Is it worth it?

[carrotroot 77]

A bit side tracked, but those Spanish house style models look great. Also is that apart of the new autogen tech for w2xp?

[RichUK 474]

I think this is a great conversation to have. It isn't really too far away from my original question.

 

If only I could get my x-plane.org validation email I'd be all set with some saitek drivers. LOL It seems that X Plane has been fighting me all the way so far!

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

 

 

If you install X-Plane, FSX/P3D won't go anywhere and you can use whatever sim takes your fancy.

------------------------------------------------

That's what I always postured.  Why does it have to be going from a sim...to a sim...with the death of the others!?!?!?   Load them all...and fly them according to the flight you wish for...and the best suited platform, for THAT flight...  No ying or yang....

[codechris 9]

Yes I think "convert" was a bad choice of words. I don't use "convert" to IL2 when I play it

[mdavis 10]

With regard to scenery, you can blow FSX / P3D away with freeware in XP10 compared to the small fortune you'll pay to bring FSX / P3D to the same level.  It isn't entirely fair to compare default to default when XP has encouraged users to create custom airports when they need them rather than relying on expensive payware or random autogen in FSX / P3D.

[alpha12125 213]

110% agree!

 

So this brings me full circle to the debate about LM resources on Mobile vs Desktop.

 

Perhaps Desktop would make a LOT more money (way more people) if LM would put some resources into actually addressing the reasons people don't use XPX in higher numbers and the reasons devs don't make stuff for it.

 

This gets me back to my lifelong frustration with Austin.  I can't figure out if he doesn't get it, doesn't care, both....doesn't even *want* XP to be a huge player - maybe is just bad at business decisions or not good at strategy and forecasting correct market decisions for his product....

 

...on and on.

 

But at the end of the day your reasons are spot on why nobody develops for XPX and I think it will always be stuck in no mans land until LM addresses the tools and resources to make dev'ing for XP viable, enjoyable and manufacturer supported and endorsed more.

 

I think you grossly overestimate the market for fully fleged flightsimulators. Even AAA companies are all rushing onto the mobile market because it is the future. With admiration of maybe 100.000 people in the flightsim community you cannot pay anything and never will be a huge player. Even xp9 mobile sold around 500k units granted at a lower price but way less capable then xp10 mobile..

 

You want to know the most successfull flightsimulator in 5 years ? Dovetails new flightsim will be out in 1 or 2 years, and then after another 1 or 2 years will have a marketshare of 80%. I will actually bet money on that. It will be a semi serious sim, that has nice graphics, missions and gives you the feeling you are actually flying the plane and also have some sort of accomplishment. You will buy a 747 dlc with 50 missions for 25$ and be able to fly it with a small tutorial of 5 min and people will love it.  I have a very pro gaming circle of friends that play games, but 95% of them don't get my passion for flightsimming, they don't understand how i could sit 3h and longer in cruise and pretend to be an airline pilot. And that is the sad reality, the serious simmers are not really important in the global context.

 

Austin gets it more then alot of people give him credit for, granted he does it his own way and development has always been painfully slow but there has always been progress. He moved to 64bit at a time where he didnt have to and now we reap the benefits. He uses the mobile client as a recruiting tool for the desktop client and according to phillip it is working. He always says he doesnt want a 50 man company, he wants to stay small and  that is what he is doing.

[alulekk 3]

@Alpha:

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying.

 

Not sure if you meant to, but you're making a really compelling case for being all in on Prepar3d since they actually have a viable commercial business model around their product and us small end users get to tag along and reap the benefits.

 

They will go 64 bit at some point which will just further cement XP to the niche I'd imagine.

[codechris 9]

I remember Froolgesim stating that he saw an estimate that Euro Truck Sim 2 had more players then the Flight Sim community. Elite Dangerous is pretty big, and driving too, I mean the force feedback settings in Project Cars is stunningly detailed, far more then just arcade game. Flight sim is a small out fit though, and I agree with you there alpha12125 that my friends too don't get why I would enjoy it, it must be tough making money in this part of the gaming world.

 

You want to know the most successfull flightsimulator in 5 years ? Dovetails new flightsim will be out in 1 or 2 years, and then after another 1 or 2 years will have a marketshare of 80%. I will actually bet money on that. It will be a semi serious sim, that has nice graphics, missions and gives you the feeling you are actually flying the plane and also have some sort of accomplishment. You will buy a 747 dlc with 50 missions for 25$ and be able to fly it with a small tutorial of 5 min and people will love it. 

 

 

I wouldn't bet on that too much, check the Steam shop reviews, a lot of negative reviews. And if you look at a DLC that I myself purchased, the High Speed link in Kent, I was as disappointed as a lot of people to only find 2 scenarios for it. And when train sim, while there is a skill, it's nothing compared to flying, so what makes it is good scenarios with trying to get good times in tricky signal situations. So 2 out the box is disappointing. But the scenery looked good, very exact (I guess it helps Dovetail are based on that line) and the train model looked right. Given that, it's hard for me to imagine them modelling the systems of a 747, for example. Even a really cut down one. But, we shall see.

[Paraffin 2,197]

@Alpha:

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying.

 

Not sure if you meant to, but you're making a really compelling case for being all in on Prepar3d since they actually have a viable commercial business model around their product and us small end users get to tag along and reap the benefits.

 

They will go 64 bit at some point which will just further cement XP to the niche I'd imagine.

 

Are you aware that there is an FAA-certified "Pro" version of X-Plane?

 

Quoting from the web site: "The certified software is available for $500 to $1,000 per copy from PFC and Fidelity and the hardware runs from $5,000 to $500,000."

 

As "casual" users, we amateur sim pilots are just here for the ride, wherever Austin wants to take us.

 

That's okay with me, given what's available so far. And I still think we have a better chance going forward than Lockheed Martin and P3D, with many more (and better paying) defense contract irons in the fire. Heck, they can all retire on the F-35 overruns alone...

[Anxu00 176]

 

 

I ordered the DVD(s). I'm not a big fan of demo's. I'm a jump right in kinda guy. Thanks for the difference between Steam and the DVD version too!
You guys rock!

Go slow, and above all don't delete your P3D yet.  I have both, but unlike you I don't have OOM with P3D.  Get ready to buy payware airplanes.  Look around before you plunk down some money for XPX.  I am waiting for XPX to release a good weather injector, have the visibility bug fixed before I jump back in.  

 

Good luck.

[LAdamson 240]

With regard to scenery, you can blow FSX / P3D away with freeware in XP10 compared to the small fortune you'll pay to bring FSX / P3D to the same level.  It isn't entirely fair to compare default to default when XP has encouraged users to create custom airports when they need them rather than relying on expensive payware or random autogen in FSX / P3D.

I have no desire to create airports. I work full time, and divide what extra time I have, between three different hobbies. I'll buy scenery or airplanes when they're on sale. Sometimes it takes me a month or two, before I'll even install them. I do make donations here and there, to freeware designers. It's only fair, since I don't do it myself. 

 

On the other hand, I'd probably create airports with perfection, because it's the way I do things. Maybe in another few years, when I retire.  They'd just have to look like the real thing.

[alulekk 3]

Are you aware that there is an FAA-certified "Pro" version of X-Plane?

 

.

Yes I am.

The pro software is the same. It's just a license at a high price for professional usage scenarios.

[Anxu00 176]

 

 

Dovetails new flightsim will be out in 1 or 2 years, and then after another 1 or 2 years will have a marketshare of 80%

Nah, after 1-2 years, I predict they will close shop and quit.  FlightSim takes way more work, not like you can drive a decent car.  

[alulekk 3]

you can blow FSX / P3D away with freeware in XP10 compared to the small fortune you'll pay to bring FSX / P3D to the same level.

 

 

 

If you're talking about the UHD Mesh stuff or roll your own ortho w/g2xpl, fine, but most of us need more than the mesh of mountains to look good.

 

And when you're simultaneously complaining about "small fortune to bring FSX/P3D" to that level you are actually highlighting the exact problem Laminar is having!  (they apparently can't make money on anything but mobile)

 

Also, show me a full region pack for XPX that does anything like an OrbX pack.  One example with commercial products for the same area would be the PNW USA.

 

Closest thing for XPX to OrbX would be Inside Passage/Boeing Country pack and that simply pales in comparsion (I have them all), so really, no matter how much you spend on XPX you can't even get feature parity with an FSX or P3D product at all.

[ryanbatc 12,845]

I fly all three the major sims (XP10/FSX/P3D) - they all offer something a little different for the type of flying I do (90% GA)

 

XP10 is not without tweaking just like the other sims...

 

You also need some decent addons (some free, some pay)....  I think there are great suggestions in this thread.

 

I actually only bought the regional disc from amazon...  30 bucks and I'm content with North America.

 

Some solid GA addons:

Freeware Eclipse 2.0 (at The Org)

Piaggio Avanti II mod (at The Org)

SBach 300 (Org)

Carenado stuff (payware) - BE9L is my favorite so far but the C206 is very good too!

X-Aviation Saab 340 (Leading Edge Simulations) - not really GA but I fly as N number

X-Aviation MU-2

Aerobask Lancair Legacy and recent EPIC 1000