With all the great programs (e.g., Armando Di Francesco's new separation utility, ActiveSky, Active Camera, Edit Voice Pack) FS10 may actually be less enjoyable or real than FS9 is now with the great add-ons. The longer MS waits to release FS10 the more enjoyable FS9 becomes. Go figure. Let us hope MS pleasantly surprises us and knocks our socks off :-bluegrab

It's almost a Catch 22. The longer they wait the more addons we'll have, and the more they'll have to "knock our socks off." They can build FS10 so that all the existing addons work, but presumably that means that it won't be a very large change. Well, maybe not a Catch 22, hehe, but a dilemna for sure. :-)billg

man, than that would make fs.4 about the best around.. with its black screen, and black panel, with gauges outlined by black lines and its continious clicking sound to simulate the engine about the best ever right??? #####?? lol..MSFS versions are released every 2 years. FS9 has only been around since july of 03. 06 should be out in summer this year.Before some one jumps on me saying i dont know this since microsoft has released no news yet, did they havent released new on any previous FS eathier. If FS9 was the last one, we would know allready. :):-wave

I was thinking the same thing. We have so many great addons and so many more potentially great ones coming, that I don't think FS10 is even worth the time, should it be arriving in the forseeable future.Maybe...once it gets going and gets some addons...but only maybe. I believe the deal breaker could be enhanced ATC, if they can do a good enough job.

ATC, scenery, effects, and more detailed aircraft.I have allready thought about this. When FS10 comes, i will wind up holding off untill updates for most of the payware i have now are released. So i dont plan on buying it untill there are quality addons. MS just provides the program. Everything in it is junk. Aircraft mainly.. texturing, the geography of the world should be improved. Better avionics, etc etc. MS could for shure make it high quality.

All of the land mass will look photo-real at all altitudes, not to mention a general increase in frame rates and a more "fluid" feel. Other than that, the sim will be compatible with aircraft add-ons for FS2004.As to the progress of programming virtual cockpits to resemble the actual cockpit in clarity, function, and paint schemes; and do away with the 2D "panel in your face" system that we have now...............................I personally don't think it will be totally perfected and complete for FS10. Looks like MS will end up keeping 2D's around for awhile longer.A full report on these new features is due in a couple of weeks. Somewhere around "April 1st" is what I've heard. L.Adamson ----- if you hear it, it wasn't from me... :D

April 1st .. you're a very bad man! You got my hopes up!I'd like to see MS focus almost exclusively on upgrading the engine so that 3rd party developers are unfettered. Hi res ground textures (>5m/pixel), smooth as silk VC gauges, a totally open ended a/c systems framework, some Dx9 shader effects, etc. Oh, and for God's sake, revamp the damned landing lights effect.

Larry does anyone know if its in alpha or beta yet?With all the previous releases there have been those who have said the same thing."I am happy with what I have with the existing FS and addons and have no desire to move to a new version".That doesnt last long.For me a more fluid sim with real dynamic weather and the final kill off of the 2D panels has to be the way forward.Peter

>Larry does anyone know if its in alpha or beta yet?>Peter,I have not heard any "real" information regarding the subject, anywhere...L.Adamson

We'd agree Peter, except for the "final kill" part. We have many enthusiasts that like the simplicity and the fps of the 2d panel. In that regard, you'll have to find your own support, sorry. Good luck!rgds,billg

At best I'd say 2d panels will stick around for the next FS version. After that, FS will go 100% 3d.

>All of the land mass will look photo-real at all altitudes,I hope my kids will finally have something like that ... ;-)Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2

>I was thinking the same thing. We have so many great addons>and so many more potentially great ones coming, that I don't>think FS10 is even worth the time, should it be arriving in>the forseeable future.>LOL. Exactly the same thing people said about FS2000, FS2002, and FS2004.I'm sure they said it about FS98 as well, and FSW95, FS95, FS5, FS4, etc. etc.

>>I was thinking the same thing. We have so many great addons>>and so many more potentially great ones coming, that I don't>>think FS10 is even worth the time, should it be arriving in>>the forseeable future.>>>LOL. Exactly the same thing people said about FS2000, FS2002,>and FS2004.>I'm sure they said it about FS98 as well, and FSW95, FS95,>FS5, FS4, etc. etc.>Yes, and everytime one of us oldtimers says "they said the same thing about FS98 and so on"

>With all the great programs (e.g., Armando Di Francesco's new>separation utility, ActiveSky, Active Camera, Edit Voice Pack)>FS10 may actually be less enjoyable or real than FS9 is now>with the great add-ons. Ha ha ... this is what folks say about every new version of MSFS .... very humerous ..Vernon