According to the web site , it's not for entertainment and you're supposed to be either a licenced pilot or student. Is there any truth to this (ie do pthers just buy it for pleasure?).

 

I have X-Plane 10 and am wondering if there's any major improvements in P3D over X-Plane , enough to warant buying yet another flight sim.

 

Txs

 

I don't see where it says that Prepar3D can be used only by licensed pilots or students. You are not supposed to purchase it for entertainment as you would with any other game, but you are allowed to use it for simulation purposes.

 

I'm not sure if a comparison like that between Prepar3D and X-Plane can be made because they're very different sims. What's for sure is that it has definitely caught up with newer technologies like DirectX 11, dynamic lighting/shadows, tessellation etc. compared to FSX.

Agree with Chaotic Beauty - there's a professional licence, but many aviation professionals are not pilots.  Think about controllers, nonpilot professionals in aviation companies, etc.  There's also a developer licencse, for beginning as well as experienced developers.  Go to this page and read the descriptions carefully.

 

CB is also right that it's hard to compare X-Plane and Prepar3d.  As with the X-Plane/FSX comparison, each has its strengths and weaknesses.  For me at least, P3D has performed as a much-improved FSX, with new features and also much smoother overall performance.  Not everyone has shared this experience.  Read the comments on this forum and the P3D forums and you'll get a pretty good sense of what it offers and how well it works.

 

Good luck with your choice!

According to the web site , it's not for entertainment and you're supposed to be either a licenced pilot or student. Is there any truth to this (ie do pthers just buy it for pleasure?).

 

I have X-Plane 10 and am wondering if there's any major improvements in P3D over X-Plane , enough to warant buying yet another flight sim.

 

Txs

No, you don't have to be a licenced pilot to purchase P3D. You can purchase the academic licence and have fun flying.

OK txs..I'll look into it a little further.

I have X-Plane 10 and am wondering if there's any major improvements in P3D over X-Plane , enough to warant buying yet another flight sim.

 

Txs

 

This is totally a matter of personal preference ... some people prefer X-Plane, some prefer FSX, and others prefer Prepar3D.  Personally I'm thrilled that P3D adds to our flightsim choices. I bought X-Pane 10 last August after I bought a new PC (I also owned X-Plane 9).  I was quite disappointed with X-Plane 10, and I actually considered installing FSX, but then I found out that P3D v.2.0 was about to be released, so I waited for it instead. 

 

For my purposes (I only use small GA aircraft)  Prepar3D offers the best of the three. I have honestly hardly used X-Plane 10 since buying P3D. I've now added Orbx FTX Base, Vectors, and FS 2010 mesh , plus Active Sky Next and A2A's C172 (and their Piper Cub, which I already owned). I'm VERY happy with Prepar3D. P3D runs better on my PC than X-Plane 10 (and I do have the 64 bit version), and looks MUCH better (especially after adding Orbx FTX), and it has seasonal textures and better ATC and AI aircraft (partially due to Orbx).

 

If you are happy with X-Plane 10, then you should probably stick with that.  But you could also try P3D (get a month's licence for $10) and decide for yourself which one is best for you.