I have FTX England and Wales and have often flown between the two regions with no problems, so not sure what issue you are having.  ORBX did release one or two (free) updates to address some issues concerning the way the two regions interfaced, and also to correct a few minor issues with missing landmarks, etc. 

 

Also not sure what is the problem you are having with getting support on their forum.  After I purchased FTX Shoreham (another great product) there were problems with the PAPI lights and with runway lights causing aircraft crashes.  I reported the problem with the runway light crashes, and got a nearly immediate response - it took a day or so for them to identify the problem, but they did and sent out a patch to fix it, and asked me to test it first to make sure it solved my problem.  Then they made it available to all customers of Shoreham.

 

I visit the forum pretty often, even if I am not having a problem, and am always impressed with ORBX's openness in acknowledging if there is a problem in their products and then setting out to fix it.

I have FTX England and Wales and have often flown between the two regions with no problems, so not sure what issue you are having.

No problems inside FTX regions. Smooth as silk and I keep looking out the side window, even though I should consentrate on flying

 

Here is my situation. I have one AirHauler within FTX EU region and many of them outside the region. This means that 95% of the time I'm flying in or out of the region, not within.

 

When FTX EU is applied, the terrain outside the region goes wild. Sunken ground between taxiways and runways, water coming through sunken ground/mountains. That sort of thing and only when FTX EU is applied. Even the terrain in FTX NA goes wild, when doing Atlantic crossing.

 

I've had all the NA FTX regions for a long time and never had similar problems. This is what lead me to believe there was something not quite right with FTX EU.

 

Also not sure what is the problem you are having with getting support on their forum.

I wish I knew the answer to that question :( Maybe I've touched on "a sore spot", but I really do not know.

 

I just have wait and see how Global turns out. When everything works, it's a work of art, but when it doesn't, well it's something that Picasso would be proud of

 

 

If you have UTX like many do (I do) Roads, coastlines, rivers, are already taken care of for US, Canada, and EU. The only region where I think you would still need the regional pack would be OZ. Also it isn't just textures, it also replaces autogen, which is what makes the big difference here.

 

Yes, I also use UTX in the areas I fly, but that combination is still not up to the hand customization of an Orbx region.  And yes, I understand there is autogen as well.  Mesh?  Landclass?  Airports.  POI's?  Custom photo with autogen?  And so on...

 

It appears many users think this replaces Orbx regions and gloss over much of what Orbx does with a region.  Orbx themselves do not agree.

 

In fact, my biggest concern is that the efforts here are potentially slowing further region and airport development.  I'd rather have more quality (such as the amazing job done in southern Alaska) than global textures that will still require other products to bring me even close.

 

And again, I'd point out - I'm not anti-FTX Global and I "get" some of the excitement.  I just don't get the level of it.  We'll soon see what we actually get when all's said and done.

 

Scott

Do you mind me asking what's the fastest aircraft you can fly before you get blurries?

 

F18 and I still don't get blurries B)

 

Maybe it's the affinetymask tweak that causes it? just thinking out loud...

Had some trouble in the past myself with wrong affinetymask settings. Could also be that you push the settings too high and that you computer can't handle it? What LOD do you use?

 

 

In fact, my biggest concern is that the efforts here are potentially slowing further region and airport development. I'd rather have more quality

 

They have hired a dedicated team to work with Global, so I don't think you should worry too much. The regions will still be made at the same pace as priviously ^_^

 

Im intrested in exploring the rest of the world also, so here Global comes in real handy. Doing the Whole world with regions would take a decade and I don't wanna wait that long so for me Global is a breath of fresh air.

I have so many excellent scenery from other devs that I would like to use, but as it is now I can't stand the default textures...

Nepal is one of my favorite areas to fly and with Orbx mountain textures and some god mesh i'ts gonna be perfect B)

 

At first I was just as sceptic as you and had some of the same concerns, but after awhile when the pieces starting to come together I get more and more exited..

 

 

At first I was just as sceptic as you and had some of the same concerns, but after awhile when the pieces starting to come together I get more and more exited..

 

I'm not really a sceptic.  As I said, I get the value this brings to the table.  Orbx regions would probably never cover the world in my lifetime - and that right there ought to speak volumes about the difference between FTX Global and regions  ^_^  - and I will probably buy it once a few things become clearer.   But I still anticipate this will be a 2nd tier scenery solution for me - just as GEX/UTX is now only, so will FTX-Global/UTX be for me going forward - with hopefully a nice improvement.

 

 

 

They have hired a dedicated team to work with Global, so I don't think you should worry too much. The regions will still be made at the same pace as priviously

 

Maybe.  But it seems pretty obvious that there has been some diverting of resources, and even some indirect comments to that effect.  NorCal has already been pushed back, and the Maritimes hasn't been mentioned in some time.  Even the rate of airport releases has slowed of late.  I'm hoping this adjusts as the initial release of Global gets out the door.

 

Scott

 

 

Orbx regions would probably never cover the world in my lifetime - and that right there ought to speak volumes about the difference between FTX Global and regions

 

Yes, but the thing is you can add mesh, lanclass coastlines etc to your harts desire that's where is see the benefit of this product.

 

E.g I have freeware mesh, landclass, coastlines and bridges for my home country Norway, and It actually does the job 100 times better than UTX and it's very accurate the only thing missing are some good textures and I almost dare to say that a full FTX region wouldn't be any more accurate except for the photoreal stuff that sometimes comes with the regions.

My hometown with freeware landclass, coastlines and mesh for Norway is about 95% accurate...only the textures look like crap, and from the screens i've seen of Norway with global textures they will fit in perfectly.. B)

 

So instead of having to wait until 2014 and maybe longer to get Norway look good I can do it the 15th of June! And now they have hired the very talented man Tore Stranden from Norway to make  airports for Norway that would fit into Global and also the FTX region when released,  so no wonder Im exited!! :rolleyes: Here's a link to some of he's freeware work that got Orbx to hire him http://www.bodoscenery.net/?ac_id=389&ac_parent=1

The downside about that hireing is that the Bodø Project probably will get delayed as he is now busy with Orbx

 

And Im sure there are landclass products other than UTX around for other parts of the world that are more accurate than UTX. So you can actually make your own "FTX" region with some research and dedication

Wow! Thats some awesome freeware!

Wow! Thats some awesome freeware!

 

Yeah, kinda makes you wonder what makes a man so dedicated and willing to give all he's hard work away for free... He has even started handcrafting he's own mesh because he ran into trouble with the default and addon mesh, also a reason behind the delay..

Indeed, a very talented and generous guy! No wonder ORBX snapped him up! Ker-ching ££££

I'm starting to think that Orbx should put me on the payroll for all the dedicated "support" and explanations about FTX Global I have given in this thread :lol:

Man, I starting to sound like an ambassadour for Orbx, it must be the terrible desease that seem to affect simmers these days called "fanboism" :blink: :( :lol:

I'm starting to think that Orbx should put me on the payroll for all the dedicated "support" and explanations about FTX Global I have given in this thread :lol:

You mean you aren't? :blink:

 

 

You mean you aren't?

 

:LMAO: No, I'm just a crazy "really exited user"   :wacko:

It's just textures.  That's one element of what gets touched when a region is created.  All kinds of other things happen, including upgraded mesh, hand optimized landclass, correction of roads, rivers, shorelines, custom seasonal adjustments, upgrading of every single airport to reflect actual layouts, integration of a great deal of photoscenery...

 

OpenLC may help with some of this, but even from the OpenLC demo they've shown, it doesn't correct things like shorelines.

 

Orbx themselves have said repeatedly that this is NOT a replacement for regions.

 

I also see people using the phrase "game changer"?  Why?  In what way does this change the game?  It's not that these don't look nice - I think they do, but at its heart it's still just upgraded textures.  Lipstick if you will.  Pretty lipstick, but nevertheless...

 

Edit: I'm not trying to diss the product - just don't see quite the revolutionary aspect that some seem to.

 

Scott

 

Yeah, they are just textures and autogen but that's a big "just" in FSX's case.

Ground textures and crappy autogen/trees have been the biggest bain to FSX's ability to be visually appealing since it's inception IMO.

 

Much more so then sky/cloud textures, which have been revamped by a dozen different companies over the years. A product like FTX Global is long overdue.

 

I have GEX NA and I find it doesn't even come close to approaching the transformation FTX Global is showing in it's previews. Plus, you are getting lighting all over the world as well with it, something that is sorely lacking when you fly out of a UTX region. Orbx' lights have always looked better anyway.

 

So is it technologically revolutionary or a game changer? Not really. Like you said, it's just textures and autogen. But is it revolutionary and a game changer for FSX's visual palette? Absolutely.

 

Is the price too high? I've asked myself the same question. Maybe, but in the context of what others are charging for stuff, not really I guess.

I have this strange feeling that someday in the future(years) this FTX Global thing might evolve into something bigger,  more than Orbx currently have planned for and ever imagined it to be....

 

Imagine this, they start adding piece by piece a little LC here and a little LC there and just continues to add maybe shorelines, then mesh....PreparV2 gets out...more mesh...some cityscapes, some airports....more airports.......

Global starts to shape up and getting more advanced, they start too realize that soon all those landclass and mesh and stuff they put in starts to get as detailed as the regions....Then they start adding the regions into Global, gets rid of the autogen issues..Suddenly the whole freaking world is Orbxed in high detail B) Wouldn't that be something :rolleyes:

 

 Probably my imagination getting out of hand here, but it could happen?

I have this strange feeling that someday in the future(years) this FTX Global thing might evolve into something bigger,  more than Orbx currently have planned for and ever imagined it to be....

 

Imagine this, they start adding piece by piece a little LC here and a little LC there and just continues to add maybe shorelines, then mesh....PreparV2 gets out...more mesh...some cityscapes, some airports....more airports.......

Global starts to shape up and getting more advanced, they start too realize that soon all those landclass and mesh and stuff they put in starts to get as detailed as the regions....Then they start adding the regions into Global, gets rid of the autogen issues..Suddenly the whole freaking world is Orbxed in high detail B) Wouldn't that be something :rolleyes:

 

 Probably my imagination getting out of hand here, but it could happen?

At what point do they make all their region add-on airports compatible with FTX Global?

 

FTX Global is targeting the high flyer. They already have a few airports in development for FTX Global. I feel that FTX Global is also for the new user who will not invest in the regions and airports. It's very expensive when you start to add it all up.