People keep saying that for them flight dynamics, aircraft systems, etc. are not that important.

Well, we know I'm picky about flight dynamics too. More so, than most. And I don't think I'm going to be caring much about real flight proficiency in the future. So what I see on the screen had better look good too, or the whole idea of simming won't be worth while.

Well, we know I'm picky about flight dynamics too. More so, than most. And I don't think I'm going to be caring much about real flight proficiency in the future. So what I see on the screen had better look good too, or the whole idea of simming won't be worth while.

 

Absolutely, looks are a key part in making a plausible world and creating / sustaining a feeling of being there. And that's one reason I can't go back to FSX. Yes, the ground textures in many places are wonderful, especially with addons. But a world with no shadows and weird lighting is a very strange place, and that's one thing Flight and then XP have made part of my 'must haves' for an immersive experience. Convincing cockpit shadows, autogen and ground shadows, realistic lighting at night, these are all things that FSX simply can't do. The ground textures in many parts of the XP envrionment need some love, but they're getting better all the time and with the extra lighting / shadow effects, the result is much more plausible than the 'painting perfect' effect that FSX usually gives.

.... In X-Plane, I really dislike how flying during the day looks, the horizon is barely noticeable and blends in too much with the sky, there's hardly any separation. The colors are too bland for me.

 

Have you ever flown yourself in real life - or observed the sky during your flights in an airliner? Obviously not , but only from the ground ...

And do you remember some weeks ago? You promised to post some screenshots of the "unrealistic"/"barely noticeable"/.... separation to the sky in your XP. You still didn't. Would you mind to post additionally a screenshot with a separation how it should look?

 

Meanwhile, please find below 2 photos I made during my vacation 2 weeks ago in Santorini on the same (sunny) day - not one single cloud in the sky. And it was like this all the days - sunny and no clouds.

 

1. photo from the ground with a quite visible separation (but the island at the right - only 22 km away - is hardly visible)

 

 

2. photo from higher above ("only" around 300 m MSL). The first picture was taken where the red arrow is - you can see the runway left of it).

And the higher you fly, the worse it gets - as the horizon is farther away and the more air with more haze, pollution etc. is between you and the horizon/sky.

 

 

And please don't forget to post the screenshot(s) you promised .

 

 

FSX looks like CACA even with some hyped ORBX ADDONs. Just to be fair the clouds and scenery look nice from high up and far away. But that is just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

My textures are clearer then that but I get your point.

 

At the same time, XPX cities are a bunch of random buildings thrown onto a pasture. Neither is perfect.

Have you ever flown yourself in real life - or observed the sky during your flights in an airliner? Obviously not , but only from the ground ...

And do you remember some weeks ago? You promised to post some screenshots of the "unrealistic"/"barely noticeable"/.... separation to the sky in your XP. You still didn't. Would you mind to post additionally a screenshot with a separation how it should look?

 

Meanwhile, please find below 2 photos I made during my vacation 2 weeks ago in Santorini on the same (sunny) day - not one single cloud in the sky. And it was like this all the days - sunny and no clouds.

 

1. photo from the ground with a quite visible separation (but the island at the right - only 22 km away - is hardly visible)

 

 

2. photo from higher above ("only" around 300 m MSL). The first picture was taken where the red arrow is - you can see the runway left of it).

And the higher you fly, the worse it gets - as the horizon is farther away and the more air with more haze, pollution etc. is between you and the horizon/sky.

 

 

And please don't forget to post the screenshot(s) you promised .

 

Both those shots are showing pretty bad visibility on those days. There are many, many days where visibilty is better and the horizon is more apparent. And in yours second shot you can clearly see where the water meets the sky.

 

XPX's horizon/LOD issues are not "realistic" as you are trying to portray. In fact, they are a known issue being worked on by the Laminar team. The LOD radius is way too small right now. They know, we know, everyone knows it.

I think more realistic visuals will slowly but surely be available for the XP10.  My main gripe was the lack of terminal buildings and major cities with their respective landmarks.

 

Having said that, I've been flying the Javier Rollon CRJ-200 and the Flight Factor 777-300ER, and I love the smoothness.  I don't see any of the slow FPS or stutters typically associated with FSX.  I'm really in awe of the bnight lighting effects too.

"horizon is barely noticeable and blends in too much with the sky"

 

I can see the horizon, even if it's 60 SM away. Check your rendering settings, and the weather.

 

Happy flying. :smile:

Both those shots are showing pretty bad visibility on those days. There are many, many days where visibilty is better and the horizon is more apparent. And in yours second shot you can clearly see where the water meets the sky. 

 

You are totally ... wrong! I was for 20 years Hellenic Army Aviation pilot and I have crossed Aegean sea with helicopters numerous times. I can assure that what you see here is the real thing! And even worst. Most times felt like flown IFR rather VFR! 

 

And there is logic to this. As the sun goes up, evaporation is starting and creates low visibility conditions with no visual horizon. If this is what you get in X-Plane, that means realistic simulation!

You are totally ... wrong! I was for 20 years Hellenic Army Aviation pilot and I have crossed Aegean sea with helicopters numerous times. I can assure that what you see here is the real thing! And even worst. Most times felt like flown IFR rather VFR! 

 

And there is logic to this. As the sun goes up, evaporation is starting and creates low visibility conditions with no visual horizon. If this is what you get in X-Plane, that means realistic simulation!

If it's everywhere in X-Plane, then it certainly is not realistic. I saw those two pics when they were posted. IMO, I wouldn't try to use those as examples of what every day scenery could look like, as a justification. And then a few days ago, I was sitting in my vehicle, looking at some mountains also around 20+ miles away. They looked just like the pic. But then yesterday, as well as today, these same mountains are very clear. In fact, if they looked hazy all of the time, I'd be very disappointed, because most of the time, they are easy to see, and clearly defined. It's not unusual to look out my back door, and see mountains nearly 80 miles away, since I live on the foothills now.

No it's not everywhere in X-Plane, but as a case to have many times no visible horizon over vast amounts of water, even without a single cloud in the sky, is 100% realistic. Over dry land the situation is totally different. Without restrictions to visibility due weather phenomena, you always have visible horizon. What exactly you get in X-Plane. And comparing the perception of the horizon comparing flying and sitting in a car is too wrong.   

If it's everywhere in X-Plane, then it certainly is not realistic. I saw those two pics when they were posted. IMO, I wouldn't try to use those as examples of what every day scenery could look like, as a justification. And then a few days ago, I was sitting in my vehicle, looking at some mountains also around 20+ miles away. They looked just like the pic. But then yesterday, as well as today, these same mountains are very clear. In fact, if they looked hazy all of the time, I'd be very disappointed, because most of the time, they are easy to see, and clearly defined. It's not unusual to look out my back door, and see mountains nearly 80 miles away, since I live on the foothills now.

 

Well ... Larry ... now I'm a bit disappointed. You have stated having flown a lot of planes even a P51 and what not ... so you actually should know that visibilty in real life depends a lot on ... weather (what a cool surprise ). In X-Plane it's not different, but very similar.

 

I made some screenshots from the same position like the real life ones (you can try it yourself - place yourself at LGSR and watch east - towards the island of Anafi):

 

from the ground with 14 NM visibility (horizon visible quite good)

 

 

 

from around 300 m AGL with 14 NM visibility (horizon visible not quite good)

 

 

 

And for comparison 45 NM visibility:

 

 

 

I have no time to make other screenshots right now, but MdMax posted above also a link with screenies of good visibility and clearly visible horizon. But you still may try to talk insistently to us, saying that weather in XP was unrealistic :lol:.

You are totally ... wrong! I was for 20 years Hellenic Army Aviation pilot and I have crossed Aegean sea with helicopters numerous times. I can assure that what you see here is the real thing! And even worst. Most times felt like flown IFR rather VFR! 

 

And there is logic to this. As the sun goes up, evaporation is starting and creates low visibility conditions with no visual horizon. If this is what you get in X-Plane, that means realistic simulation!

 

You completely missed my point.

 

The point wasn't that in that particular place on the globe visiblity is often higher. It's that around the world, visibility is often higher.

You completely missed my point. .....It's that around the world, visibility is often higher.

 

Like in X-Plane ... depending on the weather.

Well ... Larry ... now I'm a bit disappointed. You have stated having flown a lot of planes even a P51 and what not ... so you actually should know that visibilty in real life depends a lot on ... weather (what a cool surprise ). In X-Plane it's not different, but very similar.

 

I made some screenshots from the same position like the real life ones (you can try it yourself - place yourself at LGSR and watch east - towards the island of Anafi):

 

from the ground with 14 NM visibility (horizon visible quite good)

 

 

 

from around 300 m AGL with 14 NM visibility (horizon visible not quite good)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for comparison 45 NM visibility:

 

 

 

I have no time to make other screenshots right now, but MdMax posted above also a link with screenies of good visibility and clearly visible horizon. But you still may try to talk insistently to us, saying that weather in XP was unrealistic :lol:.

I'm depending on you (and others) for these screenshots. I'm happy to know it varies elsewhere.

No it's not everywhere in X-Plane, but as a case to have many times no visible horizon over vast amounts of water, even without a single cloud in the sky, is 100% realistic. Over dry land the situation is totally different. Without restrictions to visibility due weather phenomena, you always have visible horizon. What exactly you get in X-Plane. And comparing the perception of the horizon comparing flying and sitting in a car is too wrong.   

Actually, the perception while sitting in a car, on a hillside, looking across the valley to the other mountain, isn't all that different to flying. I know, because I owned an airplane and have flown this area....a lot. Other than that, seeing how we have the Great Salt Lake out here, there are times where the surrounding mountains look like the pics, and then all of those times where they are clear & defined.

I've taken a lots & lots of flight pics over the years, and just compared quite a few with the Great Salt Lake and distant mountains. They vary from near invisable, to quite clear. Most of the time, the weather is pleasant, as I don't care to fly over the Great Salt Lake in bad weather. If X-Plane is powerful enough to simulate these varying conditions, based on real weather.........then I'll certainly look forward to that. At this point, I don't have a clue of what XP-10 can do for my area. It'a been the demo only, and I won't be installing the full program until a computer upgrade.