New to Sims - Have I missed the Boat with FSX?

[Mithras 87]

Hi,

 

I’m new to Flight Simming, but I’ve wanted to get involved since about 1990. Finally, after several flying lessons, I’ve decided to go for it. I have a high-spec computer arriving soon, and both X-Plane 10 and FSX Gold on order too.

 

Question is, is FSX worth getting into for someone in my position? I’m no tech head, I’m not cracking that computer open ever, and I’m unfamilar with command prompts et al. For a newbie like me, would X-Plane give me the experience of FSX with the add ons? I don’t mind laying out some money, I want to avoid software clashes, bugs, errors and programming!!!

 

I have definate ideas about what I want to do with my sim. 

[Don t moderate me this way 882]

ad FSX: Just install FSX Gold, check HIGHMEMFIX=1 in the fsx.cfg and fly. No more essential tweaks exist.

 

Depending on your ideas how to use your sim (still unknown to us ), XP or FSX will be the better platform for you. (Like in "XP for helicopters".)

[VeryBumpy 272]

100% vanilla FSX with zero tweaking or addons will be as easy to use as any other game. But it would be like buying a Ferrari and never driving farther than the end of ones driveway.

 

I don't own Xplane 10 so can't comment on it.

 

I think more details on what you want out of the sim and how much you are willing to tweak would be helpful.

[Kuragiman 227]

It's never too late for FSX.  With a few key add-ons, FSX shines bright even today.

[DocBird 79]

I would suggest to send FSX back to the dealer and wait for P3D 2.0 to arrive in the next 10 days. This will be the next generation and you can happyly forget over FSX.

 

X-Plane has very good flight dynamics but not as much add-ons as FSX/P3D.

 

So if you want to keep things simple I would advice to buy P3D 2.0 (once it is released) and combine it with ORBX FTX-Global. That should do it for the start. But be careful: The Orbx-stuff can be addictive B).

[simmerhead 885]

Do you like blondes or brunettes? You're asking the impossible. Play around and have fun. I'm sure you'll soon find a favourite. Most problems are easily solved by using Google or asking questions in forums like these!

[some1 65]

I would suggest to send FSX back to the dealer and wait for P3D 2.0 to arrive in the next 10 days.

At this moment for a complete newbie I would rather advice sticking to FSX. Easier to find knowledge and tutorials, built in flying lessons, easier to install addons that don't require manual tinkering to install.

[Clutch Cargo 388]

Since 1990!  What took ya so long!? :lol:   Better late than never.  Welcome aboard.  The mere fact you said you have had several flying lessons tells me you should go for P3D v2.  I would hold off until it comes out. 

[jcomm 6,011]

FSX, and X-Plane 10 are both excellent platforms. X-Plane 10 is more oriented towards the future, but in the many features and add-on that grown for years, FSX is still ahead, and there are many good add-ons for it.

 

I believe you have the best since you have both!

 

If you can, give FSX a try in DX10 mode, preferably using the recently released DX10 fixer that will easily get your FSX looking a lot like a modern flight sim does.

 

Not all devs are supporting P3D, and most probably the same will apply to P3D v2. PMDG for instance still support only FSX, so, FSX is the best choice so far....  A2A have started to support both platforms natively, with their latest C172, and Aerosoft is doing the same.

 

Regarding X-.Plane, visit the forum here at AVSIM and get suggestion!

[DeskPilot518 15]

Not to late!! I just got back into it a year ago. 

My new computer for FSX arrives Friday!!

 

Anyway, I suggest the below link for a youtube video by Matt Davies:

Just follow his suggestions for Tweaking your FSX per 2013.

Once completed, you should be good to go for a while.   

At least this is a good starting point.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAjqomj6qz8

 

Then, go buy REX, the A2A C172, and the PMDG 737 NGX!

 

Once completed, you can then buy every other plane under the Sun followed by scenery add-ons, and a

good flight planner like PFPX or Premium Vroute!

 

B.

[Mithras 87]

Thanks for the fast responses! I play Infinite Flight everyday and love the 'pick up and play' aspect of that lovely game. What do I want to do next?

 

1) I want to fly VFR flights around the UK, from farm strips and navigate using known landmarks. UK airports will get alot of use too. 

2) I want to fly lots of short haul liners to the Mediterranean over great scenery (I've flown over it alot). Nice European scenery plus some good airports would be good. 

3) Sometimes I will want to fly long haul out to San Fran, Singapore, Dubai. I guess great airport add ons are a must there but not so much scenery on these flights.  

4) Now and then I want to sight see, in a small plane in the Australian outback, or finding a dirt strip in the Amazon. Accuracy isn't too important in locations etc, but it has to see real and feel like the real thing....

 

I compled a list of add ons for FSX I would buy, but I'm not sure if I'm heading for trouble importing all this into the game:

 

FTX Global - For world scenery?

Real Environment Extreme (REX) - for more realisticweather effects?

What does FS Global 2010 X do that they don't I wonder? 

Some traffic add on, like Just Flight Traffic 360 (for when I start flying airliners)

And/or VFR Real Scenery Generation X for the UK. But I'm not sure how this will interact with the above .....??

 

With X-Plane being much more recent, I wondered if alot of these types of add ons were already integrated into the software. But from some comments above I guess they aren't, it sounds like they're both good game engines - ripe for expansion. 

 

I do like the fact there are a million add ons, many free for FSX. Like my local airfield, and the lighthouse down the road.... 

 

Still undecided!

 

BTW: I looked into P3D v2 but Lockheed are adamant they aren't releasing it to the flight sim community...

 

Paul Elliott

[DAL1850 51]

For UK VFR, you might want to check out ORBX (especially if you're going with FTX Global):

 

http://fullterrain.com/product_eueng.html and http://fullterrain.com/product_euwls.html

 

For Dubai, FlyTampa's latest gem:

 

http://www.flytampa.org/omdb.html

 

And San Francisco, FlightBeam:

 

http://flightbeam.net/ksfo.html

[squerble 300]

As a quick response, joining FSX towards the end (or possible end) of it's tenure is actually a good thing. You'll find a lot of mature add-ons (look how much PMDG have come on) and the computer hardware is catching up with what FSX needs.

 

I've found this to be the same with the Xbox360. Comparing Forza 2 to Forza 4 for example is a night-and-day difference, and it's just because developers hit their stride with the hardware and software.

[Mithras 87]

As a quick response, joining FSX towards the end (or possible end) of it's tenure is actually a good thing. You'll find a lot of mature add-ons (look how much PMDG have come on) and the computer hardware is catching up with what FSX needs.

 

I've found this to be the same with the Xbox360. Comparing Forza 2 to Forza 4 for example is a night-and-day difference, and it's just because developers hit their stride with the hardware and software.

That's a good point, I get the impression that FSX has rarely been able to be maxed out (until recently). 

[Kuragiman 227]

FTX Global is epic.   If you are into real world flying I highly recommend MegaEarthScenery 2.0 scenery add-ons.    They have completed the entire united states, road for road, neighborhood for neighorhood because it is photo satellite imagery.  Overlay that on top of something like FS Global Ultimate terrain mesh and you have a real world view.    They are slowly starting to produce packs for the European theater.   It is expensive though.    An alternative to that is TileProxy which is free but you better have some killer bandwidth if you want sharp textures.