Most of the sessions that used to be on gamespy are now listed on fsopen.

 

http://www.fsopen.co.uk/info/sessions/

 

I'm pleased to say that numbers have been consistent since Gamespy stopped supporting fsx, 

Sounds interesting guys. However I have already installed SquawkBox, and I see that FSinn is being primarily mentioned here. Is that better? If so I'll uninstall what I have now and setup FSinn instead, and I'd love to fly with you guys on here if possible. I just made a VATSIM account and this will be my first time flying online. I do have a logitech USB headset. Would be fun to fly with a couple of friends, and do a little sight seeing at the same time.

 

I'm sure I can use a few pointers about flying too. I'm in the US central time, so if you guys want to fly I'm usually on at night.

squawkbox is fine, - its basic but it does the job.

 

I know nothing about the us procedures for vfr. its 9pm here in the uk, how far behind are you?

 

As I say - we can do VFR with local atc, where you can just listen in - and do simple circuits, or we can go somewhere that has no atc, uk atc is very accomadating for new pilots (I am very sure the us is also, I just have never used us airspace, which is probably why its better you learning in my area were I know the procedures than you learning where I don't) does that make sense?

 

I can go online now if you wish, I have about an hour.

Hey Aaron,

 

If you want to fly with a few friends online, you still can. No need for gamespy accounts. Fsx allows you to connect directly, bypassing the old gamespy system. Enter a username on the far right, where it says 'Local Area Network' make sure you select the button first. Your account name can be anything, since your not logging on via gamespy.Where the old lobby is, all you'll find is a blank page. Click on 'connect directly' at the bottom. From there, All you need to do is enter the IP address of the host and your set. In Thoery you should connect and you can fly with your friends. No need for vatsim or IVAO. The only issue you may run into is port forwarding, but there are various guides out there to help.

 

My friends an I do this every other weekend with no problems. FShost is another way to go as it replicates gamespy rather well.

 

Best wishes,

Jess B

The GameSpy-powered multiplayer environment for Flight Simulator X (FSX) was discontinued without warning on December 6, 2012.

 

The move stranded the thousands of users who used to rely on GameSpy as a central hub to connect with other FSX users. Those users, many of whom relied on FSX as a training aid for real-world flying, now find themselves without a home. Glu Mobile, the company which now owns the GameSpy brand, has confirmed that GameSpy support for the FSX title has been discontinued and that the move was triggered by Microsoft.

 

FSX Beyond GameSpy is designed to provide those displaced by the discontinuity of GameSpy with more information about the options that are available. Far from the end, the shuttering of GameSpy represents an incredible opportunity for GameSpy users to explore the options that are available to them. Listed on this website are multiplayer communities of all sorts, from FSX-based Direct Connect communities to payware ATC servers.

 

While GameSpy is no longer available as a means of connecting to other users, there remain a large number of alternatives for FSX users.

 

http://www.fsxbeyondgamespy.com/sessions.php

 

Thanks Jessica, but let's say I want to be the host, and have friends connect to me. How would I do that, and up to how many people can I have in a flying session?

Hey Aaron,

 

Hosting is just as easy. Once you've selected 'Local Area Commection' just click 'host session' instead of 'connect directly'. Once you've done that you should see a screen that will ask you to give a the session a name, set a password if you want to and write a brief discription. Most importantly though, you'll need to select 'on your local network (LAN)' in the bottom area of the screen. With that done, you'll be sent through to another setup screen where you can set various things like the ability to pause the sim and such. You can also choose the number of players you'll allow. I'm not entirely certain on the maximum number of players you can set, but i think the top limit is 99.

 

From there, its all fairly easy. You'll need to know your IP address though to pass on to your friends so they can connect. This is easy. Just head to google and type 'my ip address' and google will helpfully display it on screen.

 

Check out this very rough guide I wrote just after gamespy went. I need to do a few tests and update the guide, but the settings used work for my friends and I every other weekend.

http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/topic/9300-mutleys-hangar-rough-guide-to-multiplayer-without-gamespy/

 

If you've any other issues, just pm if you like, although I'm a little limited at the moment as I'm on vacation so my PC is inaccessible.

 

Best wishes,

Jess B

Thanks Jessica for your help! Sounds easy enough. I definitely want to try this out tonight if anyone here is free and interested? I should be free later on tonight, it's almost 6pm here and I should be on in a few hours later tonight.

 

Someone is going to have to host though. My upstream is extremely slow. 

My pleasure. If you want to test your connection, just pick one of the ip addresses listed above in fsopen Link that Dave posted. Enter it and see if you can connect. It won't launch you into the sky, just the standard free flight like screen if your successful. It's a great way to test to see if you need ports forwarded and so on.

Wow, dave and jess thanks a lot! I downloaded teamspeak 3, set up my headset and used that fsopen link and joined a room and flew with a bunch of other pilots for the first time in FSX and I must say wow, what an amazing experience! Not only that, I learned a few new shortcut commands as well! This is so fun. 

 

I would love to fly with some of you guys on here and do a sight seeing vfr flight and island hop in Hawaii if anyone is interested. 

Glad it all worked out for you. Flying with a few friends is a great way to enjoy a Sunday morning. We tend to each come up with a route, usually with 6 plus airfields and then we fly. No atc, and we're notoriously badly behaved, cutting in on approaches, sneaking up on each other then there are the routes. We're always trying to 'outdo' each other. The last one I flew involved some of the smallest, most hidden bush stips in Washington state. Just tremendous fun.

 

So multiplayer is pretty awesome and if your hosting a group of friends, its a great way to have fun. Btw, we don't use ts instead we use Skype, that way on of us hosts the session, the other hosts the call.

 

Have fun.

 

Jess B