Just thought I'd point out that Avsim's forums has about 817,000 FSX topics (that's a sim from as far back as 14 years ago), about 317,000 P3D topics (that's a sim from as far back as 11 years ago), and about 104,000 XPlane topics (that's a sim from as far back as 25 years ago).

Avsim's MSFS forum already has about 130,000 topics (that's a sim which dates back about seven and a half weeks). If that doesn't tell you how popular it is with flight simmers who think it is more than a mere game, then I don't know what will.

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by Chock

1 hour ago, jvdbol said:

but at the same time it is not a real flight simulator, but an experience simulator

I am wondering until today, what does it mean it is not real flight simulator? What is your definition here? 

3 minutes ago, RustyFlyer said:

Totally agree... it's yet another example of the difference between Satya Nadella and Steve Ballmer. Ballmer was unable to take his eyes off the rear-view mirror thus leaving him unable to see the road ahead through the windshield.

Some may remember that one reason for the original flight simulator was to showcase DOS and the original IBM PC.

Regards

bs

And I'd like to point out that even though release date and popularity are factors in determining the number of posts, so are the number of problems associated with the sim, which in turn generate threads about solving those problems.. Further, XP11 has .org which is a dedicated X-Plane website. 

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by jabloomf1230

53 minutes ago, jvdbol said:

What is your point?

What's yours?

4 minutes ago, Chock said:

about 104,000 XPlane topics (that's a sim from as far back as 25 years ago).

Mostly X plane topics discussed in forums.x-plane.org

3 minutes ago, bean_sprout said:

Some may remember that one reason for the original flight simulator was to showcase DOS and the original IBM PC.

Regards

bs

Indeed.......... when Bill Gates was running the show as both Chairman and CEO, long before Ballmer took the helm as CEO when Gates decided to begin to step aside....

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by RustyFlyer

8 minutes ago, jabloomf1230 said:

And I'd like to point out that even though release date and popularity are factors in determining the number of posts, so are the number of problems associated with the sim, which in turn generate threads about solving those problems.. Further, XP11 has .org which is a dedicated X-PlaShow Replyne website. 

This is true, but MSFS also has many other online outlets as well, including two dedicated forums as well as Reddit, Facebook et all, so on balance we can compare the relative interest between these sims here at Avsim and at least use it as some kind of barometer. And yes, some threads are indeed complaints, but I can't remember the last time anyone in the history of mankind took the trouble to complain about something they didn't actually care about.

What is undeniable is the massive groundswell of community modding that MSFS has triggered, not to mention the massive spike in hardware sales (and this during a worldwide pandemic where people are tightening their belts). It's even gained quite a bit of TV coverage. I've not seen a flight sim release get that kind of response, well... ever.

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by Chock

3 hours ago, jvdbol said:

MSF is a game, a beautiful game, but at the same time it is not a real flight simulator, but an experience simulator. And that cannot be otherwise.

That is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever read.

That being said, perhaps the OP can explain to us what makes a REAL Flight simulator?  

Since the OP has been around since Atari ST days and early flight sim, perhaps he can explain to the rest of us how an Atari ST or IBM PC XT or AT could run a REAL flight simulator in 1984, but a system X or even current Xbox One which both are in magnitudes of order more powerful than any personal computer built in the 1980’s can’t.

 I’ll wait

 

 

9 minutes ago, wthomas33065 said:

That is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever read.

That being said, perhaps the OP can explain to us what makes a REAL Flight simulator?  

Since the OP has been around since Atari ST days and early flight sim, perhaps he can explain to the rest of us how an Atari ST or IBM PC XT or AT could run a REAL flight simulator in 1984, but a system X or even current Xbox One which both are in magnitudes of order more powerful than any personal computer built in the 1980’s can’t.

 I’ll wait

 

 

Possibly it is the fact you cannot change out the bulbs in the cabin seat belt warning lights in MSFS ?

The Xbox version will certainly be an optimized version for the console, and not the same as the PC version, the Xbox version will never be able to use community updates and hardly any upcoming state of the art ad-on aircrafts.

So you do not have to put your hope in your cartoon simulator in the future, MFSF 2020 is the future, PC version that is.

Edited October 13, 20205 yr by Ixoye

This is really starting to become nasty. I ask myself what's the purpose of all those pointless negative comments.

Perhaps it's like with the doll you gave to your little daughter. It's a really nice doll, cute face, nice dress, but well, it has a few marks on the feet as it was 2nd hand, but anyway it is beautiful.

Now it happens the big brother steps in and cries: "What an ugly doll!". The girl doesn't want to believe it at first, but now the friend of the brother follows and of course he finds it totally ugly and scratched as well. And after her big sister tells her she's far to old to play with dolls at all - she finally agrees and throws the doll away.

And this seems to be the real purpose of those posts. I have been really enjoying MSFS for more than half a year now and been enthusiastic about the new approach. But if all those highly-experienced guys tell me it doesn't work it must be true and I'll finally give in.

Kind regards, Michael

49 minutes ago, Ixoye said:

The Xbox version will certainly be an optimized version for the console, and not the same as the PC version...

I'm not really sure of that. Microsoft's big push this generation is that Xbox games are Windows games. And with Xcloud, they'll even let you play your Windows/Xbox games streamed to your Android phone. Previous Xbox generations have run custom versions of Windows before, but Microsoft is making the "Xbox == Windows" push to differentiate from Sony's PS5. In at least some Windows Insider Previews, people caught sight of a new package type (believed to be an Xbox game container format) for installation of Xbox games in Windows.

This is such that I wouldn't be surprised that you'd be able to take certain controllers (cough cough Honeycomb Alpha Yoke), plug them into your Xbox Series X, and use them directly in the Xbox version just like you're at your PC. Sure, there won't be Community mods, but I bet it'll be otherwise identical.

Edited October 13, 20205 yr by samcan

I'm pretty sure that the OP received a commission to write the negative post.

I've said it before - the online review industry is huge.

 

Regards

bs

Oh good more gatekeeping "its not a real simulator" because people like it and it is "pretty" like looking out of the windows of the aircraft is apparently not "real" flying even though there is a large segment of people who fly under VFR.  Is it the Xbox part that bothers you?  The fact people want there to be more accessible?  Did you suddenly lose all access to your P3D mods or X-Plane Mods?  Did all the 3PD suddenly quit those sims?  Like what is the big deal that people are enjoying this sim?

Why is a smooth flying sim such a "bad" thing?  You act like X-Plane and P3D take less resources to run (especially when you pile on all the add-ons needed to get it to match MSFS visuals which are not necessary but apparently always used in every single comparison)

Its been a whole 2 months not even since its release.  All people are saying is "Gee maybe it will take longer then 30 days to have a simulator that is doing something no other sim even attempted to do to work out some of the bugs and at least they are actually talking to us and telling us what they are doing" not that it is "perfect"