I've had FTXG since 12:30 am this morning.  I've flown to all my normal non-ORBX regional sites that were GEX/UTX rendered.

 

It's really too bad in a way that there will be so many persons swayed to not picking this up, because of, and ONLY BECAUSE of...seeing pictures posted to AVSIM, and any other site that makes you reduce the screen grab in resolution and pixel count to fit upload mandates.

 

What a shame.  "I don't see much of a difference...etc"....comments from a few, who you can really tell, want to run this scenery set!

 

Well, I can't see too much of a difference in some shots as well.  But,...if I run those locations on my system, it is like the real world has come alive.  Mid Michigan in my view, now looks like what it does as you approach KFNT in real life. I fly into that airport many times per year.  The approach looks great!

 

I'm not saying that all of a sudden, GEX is 'less than' and drop it like a hot potato.  No, but is there a difference?  YOU BET THERE IS!  No, I'm not going to create a dumbed down picture and send it up.  That does not do FTXG justice.  You either buy it, on the faith of what ORBX has put out for their regional scenery, because you DID buy that regional gem, installed it, and found it fabulous to your purpose.

 

FTXG is the same principle.  Forget asking for reduced pictures.  Do you want it?  Would you like the 'new kid on the block' in front of you? Then buy it for that reason...and enjoy.  If you say no, because of on-line forum pictures on AVSIM....you miss out.  Again...my personal opinion. But, unlike the fence sitter...I DO HAVE the 'new world' on my monitor, and you, the fence sitter, does not......only reduced-rez still-frame pictures grabbed from a running program.

 

Ses

After seeing that comparison thread I was getting skeptical as well but picked it up anyway after seeing Molleh's thread and doing some comparison shots.

 

I posted some side by sides in J van E's thread.

 

The difference is pretty stark and the night environment and lighting alone is worth the price of admission for the whole world.

Ses, are you saying that peoples can't take pics as beautiful as the one Orbx posted on their site?

You can post the image to external sites like imgur.com and then link it here.  The images can (and, I hope, will) be quite large.

If the comparison shots are at the same resolution then it shouldn't make a difference when trying to compare GEX/Default vs. FTXG relative to each other. 

J and E's shots of FTX Global looks oustanding to me. The other's not so great. So I do agree with what the OP is saying. 

Hey Ses tell us how you really feel....lol. 

 

I personally am waiting until I hear, see all the first blush reaction.  I also know exactly what this product does and would have to believe that overall the Orbx texture sets plus whatever new ones they have added plus the landclass adjustments could only work to improve the fsx world views.

 

I do spend most of my time in Orbxland regions quit frankly....so I'm not in a hurry to fly all those other areas of the world I do not regularly fly to just because I can.

 

Looks like a winning product and is like buying FSX all over again.

Ses, are you saying that peoples can't take pics as beautiful as the one Orbx posted on their site?

 

Of course peoples can. ^_^ Orbx guys are also peoples. Even though they use an awful ENB preset. B)

 

Anyway, I use Flickr for my screenshots and they show up full sized if you click on them on this forum. Still... a picture never really tells you how good it all looks in motion! On a screenshot weird transitions or low res textures show up far more obvious than they do in the game itself.

I think it will take OpenLC packs before FTX Global really goes way beyond anything offered by GEX. 

Currently it still has the same issue that GEX and default FSX has, same textures used in areas that in reality have very different looking terrain. Just go near Kabul, Afghanistan with FTX Global and you will find it way too green compared to real world. 

 

I hope OpenLC packs will fix this. 

People can, and will, make up their own minds.   I don't think AVSIM's screenshot quality comes into it (it's always looked good to me; have you seen the quality of the pics in the Screenshot Section? :wink:).

 

For me it highlights the Orbx marketing machine and just how targetted and considered the pre-release screenshots were.   I've seen some pretty decent screenies since release (such as Jeroen's) but also some very mediocre pics.   I've seen nothing that looks like the pre-sale marketing pics though. :wink:  

 

I'm not slating the product, just saying that I expected to have bought it buy now, based on the pre-release Orbx screenies, but as yet, I am not ready to spend $99 on what I've seen so far.

 

I don't think I've reached that decision because of "AVSIM's Screenshot quality", or because I am misguided.   

People can, and will, make up their own minds.   I don't think AVSIM's screenshot quality comes into it (it's always looked good to me; have you seen the quality of the pics in the Screenshot Section? :wink:).

 

For me it highlights the Orbx marketing machine and just how targetted and considered the pre-release screenshots were.   I've seen some pretty decent screenies since release (such as Jeroen's) but also some very mediocre pics.   I've seen nothing that looks like the pre-sale marketing pics though. :wink:

 

I'm not slating the product, just saying that I expected to have bought it buy now, based on the pre-release Orbx screenies, but as yet, I am not ready to spend $99 on what I've seen so far.

 

I don't think I've reached that decision because of "AVSIM's Screenshot quality", or because I am misguided.   

 

 

That was my point, taking a pic and play around with it to make it look fantastic for commercial purposes is NOT what the regular simmer will see flying around, I'm not saying that FTXG is not improving FSX default though but there is a world of difference between Orbx's  pre-sale pics and reality.

I always simply click V while flying around. I suppose Orbx often goes flying just to make screenshots. A lot of their screenshots don't have a plane or VC on them. I could do that too and easily match the quality of their screenshots because it's all there in FSX with FTXG!  ^_^ The view from the VC is a bit more limited, of course. And I don't use ENB though which sometimes has a noticable effect on screenshots. Maybe I will make some shots without a plane or VC too and see if I can match Orbx's stuff.

 

That was my point, taking a pic and play around with it to make it look fantastic for commercial purposes is NOT what the regular simmer will see flying around, I'm not saying that FTXG is not improving FSX default though but there is a world of difference between Orbx's  pre-sale pics and reality.

 

Hm, well, I had another look at the pics on the Orbx site and some of them are worse than mine. B) I think I will try to make some pictures with commercial purposes in mind myself this weekend, just for fun. ^_^

I'm going to buy it. It's much better then GEX in my opinion. We know FTX, they deserve and will allways get my suport

I want it alone just for the global night lighting, to me that is huge!

Of particular interest....... I don't see many (or is it any) actual purchasers of this product complaining. Everybody else is just sitting around trying to justify, why they do, or don't want it.