My comparisons

[warbirds 555]

Got FSX SE all tweaked and loved it, that is until I got PD3 V3. 

 

I have tried all the previous versions of PD3 and returned them all in favor of the good old FSX sim but this PD3 version, V3, is something else again. 

 

After tuning V3 and using it for a day or so I decided to download the AXE (Airbus bundle). I started up PD3 V3 and FSX SE one at a time with the Bus on the runway at Des Moines. All sliders maxed in SE and most sliders maxed in V3. 

 

First the color and brightness of V3 just plain kills SE. V3 looks like daylight and SE looks like a dull winter day even with clear sunny settings. V3 just has better color and a much brighter life like look. 

 

The outside view of the Bus in SE was nice but it seemed to blend in with the bland look of everything around it. The outside view of the Bus in V3 showed more clarity and the bus looks like it stood out from the background,,sort of like it was really there and not part of a painting and was almost 3 dimensional. 

 

Interior seemed about the same but it is there that  V3 showed off it's exclusive cockpit mip mapping. Mip mapping can take away those jiggly blurry lines around the instruments and numbers and text. In SE I had to use NI 8x Sparse Grid Supersampling to make the cockpit panel and gauges clear but I don"t  need that with V3 because of the Mip Mapping setting. Nice work and thanks for that. 

 

Terrain and houses and such. Ok here is the deal sealer for sure guys. In FSX SE I have the graphic settings full on and yet even at low altitude the terrain looks washed out and a bit blurry. What the heck did V3 do to make the terrain and buildings all look like an Orbx addon? It is so good that I am not going to migrate my Global or Vector into V-3. 

 

Ok all that and then there is the shadows. if you can run V3 with all shadows (even the little plants can have shadows) than you are in for a real low flying treat. flying over that Orbx look alike terrain and seeing real shadows from the trees and houses and light poles and - well you would just have to see it to believe it. Nothing like it in SE, nothing even close. 

 

And more - Cloud shadows and reflections in the water. About those V3 clouds,,how did they manage to make them look like my SE REX 4 soft clouds? Again I will not need to install any add on clouds because, to me, the V3 clouds look full, rich and fluffy enough. 

 

As you can see I quit including SE in my description a couple paragraphs up because it just didn't compare anymore. These are my observations and you may have different ones or think I am off my meds but for me this V3 is a keeper.

[neucoas 82]

Seems that you really liked it! How about performance ?

[Michael Moe 494]

+1

 

I was also really surpriced by the default experience of P3Dv3.

 

I have put in Global and OpenLC EU though(which i find better) with very little if no FPS hit at all . But you are totally right.

 

The roads in P3Dv3 is also enhanced for sure (all though i did install UTX2.1 EU only the roads)

 

Seeing shadows from moving traffic is also great

 

Michael Moe

[warbirds 555]

Ok performance. In SE (see above first post for how I compared) fps were about 35 40 - with V3 about the same in all situations. 

 

But,,and it's a big but (no not butt, but). SE had all sliders maxed but PD3 V3 has more things to max such as hdr, tessellation, shadows, and such so to really compare I would have to shut down half of my V3 settings.

 

What I am saying  is you get more burger with your V3  mac than with your SE wendy's. Or in other words you get more eye candy  cranked  in V3 to equal the same fps you get with  SE with much less eye candy (no everything shadows, no cockpit mip mapping, no hdr, no tessellation, and more)

 

More bang for the frame rate with V3 for sure. 

[pmanhart 176]

You've got that right Paul, couldn't agree with you more!

[JLSeagull 191]

Nailed it in one Paul!  :Applause:  Such a shame that so many others don't quite see it the way that we do. It might be an 'olderness' thing?

[warbirds 555]

To be honest I resisted for several versions. I tried them all and decided to go back to FSX and then FSX SE,,,but this version, V3,  is so much better that I am keeping it.

 

And now FSX SE will leave my SSD to make room for the soon to be released Fallout 4. 

[JLSeagull 191]

Fallout 4? ... Does the Avatar in V3 do parachuting as well?  ....And there was me thinking that you were a sensible simmer Paul!  lol     

[warbirds 555]

Lol, I have been playing the Fallout games for some time now and looking forward to this new installment. At 71 you would think I would grow up a bit but no,,I still play games and currently into GTA5. 

 

As for the Avatar I have not even tried it yet and not sure I know how or where to find it.

[warbirds 555]

I finally tried out the avatar and one thing about it that I might change is the avatar look. I tried out the avatar and went to a night scene. I thought I had it in first person mod so I would not see my own face but when I turned around there I was staring at me. If freaked me a bit and I thought for sure it was a Zombie !!

 

Well off to Paint Shop Pro and some graphic editing for this guy.

 

Zombie or ?

[Mickeyj 35]

Hi Paul,

 

thanks for the observation. I dont have FSX nor SE but there is a big difference between v2.5 and v3 also and that is the memory management and overall performance anyway. v3 is definitely one of the biggest steps towards in HQ sim experience.

[jcomm 5,890]

My biggest problem is having wasted my money on 2.5 just 5 weeks before v3 was released :-/

 

I will not pay again for it, until v4 ( preferably announced as 64 bit ready ) becomes available.

 

I was satisfied with v2.5's performance, but actually reverted back to FSX:SE because i decided I wouldn't pay again for my PMDG NGX and my A2As...

[FLAPS15 8]

Hi Paul,

 

I run FSX SE in DX10 would you say that P3D is now better or would the milage be well not the same of course...but just better all round.

 

I can run the AS  Airbus ok and use UT2 ASN various big Airports, no low level stuff. Like you I have had other versions but they went back due to issue with  well in my case...lets say it was not fluid...as it could be..it was very poor on side views and banking which kills immersion.

 

I am keen to have another go but LM refund is a one time deal whether this is per version I am not sure..so I am reluctant to jump again but may do the months trial. I only run a i7 2600 oc 4.5 970 4gb 16gb mem so it may not cut it. But if it is starting to become that much smoother it will be the way forward.

 

All the best

 

Mark

[warbirds 555]

Ok, no more Zombie,,,here is my new avatar

 

 

 

 

 

Well he still does look a little bit like a Zombie in a flying jacket.

[Bobsk8 12,579]

P3D's walking dead.