Fs9 scenery library addons

[chris41 0]

Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong place but I can’t seem to find an answer to this. My question is, is it OK to have all my addon sceneries/airports activated in the scenery library? Will I see a performance hit by having it all activated? 
thanks Chris

[Wobbie 938]

Should not be a problem, Chris, apart from maybe a delay in starting up & a slight wait after selecting an airport.

How many sceneries do you have & are they all for the same region?

Why I ask? I have a separate install for Alaska & Canadian scenery, with appropriate aircraft, just to keep my install a bit smaller & more manageable, without scenery clashes.

[chris41 0]

Altogether I have 140 sceneries including default. Mostly United States airports that I have many which are payware. I’ve added a lot of extra scenery to all those airports so the files are a bit bigger. Problem Is many of the airports have Scenery from other airports (tugs, aircraft, cones etc-borrowed scenery, not distributed) and have to be activated. Ideally I’d like to keep it all active but if bad performance would be an issue I’d like to avoid it. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by chris41

[Wobbie 938]

Just start experimenting, by deactivating a few, then see how it goes.

How is your current performance?

[chris41 0]

Seems to go ok, Computer does crash from time to time but usually only mid flight; occasionally at a payware airport which is why I keep ai around 7 percent and clouds at few (Nothing worse than a computer crash mid flight or while tax’iing to a gate at the end of a flight). Of course my computer is 10 years old and not top of the line. 

[Wobbie 938]

Mmm, could be an issue then, an old PC. I have no idea as to what your operating system is, Windows 10, 7, 8.1... I think that a current operating system is optimised for newish hardware, so if you are running Windows 10, for example, it will not be optimised for a 10 year old PC's hardware. Just my thoughts.. I could be mistaken, but it works for me.

[chris41 0]

Mine is:

windows 7

Processor- intel(R) pentium cpu g3250@3.20GHz 3.20 GHz

8.0 GB ram installed

64-bit operating system

not sure how good or bad that all is

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Chris41,

It has been a couple of months since I last flew FS2004, however, before upgrading my hardware, I was operating a i7 2600k (not overclocked) 4gb DDR2 RAM, a GTX1080ti (still using that) and Win 7.

I was also using 6 monitors and was still getting better frame rates than with FSX or P3D.  FS9 or FS2004 if you prefer, was extremely gentle on FPS in comparison to all other platforms. It probably still is.  

Without upgrading your computer, I do not think you have a hope in hell of playing any other platforms, if that is your intention, unfortunately.  

I only flew in Australia and Indonesia, as is still the case, but the amount of addon scenery did not make any significant difference to performance.  If you are directed after installation of a scenery, to use the "addon scenery procedure" you would be well advised to do so, and again, I did not see any significant loss of FPS by doing that.

Aircraft (particularly the iFly Liners and the FeelThere Embraers) did have an impact on FPS but my worst scenerio with the above listed hardware, was never less than 30FPS with sliders all fully to the right. I found that anything above 20FPS was incredibly smooth and stutter free. Getting rid of shimmering was a bit of a problem though LOL

FS2004 was a truly great flight simulator and upgrading to FSX, FSX-SE and P3D were huge steps backwards for me. Graphics, aircraft, sceneries and utilities were leaps ahead of FS2004 but performance was a killer for me with my hardware.

Upgrading your equipment will introduce you to a whole new world and this is a step not to be discounted. Just look at some of the youtube P3D, Xplane and MSFS videos and compare. A computer upgrade is heartily recommended if your finances permit.

By the way, with my new hardware, which handles all current platforms with ease, did absolutely nothing for FS2004 and I was still getting the fairly poor (by todays standards) graphics that I was used to , with no discernible increase in frame rates and that was using only one monitor.

In answer to you query. I do not believe you can "overstock" sceneries to the point where a significant performance decrease is reached.

Keep us informed on your results and progress mate

Tony

[chris41 0]

Thanks for that info, it’ll be helpful in the future when, lol, my wife let’s me purchase another computer. She just clarified the other day that it will not happen until my computer breaks down before we spend that kind of money). 
When that time does come I do look forward to adding fsx or P3D though I think I will still use fs9 as I have around 30+ payware airports (all of which I have added all kinds of additional scenery to: tugs, static aircraft, etc) and programs I have purchased and use (PMDG 737, fs2Crew, fspassengers, RadarContact).
With fs2020 out there now I’ll have a lot more research to do when that time comes. I just hate how when you spend so much time and money on one simulator something else comes along. I think it is like you said, with newer simulators you take a couple steps back but then you also take steps forward. 

[himmelhorse 1,276]

3 hours ago, chris41 said:

I think it is like you said, with newer simulators you take a couple steps back but then you also take steps forward. 

Chris,

Please remember that ALL flight sim platforms are works in progress and constantly being improved. FSX, P3D and Xplane are all very much better than FS2004, which I believe still gets new software added to its arsenal and are still largely under development by third party developers. There may be backward and side step waltzes here and there but it all goes forward in the long term.

I believe that you can choose any platform right now and be confident that it will improve and keep on improving in the future.

If new computer hardware is your problem financially, scour your local computer shops, ebay etc in your area looking for some second hand stuff.  That may well be a good and cheaper solution for you.

Also bear in mind that many of us are still using FS2004 and personally I am using on a daily basis P3Dv4 and 5 as well as Xplane and occasional visits to Aerofly and FS2004.  There is absolutely no reason to throw away a sim that you have or still enjoy using.  Just build on it and constantly revisit.  Costs nothing extra to go back to FS2004. 

Life, and simming, is for you to enjoy .... go for it mate.

Tony 

[chris41 0]

Thanks much Tony and Robin, you brought up some very good points. Yesterday i visited some payware sites and youtube to take a better look at some of the other sims and was quite impressed. Look forward to that day when I can up on a computer that will support well those other platforms. Until then, FS2004. I get a thrill when flying and enjoying my latest round of airport hops accross the US. 

Chris

[Wobbie 938]

There actually seems to some sort of Fs2004 revival on the other main sites. It's certainly not dead nor going away yet..

[PebbleBeach 120]

19 hours ago, Wobbie said:

There actually seems to some sort of Fs2004 revival on the other main sites. It's certainly not dead nor going away yet..

Agree. Think our friend is toking on the peace pipe. LOL

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Chris41,

I was just wondering if your old computer hardware is suffering from occasional freezes.  I am also wondering, due to your location, whether the main cause could be the temperature LOL

Tony

[Wobbie 938]

On 10/15/2020 at 8:06 AM, chris41 said:

Thanks for that info, it’ll be helpful in the future when, lol, my wife let’s me purchase another computer. She just clarified the other day that it will not happen until my computer breaks down before we spend that kind of money). 
When that time does come I do look forward to adding fsx or P3D though I think I will still use fs9 as I have around 30+ payware airports (all of which I have added all kinds of additional scenery to: tugs, static aircraft, etc) and programs I have purchased and use (PMDG 737, fs2Crew, fspassengers, RadarContact).
With fs2020 out there now I’ll have a lot more research to do when that time comes. I just hate how when you spend so much time and money on one simulator something else comes along. I think it is like you said, with newer simulators you take a couple steps back but then you also take steps forward. 

 

On 10/15/2020 at 8:06 AM, chris41 said:

With fs2020 out there now I’ll have a lot more research to do when that time comes. I just hate how when you spend so much time and money on one simulator something else comes along. I think it is like you said, with newer simulators you take a couple steps back but then you also take steps forward. 

 

Chris, there is no Holy Grail of sims. Newer does not equate to better. Well, at a hardware cost, I suppose.

At the moment, MSFS is more about GA than tubes, so, no rush if that is what you enjoy.

Me? I'm more into the low's & slow's.

I started simmnig when FS came out on stiffg discs (FS98?). Anyway, a couple of years ago I got bored with the point to point button pressing flights, & my simming interest dropped to nil.

Then, during my internet searches one day, I found the Ford Tri-Motor site http://ford-tri-motor.net/ 

So, I've ended up with a separate install of all that I could find there, as well as 7 other separate FS2004 installs, Alaska, Golden Wings, Vintage, even a dedicated Space install, with Carl Reddin's scenery. BTW, not a PMDG or modern jet to be seen. BUT, that's what I enjoy. Also, there has been a large revival of FS2004 on other sites & forums, where we are collecting missing or 'vanished' add-ons from sites that are no more. DaveM's Austers, 22 of them, have been getting about 50 downloads each, over 2 days!! Edward Cook's planes, from his site that is no more, has also been saved.

The above Ford site will be shutting down at the end of November, & we are looking at ways to save the contents.

Anyway, enjoy the sims & there is no rush to get the new, if you are happy with what you have.