Which aircraft to focus on?

[tweekz 2,165]

2 minutes ago, domkle said:

They released the NGXu for p3D, not a preview, and gave a financial incentive to buy it, a discount for the FS20 version when (or if…) it is  released.  

OK. I thought I heard something like the NGXu being part of the development process for MSFS and they wanted P3D users to already profit from some features. Would make sense somehow. Also doesn't contradict what you said.

[Chock 17,769]

Bear in mind that some of the following post is speculative on my part, but one would hope that it is not completely uninformed in this respect.

It has been suggested that the Zibo freeware modification of the default 737 for XPlane (and of course the host sim, XPlane) is something you may want to consider, but I would suggest this is not the best choice even though it would undoubtedly be a bit cheaper than going with either FSX or P3D and the suggestions I previously offered.

Now I don't want to get into a 'which is better, XPlane or FSX/P3D' debate here, they're all good flight sims, but the reason I think that if you wanted to 'go for it now' and learn the intricacies of operating an airliner, in preparataion for the arrival of the new MS Flight Sim 2020, that FSX or P3D would be a better choice, is twofold:

First up (and this is the speculative bit), there is a good chance that the makers of the airliners for FSX and P3D will have an easier time of using the basis of their FSX/P3D products as the basis for ones which could be used in the new MS FS2020, because of the inevitable hierarchical similarities which will be part of the new sim with it having been a descendant of those previous MS flight sims. But, even if this is not so, what absolutely has been the case, is that very many makers of flight sim products for MS sims, have in the past offered discounts to users who had previously bought a version of their products for one MS sim, if they chose to buy the product again for a subsequent version of an MS sim. So this could well occur again for any products which are ported over to the new MS flight sim.

But I said there were two reasons why I think that XPlane is not the better choice (for airliner ops), and indeed there are. I am not wishing to disparage the efforts of the maker of the Zibo mod for the default 737 in XPlane. It is in fact a very good effort indeed. The problem however, is not with the airliner itself, it is to a very large extent a problem with the sim, and more specifically, the availability of supplementary add-ons for the sim which enhance the realism of any aeroplane one chooses to use in the sim, and more specifically, airliners.

XPlane is developed by Laminar Research and its development progress is driven by the founder of that company, Austin Meyer. Now Austin is a nice guy, I've personally spoken to him in the past and so I can vouch for that, but he is very driven and single-minded in what he wants. This is no bad thing of course, clearly it has meant that he has been able to get things done as evidenced by the very existence of XPlane and the wealth that has brought him, but where XPlane is concerned that's very often been to the detriment of realistic airliner operations in the sim. Austin is a keen private pilot; he has a Lancair Evolution aeroplane of his own (N844X), which if you are not familiar with the type, is a high end kit plane with a turboprop engine. Austin makes no secret of the fact that his interest in flying aeroplanes of that type is fundamental in the development of XPlane and what it is suited to. In short, he has basically built the sim which he wanted for the type of flying he likes.

Now because of that, it is undeniably a good flight sim, but it's a good flight sim which handles the simulation of light aircraft very well, yet is less convincing when it comes to larger aeroplane types. Some might disagree on this point, but I think this is so. In any case, what others cannot disagree with, is that the infrastructure which is necessary for operating an airliner realistically in a flight sim is undeniably less well supported in XPlane than it is in FSX and P3D and that support will be the case with MSFS 2020 too. So, when it comes to realistic add-on ATC, realistic flight planners, dispatch planners, weather add-ons, co-pilot add-ons, etc, etc, there simply is a lot more available in FSX and P3D and as noted, this will be the case with MSFS 2020 too when it is released.

How do I know this is true that the new MS sim will gain more support for such products than will XPlane? Well, I will give you a couple of examples which support this deduction:

PMDG, which is of course one of the major developers of airliners for flight sims, have in the past had a stab at doing stuff for XPlane, and because of this, people have in the past been vocal in their requests for some of their airliner products for FSX and P3D to be also produced for XPlane. Sadly for XPlane users, PMDG have been pragmatic in analysing the potential for such a development effort and decided it is a risky sales proposition, but perhaps of more relevance in that decision, is that they also stated that the base program was not capable of supporting some of the features of their more recent efforts for FSX and P3D, most notably with their Boeing 747 where they flat out said that was the case and that they did not want to make what would essentially be an (of necessity) slightly dumbed down version of it for XPlane.

Beyond this, it is a fact that owing to the undeniable influence PMDG exerts on the way stuff goes in terms of airliner simulation on the PC, other developers of supporting airliner products such as ATC, co-pilot etc add-ons follow where PMDG goes.

Bryan York, the developer behind the FS2Crew (excellent) co-pilot addons for numerous FSX/P3D aeroplane add-ons, has said as much, and here I'll quote him on the subject of whether they had plans to make FS2Crew products for XPlane and why he would not be doing so: 'Sorry, we follow PMDG generally, and until they start releasing heavy jets into X-Plane, then we're sticking with FSX and P3D. We're just the little fish who follow the big fish.' S, tthat's straight from the horse's mouth of one of the developers of a major aforementioned peripheral support product which adds tremendously to the realistic simulation capabilities of an add on airliner (and no, I'm not just saying that because I did some of the voice for their 737 add on lol)

So there in a nutshell, albeit a rather long and wordy one, is why I think MSFS 2020 - via FSX or P3D and quite possibly a Boeing 737 - is the way to go.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Chock

[eslader 1,783]

11 hours ago, psykie said:

I LOVE the biz jets and would be extremely HAPPY if Asobo created a detailed long range medium to large size biz jet. I'm sure there will be pay-ware models that will be created for FS 2020.  

 

Matthew  

I'm with you. But I have a feeling we'll be waiting awhile unless there's a stellar default offering from MS itself. There's a real dearth of good bizjets out there. The Flysimware Falcon 50 is probably the best overall, but it has issues and is nowhere near the quality that people flying the big jets can get. The Xtreme Prototypes Lear 25 is a hoot, but also inaccurate.

Carenado makes a bunch of them, but they're of typical Carenado quality which means the systems will be wrong and buggy, and trying to navigate anywhere will have you pulling your hair.

 

I've been kind of hoping with the popularity of Citation Max / Premier 1 Driver / etc. on Youtube that someone'll decide a bizjet is a good investment, but so far the only company that's bitten was Carenado with their 0GM Premier, but... Well, see above. No point buying that.

Hopefully the biz/private jet landscape expands after 2020 comes out, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by eslader

[Casualcas 830]

You want long range . I want one in MSFS

 

 

[jlund 380]

"available in the standard version and some planes will be in a more expensive version.  "

What makes you think there will be different versions of it? I have never heard or seen them mention this anywhere.

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

44 minutes ago, jlund said:

"available in the standard version and some planes will be in a more expensive version.  "

What makes you think there will be different versions of it? I have never heard or seen them mention this anywhere.

Previous versions of MSFS were indeed packaged this way.. so they might well do it again..

[Stratocaster 40]

Just give me a little Cessna and I'm good. Nothing else matters 😍

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

I can live with the DR400

[Casualcas 830]

I'm kinda liking this little cessna, Columbia400, lancair, lol tomorrow maybe called something different.  Sppppeedy little flyer

[eslader 1,783]

Did someone say Cessna?

 

 

>:)

 

[RazorBlade 22]

I think I will go for the A320. I work in ICT because I like modern technology and the A320 is also somewhat a more modern aircraft. I am also familiar with the fly by wire concept since I flew Falcon 4.0 in the past which is a military sim based on the F-16, which has fly by wire as well. I will check out YouTube for the Flight Sim Labs version of the A320. After that I will probably buy the books recommended by Chock. I might already install FSX and practise on that to get back in the hobby. I saw it is still available on Steam. I will also need some controls since the original Thrustmaster Cougar HOTAS that I own is pretty warn out. However before I buy new controls I need to be positive about the type of aircraft I want to fly. A stick is more appropriate for the A320 and a Yoke would be more appropriate for the 737. I also still have the feeling that the 737 is the more popular aircraft among flight simmers so that might still push me towards the 737. I am not sure either if PMDG or Flight Sim Labs will have their products ready at launch. We know at least that there will be an A320 by default in MSFS2020. 

Anyway, I will also continu to explore the two main options on YouTube. I mean, I am not on a very tight budget but buying the wrong type of controls is kind of expensive and unnecessary.  

[Casualcas 830]

1 hour ago, RazorBlade said:

.Anyway, I will also continu to explore the two main options on YouTube. I mean, I am not on a very tight budget but buying the wrong type of controls is kind of expensive and unnecessary.  

Smart man... but I think you answered your own question on what you like. Get what you like, dont get what others like. And it already seems you prefer the stick aircraft to the yokes. And you'll have lots to choose from, I'm sure. 

[RazorBlade 22]

5 minutes ago, Casualcas said:

... but I think you answered your own question on what you like.

Well, I think I am the expert on what I like 😉 

I know what I like but I don't know what is available. Or at least I did not know what is available. Slowly I gather some information and the help in this forum is great. As an ICT guy I know however how important popularity of a product is. If you are one of the few to use a product then it is very difficult to get good information about the product. I am used to flying with a stick but that does not really mean that I prefer a stick. Although I did not dive very deep in the hardware yet, I have the feeling there are more then enough high quality yokes available but there are only very few sticks that do not fall in the category "cheap plastic". When I flew Falcon 4.0 they made a HOTAS almost dedicated for that community. Now they changed that into a HOTAS for DCS Warthog. I have the feeling that there are at least better throttle units out there that are better suited to an airliner. 

[chass32 138]

Am I the only one thinking that not all the planes we´ve seen will be free? (Asobo´s ones)

cheers

Carlos

[n4gix 4,947]

40 minutes ago, chass32 said:

Am I the only one thinking that not all the planes we´ve seen will be free? (Asobo´s ones)

You probably are (the only one). There will quite likely be as many as thirty "default" aircraft included.