I've owned many of those "serious" sims except elite which I could never really get into (tried every demo and just never impressed). I still find MS superior-for simming..."And not scenery, mesh, autogen and wingviews"When I flew for real to Asheville, Nc in instrument conditions a few weeks ago surrounded by some of the highest mountains in that chain I sure found the mesh and scenery (and real weather) very useful for practice before I went......http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

Game. Tim13

>And>not scenery, mesh, autogen and wingviews. ;-)>Wing views...........Excellent for real life aerobatic practice! :D

This ranks right up there with "Is the glass half empty, or half full?"It also has the same answer.Dan

I have to say that MSFS is a simulation and not realy a game. It simulates flying. Yes it is entertaining like many games, but most modern games have some sort of storyline that must be followed / completed. Even old arcade games are programed using this concept. I have also flown many different simulators including full phase III motion simulators in my career. All of those multi-million dollar simulators (which actual flight time can be logged) are just giant computers running simulation software, not too unlike MSFS.Simulations try to re-create real world things, like flying aircraft, modeling real world systems, ect, in a virtual computer world. I definately feel that MSFS falls into this catagory.Yes, people can approach MSFS as more of a game, but the fact is, it is still simulation software from a Comp-Sci stand point.An opinion from a real world pilot with a B.S. degree in Computer Information Systems....Happy SIMULATING!Scott :-)ATP/CFII/DA20 Type Rated - Instructor Pilot - USAFA (KAFF), Colorado Springs, CO & at KCOSAOPA #00956593, since 1987Background in Corporate, Airline, and General AviationB.S. Degree in CIS with computer programming experienceGamming System Specs: (Built this one myself)AMD Athlon-64 3000+ Gigabyte K8NS nForce3-250 Chipset 8x AGP Main Board 1GB DDR400 PC3200 Memory 160GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive 16x DVD-ROM Audigy 2ZS Gammer Sound Card5.1 Channel Surround Sound Speakers256MB GeForce-5700 8X AGP Video Dual 17" LCD and CRT monitorsCotytech Gaming CaseCH Products Yoke, Rudder Pedals, Throttle QuadrantSaitek Cyborg Gold Joystic for Helo's & Stick equipped aircrafteDimensional AudioFX force feedback vibration headsets & micWindows XP Pro SP2Home Network for using the Instructor StationFS9COF Sliders maxed with other settings at their best quality positions

Definition:a machine that simulates an environment for the purpose of training or researchIf you ask me as a professional pilot, MSFS would fall under that category. In addition, I think if you are not a real pilot how would you know if it simulates the real world or not. For me, I can see lots of advantages of MSFS for a beginning pilot. As well, under certain conditions you CAN log the it in the log book as simulator training too. So if you can use it for real world training, it is DEFINATELY a simulator. Just look at F1 ATR and their relationship with Aerospatiale.

I would say it's a Simulation Game.Ben-5150

I am preparing to take my IFR checkride and this "simulator" has given me many many hours of relatively inexpensive training time. Combining FS9 with real world approach plates has accelerated my learning(according to my flight instructor) and reinforced the IFR procedures that I have been taught in the real world. It is definitely not a game from my flight training perspective, it is a valuble training tool, that when combined with real world flying, my instructor, ground school, and textbooks has made me a better pilot.It can be a game or a simulator, depending how you use it. It is definitely capable of simulating complex aviation situations accurately enough to go well beyond the definition of a game. At the same time the visual recreation of the flight environment is entertaining, mesmerizing, and stunning. I have often times fired up FS9 to be entertained, and that might fall into the "game" category.Note: No FS9 time can be officially logged as an IFR training device.-Shawn

Hmm,.. then what about Sim City,..or The Sims? Game or simulator?Couldn

>Hmm,.. then what about Sim City,..or The Sims? Game or>simulator?>>Couldn

The more the user knows about flying, the more it can be used as a simulator. Its potential as a simulator is only limited by the knowledge of the user.-Shawn

>The more the user knows about flying, the more it can be used>as a simulator. Its potential as a simulator is only limited>by the knowledge of the user.>>-ShawnPartly correct.But as long as Microsoft only leaves the addon developers with a 70 -80 % accuracy in the programming, the "limited user knowledge" means very little. ;-)Fly safe, Staffan AhlbergSweden/Stockholm/ESSAhttp://www.scandicair.com/images/dc9_banner.jpg"I will come and cut your lawn for a high quality DC8-63 system"[/color]My specs are:Dell Dimension 4600 P4/3.0 Ghz1024 Mb DDR333 Dual channel memory (2x256,1x512)128 Mb ATI Radeon 9800 ProOmega 2.5.58DirectX 9.0cW XP Home with SP1E171FPb Flat panel monitor 17"240Gb (2x120) 7200rpm HD

I think I have it. MSFS is a flight simulator in my opinion. So according to someone The Sims must be a simulator for training Psychoanilysts (I know ,,,, i spelt it wrong!). First person shooters are training for the national forces. Civilisation is simulation software for politicians. Star Wars Jedi Knight is simulation software for Yoda. X2 the threat is a simulator for space pilots and pirates.Er.... hang on a minute I just might be wrong there. I think I just spotted a difference. The others are games.Andrew Brown(I wonder what PONG was a simulator for)

Easy one this is..........................If your reality sliders are all fully left, it's a game. If they are fully right, it's a Sim.To me it's a Sim and it has given me untold pleasure and the satisfaction knowing that I could have done it for real, had I been 40 years younger than I am now.Dave T. .........On the lovely warm Devon Riviera and active 'FlightSim User's Group' member at http://www.flightsimgrpuk.free-online.co.uk/

Perhaps we should call it a `Ga-im`?It's not sufficiently accurate in default configuration to be a simulation, nor is it exciting or `goal orientated` enough to be a game, so it must be something in between.Once you add the aftermarket potential though, it can be anything you want it to be, sim or game. I prefer to fly it as a sim, but still using game elements such as choosing the weather, time compression, switching aircraft and all those other little things that destroy the definition of the product as a simulator. But I don't consider the goal to make money, keep virtual passengers `happy` or to gravitate from small GA to large passenger jets in career progression. So it's not a game either!Allcott