FS10: Tiny Improvements (Suggestions)

[MM 422]

We are all real enthusiasts and would like to see FS10 turn out well. Here is an attempt to send some "suggestions" of small improvements that (one hopes) require little change and at the same time provide a useful benefit.Crash Scene InvestigationOn detecting a "crash" or "overstress", FS10 the goes immediately into "Pause" mode and asks the user what to do. Importantly, FS10 should allow the user to (a) save the flight recording so that the crash can be studied and the causes determined. (Alternatively, the user can also choose to (:( recommence the flight at some pre-recorded point, © go back to the "create a flight" screen, or simply (d) shut down.)Love to hear other "tiny" improvements that people might have in mind. Best,Mike MacKuen

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I like the suggestion allowing a user to backtrack to some point before the crash--it would encourage more users to use the crash detection feature since right now the flight simply terminates.One tiny improvement I'd like to see actually reverts to something available in FS2002. In FS2002, you could pan the view in the VC regardless of the view direction you had chosen. In FS2004, you can only pan the view if you are looking forward in the VC. It makes it slightly more difficult to "check for traffic" in VC mode vs. FS2002. -John

[rightseat 277]

I'd like them to use the smallest file sizes possible while still making it look like it's supposed to. Afterall, FS can be improved upon if people want better looking textures. It's hard, I think, to make it run better by reducing quality and texture sizes to get better results. I could be wrong, but I'd like that above all things.

[Guest]

There we go again...Let's also add the virtual FAA. If you infringe on any airspace regulations or other aviation law FS pauses and your virtual pilot license is withdrawn pending a full investigation which takes several months to complete (in real time).During that time you can start FS but will be prevented with questionaires and interviews with VFAA investigators who will over time establish whether your license will be restored to you or permanently cancelled (in which case FS will delete itself from your harddisk in such a way as to prevent future installation).

[John_Cillis 2,406]

If you don't like such threads Jeroen, you are more than welcome to bow out of the forums. Flippant answers don't keep you in anyone's good graces. Even if there are dozens of such threads, they offer good ideas and quite often original ones--so please stay out of them if your intent is to step on the thread with sarcasm.-John

[RFields5421 1]

Make the user aircraft parking codes work like the AI aircraft.

[chumley 0]

It is very clear from the number of MSFS personnel 'blogging' that they spend time cruising through forums such as this to get a feel the direction the SIM community is headed or wants to head. Who knows perhaps some of their 'anonymous' personnel may be the authors of some of these snippets.Some of these 'gems' may well one day turn up in a new version. I agree that Mr Negativity should either shut up or stay out or both.Andy b

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[Guest floridafox]

I would love to see more scenery like the FreeFlow Florida scenery. Since its release I probably spend 10 hours in Florida to every 1 anywhere else. Surely if the guys at FreeFlow can create such brilliant landclass scenery the guys at MS could.Another thing that would be kind of cool is if they added the ability to create your own

[timest 472]

One thing for sure.... clouds casting shadows. That is what gives "depth". Also tree sizes. I feel like I am flying 10 ft. off the ground and 50 mph most of the time. :)My 2 cents worth.RegardsTim

[Guest beana51]

Yes, cloud reflections on he ground. One other Little thing would be the nighttime glow in the sky of the larger cities from distance. Remember the expression "Its the economy stupid?" "Well its the scenery stupid". Once again the promise of FS10, will offer us some gimmick,another hint of what it could be.We will all run to get it.And once again the simmers will rely on the wealth of designer talent out there .I believe,like FS9,FS10 will,again be the default simulator.The vehicle for many others to improve on.Lets face it, Microsoft cannot satisfy everyone.Not for the price they ask for it. I for one will continue to look for what the planes,and scenery people come up with.Either for money,or as gifts. They truly are the backbone of our Sim world. Not for them,FS is just some clever game.If you doubt that,why go and delete all you put in to FS9.Then you will have that great new FS9,just like he first day ya got it"AS real as it can get" Remember??Meanwhile" GOD bless MICROSOFT,Long may they continue to provide us with this remarkable simulator. "DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY,FOR THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" VIN

[JSkorna 137]

Hi All,To back track in any flight just use Pete's AutoSave. This has been out for a real long time now. Works on landings, physical crashes, computer crashes, and CTD's and any other situation.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

[Guest Peter Sidoli]

JohnI take your point to Jeroen as there is always this conflict between realism and game and there has to be a respect for those whos wishes are for fun elements within the sim.Having said that Jeroens reply did bring a smile to my face not because it was belittling the author of the suggestion but becuase Jeroens reply is typically real and isnt that what we all so crave?;-)I personally have always been against simulation of crashes in FS because having lost three friends to aviation crashes and having attended the funerals I personally gain no pleasure from simulated crashes or see no lessons to be learnt from such an addition in the sim.The best lesson would be partial realism ie take off the nose wheel and loose the use of the aircraft for an equivalent time that it would take to repair such an aircraft real world.Have a serious crash and loose the aircraft off your hardrive for good.As real pilots we spend a lot of our time trying to avoid situations where people and aircraft are damaged or destroyed. I respect the authors suggestion from a gaming point but for my own reasons would not wish that myself.Peter

[jbroadwa 0]

Hi everyone,I've never answered one of these posts before, but since we know Microsoft does visit the forums from time to time, I thought, "Why not?" So, here is my not-so-short list of some updates that I feel would really add to the flight simulator. 1) A weather radar would be great. FS9 presented us a wonderful new weather engine, but all of our planes (even the big jets) were deprived of knowing what the weather was outside the plane. It would be great to have this little gem of a gauge included. 2) I'm sure they are going to do it, but I will mention it anyway. Continue updating ATC. Emergency requests (afterall, we can fail engines randomly in the simulator), re-routing due to weather, checking weather along the route, and SID/STAR requests would be great. 3) Similar to 2), add the ability to put SID/STARs in the flight planner (unless I'm just missing something already in FS9 - feel free to correct me here) and add alternate destination airports to the plan.4) Fix the dreaded "blurries" (scenery tiles that blur until they "pop" into focus just as your plane goes over them). On a similar note, it would be great if the scenery tiles could have better resolution than 4.75m per pixel. 5) I liked the earlier idea about scenery being as realistic as FreeFlow Florida or Ultimate Terrain. This should be hopefully easy to do and great for VFR flying. I know it may require more space, but I think (and hope) DVD drives are pretty standard on computers now. 6) Fix the crossing runway problems with ATC. It would be nice if ATC could assign one runway for departures and a crossing runway for arrivals as is done at airports like BWI. 7) Continue improving the great weather engine. I would refer to ASV as they have some great features such as updrafts/downdrafts near mountain ridges and better interpolation across weather stations. 8) I know lots of folks would like to see the flight dynamics updated. The fact you can't spin the Cessna when the FAA requires you to do so to get a certified flight instructor license is one of those little things that would be great to have. 9) Having designed some scenery now, it would be wonderful if the scenery engine could really take advantage of the alpha channels in the textures. For instance, when making textures transparent, sometimes they allow you to see directly though not only the polygon they are mapped to, but also any polygons that are behind the current one. Also, it would be great if when interpreting the alpha channel as reflective, the scenery engine could provide true reflections. It would be neat to see your airplane pull up to a gate and watch the reflection in the terminal windows. 10) Finally, a better, more robust way to do animations (such as moving jetways, car traffic near airports, ground vehicles on the tarmac, etc) would be appreciated. Right now we are forced to use short loops and they are not that easy to put in the scenery. Ok, sorry to have rambled, but there are just so many neat things that could be done with the simulator. Having written these down and looked at them, it really is incredible what the simulator already does. Thanks,Joshua

[Guest]

That was indeed the point. Nothing belittling, just having some fun taking the obvious craving for realism of the OP to its logical conclusion.

[RFields5421 1]

"3) Similar to 2), add the ability to put SID/STARs in the flight planner (unless I'm just missing something already in FS9 - feel free to correct me here) and add alternate destination airports to the plan."Kind of. You have to know the STAR or DP and be able to find the intersections or other waypoints and add them to the created flight plan section. But you can fly published procedures, including STARS and DP with the default flight planner and GPS.Do the payware aircraft with the FMS systems simulate the "transition" legs from leaving the STAR to picking up the approach ?Can't say as I've seen anything as well as the FS2004 default system implements those.As far as alternates, you can refile IFR for an alternate in the air - which I understand is the procedure in the real world - could be wrong about that.The FS interface of having to basically pause the flight and open the flight planner is inordinately clunky. Wish there was a way to do it totally from the cockpit.FS2004 is brilliant about using the GPS to change the flight plan and select a new airport and approach.Wish we could also make the ATC know about the change of destination.