Most detailed small airport for FSX?

[Jimmy RFR]

 

 

Just installed the FTX NA PNW PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEMO V2.00, jeez what a slug this Orbx stuff is. Looks pretty but stutters galore, and super long loading times. Not worth the poor performance, my UTX stuff looks just as nice IMO and is much faster.

 

I've found most of the regions to be just as frame friendly as default, for the most part.  The newer the regions are I find the better they look + the better they perform.  PNW is actually one region that I barely fly in.  It's an improvement over default for sure, but not to the level that the newest regions are.  Both SAK and NCA are really, really well done.

 

I've also found that the same goes for the airports themselves.  Some of the newer airports are really frame-rate friendly, whereas some of the older ones I've had issues with.  The demo you downloaded includes one of their earlier airports, so it might not be a perfect representation of the performance you might get from some of the newer releases.  It really varies.  One of the reasons I love PAJN so much, is that it's a stellar performer considering the level of detail.  But then conversely, CEF4, which is one of their more recent releases (last year?), performs horribly for me.  I actually have the majority of the .bgls disabled for it, and keep it installed only for the upgrades it does to the Calgary skyline.

 

But generally, keep in mind that all that eye-candy has a cost.

[ray hughes]

KSFF Felts in Spokane is my favorite

 

Have to go with this one too... Don't have English airports, but you did say small and by my account FELTS fits the bill completely !!! (Lovely surround scenery as well).

[z06z33]

Either Tahoe or 11S Sieku both from orbx

[Howellerman]

I have to echo the comments about the older Orbx airfields being frame killers. The newest airports from Jarrad Marshall (KRDD and KMRY) are outstanding friendly on frames. On the other hand, I can barely fly Tipella - it knocks me down into single digits, and since it was a first-time effort by a new developer they may not know the tricks of the trade. I think the "state of the art" is advancing, with Jarrad probably leading the way with huge coverage, detail, and all of it frame friendly.

 

Just a heads-up about the Isle of Man scenery, it will OOM if you have the slider to far right - lots and lots and lots of detail down there!!!

[Gregg_Seipp]

Get a free VFR chart from SkyVector and use the new Flight1 GTN750. Great combo. The RAF is very forgiving should you confuse one of their airports for a grass field or overfly one of their controlled airport areas while all googled eyed with your head outside the cockpit.

 

Ray

 

Sure. 

 

Wow, that Isle of Man scenery is outstanding! And its a pretty large area too.

Just installed the FTX NA PNW PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEMO V2.00, jeez what a slug this Orbx stuff is. Looks pretty but stutters galore, and super long loading times. Not worth the poor performance, my UTX stuff looks just as nice IMO and is much faster.

 

Too bad Orbx doesn't simply sell the airports separately. I'd buy a few of the nicer ones.

 

Hmmm.  I don't find it slow...maybe a touch heavier than default.  I don't see your machine specs.  You do have aero turned off, yes?

 

EDIT:  Found your specs.  (why do you have to look in a person's profile to find it?)  I had PNW back when I had a 560Ti.  It did have a hit on that card if I remember.

[byronp]

UK2000 VFR Airfields by Gary Summons see screenshots uk2000scenery.com Vol 1 v2   78 airfields in total all sizes great for VFR flying.

Also other Vols. to cover most of UK.

 

Brian

[ramprat]

I would vote for ORBX Redding, CA by Jarrad Marshall (KRDD).  I used to manage the FBO there and Jarrad's offering for FSX is very accurate.

[Gregg_Seipp]

 

 

I would vote for ORBX Redding, CA by Jarrad Marshall (KRDD). I used to manage the FBO there and Jarrad's offering for FSX is very accurate.

 

He's working on a 1.1 to fix the AFCAD and some things.

[VeryBumpy]

. There are quite a few folks with just one or two Orbx airports that never purchased the Mother region.

 

 

Yes, this is my point. In order for it to look and work properly they force you to buy the main region. They should offer their airports like everyone else does.

[ramprat]

Good to hear he is working on V1.1. Thank you.

[raymar]

Yes, this is my point. In order for it to look and work properly they force you to buy the main region. They should offer their airports like everyone else does.

No, I think you have totally missed the point. You do not have the buy the Region to buy any Orbx airport area. If you elect not to buy the region, which by the way, is about the same price of one airport, then you may or may not experience some alignment problems.

 

I hope you are not expecting the Orbx Expansion airports to be designed to match FSX default scenery.

 

Why don't you try a few of the free Global Airports without the Global and see if they meet your goals?

 

Regards,

Ray

I would vote for ORBX Redding, CA by Jarrad Marshall (KRDD).  I used to manage the FBO there and Jarrad's offering for FSX is very accurate.

Yes, Redding is a good choice and comes with a second smaller airport and most of the city with some excellent bridges. The only downside is there are no interesting neighbors.

 

Regards,

Ray

[Bert Pieke]

Quote: "Just installed the FTX NA PNW PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEMO V2.00, jeez what a slug this Orbx stuff is. Looks pretty but stutters galore, and super long loading times."

 

 

Seattle is known as a performance black-hole...  How is Bowerman on your system?

[Jimmy RFR]

 

 

Yes, this is my point. In order for it to look and work properly they force you to buy the main region. They should offer their airports like everyone else does.

 

Actually, it's kind of the other way around.  Their regions come first.  The detailed airports designed and offered by them, are simply to complement their existing regions.  It would have an equal analogy to a developer offering a premium livery pack for an aircraft.  No one is forcing you to buy the aircraft they fit on, but they were designed for that aircraft, sooo....

 

I wish people wouldn't look at it as a mercenary business practice.  The truth is, their regions change a lot: elevation, landclass, placement of roads & water, etc.  It only makes sense that the airports they design are based on the knowledge that everything in the terrain surrounding the airport is exactly as they designed it.  Otherwise, you wind up having to make choices as a developer (do I place the airport at it's real life elevation, or at what default FSX represents?) that can have unintended or undesirable consequences.

 

I know, for example, that I have a few payware airports from other developers that don't fit well with add-on mesh, resulting in glaringly obvious cliffs surrounding the airport.

[raymar]

Exactly.

 

Ray

[CFIJose]

ORBX target market is the low and slow flyer. They offer their Regions and add-on airports for those regions.

 

You can buy all the FTX airports you want without the Regions, but when you have a problem, and you will, don't expect any support since it's clearly stated in the sales page what Region is required for the airport that you want to buy.

 

Maybe in the future things might change. FTXG + Vectors + Mesh + LC are coming together to create a world region. ORBX, John, might decide to update their airports so that they become compatible. You will still need FTXG + Vectors + Mesh + the LC.

 

I'm delighted with the Regions and with most of my airport purchases. There are some that I don't even have installed because they perform poorly even with all the options disabled.

 

However, what does work is great, and I'm grateful for that.