It never fails to amaze me that with every new release how incredibly negative and unhappy everyone is the the new version. Every time it is the same old accusations that the new version is just a "patch" and very little progress is being made in making the sim better. For those that feel that way I encourage you to find an old copy of FS 2000 (my first version of the sim) and see how it compares to the upcoming FS X (or FS 2004 for that matter).If you look back just a few versions (to FS 2000 for example), you will see an amazing and striking difference to what we had back then. Clearly a HUGE amount of progress is made with each release. This sim gets better and better with every new release and jumps ahead greatly. If you dont agree than I really do encourage you to re-educate yourself and make comparisons to what we had only a few versions ago. If you are not impressed with FS X than you solution is very simple. Dont buy it. Stick with your version of FS 2004 and enjoy! Of course with the last release many said that was exactly what they were going to do (stick with FS 2002) because 2004 was not good enough. Those of you still using FS 2002, please speak up. Id love to hear if you really stuck with that version cause it was "better". Pretty much everyone who hangs around this site will be buying FS X and we know it. So stop complaining and enjoy it! It looks amazing! (And once developers push what the FS team has created to its limits it will only get better!)Any one out there agree with me? Any other "FS old timers" like me around that have seen the progress we have made? Lets make our own "noise" in this forum and show the complainers they are in the minority!Brew

Well said.This time next year the FS2004 forum will have 70% evaporated.

I think it looks great! I really like the dynamic world and "shared skies" features.If the SDK is well documented and more powerful than FS9 then third parties will be able to add a lot of value to FSX.

I haven't posted in a while. I must say though after reading the "preview", I am even more exited and optimistic. Its got a few things I was looking for from before.. 1st) moving traffic and ships. This means kind of alot to me since I loved moving traffic in xplane. its just a little things like that add to my fun and realism. I'm not a "hardcore" simmer by any means and neither am I into "lets fly at 10 feet below the bridge" type :). I'm kind of in the middle. 2nd) also liked the feature about "shared cockpit" I'd love to fly with someone like an expert and show me how to follow real procedures in airliners etc.Hmmm. I do have a question though, does anyone know if there are going to be alternating landing lights.. I remember somoene posting and saying it was impossible to do in 2004. The actual landing lights would be blicking kind of like flashers. I guess I have this light-fetish thing.. :)

I agree the traffic, ships/boats, animals, and airport vehicles are really going to make FSX feel alive.It's going to be great landing and seeing those cars/trucks passing by. Especially at night with headlights/taillights...very nice!I hope they add street lights too.

I agree with the statement I quoted below. I think this is a huge step for this particular upcoming release because it will allow all developers to dig in as deep as possible from the first day we all have the sim. Previously developers were forced to find keys to the new sim on their own (or wait for SDK release entirely) which obviously slowed development time exponentially. Hopefully we will see FSX advance to a much greater degree in the same 2 year period of the previous versions.>If the SDK is well documented and more powerful than FS9 then>third parties will be able to add a lot of value to FSX.

Kooljet, yes flashing light effects are possible, I have done it in my own experiments but these were only used on aircraft for a short period of time as a trial and they are very few and far between now, as they have reverted to steady lights when they have gone back into maintenance... Hence I didn't bother to finish making it perfect for release...As for FSX, i think it will be the most revolutionary version of FS ever created... I started with pre FS2.0.. There are so many changes from what I've heard about for FSX that it will be amazing...I'm wondering if the ships will be moving and landable like in CFS2 this time... With all the shots of ships I wonder if it's a hint...Is it just me but don't the ground textures and autogen look a lot more detailed this time around, plus all the detail with roads and rivers etc from screenshot comparisons...I agree with the OP... I've been around FS for a long time... Moving wildlife as seen in videos is something I had been working on as a 3rd party dev in FS2004, thankfully I don't have to spend time on that now as ACES have already done it...And the new 737 and caravan look amazing...I'm most looking forward to missions, I think they're going to open up a whole new world of addons...To be honest FSX looks like the dreams of an FS2 user come true... 20+ years later...

Well I for one am very excited about the new release and very much look forward to getting my hands on a copy, deluxe of course :D

I`m so sick and tired of people praising fsx no matter what...they could have presented screenshots of FS 1.0 and some of you here would still be cheering...I am all for being positive, but from what I`ve seen so far, this is FS9 on stereoids...and I think that 40 people working full time in 3 years should come up with more than we`ve seen up until now. I still live in hope though...

You are expecting way too much and there are major improvements that have been made and if you don't like it well then tough stick with fs9 for another few years for all I care. All we are doing is giving credit where credit is due, I believe the aces team has worked extremely hard and there work is showing from what i've seen. What did you really expect from this version anyways?

Well said Brew!I remember buying FS98 in 1999 and being blown away by it!:-) I loved it. I've been very excited with each release, the biggest leap forward being FS2000 to FS2002. I was really impressed with that! No different here - I love what I see too and can't wait.Other plus factors for me...* MS are engaging with 3rd party developers in FSX development this time. A good step forward. * SDK's to be released with the package...addon's alot sooner!I have a feeling that there are a lot more surprises in store before it's release, which we don't really know anything about yet ;-)

>You are expecting way too much and there are major>improvements that have been made and if you don't like it well>then tough stick with fs9 for another few years for all I>care. All we are doing is giving credit where credit is due, I>believe the aces team has worked extremely hard and there work>is showing from what i've seen. What did you really expect>from this version anyways?Well, I expect to be able to tell the difference from fs9...thats sort of a minimum...especially after all the talk about graphics and landclass/terrain updates..little has been done to what flightsimulator is all about..or so it seems by looking at recently released media anyway. I fear the reason for all this, is that much of the talent has left the team, people working/innovating on graphics and flight models, simply aint there anymore. The people left on the team is just brushing up a little on whats already there.

>>Well, I expect to be able to tell the difference from>fs9...thats sort of a minimum...Are you comparing FSX to stock FS9 or to FS9 tricked out with a couple of hundred dollars worth of third-party add-ons?

>>>>Well, I expect to be able to tell the difference from>>fs9...thats sort of a minimum...>>Are you comparing FSX to stock FS9 or to FS9 tricked out with>a couple of hundred dollars worth of third-party add-ons? Well, I feel there is a huge gap in the videos released from both MS and from showgoers, and slides/screens...and I am comparing to fs9 stock...and "at a glance"...I am sure you`ll find new things if you really look for it, but where is the innovation, there is none in as I said, core elements of the simulator..its just more of whats already there...I`m sure many of you are going mad at me for saying this, or try to discuss your way "out of it"; this is a fansite, but it just had to be said..But I keep my fingers crossed; that theyll come up with something new in the graphics departement with vista/dx10.

I think the new FSX looks great!! I really love the "living world" concept!! And yes, FSX is gonna be amazing!!Kasper BehrentzsDenmarkALL NEWS FROM FSX COLLECTED AT ONE PLACE!MY SITE, http://www.xflightx.piczo.com http://pic.piczo.com/img/i167876616_71278.gif