fsx-se WOW! the more they change, the more it stays the same

[Casualcas 830]

Hi All, and good to see familiar faces in here, and So sorry about the loss of Tom A, he was a good man. Its been years since I've been in here and I am picking up the hobby again,but never lost interest. I Just installed FSX Steam Edition for a look see until I get my new computer next week. Slow Holiday deliveries. UGH. It doesnt actually look much different than FS2004. Just curious though, how backward compatible is FSX with FS2004, FS2002, FS2000 scenery and Aircraft. I really would love to reinstall my much reviewed Maxview Cessna 310, and hopefully update it as Im sure its antiquated by now. 

Any other suggestions for good VFR flights? Textures, scenery, and or Mesh? if that still pertains. haha. I sound like such a noobie.

 

Godspeed.

[kiwikat 506]

Stock FSX might not look much different from FS9/2004, but with addons it really shines.  I couldn't imagine going back.  As far as compatibility goes, some FS9 aircraft work with some minor graphical issues, but anything older probably won't work.  Honestly I wouldn't spend much effort on FS9 (and older) models at this time unless your budget is really, really constrained.

 

If you enjoy the 310, you may want to check out the Milviz offering for FSX. http://milviz.com/flight/products/C310R/index.php

 

A2A Simulations has some awesome single engine GA aircraft as well as warbirds if you're into those.

 

 

A LOT of stuff has changed since those days though.  If you're genuinely interested in getting back into the hobby, feel free to PM me with questions and I'll help you any way I can.

[TheNerd 12]

Welcome back!

 

If you're still talking about the Maxview Cessna 310, then you're gonna be shocked by what we have now lol. If you want some single-engine GA planes, definitely check out A2A Simulations. Full simulations of their aircraft with deteriorating parts, engine wear, and more. I recommend their Comanche. If you want less complex but just as beautiful GA, look at Carenado, Alabeo, and Milviz. PMDG is the leading maker of virtual tubeliners.

 

As for scenery, I would highly recommend you look at some Orbx regions or if you want generic ground textures, look at Orbx FTX Global which also adds 3D night lights, perfect for VFR at night. Ground Environment X is a great and cheaper alternative. There's also photoreal scenery, but it's flat, so it's a no-go for me. Orbx Vector adds correct shorelines, railways, roads, but impacts performance a bit, especially in more complex aircraft. UTX does the same thing. FreeMeshX is a completely free mesh thing that provides all the correct elevations for the ground. Looks great. Orbx also offers "landclass" that you can buy which accurately places towns, cities, etc. For cloud, runway, taxiway, and sky textures REX 4 is what you're looking for. Active Sky Next is arguably the best weather generation program we have now, but there's also OpusFSI as well as some free ones which get the job done well.

 

If you want, check out the many YouTubers who do flight sim videos. And don't be afraid to ask here on the forums.

 

Hope this helps!