First impressions of X-Plane.... not great

[bonchie 2,305]

Best advice is to buy the F33A or V35 Bonanza and buy the REP expansion pack for it. $26 + 20.

 

XP, like FSX, needs good add on aircraft. Don't bother with the default.

[CarlosF 1,243]

 

 

stability feels unnatural to you.

 

You meant to say "Flying on rails" right!

[CarlosF 1,243]

I have all three sims and when you get right down to it they all are games with very little resemblance to real world flight dynamics.

 

...and I would add what MortenM pointed out previously and I quote him: "But remember, an aircraft will never be better than it's designer in any sim"

 

Two very true statements indeed!

 

Let's stop this nonsense of what sim is better, enjoy what ever sim you like, or even better enjoy them all. 

[Denco 48]

So this thread went off the rails a bit.   There is a lot of great information though.  Unfortunately I didn't get to hop back in XP last night but I will this weekend.  

 

So far I have:

Turn down sensitivity on yoke

 

This one is very important. Once u get used of doing small movements on your stick or yoke, which ever you use, you will find that flying in xplane is the most calming thing ever. I don't know why some are saying that they are fighting their controllers while flying, but I suspect its the improper control configuration. I'm currently flying in a 732 from FlySim and its the most calm experience I've ever had. Same with GA planes. 

[ryanbatc 13,025]

Also note that the turbulence in XP is overdone - so maybe you were flying with weather and the sim depicted turbulence...  that's one thing I don't like about XP.  Try flying in clear weather to make sure it's not the turbulence bouncing you around.  Once you get the joystick settings you want go back to turbulence.

[CarlosF 1,243]

This is for all the one's that are complaining and ranting about XP...let me tell ya one simple reality...

 

If you ever take the time to setup your controls right, get on IXEG's 737, fire it up, get it up in the air, forget about the FMC and A/P, grab a hold of the yoke and hand fly it, if you ever do that, I will grantee your so called immersion experience with FSX/P3D (PMDG, etc etc) will be spoiled for ever and you will NOT look back...guaranteed.

[LAdamson 240]

Suggestion.  Keeping in mind, that I don't even really like real life 172s. A bit slow, and don't climb as much as I'd like in a mountain environment.....

 

Get the AirFoil Labs Cessna 172 SP, and fly XP-10 in a night environment.  City lights and the runway look, can't be beat (unless it's a very rural area, where I prefer Orbx night lighting for FSX).  I've been running this 172 in calm weather & turbulence. It trims very well!  And with simulated turbulence, it's also very close to perfection. Just ride out the bounces without worrying about moving the yoke all over the place. Last evening, I just held my joystick still, as the plane bobbed all over the place with heavy real weather turbulence. In real life, the stick/yoke will move, just because the flight surfaces are moving them. We as pilots, are not making a ton of corrections, even if it looks like it on video.  Actually, the simulated yoke is moving too!

 

As to the panel being in ones face, mine is setup to where I see the full six pac, and top of the yokes. Looking out the side windows works real well here. Actually much better than other simulated Cessna's, where I'm looking too high, as I scan side to side.  As has been mentioned before, this plane suffers just a hair, when applying throttle, and the nose wanting to turn to the left, before really moving. Most sim planes have that tendency. Once on the roll, the right rudder feels just right, through the roll & initial climb. Then it dissipates  

 

All in all, I like this X-Plane experience, as it's very authentic. A plane with enough realistic stability, to actually mouse some radio knobs, without loosing control.   This plane even slows down realistically (aerodynamic braking) , without slamming on the brakes or rolling forever. 

[ryanbatc 13,025]

This is for all the one's that are complaining and ranting about XP...let me tell ya one simple reality...

 

If you ever take the time to setup your controls right, get on IXEG's 737, fire it up, get it up in the air, forget about the FMC and A/P, grab a hold of the yoke and hand fly it, if you ever do that, I will grantee your so called immersion experience with FSX/P3D (PMDG, etc etc) will be spoiled for ever and you will NOT look back...guaranteed.

 

I use both sims and enjoy both....  but some things I don't like in XP and some I don't like in P3D - I biatch about both on these forums....  Just because you're reading my complaints on the XP forums doesn't mean you won't find my complaints on the P3D forums.

[LAdamson 240]

This is for all the one's that are complaining and ranting about XP...let me tell ya one simple reality...

 

If you ever take the time to setup your controls right, get on IXEG's 737, fire it up, get it up in the air, forget about the FMC and A/P, grab a hold of the yoke and hand fly it, if you ever do that, I will grantee your so called immersion experience with FSX/P3D (PMDG, etc etc) will be spoiled for ever and you will NOT look back...guaranteed.

As a general rule, I don't fly airliners. I hand fly everything, unless it's auto-pilot due to a long flight and I want to look at the scenery, or just terribly annoying flight dynamics (which many sim planes have).   Some day, I might try the IXEG 737.  In the meantime, I won't just totally switch, and not look back. I find very favorable moments with both sims. For instance, the new Orbx Tapini scenery for FSX/P3D is fantastic for a mountain environment with runways built into the mountain sides. Unlike X-Plane, where many default runways don't really work, due to a lack of scenery elevation points, the Orbx product has a lot of time spent on designing it. It's a truely fun experience, even though I'm using A2A's Piper Cherokee or RealAir Lancair for it. I can think of better planes suited for the environment.  These are my thoughts, which are different from others. I like hand flying, and realistic flight models to do so. Both sim platforms are releasing some great models these days.  I'm having a good time getting back into simulation, after not doing so much for the last year. I'm actively purchasing addons for both sims.

[CarlosF 1,243]

Just because you're reading my complaints on the XP forums doesn't mean you won't find my complaints on the P3D forums.

 

"biatching" as you have put it and complaining won't fix anything, but positive feedback does.

[carguy4471 19]

"biatching" as you have put it and complaining won't fix anything.

 

Valid point but well off topic.  If you aren't contributing something I can do to improve my XP and resolve complaints in the OP then I find your comment equally useless.  

 

Thank you to those that threw in some tips for me.  I'll be watching to see if some more useful hits and tips are shared.  I appreciate them all.   

[ohsirus 241]

The fact that people are actively debating XPX vs the "Standard Others" is a triumph as I don't recall this much banter for XP9. I'm just happy to finally have a modern alternative.

[CarlosF 1,243]

 

 

I find your comment equally useless

 

lol...It was never meant to be useful, I was just replying to a useless comment, that is all. But you are right its all about your first impressions and finding the help you need.

 

 

'Im just happy to finally have a modern alternative.

 

+1

 

That makes two of us.

[leinsters 42]

@carguy4471, and anybody else struggling with X-Plane, it's just like FSX and all sims before it, in that you kind of have to commit to making it work, and when you do, and you discover, mesh, and objects/mapping blended with ortho-photos (kind of like a free version of ORBX), coupled with *uneven runways*, there's really no going back to FSX/P3D. But it takes a while... honestly it took me about a year. Trying it out and concluding FSX is better etc. etc. and then one day it all just clicked and I found I didn't startup FSX for months, despite missing the wonderful Majestic Dash 8, and PMDG 777.

 

Each to their own, these are good times for flight simming. Look at how well BoS and DCS are doing. I count myself very lucky!

[Poppet 710]

 

 

Get the AirFoil Labs Cessna 172 SP,

 

I haven't bought it yet,  but it looks like a great GA plane with plenty of depth to it