FSX-MS Advice on further weather upgrades for FSX

[scianoir 610]

I've been quite happily using a combination of Rex Essentials + OD and Active Sky Next for my FSX weather for some time, but, with various new products now on the market from both Rex and HiFi (Active Sky), I have been thinking about a weather upgrade for my system. Having looked at what these various new products offer however (and reviewed the forums), I have to admit that I have come away a little confused as to what I should go for! Should I completely replace my current Rex E+OD /ASN combination with new textures and weather engine and, if so, which or should I just supplement it with some of the newer weather texture addons?

As many of these weather addons are currently available from various vendors at sales prices, I would be very grateful for any advice from experienced users on what I should go for here, bearing in mind my existing Rex E+OD/ASN combination.

Bill

 

[haskell 298]

My opinion. You are in the sweet spot. 

I bought AS16 and ASCA and am a little disappointed. I do like the cloud motion effect and dynamic themes but, in the end, I didn't feel like it was worth the extra money. 

The ASCA textures are not nearly as good as REX. And the weather engine is essentially the same in AS16 and ASN. 

[spesimen 135]

you will find many opinions on this, clouds are highly subjective..just to put one on the other side of the column, i think the ASCA textures are great, i dropped REX soft clouds after the ASCA service pack..and the dynamic switching adds a lot more variety. i have enjoyed loading some custom sky textures in addition to the ones that came with it, and having it automatically mix and match them to the conditions they are set for. ENVTEX looks like it builds nicely on this functionality also although i haven't tried it yet.

i also really like the squished cloud fix but that may not matter if you never fly to the northern latitudes, for me it always drove me crazy when flying around norway etc...

even if a lot of the improvements are subtle, it was worth it to me for sure, especially with the upgrade discount. it is one of the few addons that i use on every flight and have done so for years, so i like having the most updated version.

i think they have a demo available for as2016 so you could try it for yourself and see if it is inspiring enough to the wallet. i don't think they have an ASCA demo unfortunately... in my view, it is the combo of the 2 products that really makes the upgrade worth it.

cheers,-andy crosby

 

 

 

[Airbus 14]

Bill:

Like you I have the same combination of REX +OD/ASN and have been happy also!  In my case I have put a priority and money on learning to fly new aircraft.  I have also invested in some payware airports and Orbx products..  I have not changed REX textures for a very long time and after some tinkering I have ASN set up the way I want it.  I think it is a matter of what is important to you.

Airbus

 

[speedyTC 195]

Stick with your present setup until REX releases Sky Force. I am currently running ASN with REX4 and Soft Clouds and I'm happy with this combination but really looking forward to seeing what Sky Force will bring to the table.

Cheers.

[pracines 823]

There is a lot of talk about 2017 being a pivotal year for flight simming. The current new stuff now may get old fast if this truly is a pivotal year. I personally am holding off on any major changes/upgrades of any software/hardware for flight simming so I don't end up kicking myself. If new 64-bit sims come out, the 64-bit weather/texture packages will likely exceed anything available today, just like AS2016 has some advanced features for P3D and not FSX. I intend to dive into 64-bit immediately if not sooner. 

I currently use AS2016, ASCA, with Envtex in P3D version 3.4 HF3 and I'm extremely happy with how this combo works; a very realistic weather experience for me. Weather realism is #1 on the vital list for me in a flight sim.

FSX has its own limitations, and what to look for is a product that overcomes these limitations; not by what it says it will do, but by what it actually does....hype is cheap. 

Enjoy your quest, and remember that Easter Sales will be followed by some other Sale soon enough.

[scianoir 610]

Thanks for your opinions guys - very much appreciated. It's interesting that the majority view seems to suggest sticking with REX/ASN for the moment, although not perhaps surprising as it really is a very good combination for FSX users. 

Clearly when 64-bit sims come on the scene they will provide ample scope for new and even better weather addons, but as someone who has invested a considerable amount in FSX over the years and has now retired, I will be staying with that platform for the moment anyway. Keeping that in mind, Paul's comment about looking for a product that actually overcomes the limitations of FSX and does what it promises becomes very relevant and true! From this viewpoint, I was thinking of upgrading from ASN to AS2016 for its additional features, particularly the cloud squeeze fix as I do quite a lot of flying in the northern latitudes and possibly also adding REX Texture Direct with Soft Clouds for the improved features. To be honest I hadn't even looked at Envtex (which as I understand would replace REX textures) although now that it has been brought to my attention it seems pretty good too, just to add to my confusion! At least we can't complain that we are not spoiled for choice!

Bill