Do I need it?

[sd_flyer 6,086]

On 7/30/2020 at 9:31 AM, birdguy said:

Do I need the flightsim of the Century?  Skimming through this morning's news I found an article on the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator.  I read it and it certainly looks inviting.

But I already have two flightsims of the century for the last century, FS9 and FSX, and two flightsims of the century for this century, P3Dv4 and P3Dv5.

FS9 contains all the California Classic retro 1961 airports and ai propliners.  I fly the MAAM DC-3 on it.

FSX is my military simulator for MAIW and I have a stable full of transports, trainers, fighter, and bombers for it.

P3Dv4 has only the TrueEarth sceneries for Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.  I fly only my Quest Kodiak in it.

P3Dv5 contains the entire Orbx world and since I now know how to start my Kodiak in it I fly it and just a handful of other aircraft.

I'm asking myself, "Do I really need another simulator?"  Well, not now.  Let's see how the new latest and greatest works first.  What will people tell me it does that my existing four don't.  Most of all will it accept my Quest Kodiak?  If not then forget it.

Another question is do I have to go online to fly it?  I can't imagine I have enough disc space to hold everything it's reported to have scenerywise.  And if it is an on-line program will there be a one-time cost or will have to subscribe to it?  

Noel 

You should have asked this question right after FS9! LOL Now worries! Give it some time! First I thought I quit flight simming when I get a pilot certificate. Then I thought I quit flight simming when I own airplane.. Here I'm totday.. preordered FS2020 in addition of XP11, DCS, and IL2  LOL

[dilore 126]

If you are content with what you have, you don't need it. The grass in MSFS is not always greener, even if it looks that way.

[Wobbie 938]

1 hour ago, dilore said:

If you are content with what you have, you don't need it. The grass in MSFS is not always greener, even if it looks that way.

Also, depends on your colour settings.. Your grass CAN be greener..

 

[carmined 132]

7 hours ago, birdguy said:

I just bought my latest one this afternoon.  Orbx's San Jose.  That will add to the already over 150 detailed Orbx airports.  And yes, at 87 I expect to go to grave with them.

Noel

I wish you MANY MORE YEARS to fly young man! I think personally you have to give the new FS a try, I think we all like the new sims and hope for the best as they come out and I am just suggesting to give it a shot and explore the world with something low and slow that comes with it and enjoy it!

[tweekz 2,165]

On 7/30/2020 at 6:49 PM, Chock said:

Sure the visuals are a bonus, but it looks to me like the real bonus is a better depiction of flight

Generally (not individually) speaking I'd say both are equally important. Especially on VFR I would like to fly through authentic landscapes. Having building and vegetation patterns adequately placed adds another layer of realism.

With IFR it's not that important, it does add to immersion on approaches though.

Edited August 2, 2020 by tweekz

[Andiroto 37]

On 7/30/2020 at 6:31 PM, birdguy said:

Do I need the flightsim of the Century? ....

I hope it sounds not too dramatic, but it is definitely the only chance (till now) to see really the whole world in your life...

[Wobbie 938]

Can I not try use Google Earth? I can see my house in 3D!

[ThrottleUp 630]

On 7/30/2020 at 7:03 PM, birdguy said:

 I am not a fan of photoreal.

I felt I was all alone in the FS world because I feel exactly the same. So its nice to see someone else who also isn't a fan of the photo-scenery 😁

I am as excited as many others for the new sim but the reliance on Bing sat map photo scenery is the only bit I dont like. I plan on getting the sim in about 15 months time and during then will watch a lot of YTs to see what the scenery is like up close. I like flying low and slow in bush planes and its essential that the scenery looks good from close range.

Im most curious to see how the sim looks when  it doesn't have internet access to stream in the Bing imagery. Will it look like a bling FSX?

Edited August 2, 2020 by ThrottleUp

[737_800 434]

5 hours ago, Wobbie said:

Also, depends on your colour settings.. Your grass CAN be greener..

 

..and 3D as default...

[Andiroto 37]

2 hours ago, Wobbie said:

Can I not try use Google Earth? I can see my house in 3D!

Sure, but I think it's a difference to explore something in a realistic 3d environment (with weather and sounds)! For example, I cannot see my residential area in 3D on Google earth, only in 2d with moderate image quality!

[birdguy 3,946]

I really should not have started this thread.  Nobody who has replied has actually seen it.  Just the commercials for it.  Like the automobile commercials we see on television that say, "Dump your present carrier and come to us because we are better."  What happened to customer loyalty? 

I started collecting Orbx scenery with FSX in March of 2013.  I carried them with me through FSX and the P3Ds and own every scenery they made for the FSX /P3D platform.  That includes no less than 151 detailed airports.  The last one, San Jose, was just released and I purchased yesterday afternoon.  There are more to come.

One of the blurbs on MSFS2020 I read yesterday said the deluxe edition (there are three editions) for 129.00 will contain 40 detailed airports.  I imagine that list of airports will grow but how long will it take to equal the 151 I already have with Orbx?

So I really don't care what the platform is as long as I can carry over my 3,000 dollar plus investment in Orbx scenery over to it.  AND my Lionheart Quest Kodiak which is my goto aircraft I fly 95% of the time...low and slow.

 Now a word on why I abhor photoreal scenery.

When I was boy about 7 or 8  or maybe even 9 years old I wanted an electric train for Christmas.  Lionel and American Flyer were busy producing electric motors for the war effort.  It was the middle of World War 2 and luxuries like electric trains would have t wait until the war was over.

So Mom and Dad got me a Lionel cutout book.  I cut out and folded along the lines a locomotive and about three cars.  In that book was a fold out layout.  Printed track and a printed station and some printed houses.  I would pull that paper locomotive and the three cars around the track loop and pretend it was real.

Later in life I built model railroad layouts.  I had one I was working on until just a few years ago when my hand shakes got to the point I couldn't model detail anymore.

But flying low over printed houses and buildings is not for me.  And I think there might be a lot of that in MSFS2020 because I cannot see them producing the whole world in 3D.  I might be wrong, but I guess on the 18th of this month we'll see.

Please keep me posted.  I'm anxious to see if the real thing lives up to the hype and it's not a Potemkin village.

Noel

Edited August 2, 2020 by birdguy

[dilore 126]

7 minutes ago, birdguy said:

And I think there might be a lot of that in MSFS2020 because I cannot see them producing the whole world in 3D.  I might be wrong, but I guess on the 18th of this month we'll see.

It is quite different. They use mostly AI to recreate buildings from satelite images. For many cities they also use aerial photage. 
So it is '3D'. If the result is always pleasing to everybody is another matter.

[wim123 765]

7 minutes ago, birdguy said:

I really should not have started this thread.  Nobody who has replied has actually seen it.  Just the commercials for it.  Like the automobile commercials we see on television that say, "Dump your present carrier and come to us because we are better."  What happened to customer loyalty? 

I started collecting Orbx scenery with FSX in March of 2013.  I carried them with me through FSX and the P3Ds and own every scenery they made for the FSX /P3D platform.  That includes no less than 151 detailed airports.  The last one, San Jose, was just released and I purchased yesterday afternoon.  There are more to come.

One of the blurbs on MSFS2020 I read yesterday said the deluxe edition (there are three editions) for 129.00 will contain 40 detailed airports.  I imagine that list of airports will grow but how long will it take to equal the 151 I already have with Orbx?

So I really don't care what the platform is as long as I can carry over my 3,000 dollar plus investment in Orbx scenery over to it.  AND my Lionheart Quest Kodiak which is my goto aircraft I fly 95% of the time...low and slow.

 

Noel

i doubt if you can carry over all your investments, thats not going to happen.

but if you see the orbx forums, there possibly will be some discount for old users.

i do not think lionheart is going to give discounts.

i really wonder have you not seen any of the videos???/ its so obvious way better looking than any orbs region and this

for the whole earth.

for addon airports there will be a good market i think.

 

on the other hand, if you really satisfied with what you have right now, stay with it, wait a good year or 2, and see how this matures, this would be my advice.     ( a tryout via the gamepass for 1 dollar for one month is also possible)

[Wewk584 137]

There are tons of videos of MFS2020 that have been posted on youtube since the 30th from regular users that are pretty candid . Nearly all of them that I've seen point out some flaw in the sim. And many answer questions in the comments. Everyone but that group is still under NDA and  still may be on it until the 18th. They I think you want an answer from but they cant answer.

To your question, the world is essentially photo ortho but with a smart computer figuring out how tall the flat photo of the buildings are and you are shown the 'educated guess' as 3d versions of the buildings..  (It does better if it can triangulate size with multiple images)  Also some buildings are done by hand if the AI is off  or if  its an iconic building (alot of stadiums, historic or well known buildings etc)

Orbx true earth for a given area can often look better, but orbx true earth doesn't cover the whole world. (plus its an add-on)

 

There is nothing wrong with waiting.. MS will still take your money on aug 30th or whenever. And if you are happy with what you have and nothing you see in the  videos from regular people is especially enticing to you then its an easy choice.

[Wewk584 137]

22 minutes ago, wim123 said:

snip*

i do not think lionheart is going to give discounts.

 

In Chucks interview with the Asobo team they made in sound like if the (fsx/p3d) plane is basic enough, you should be able to drop it into the sim and use it.. Even if the plane wont drop just drop in, the Lionheart Kodiak not an expensive plane , even if you had to buy it again, it wouldn't put you back too much.  Again.. assuming you chose to bother with MFS

Edited August 2, 2020 by Wewk584