personal e-mail addresses should never be placed in public forums.

[yankeegolf3 52]

it is funny because there are scores of places that I prefer without water masking!!!

[raymar 969]

Kinda depends on whether you like scenery in general, specific sceneries, airports, lots of airports, mountains, rivers, etc.

 

I like Ohio, Wisconsin, Tennessee and North Carolina. I have been making some high altitude flights starting just across the river from Memphis and flying NE to Louisville Kentucky then East to Lexington then down across the mountains to North Carolina and then East to Wilmington. I have made similar trips several times and it is gorgeous country.

 

I have also flown all over Wisconsin and down to Chicago a few times, it is also quite nice. Ohio has a little of everything, but I especially like the Cleveland area with the Aerosoft Cities Add on.

 

Ray

If I was to buy any of the V2 titles which is the most interesting. I have most of the older stuff and was wondering how they compare. Josh

[raymar 969]

. . . . Take Georga for example, I would be interested in buying something that covered the greater Atlanta area with night textures, but have no need for the entire state or its capacity on my HD.

 

The default FSX night lighting is still present and works just fine. The only anomalies are when the new photoscenery has built-up areas that were not in the default scenery or where they were in error in placement in FSX.

 

This is just NW of downtown looking at KATL and downtown from 4,000 feet in a stealthy black plane. Using MSE v2.0 GA.

 

Ray