MSFS 2020 or P3D v5

[Scottoest 1,561]

There's a 0.001% chance of LM ever adding built-in Google Maps streaming to P3Dv5, lol.  Maybe even less.  The pipe-iest of pipe dreams.

It's not a commercial "entertainment" product, it doesn't have the installed base to justify it anyway, Google are reticent to give the kind of low-level access necessary to their mapping data, and LM would need to pay for an ongoing contract for the datacenters necessary to stream it out.  And that's before we get to whatever technical debt P3D has accumulated over the years.

Microsoft are in an extremely unique circumstance with regards to this stuff - they owned the Flight Sim IP, they are in the gaming business, they own Bing Maps, and they have their own cloud computing infrastructure.  They even went out and contracted a studio, who they had a close working relationship with, that specifically had experience with the same kind of macro world generation.

The idea that Google would push for this to "poke Microsoft in the eye" is similarly farcical, for a multitude of reasons.  For one, while they compete in the narrow interests of cloud gaming (Stadia vs. xCloud), they are business partners on all kinds of other things.  For two, Bing Maps has a microscopic fraction of the userbase Google Maps has, and I doubt Google have spent a millisecond carying about "poking Bing in the eye".  And if they were to do so, I can't imagine a lamer or lower profile way of doing that, than partnering to bring their mapping data to a sim with non-commercial customers in the tens of thousands, who are contractually prohibited from selling their sim for entertainment purposes - LOL.

 

[pjs37 319]

Nevermind the fact that the mess of various commercial customers and their own IT needs and whether or not they want to be streaming data from a subcontracted service and whatever that license must adhere to would make LM less likely to do anything like that anytime soon.

[Aether 37]

23 hours ago, GSalden said:

For me it’s the other way round. I will stay with P3Dv5 and keep an eye on development of MSFS.

I have PR scenery only + custom AG + POIs in P3Dv5. Custom shaders , custom skies and custom clouds. That makes  P3D look very different from a default LC based P3D. Spent a ton on airports like multiple others. I only fly in Europe and Northern Africa and I have 2 Tb M2 + 500 Gb SSD 600 full with scenery. Live Traffic and I’ve Weather.

Last weekend I spent 3h testing/flying MSFS. 
I agree that it looks very good regarding scenery. Imho clouds are not that good but I was looking at them on a 3x 32” surround view. Like P3D in the past MSFS has no fisheye correction so the sides are way too stretched out.

If Asobo adds fisheye correction and the needed enhanced SDK is ready than I will purchase MSFS too ( normal version ) and try it with Prosim. I have one big advantage over PMDG/FsLabs and the default jetliners : Prosim is working outside a Fs, so much better for the framerate...

Another big advantage is never having to buy newer PR scenery 😁

Regarding the development of P3D : I do not see LM adding streaming scenery in the near future. They will add more functionality to EA and will optimize performance further...

But who knows 

Let is all enjoy what we want 

 

 

+1

[Fervex 1]

For me several things are important: The real side, the vision of the sets and the fluidity in the game. Today, after having spent more than 4000 dollars in addons or material, the conclusion is irrevocable. Prepar3d was based on significant technological delays (Who has not known Directx or 64-bit code for 4 versions). Mircrosoft is not hardgamer for the moment, it will come as FSX was in its time. Software publishers have to fight against very active communities and often offer free products, certainly the game knows a lack of maturity that will inevitably be part of the future. Where they missed the niche is on the whole Earth vision (I saw my house thanks to the bing engine on MSFS). So I removed my 4000 $ of addons when I see the beauty of the game (I insiste on this word).
To see in the future

Edited November 12, 2020 by Fervex

[eslader 1,783]

On 8/27/2020 at 1:58 PM, neil0311 said:

I have P3D v4.5 currently, and am curious whether v5 is a better path at this point or would MSFS be a better path. Not looking for any religion here, just observations from those who’ve used both.

I have both 4.5 and MSFS. I will not be purchasing P3d5. Why? Because 4.5 is as good as I need it to be. MSFS blows 4 and 5 out of the water graphically. All I'm waiting for is "study" level addons. Once they arrive, P3d will join the long list of "sims I used to run." For now, I fire up 4.5 when I want to fly an airliner or A2A's Connie.

And I find myself not doing that terribly often anymore because unlike all the flight sims before it, MSFS actually makes VFR navigation possible because you're not flying over hundreds of square miles of repeating, made-up textures. MSFS approximates the real world closely enough that it even has the weird geometric patterns my neighbor painted on his driveway. It'd be a waste of money to buy 5, for me. With that new capability, I'm having enough fun at the moment flying low'n'slow in the turboprops. This presents a double advantage, because unused skills atrophy which means I get to learn how to fly a 737 all over again when PMDG releases the MSFS version. 😉

 

 

 

[Noel 4,501]

21 minutes ago, eslader said:

I have both 4.5 and MSFS. I will not be purchasing P3d5. Why? Because 4.5 is as good as I need it to be.

Amen to this opinion.  If you already have P3D 4.5 save yourself the nightmare of hours and hours of install time to get all of your v4.5 stuff installed and set up in 5.x, and save the $200 or whatever you would pay for v5.x--the fundamental differences OF YOUR FLYING EXPERIENCE in P3D will largely be the same in 5.x, save improvements to atmospherics.  The entire ground underneath you and all of those dated funky default airports and landclass textures are still there.  

[ray hughes 165]

As a previous FS series user, Aerofly and P3dv 4.5 and 5 , now an MSFS user - here are my two cents

MSFS is a child still learning to walk. But the huge potential is there. IT is the forerunner of any future real world simulation.. all the building blocks are there (still awaiting the SDK completion)....

I also am really impressed with the freeware generation levels - some of the mods are really outstanding - as well as freeware comprehensive airports and general scenery. (Reminds me of the early days of flight simming - or if you are an X-Plane user, the current days !!)

P3dv 5.x is still on my computer only because of the amount of money I have spent on scenery and payware aircraft. - but oddly I haven't flown any of them since MSFS came out as i have been too busy flying and tweaking MSFS.

P3dv5.x will remain on my system for a little while longer as a fall back just in case continued development of MSFS stalls or until MSFS stabilizes and big jets offer a comprehensive experience - Then  P3d will be unloaded.

I would imagine many would have a similar line of thought to my own? Sure, there will be those with too much of investment in P3D or X Plane to want to abandon those - and I fully understand that. But for me, this is likely to be my last Flight Sim program, period.!!

[Kilo60 660]

5 hours ago, eslader said:

I have both 4.5 and MSFS. I will not be purchasing P3d5. Why? Because 4.5 is as good as I need it to be. MSFS blows 4 and 5 out of the water graphically. All I'm waiting for is "study" level addons. Once they arrive, P3d will join the long list of "sims I used to run." For now, I fire up 4.5 when I want to fly an airliner or A2A's Connie.

And I find myself not doing that terribly often anymore because unlike all the flight sims before it, MSFS actually makes VFR navigation possible because you're not flying over hundreds of square miles of repeating, made-up textures. MSFS approximates the real world closely enough that it even has the weird geometric patterns my neighbor painted on his driveway. It'd be a waste of money to buy 5, for me. With that new capability, I'm having enough fun at the moment flying low'n'slow in the turboprops. This presents a double advantage, because unused skills atrophy which means I get to learn how to fly a 737 all over again when PMDG releases the MSFS version. 😉

 

 

 

I have a feeling all the Add-On Devs are assuming the same and many will begin (if they haven't already) prioritizing their add-ons for MSFS over P3D!

[Noel 4,501]

4 hours ago, Kilo60 said:

I have a feeling all the Add-On Devs are assuming the same and many will begin (if they haven't already) prioritizing their add-ons for MSFS over P3D!

I think most are chomping at the bit, the SDK bit in particular 

It takes time to evolve the depth of a mature flight sim but there is no question MSFS is the place to be going forward.  I'm going to be stoked to see FSCaptain for MSFS.  They want to do it but the SDK isn't there yet for the LVARs they need.  Because I can hardly wait for the PMDG NGXu and the Majestic Q400 I still spend time in P3D 4.5, mainly for the NGXu.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

In the end it depends who you are:

- first time casual gamer curious about flight sims, potentially MSFS for the pretties

- intending to start or just started flight training ...  well TBH maybe just get off all flight sims and instead put the money into more training, at least till you have stick and rudder control sorted and have gone solo 

- older P3D user with a lot of addons that can be ported across or can be upgraded at a substantial discount - P3D v5 (or just cut your losses and keep your current version)

- your keen to get into the whole study level airliner thing ... P3D as MSFS is at least a year away from that maybe more, but be a little judicious about buying too many addons

 

etc etc

[jymp 168]

No military at all in MSFS...yet, will it come ??, would think so, but down the road, SDK needs to be finished, P3D does mil fine.

[Ricardo41 5,949]

Are we still doing this?

[DrumsArt 270]

Maybe MSFS2020 and P3Dv5.x...but at the present time only P3D!

MSFS2020 in two or three years or maybe never...Wait and see.

Richard.

@omarsmak30

Just answered to the topic...😎

Edited December 22, 2020 by DrumsArt

[omarsmak30 4,068]

Oh boy are we back to this thread again? 😅

Anyway if you guys are going to continue this, gotta prepare my popcorn 🍿

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

29 minutes ago, jymp said:

No military at all in MSFS...yet, will it come ??, would think so, but down the road, SDK needs to be finished, P3D does mil fine.

Traditionally MS always separated the mil stuff into the CFS line of combat sims, at least up to the point that Il2  Sturmovich killed off CFS for good.

Unless you want a Hollywood version of what historical planes flew like MS flight sims have always been awful at the mil stuff.

The reason ? Most probably that the FMs in the MSFS sims were acceptable for normal conventional flight in a civilian aircraft where you really should not be doing an Immelmann or Split S or for that matter even trying to pull off a Thatch Weave -  but absolutely awful on the edge of the envelope where people tend to fly military planes.

Given the history of MS military sims why would you even want them to try it yet again.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Glenn Fitzpatrick