Looks like FsGenesis will be releasing next week a package that will include accurate roads, rails, streams and utility lines. The also have a version for those who already have F-1 USAroads. It would be interesting to have more VFR clues while flying. I think I will be getting this one. The price is right. http://www.fsgenesis.com/Merchant2/merchan...ategory_Code=AD

I pre-ordered it last night, the version without roads, since I already have USA Roads.The price is right, and Markus' reputation for hard work and great support make it a no-brainer.It should add a lot to the VFR experience. I'm looking forward to to the lakes and rivers add-on as well.Jim

Does anyone know if this package will include coastlines and lakes. If not, there is an opportunity on a later addon. I purchased VFR Terrain (for England) and the added realism of the coastlines and lakes was probally the strong point of the product.

>I pre-ordered it last night, the version without roads, since>I already have USA Roads.I don't have any financial connection with FS Genesis (except as a customer). I bought USA Roads about a week after it came out and it's a great product.Consider this, though: USA Roads does not include Alaska. Markus's road package does. Since the full roads version of Markus's add-on is only $5 more, it might be worth having both and turning off the Markus roads for the lower 48. ...Unless you prefer his implementation of roads, which some people are going to. Even though USA Roads is more precise (because it uses more expensive data), it doesn't implement some of the new road features (e.g., road signs, road flattens). There were good reasons for this decision. But Markus's roads are going to be more flexible in this regard; see "American Data" forum on FS Genesis for details. As always, it will be a trade-off: accuracy versus eye-candy, eye-candy versus framerates. The price, though, is hard to argue with.

>Does anyone know if this package will include coastlines and>lakes. If not, there is an opportunity on a later addon. I>purchased VFR Terrain (for England) and the added realism of>the coastlines and lakes was probally the strong point of the>product.Coastlines and lakes end of the year maybe.

Jim, could you please reduce the size of your signature banner to fit our rules? Thanks!

If i ve to change Usa roads - for usa roads - or default rivers - streams - coastlines - for default rivers - streams or coastlines shapes - i will than start to look for somenthing a bit more realistic - as lwm vtp - although ok - is still ways far from refleccting the real thing - and lwm vtp based packages of vast dimension tend to have lots and lots of lines misplacements - - due to the nature of lwm vtp editing requirements to covers such vast territory as the usa - or any other vast areas.rayhave a look at scenery reflecting the real thing - how does it look like!http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/94568.gif

Thanks for the tip John. I just ordered it. Do you (anyone?) know if it's possible to turn off the default FS9 roads wihout messing up something else?Doug

> Thanks for the tip John. I just ordered it. Do you>(anyone?) know if it's possible to turn off the default FS9>roads wihout messing up something else?>>DougBoth packages allow you to replace default roads, but will not replace default city/suberb landclass ground textures that have roads drawn on them.Is that what you are asking?

I've been beta-testing this product because (and that's my only reward!) of the road and stream flattening feature. MUCH more realistic than USA Roads. I've uninstalled my USA Roads. Check out for more on flattening:http://portal.fsgenesis.net/index.php?name...iewtopic&t=1392I turn on flattening for ALL roads (major and minor)and streams without a big performance hit. I also like:- configurable on/off for roads over water- Alaska included (can selectively choose Alaska, if you want to keep your USA roads)- inexpensive- the fact that FSGenesis is distributing the productJon

>MUCH more realistic than USA Roads. What kind of CRAP statement is this?Sorry for the strong word but I just abhore this level of misinformation and propaganda.What can be more realistic then ALL roads with their pinpoint precision location? Ok, excluding Alaska. Even a tiny VERONA PATH (about 100 ft long) next to my house is included in USA Roads. Is it included in your package?Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2, Omega 2.7.90 (4xAA 16xAF)

My problem with both USA Roads (which I do not have, but have seen many screenshots thereof) and what I see from the demo I have tried of Justin's latest work, is the way that the new roads overlay city texture roads. In other words, the new roads don't look bad in rural areas which are mostly greenery but over city texture tiles look pretty daft, giving the overall appearance of a spider's web. Plus, they seem to drive happily through autogen, don't match up with default bridges, etc. etc. Yes, I know I can disable minor roads, and the coastline stuff will fix some of these issues, but I'm still not convinced. In the demo I tried today, I have roads going out into the sea in Honolulu, convoluted junctions and so on.Can people convince me otherwise? There seems to be nothing but praise for these add-ons but I see so many conflicts that I am a little surprised.Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

Michael,Specifically I am referring to the flattening as MUCH more realistic. That's my judgement.It is not my product, and I don't have a comment on specific road details.Jon

Mark, I think you are right on. I prefer these add-ons because of the increased realism in rural areas, and that's where I do almost all my flying. In cities, for me, it's far from realistic.With respect to the demo you downloaded of Hawaii, you'd need to have the FSGenesis Hawaii add-on product which fixes shorelines, then your roads should not be in the water.Overall, I think MSFS has a long way to go before it's realistic in urban areas. The cartoon buildings, necessary low density of buildings etc., are just too far from reality to be fun. I'll stick to flying for the fun of it, and get my eye-candy off the beaten path.Jon

>Can people convince me otherwise? There seems to be nothing>but praise for these add-ons but I see so many conflicts that>I am a little surprised.Conflicts arise due to very poor realism of the rest of the scenery. Lakes, rivers, bridges, coastlines are in the wrong places. But don't say it is the fault of USA Roads that other parts of scenery are so messed up.If you want to see how accurate USA Roads are - look at the junction/boundary between any photo-real scenery (like any Meagascenery) and USA Roads - the match is perfect. There not even 20 feet of visible discrepancy.I personally don't like the way USA Roads "stand out" sort of like in a road map. But there is a free download that corrects this problem and provides overall better colors and better blending with the environment.Yes, I am waiting for a product that will have the same precision in placement of rivers, lakes and shorelines as USA Roads has in roads. Let me know when this BIG day comes ...And correction ..USA Roads don't drive happily through autogen. But they may conflict with HAND-PLACED buidlings (like in downtown San Francisco) where building were simply put in the wrong places to begin with.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2, Omega 2.7.90 (4xAA 16xAF)