Should We move to P3D?

[elmucki 32]

Why is everyone talking about it like it's one or the other and you have to "switch"? Computers can have multiple programs installed you know right? You can easily have FS9, FSX, P3D, XPlane etc all on the same computer.

while this is true, do you thinkg people would like to shell out 90bucks for a product for each platform?

[Fabo 213]

You know, you don't have to. I have my FSX set up with airliners and big airports, I have my P3D set up around VFR with A2A planes (Can't wait for Cherokee) + FTX regions and I have my X-Plane set up mostly for VFR in my area with local (freeware) planes that are not available for other two platforms.

 

The doubling of expense is minimal. Either I can use in P3D what I originally bought for FSX, or I didn't buy it in first place. In XPL all but one addon are free.

What I am trying to say, I have never had to pay for the same product twice and I use all three platforms.

[Demious 23]

To give my perspective to the original question, FSX was launched in 2006 and after SP1 and 2 it wasn't further developed by MS. Today we're living in 2014 already, meaning that the surrounding software, as well as the simmers themselves, are moving forward in time and FSX isn't. At some point surrounding software is going to get so far ahead of FSX that functionality is going to be an issue. If it's in a couple of years, or maybe in 10 or 15 years, it is going to happen sooner or later.

So in the end, we're going to be forced  to move to a platform that is keeping up with development and in my opinion P3D is a welcome candidate.

 

What we see now is endless discussion between the oldschool crowd, sticking to FSX and the ones that have moved on to P3D, resulting in very slow development for P3D products, holding back the P3D users, as we see with, for example, the PMDG line of products.

The more people make the move, the more relevant development of those products for P3D will become, speeding up the process.

 

At this point in time, there are still plenty of issues, but hey, weren't there any with FSX? Speaking out of personal experience, on my system P3D is doing a much better job then FSX has ever done. FSX was for me more time working on the system and testing fixes and tweaks, then I was actually flying...

 

From what I see happening now, in my opinion of course and realizing we have to make a move sometime in the future, there is a need for more people to look ahead, instead of holding on to the old days and we either make the switch to P3D, further developing the road we started with FSX, meaning we also can keep going on with addons as we started with FSX by not too harsh updating for most products, as we see with Carenado, or at some point we have to come up with something completely new, meaning we also have to start over with development of addons and paying for all new stuff.

 

So in my opinion, realizing we cant keep living in the past, it's time to make the change to P3D, considering we already have invested quite some time and money in learning the system and purchasing addons, we of course would like to utilize the best way possible.

[kevinh 409]

I don't think it's fair to blame "the old school crowd" for not moving to P3D holding things back for you. The reason people stick with FSX is because they have a continued supply of high quality addons for it plus the existing array of products. I don't see any advantage of moving to P3D with no PMDG addons available for it yet. I can't use P3D for my VA flying, which is most of what I use FSX for.

 

If and when P3D can provide me with all that FSX currently provides then I will consider transferring. Until then I'm quite happy to use FSX. That it's 8 years old makes absolutely no difference to me.

 

As for all the time you need to spend tweaking FSX, well I don't spend any time doing that. It's not compulsory, I find it very frustrating and mostly a waste of time.

 

"We" are not a homogenous group that has to act together for some common good. People who want to move to P3D or XPlane are free to do so. People who feel no urgency to move are free to do that too. FSX may be old but the only thing that will kill it off will be when it ceases to be compatible with PC software and hardware.

[biloo 20]

Here's my question: If Xplane begins to accomodate addons such as weather engine, quality planes and sceneries, better environmental visuals, would people choose to prefer Xplane over P3D.

 

The biggest strong point Xplane has in my view is that it can accomodate 64bit coding and has that little umph on flying experience which can be felt on approach and take off - The head, aircraft bobbling <- I have only heard about this experience from frooglesim videos.

 

I think P3D should seriously consider adopting 64bit coding and provide some form of backward compatibility.

Second question:

Is Xplane's licensing requirements as restrictive as P3D's ?

[johndrago 4]

Here's my question: If Xplane begins to accomodate addons such as weather engine, quality planes and sceneries, better environmental visuals, would people choose to prefer Xplane over P3D.

 

The biggest strong point Xplane has in my view is that it can accomodate 64bit coding and has that little umph on flying experience which can be felt on approach and take off - The head, aircraft bobbling <- I have only heard about this experience from frooglesim videos.

 

I think P3D should seriously consider adopting 64bit coding and provide some form of backward compatibility.

Second question:

Is Xplane's licensing requirements as restrictive as P3D's ?

This is the million dollar question. Handfulls of folks are jumping on P3D as if it's the answer and next gen for simming, however it's not really any technologically better when it's really running on a 32 bit engine.

 

To make a move, the sim that will make the difference, and modernize to the current systems has to be 64 bit. I can't see it any other way. Whether this is xplane or something else, it's certainly not p3d unless they are planning a whole new rebuild. Use it if you want some of the newer features (shading, etc), but please don't claim it as the replacement under the current build.

 

John