An Often Overlooked Feature of X-Plane

[Jimmy RFR 406]

So... I spent four hours last night with this flight simulation 'hobby', and not a single bit of it was spent flying. 

 

As many of us do, I run multiple sims. Between my laptop that I use for development, and my desktop that I use for actually flying, I have a *lot* of various sims installed.  Well, last week I chose to finally update P3D from 3.0 to 3.2, via a full uninstall / reinstall.  That part was okay.  Takes a bit to download, but easy enough.  However, last night I decided I'd reinstall all the bits and pieces that make P3D look good.... And fours hours later, I'm not even done yet.  I've got the basics installed, and most of it seems to be working okay with each other, but I have yet to install any custom airports, or any third party aircraft. 

 

This is where I find myself appreciating X-Plane more and more. 

 

LR should be given a lot of credit for creating a framework that is just so darn easy to work with. I know there's not nearly as much payware out there for X-Plane, and you don't have to deal with DRM on a good portion of it, but still. No complex installers, no messy workarounds with texture or autogen configuration files being updated by different developers in different ways...

 

When I compare the four hours I spent last night in P3D installing, testing, figuring out conflicts, determining why certain things weren't working together and researching how to make them work properly, testing again, etc... to the time I spend in XP installing scenery (copy folders, edit scenery_packs.ini, boot up sim, fly) or aircraft (copy folders, boot up sim, fly), it makes me shake my head.

 

I'm sorry to rant (and this rant is not sim specific, more ecosystem specific), but I think when people are looking at or comparing different sims, the simple ease of expanding X-Plane to fit the role you want is often overlooked. It's a feature, and a darn good one.

 

[FloB 34]

Couldn't agree more. X-Plane ecosystem is very easy to handle. Add, delete, move folders or files and that's it for the most part. Usually done in minutes. Update is also straightforward except for losing key assignments every now and then. And if you screwed up: run the installer and it will fix it in 5 minutes. Very cool.

 

Flo

[twiggys 41]

Jimmy;

 

Your assessment is so, so true, for the more part you unzip, drag and drop and you’re off flying..

[Chris Crawford 49]

It was pretty difficult for me (in terms of setting up axis', buttons and whatnot) at first. But, that was the only problem I had. Now that I've done it a few times, I realize how much easier it is compared to FSX in terms of setting up. You are definitely correct!

[alpilotx 505]

This is the advantage of a sim, which does not originate from the Windows ecosystem (where everything goes trough registry etc. etc.) ... but instead from Mac (which has its unix core), where people rather think in simple folders and a few config files. And of course, only this way can it function across all platforms (as it relies on basic features, which are not specific to any one of them).

[Jude Bradley 659]

Yes, very true. It's got an "open-source" feel about it. No nonsense mostly.

Delete the preferences files now and then and back to normal.

[SWVA4420 8]

Exactly!  Total config time for full X-Plane 10.45 + all addon aircraft/scenery/utils on a fresh Win7 install - about 5 hours.  Total time for full config of P3D & FSX-SE on same fresh Win7 install - 5+ DAYS!  It is a shame that virtually all other Flight sims are Win-based only....

[Guest JustanotherPilot]

Jimmy,

 

As a user of all the Prepar3D variants and now to P3Dv32, before that FSX and before that FS2004, etc, etc -  I couldn't agree more  with your analogy of many hours trying to tweak the system resulting in a 60 minute or less flight and the many addons needed that most times is included in X-Plane as stock. Having said that, I have also spent equal amounts of time trying to use the X-Plane interface, as much as I want to use X-Plane, to which I have also paid for 3rd party aircraft and scenery, I just can't grasp it. Call me stupid, or perhaps my brain is too ingrained in the FSX/P3D GUI that it refuses to try and learn the completely different key/control setup. I have searched in vain for an instructional video from a user who is conversant in FSX/P3D/X-Plane in the hope that a tutorial has been made on "How to use X-Plane from a FSX users point of view", there are none that I have found.

 

I am determined to be able to achieve a flight in X-Plane that resembles some form of normal, in that, I can start-taxi-takeoff-fly-land-taxi-shutdown without entering moments of frustration and much angst, after this maybe I can try some real flying in X-Plane. Until then, when I have some spare time I fire up X-Plane in hope that I will eventually get a handle on it.

 

Steve

[alexcolka 183]

I love the portability of x-plane and the easy management of the sim files, I love the ability to backup the whole sim to a usb drive or have multiple versions of it. I see the x-plane system as an OS inside another OS.

[jcomm 5,886]

Good point Jimmy, and indeed one of the best "features" of this sim, appart from being a great sim overall...

 

From an "uninstaller" point-of-view, I love reinstalling XpX... It can be as simpe as moving a backup copy of the X-Plane folder from one external storage unit, or using th eweb installer... Sometimes I wipe all stuff I have for it, including the backup... and since I no longer have the oruginal disks, which I offered to a friend, it can take a good deal of D/L time to install the full Earth Scenery, but heck -it's just a matter of time and absolutely NO tweaking required. Install amd go flying :-)

[tonywob 4,768]

Perfect for you Jose, you can just drag it into the trash can, and it's uninstalled ;-)

[jcomm 5,886]

Exactly !  :-)  heheh  But I don't mean that's what I am going to do... I'm on a good will move towards X-Plane 10 again! :-)