I also think that in the end everyone wants photoreal all over the world. But with accurately places buildings, of course. 

 

Oh, I don't think everyone wants photoreal (if you mean orthophotos) all over the world. Not me, anyway. :smile:

 

Orthophotos are a one-time snapshot that can't be easily updated, and they look their best when it's blue skies and sunshine that match the time of day the photo was taken. More importantly (for me, anyway), we're probably years away from having the necessary resolution to avoid blurry bitmaps at ground level. When blurry photos are combined with high-res overlays like buildings and runways it's especially noticeable. Like these shots from the Aerofly site gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

If the photo resolution was bumped up by an order of magnitude, and maybe with several different images at different times of day and in different weather so it didn't always look exactly the same, then I would have an easier time believing this approach to scenery. Just my opinion, and I know others will disagree. The orthophoto vs. landclass autogen debate has been going on for years.

Does it have bush flying ? 

For all those that want to place all your STEAM games off of your C:/O.S. drive, here is the program to do it.   Visit this site, read about how to do it, download Steam Mover, and recover all the GB's that STEAM games were taking up, on your Systems Drive

 

In my case, I had over 160 GB's!

 

I just dumped my P3D v2.4 installation, and now have my Steam/SteamApp folder installed on my Velociraptor, with the main Steam Folder still on the C: drive, of which Steam on the Net, still accesses.  You only need to move the Steam\Steamapp folder to any other drive you want.  It will be properly associated, and having AeroFly FS2 off of your system's disk drive (C:) really smooths out, even further the sim action.  If you put in on a Velociraptor 10,000 RPM drive...it sizzles

 

Here is the link, download the app...and keep it near your STEAM icons.

 

http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

 

I have over 700GB of Steam games split over 3 drives. It's easy to move the games around without any tools. Just move the game folders where you want them and then add the folder in the 'add steam library' option.

 

 

Orthophotos are a one-time snapshot that can't be easily updated, and they look their best when it's blue skies and sunshine that match the time of day the photo was taken. More importantly (for me, anyway), we're probably years away from having the necessary resolution to avoid blurry bitmaps at ground level. When blurry photos are combined with high-res overlays like buildings and runways it's especially noticeable. Like these shots from the Aerofly site gallery.

 

You would have a better case if the vast majority of our current scenerys and airports weren't photo-based already. (even if they've been overlayed onto land-class)

Oh, I don't think everyone wants photoreal (if you mean orthophotos) all over the world. Not me, anyway. :smile:

 

Well, ok, of course, let me rephrase what I said: I do think everyone wants to see out of their virtual plane what really actually is down there. I mentioned ortho because right now that is the only option we have but as I said elsewhere, I do expect that in the far away future (probably not during my lifetime) we can fly our virtual planes above LIVE worldwide scenery. Ortho is very limited indeed and I personally hate it unless it is COMPLETELY covered with 3D stuff (which is why I can't bring myself to click on the purchase button for AFS2 and in which case I still hate those baked in shadows) but seeing what is actually there instead of seeing generic textures is, I think, something that everyone wants. But well, what we all really want isn't available yet so it is great that there are more and more options to choose whatever suits our taste and desires most.

 

 

When blurry photos are combined with high-res overlays like buildings and runways it's especially noticeable. Like these shots from the Aerofly site gallery.

 

I can live with the blurry textures, but I can't live with the flat post-apocalyps buildings in those textures. I see them even in the NY DLC (and in the shot Ses posted)! I really do hope someone comes up with an OSM based autogen addon to solve this more or less. There are things I really like about AFS2 like the fast loading and specially the easy planner (where you can select a runway and a nice approach is being added automatically. Ok, no STAR but still, it's nice. :wink: I watched a video of a short Airbus flight yesterday (a plane I sorely miss in XP) and it looked nice enough to get AFS2 for, just for whenever I don't have enough time to do it 'properly' and just want to get my quick Airbus fix LOL But whenever I go to Steam to buy AFS2 I see those screenshots with flat photoreal and as I said, I just can't get myself to buy it. Maybe I should simply buy it to get out of this loop because I am getting sick of myself LOL

Until simulating the whole world in real-time becomes a trivial task (at which point in time people will probably be simulating spaceships, and planes will be boring automated drones) there are going to be compromises.

 

We have to decide if we are going to let the perfect be the enemy of the simply good.

 

Because its obvious that there's no pleasing everybody, which is a shame because nothings perfect.

We have to decide if we are going to let the perfect be the enemy of the simply good.

 

Nice one. Just bought AFS2. And also Switserland and NYC. Yeah, it's all or nothing with me LOL So my problem is solved. :wink: Unfortunately I don't have much time to actually fly so it may take some time before I will let you all know what my findings are but at least I will have the opportunity to follow the progress of this sim and give you my honest and personal opinion (which you can't really share if you don't own the program). I added Switzerland because I love those mountains there and also because mountains don't have cities on them which is, I think, the weakest point of this kind of scenery (because of the lack of 3D buildings), so those mountains should at least give my some moments of joy, and I bought NYC because I want to see myself how good the current best of the best in the AFS2 world actually is.

You would have a better case if the vast majority of our current scenerys and airports weren't photo-based already. (even if they've been overlayed onto land-class)

 

Well, that's more true in the FSX/P3D world than it is with X-Plane, and even in the latter you can get horrible results when an orthophoto-based airport is overlaid on landclass terrain. Like this, with one of the NZQN free scenery packages for X-Plane:

 

 

Even when it's more skillfully done to blend into the landclass terrain, there is no guarantee that the  rug won't be pulled out from under again, with a future patch that changes the look of the landclass.

 

That's why I think it's basically all-or-nothing. Either the landclass continues to improve or orthophotos need to get much higher in resolution. They never mix well. As a low 'n slow pilot spending a lot of time at altitudes where the resolution matters, I'll take inaccuracy and better lighting effects over blurry terrain. Again, just one person's opinion.

I recently got this and have mixed feelings about it. I took off from E16 (San Martin) and was a bit disappointed to see the world was flat with barely any 3D objects besides the airport and trees (This is on Ultra).

 

IMO, I'm currently able to X-Plane11 looking just as good (or better depending on perspective) esp outside of major cities, using ortho4xp + HDv3 mesh + autogen + other scenery add ons.

 

I don't really see Aerofly FS2 as a direct competitor to P3D/X-Plane in it's current form but who knows what the future holds.

Nice one. Just bought AFS2. And also Switserland and NYC. Yeah, it's all or nothing with me LOL So my problem is solved.

 

I'm afraid for you! Given your expressed tastes its hard to imagine you getting into it until things are a lot further along, but on the other hand, at least its in your library for future reference.........  :unsure:

 

I don't really see Aerofly FS2 as a direct competitor to P3D/X-Plane in it's current form but who knows what the future holds.

 

Which is the whole point. I have serious issues with X-plane but I purchased 10 and 11 anyway both to show support for civilian simulation and because......

 

Who knows?

 

That's why I think it's basically all-or-nothing. Either the landclass continues to improve or orthophotos need to get much higher in resolution. They never mix well. As a low 'n slow pilot spending a lot of time at altitudes where the resolution matters, I'll take inaccuracy and better lighting effects over blurry terrain. Again, just one person's opinion

 

Well Beti-X, Drzeweicki Design and now Orbx have gathered heavy expeditionary forces and are headed your way, (and the natives are cheering) so you might have to get accustomed to it.  :Nail Biting:

 

The orthos are coming! The orthos are coming!   :ph34r:

Well they said they were hiring new people, developing new systems, etc.

 

My initial thought was that something like Tonywobs World2Xplane would not go amiss, and I think Orbx has the expertise to do something like that with great detail if they have an interest. (they also might have other plans entirely, of course.)

 

We know they already have world road data and probably tree data......

 

After that they could simply go about their process of dotting high resolution sceneries around the planet much as they do now.

 

At least that's one possible scenario.

 

Jv also specifically mentioned Peopleflow.

 

..............................................................

I understand peoples concerns about more complex systems lowering the framerate eventually, but ya' know, I'm gonna assume that even in the monstrously unlikely event that extended whatever knocks 100fps off........

 

I'm still flying over super-detailed NY with several detailed airports in the immediate area at 100fps.

 

I'll take it!  :smile:

 

By the way, this is whut NY looks like on my system: At a pretty steady 200fps at 1440p (video is in 1080p) Fps counter on lower left corner)

 

(One of my doggies barks in the background to show his approval)

 

 

Aerofly NY at night:

 

Your doggies bark made my doggie bark LOL

 

 

Your doggies bark made my doggie bark LOL

 

 

 

but on the other hand, at least its in your library for future reference

 

Correct. The fact is that at this time of my life flightsimming is the only hobby that's left so I might as well get everything that is related. :wink: This hobby is still a lot cheaper anyway than my old music making hobby where a single effect or virtual instrument could cost 100 to 1000 bucks. It is odd how you can spend big money easily for one thing and have so much problems spending a bit of money it on other things... :wink:

AeroFly FS2 is downloading as I type these words. I am looking forward to testing the performance with my 2GB GTX 770 graphics card. It could provide useful information for other interested customers :smile:

I have surprisingly good performance with my old GeForce GTX 660Ti 2GB. And your card should be better. Are you airborne? :smile:

I have not had time yet to have a look at AeroFly FS2, but I have the base package, New York scenery area, and the High Resolution Texture Pack installed :smile: