I'm kinda surprised to see under new files that almost everyday there's new files for FS2004, both repaints, sceneries, utils etc.

Why do people still use it?

I think it's great to keep old sims alive, but I think most PC systems today are capable of running FSX (FSX SE) or even P3D, so what's keeping people from updating to  a newer sim, which have  much better graphics?

Are there still companies that develop for FS2004?

 

I know some freeware developers that still develop for FS2004. Do keep in mind that not everyone has a system that can run FSX or P3D, nor do they necessarily have the means to get a new computer that can do so, given that some people are retired with limited income.

I stopped using FS9 just six years ago. Switched to FSX for some time and went to P3D with version 4 (64-bit) coming.
I used FS9 longest of (literally) all versions of MFS, due to the huge collection of great aircraft (I still miss some of them today in P3D!), scenery and utilities I spent fortune on.
Plus FS9 ran very nicely on my PC. I remember the negative shock when I moved to FSX and it started to crawl, which forced me to spend almost a fortune on a new PC, which didn't solve my frequent OOM's at all by the way.

Why do people still use it today? Probably for similar reasons. They have a lot of great stuff they love and, most importantly, they enjoy using it.
I personally wouldn't go back from P3Dv4, but I do have my sentiments, so why not if here's a choice?
Some like vintage cars/aircraft smelling with oil and covered with weathered rusty levers. Others prefer sterile A350. Great to have a choice! 🙂

I occasionally use FS9, mostly with airliners , and I'm still surprised how well performed at any place and conditions. For example, big airports sceneries , REX WX, AI, and a nice aircraft selected, you can enjoy a great and fluid simulation. Guaranteed.

my modest system runs FS2004 pretty darn good, i've got loads of add-on software, and to run FSX or any of the other sims in all it's glory (with the same add-ons)  I would have to spend 3 or 4 grand(CAN). 

I think the main reason some people stick with it is because of performance reasons, lack of OOMs, loads of freeware and payware. You can load it to the gills with AI and complex scenery and still get great performance with a modest rig.

Some users like Ed Cox (edetriot) have spent years making themselves custom 2D panels, gauges, paints and probably don’t want to forfeit all that hard work and go to a newer sim.

Personally, as well as FS9 ran for me, I didn’t mind a smaller performance hit to move to FSX in exchange for higher resolution ground textures and the latest PMDG offerings that weren’t available for FS9.

There are folks that just prefer fs9. Better graphics and ground textures are, to some extent, a matter of opinion. At 30 thousand feet there are places that look better in default fs9 than in default fsx.

I used FS9 since it was released until the end of 2015 when I bought my first so-called gaming desktop PC.  Then I signed-up for FSX-Steam, of which I had, and still have some very minor problems.  But overall I'm pretty satisfied with FSX.

But FS9 had some features that I miss:  Can't recall many of them them right now - but one thing in FSX that's really annoying is aircraft porpoising really badly in anything beyond  4X speed - this was not a factor in FS9.  (Only FSX payware aircraft do not behave that way)    Also, replays of landings really stutter, and are quite jerky looking. 

One really big difference to me though:  Never purchased  payware of any kind with FS9.  Have spent many $$$ on FSX add-ons...  

  

I got FS9 before it was officially released. I’ve accumulated a ton of Freeware and Payware for it. When I first got it, like all other MSFS releases it struggled on my system. The last 10 years it’s been fluid, no issues, and looks incredible especially with my ORBX textures converted. I’m able to use every option and run everything to the max. 

I bought FSX the day it was released. I installed to find it barely usable with a lack of fluid performance as I get in fs9. I’ve upgraded through the years in hardware but still don’t have the same fluidity I get in FS9. I know my system isn’t the latest and greatest as it was a few years ago. (9700k overclocked with 1070 GPU). I still can’t get FSX to perform at max level 15 years after release. I can’t use freeware panels that I’ve enjoyed in FS9. 

I bought P3dv4, hoping with 64 bit and code changes that I’d get better performance with the ability to use all features with my current hardware. Disappointed that I can’t. Same reasons I don’t use FSX. 

I know a number of you will disagree or say I need to change this or that. I welcome solutions. Before you tell me what the holy grail is, I’ve been using a version of flight Sim 35 years (1984). I’m proficient in hardware. I’ve spent god knows how much time on tweaks and testing to find the holy grail. I’ve seen all the magic pills that supposedly worked with every new release of MSFS. I’ve been on this site since inception under multiple screen names. I don’t post often. 

I’m debating on trying XP11. I’ve never used XP before. I’m also going to purchase the new MSFS when released to see what it offers. Hopefully it doesn’t take 15 plus years to run how I like it too. 

So to recap, FS9 is the most fluid for me. It offers the freeware (gauges, panels like RFP and such) I use where FSX and P3D don’t. I’ve tweaked it to my version of perfection. I can’t use FSX with all features 15 years after release. I can’t use the freeware I’ve enjoyed. I’ll have to buy payware again. P3D basically same reasons as FSX. Until I’m able to achieve the same fluidity and have panels and aircraft I fly usable in those sims, I’ll be staying with FS9. Both FSX and P3D offer a lot more eye candy but at the expense of giving up why I love the hobby. 

 

Edit: I forgot to add I have AI out the wazoo. Built up years of AI aircraft and flight plans from all over the world. I change them out as they merge in real life. I update flightplans as they come about. I can taxi around ATL using Imagine Sim ATL with AI at 100% with fluidity and frame rates maxed to what my display will allow. 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 20196 yr by Camsdad13

I've done the P3D & FSX, thing & I got tired & bored with the constant tweaking to get the word not allowed sim running as smooth as my FS2004.

I have 8 themed & unique verions of FS2004 (try do that with the other sims!).. Why, you might ask? I have a Ford Tri-Motor install, a Vintage (pre WWI) install, Golden Wings, an Alaska install, a Space install, an SE install for my VA, where we all have the same scenery & aircraft, a Heritage install, & a FS2004 testing intall,

Why? by having different installs, each with it's own GUI & splash screen, I can keep the installs relatively compact, without too many sceneries & aircraft.

Also, as my VA club, Cape Virtual, is based at our local Air Force Base, Ysterplaat (FAYP), here in Cape Town, South Africa, we have freeware scenery by Aeroworx, for the whole country, as well as aircraft such as the Impala (jet trainer) and the Avro Shackleton & many others that are unique to FS2004.

We have also built 3 simulators, a Shackleton, an Impala (AeroMacci MB326), and now a Harvard using FS2004 (original seats, controls, etc), using a 'normal' PC.

We know that we have hit the sweet spot when pilots 'bump' in the seats anticipating touchdown.

So, do we need FSX or P3D? No, when we have all the immersion we need, without the cost. 

A big plus is the amount of freeware available, & still being developed ---- not everyone flies PMDG & other liners! 

I didn't start simming until 2007 when FSX first came out so thinking that poor stuttering child was the latest and greatest that's the one I started with and used until P3DV4. I have often considered getting me a used copy of FS9 just for some of the freeware classic stuff available like retro airports scenery from California Classics that don't port over very well. I have a lot of shelved payware addons that are FSX/FS9 compatible. I reinstalled FSX Steam and used it for a kind of retro sim for a while but gave it back up. I really don't like having to start the Steam app to use it. I know you can find used copies of FS9 on Amazon. Might be kinda fun to play with.

Thanks for all the feedback.Good to hear there's still people who uses it and their reason for it. I certaintly don't have a powerful PC, but still manages to get a fluent flight with P3D and payware addons, like scenery, aircrafts and a LOT of freeware ai. Loading time of the sim is a word not allowed (over 5 minutes) , but I don't mind when I see how it looks and performs. It's all a matter of adjusting settings to a mix of  looks and performance. 

 

At least me.

My laptop can surely run FSX default scenery+Orbx Global+Orbx Vector+ASN+AI and some detailed aircraft smoothly, as long as I keep my flights in South America. Forget about KJFK, EGLL or even KMIA; performance is not enough, and reducing AI... well, what's the point of flying a heavy to a major airport? FS9 allows me to do so with no issues and without tweaking.

Now, buying a new rig: I need to make room in my apartment for a desktop (those i3, i5 and Ryzens are looking good), or pay a lot more for replacing my laptop. With the currency as is (the ARS plummeted 25% in the last 20 days), I need to get even more money first 😞

Something is true: regarding aircraft addons, I'm almost covered for switching to FSX someday: almost all my add-ons are for both FS9 and FSX. Jumping to P3D4 would be a financial suicide for me.

I still use FS9 because I was never a fan of FSX or XPlane (XP has no built in ATC and real time weather).  Way too many tweaks it took to get FSX to run right in the early days.  Even if I bought it today I wouldn't know where to start with the many tweaks needed (I've thought about it).  FS2k2 was the first sim for those that remember where the code was so stable that little work was needed to refine it (jump in and fly which is what it was bought for).  FSX most likely got allot of people's IT career started with what they had to know to get that sim to run.  The tweaking game got old and with what I have now (FS9) I can just jump in and use it.  I had to replace my computer back in May 2019 and with my saved setup it took me a week to get everything back up, running, and stable.  The most work was add-on payware activation.  When the Steam addition finally came out for FSX it seemed to address some of the original's shortcomings but FSX is still FSX.  Bought P2Dv4 and use that but the shear number of addons can't compare to what's offered for FS9 plus the price of admission for P3D is insane on all levels (hardware, the base sim P3dv4, addons, etc).  Everytime there's a major update to P3D you all but have to start over with your add-ons.

The big elephant in the room for me is what's going to be the long term solution?  With my FS9 CD's my installation is not dependent on authentication with Microsoft or Lockheeds servers.  When companies pull the plug on software it's game over (MS FLIGHT).  I'm trying to see what's really going on for the long term. Lockheed may not be in the game for the long haul and what happens then, will your software become unusable when you need to buy a new PC and have to activate the software?  Microsoft has taken FSX back from Dovetail, how's that going to work?  What will the next offering look like from MS and as usually how much red tape will there be for the FS Community as they seem to not be able to figure out, 'Is it a game or simulation'?  FS9 just works, is stable, and tricked out very decent by today's standards.  Heck for example, I live in Orlando and there's no version for KMCO compatible with P3Dv4.  Microsoft's idiotic moves back in the FSX days has dried up many of our talented freeware developers.  The volume of add-ons today is a fraction of what was coming out before.  

So the best of both worlds for me is FS9 for airliner flying and every major airport in the world covered with either payware or freeware offerings.  For VFR and some airliner flying to the limited airports covered, P3Dv4 is great.  Now it's on to see what Microsoft produces next year and see what subscription hurdles they put in place.  FLIGHT left a bad taste in my mouth for a purchased peace of software that a company can pull at will ripping me off of my ability to use it.  I know many are going to say that's how it is just like they said with the housing bubble until it all comes crashing down and people realize if they paid for something it's theirs for as long as they want to use it (and get sick of the BS).  FSX is the last version where you buy it 'it's yours for life simulator'.  Wish the code wasn't so screwed up...  

Edited September 5, 20196 yr by Dillon

On 9/3/2019 at 5:29 AM, Wobbie said:

We have also built 3 simulators, a Shackleton, an Impala (AeroMacci MB326), and now a Harvard using FS2004 (original seats, controls, etc), using a 'normal' PC.

We know that we have hit the sweet spot when pilots 'bump' in the seats anticipating touchdown.

So, do we need FSX or P3D? No, when we have all the immersion we need, without the cost. 

A big plus is the amount of freeware available, & still being developed ---- not everyone flies PMDG & other liners! 

This is great stuff.  I used to fly the Atlas Impala in FS2004.  I miss that.

Seems like I had a freeware Cheetah also...neat version of the Kfir / Mirage.

I assume for your simulators, you have 3 monitors for each?