fsx-se FSX: Steam Edition... is it worth transferring yet?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,966]

Constant defraging is getting annoying, I should really upgrade.

 

Mark. You really should swap to a SSD. Prices are pretty reasonable now and performance is so much better.

 

You can use free software like Aomei Backupper to mirror the FSX drive onto an SSD. I still have a mechanical drive but it's used only for my downloads and the page file.

 

I swapped the hard drive in my laptop for an SSD and the whole process took less than an hour.

[Pastaiolo 1,688]

I have a few major issues with FSX SE, and that is all around the operation of the Steam client itself. I have adressed this on other forums as well and an unresponded to email, to Dovetail Games. And I have seen no other users around the world raising this at the moment, this in so far as I can find, except in my circle of aquaintences and friends who have the same hobby.

 

Your infos are incorrect.

 

Steam is not controlling, it is a digital distribution platform, so you should have known it would have used your connection soon or later. It's like getting something on NetFlix and then complaining about the fact you need to use your connection.

 

Which country are you in? There aren't flat contracts for adsl there?

 

Also, since the last patch, you can use FSX without any internet connection. 

Issues with patches and addons have always been there for any game, you have just being spoiled by the fact the development of FSX ended long ago.

 

As for your last paragraph, what's the point of the whole talk about P3D and X-Plane, when, as you said, you can use FSX-MS instead?

Edited May 20, 2015 by n4gix
Removed excessive quote.

[codechris 9]

You start Steam in offline mode which solves you're problems there. It was a problem with FSX:SE when it first came out that it couldn't be started in offline mode, but I've never had that with any other game I have on steam, so don't think that's what happens with all games.

[Screwbottle 4]

Your infos are incorrect.

 

Steam is not controlling, it is a digital distribution platform, so you should have known it would have used your connection soon or later. It's like getting something on NetFlix and then complaining about the fact you need to use your connection.

 

Which country are you in? There aren't flat contracts for adsl there?

 

Also, since the last patch, you can use FSX without any internet connection. 

Issues with patches and addons have always been there for any game, you have just being spoiled by the fact the development of FSX ended long ago.

 

As for your last paragraph, what's the point of the whole talk about P3D and X-Plane, when, as you said, you can use FSX-MS instead?

 

My info is quite correct Thank you! And I disagree with you, Steam is very controlling. As another example, try and install any Steam game where you wish on your SDD or HDD's, like one can easily do with standalone downloadable or boxed products, this being done for many and whatever reasons. So a digital distribution platform with CONTROL.

 

I own the following Steam games, the Half Life Orange box series, iL2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover, all of the Sniper Elite series and the Sniper Ghost warrior series, and the action I mentioned is the same as with these games. I have clients and friends who jumped onto the bandwagon with FSX-SE, along with their already installed box set, and they are not happy with the Steam client in the way, as with all of the issues I mentioned.

 

Just after I posted my first post, I opened my Steam client and it went through a 20 minute update, then it wanted to verify my password, which I had to wait for a reply email another 15 minutes later before I could actually open the client to check the games, and lo and behold it started to do updates. One of my favourite listed, iL2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover, now lies mostly dormant because of the crap with Steam. I don't enjoy this game anymore, thanks to Steam. I now read the boxes carefully, and only take non-client driven free standing software.

 

And as to my last paragraph, and my point that you seemed to have missed, P3D is now at least way ahead of FSX native and FSX-SE, even with some remaining irritating bugs left, and I can use the majority of my purchased add-ons. AND it does not use or need the Steam client, I am free to install it where I like and start it up when and how I like with no wait of updates etc. Likewise with X-Plane. And like many I have moved on to current active and up to date working SIMS like DCS and X-Plane.

 

And as you mentioned, issues with patches and addons, sure are always there, but I have the control as to how, when and where I download them and install them. Much like a enterprize server system, one does no just install the updates and security patches, without first testing them in a lab type environment to see if or what gets broken. No so with Steam updates, they are pushed down to you and one hopes all works OK.

 

I am not of a spoonfed current generation, so I personally do not like the structure and use of Steam type systems.

You start Steam in offline mode which solves you're problems there. It was a problem with FSX:SE when it first came out that it couldn't be started in offline mode, but I've never had that with any other game I have on steam, so don't think that's what happens with all games.

 

Hi Codechris

 

See my reply to france89. Interesting, I'll look at that and try again, and maybe FSX-SE has been made into an ofline system. I don't have it, so I'll have to wait to test with my clients and friends that do have it.

[codechris 9]

My info is quite correct Thank you! And I disagree with you, Steam is very controlling. As another example, try and install any Steam game where you wish on your SDD or HDD's, like one can easily do with standalone downloadable or boxed products, this being done for many and whatever reasons. So a digital distribution paltform with CONTROL.

 

 

It's very possible and very easy. I have games installed on my SSD and HDD. You just point it to exactly where you want. And yes, Steam does update, on a slow connection that could take a while, but simply just start it in off-line mode. You won't have this problem of software updating...but you should (security fixes to name just one). Also, what CONTROL would steam get out of not letting you choose where to install games? It's a fruitless exercise

 

And as you mentioned, issues with patches and addons, sure are always there, but I have the control as to how, when and where I download them and install them. Much like a enterprize server system, one does no just install the updates and security patches, without first testing them in a lab type environment to see if or what gets broken. No so with Steam updates, they are pushed down to you and one hopes all works OK.

 

That doesn't happen as much as you think, in enterprises, it really depends on your set-up, staff numbers and resources. Many companies simply do not have the resources to test patches in a lab environment. But, in all my years of patching, the only real issues I've had are with updating perl libraries, but roll backs these days are easy. Oh, and it's enterprise by the way

 

 

I am not of a spoonfed current generation, so I personally do not like the structure and use of Steam type systems.

 

 

I'm wondering, who are the spoon-fed generation? You are making large assertions there about a very wide range of people, in a very wide range of cultures...because some people use the Steam platform? Maybe the spoon-fed generation could at least find out how to install games where you wish on Steam....

[Screwbottle 4]

Mark. You really should swap to a SSD. Prices are pretty reasonable now and performance is so much better.

 

You can use free software like Aomei Backupper to mirror the FSX drive onto an SSD. I still have a mechanical drive but it's used only for my downloads and the page file.

 

I swapped the hard drive in my laptop for an SSD and the whole process took less than an hour.

 

Hi Ray

 

I agree with you on the SSD's performance and a game changer, but not on the pricing in some countries. As my example, my O/S, Windows 7 Pro, is around 80GB, and my FSX installation is currently at 124GB (and it will grow with more aircraft and scenery add-ons), so I need to look at an SSD of 200+GB, the next available one is the 256GB. This drive at my dealer price in my country, as I run my own IT business, is $170, $200 retail, quite a price for myself and many in my country to switch over. As a comparison I can for this same money buy a Seagate 2TB Hybrid (8GB SDD attached to a mechanical drive). Good performance, better than the standard drive of same capacity. And then I run Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu Linux in dual boot configuraiton for my business. The currently avialable 512GB SSD costs $430.00 retail, that is a big price to pay for a storage medium. A 1TB SSD is currently only available for enterprize SAN environments and cost in excess of $3K.

 

So for the benefits of performance of SSD, there is still a big price tag to pay, and limited space, with a far shorter lifespan over mechanical drives (2 to 3 years on average if power cycled once a day, off to on then off, and the amount of write cycles performed per day). This latter lifecycle covered very well by Tom's Hardware. And then as to these lifespans, to choose a SLC (single-layer cell) and MLC (multi-layer cell), the former much more expensive, but longer lasting than MLC, MLC now the mainstream of SSD's to keep cost down. So a lot ot consider in just saying, change over.

 

Regards

 

 

Oh, and it's enterprise by the way

 

Spell checker set it as enterprize, and I never checked.

[codechris 9]

 

Samsung 1TB 850 PRO SSD

£355.85 Ex VAT

£427.02 Inc VAT

 

Expensive, but readily available for consumer market. Most, if not all people, have a SSD and HDD in their systems. One for files and one for games/applications they need speed out of. I have games I need speed on the SSD and some older games that don't need it so much on the HDD. Simple

 

[Pastaiolo 1,688]

Codechris already jumped in and said what i mostly wanted to say regarding Screwbottle.

 

I'll just point out again that:

 

1) It's possible to install games on different drives despite where Steam is installed

2) FSX-SE since the last patch works in Steam Offline mode

3) FSX users are spoiled by the fact that FSX development stopped with SP2, years and years ago.  This is NOT what usually happens, things gets broken, repaired, people adapt. If this is too much for you, i suggest you play consoles. Then you can come back to us and talk about a controlled environment.

4) Beein born in 1989, i don't think i am one of the most recent generations that, sure, might approach simulator games. Most of us still started playing like they did, crashing around, flying without following regulations or anything. There is no difference in generation on that.

 

It's you against over 8 MILLIONS people using Steam i am afraid.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,966]

Andrew,

 

I've just priced the Samsung 850 Evo 500Gb SSD and it's £148 or $230. The 840 Evo 240Gb is £137 or $213.

 

There was a time when these cost £1 per Gb so prices are definitely down over the last few years. I had to look at your profile to see where "my country" was and I see you're in South Africa. The exchange rate with the dollar has not been favourable to you which is another factor to consider. Your prices in USD don't seem too different to those in the UK.

[MarkW 1,493]

Constant defraging is getting annoying, I should really upgrade.

 

When I built my current computer a few years ago the SSD's were out of my budget so I went with two Cavair Black drives at 1 TB.   One has the OS and storage, the other has FSX and now FSX-SE.  I have resisted moving over to SSD's because I would have to re-install everything and I really don't want to go through that especially since I am probably going to build a new computer once the next series of chips comes out from Intel later this year.

Mark. You really should swap to a SSD. Prices are pretty reasonable now and performance is so much better.

 

You can use free software like Aomei Backupper to mirror the FSX drive onto an SSD. I still have a mechanical drive but it's used only for my downloads and the page file.

 

I swapped the hard drive in my laptop for an SSD and the whole process took less than an hour.

 

Now that is a good idea!!  My big hangup was all the work involved moving over.  Actually I own Acronis so would it be possible to backup my C (OS) and F(FSX / FSX-SE) drives to Acronis and then restore them to the SSD's ?

Andrew,

 

I've just priced the Samsung 850 Evo 500Gb SSD and it's £148 or $230. The 840 Evo 240Gb is £137 or $213.

 

There was a time when these cost £1 per Gb so prices are definitely down over the last few years. I had to look at your profile to see where "my country" was and I see you're in South Africa. The exchange rate with the dollar has not been favourable to you which is another factor to consider. Your prices in USD don't seem too different to those in the UK.

 

Samsung 850 EVO is $149 for 250GB and $259 for 500GB here in Canada.

[tf51d 284]

My info is quite correct Thank you! And I disagree with you, Steam is very controlling. As another example, try and install any Steam game where you wish on your SDD or HDD's, like one can easily do with standalone downloadable or boxed products, this being done for many and whatever reasons. So a digital distribution platform with CONTROL.

 

Well at least in Canada as of Jan this year, the practice of Auto updates, may now be illegal according to this story! If so Steam will have to change it's ways up there.

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/16/canada_deceptive_install_regs/

[MarkW 1,493]

Well at least in Canada as of Jan this year, the practice of Auto updates, may now be illegal according to this story! If so Steam will have to change it's ways up there.

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/16/canada_deceptive_install_regs/

 

We have all been signing forms from financial institutions to doctors and dentists to allow them to contact us and comply with this legislation.  If it works as well as the do not call list we have here in Canada it will essentially mean lots of red tape for legitimate businesses and no deterrent at all for the spammers.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,966]

 

 

Now that is a good idea!! My big hangup was all the work involved moving over. Actually I own Acronis so would it be possible to backup my C (OS) and F(FSX / FSX-SE) drives to Acronis and then restore them to the SSD's ?

 

Acronis will have a Disk Clone option which is what you need. An exact mirror image of a hard drive. Easy peasy. :smile:

 

Samsung 850 EVO is $149 for 250GB and $259 for 500GB here in Canada.

 

The 850 Pro will be a better choice than the Evo. Costlier but a better quality drive. Prices not dissimilar to the UK.

[codechris 9]

+1 for the Pro. I see no reason to buy the Evo at all

[Ray Proudfoot 8,966]

+1 for the Pro. I see no reason to buy the Evo at all

 

I bought one for my second PC that runs FS-related software over WideFS. So far so good.