No Longer Dazed and Confused P3D, MSFS

I came back to the hobby at the exact time P3D was up to 5.1 and MSFS came out. I did buy both. Having already splurged for the equipment, what's another couple hundred bucks? 

P3D feels familiar, looks great with Orbx World Base, Vector and regional LC, and has the airliners I prefer for short to medium flights. Contrary to predictions 😉 I'm getting more than 10 FPS with my L1101. In fact, I never dreamed of the FPS and smoothness and have not experienced any VRAM issues. I am really liking P3D. The hardest part is learning about the ubiquitous SODE and why P3D and add-ons populate folders all over Hell's half acre and trying to keep Windows Nanny from screwing everything up. But I could not be happier with my Captain Sim L1011, GSX2, and some add-on airports. Just like every other flight sim in history, there are the occasional frustrations. So I want to see "real" PD3v5.1 scenery. If you build it they will buy. But with the Orbx add-ons mentioned (trees, too) even a GA flight from Palermo to Catania really brings back memories of Sicily. It doesn't look shabby at all. even low and slow, and from 37,000 feet...

By the way, I know changes are hard on devs, but some seem to be a bit prickly in these uncertain times. I do want to single out SimMarket for its outstanding customer support--they've shown they have my back more than once recently. And while I was irritated to find that an airport advertised as "P3Dv5" said **P3D VERSION 5.1 NOT SUPPORTED** when I went to download it from the dev's site, But today I'm thinking he's just being painfully honest about some minor issues that a lot of third-party airports have. I'm willing to put up with less-than-perfect. For now. But truth in advertising, please.

I'm not going to hate on MSFS, either. However, I see them as two completely different aspects of the hobby. For "serious" airliner flying in my particular style, P3D is great right now. (I am not implying MSFS can't be serious or being elitist, just speaking of the way I like things, so please no one feel insulted.) I love to tinker with stuff like config files and GSX mods. (Still waiting on vehicle liveries, FSDreamTeam, and so much for all those AES credits, Aerosoft.) But MSFS is indeed impressive with GA planes, and is quite slick. I find myself firing it up when I just want to have some fun, even going through the instructional sequence and some of the "gamey" features. When I don't feel like planning and executing a flight from EGGW-LEMD, I turn to MSFS for some relaxation. P3Dv5 is like hydrocodone. Gets the job done on a day-to-day basis (or used to before everyone overdosed and died, or so one would be led to believe) while MSFS is like a dilaudid push--that "Oh, wow!" factor. Heh. But devs are having a hard time hitting LM's moving target and EA is still awful. Come on, LM. If you can send a woman to the moon, you can fix the EA. (On second thought, maybe she'll find Elon Musk waiting whenever they get her there, but I digress.)

I'm still waiting for things in MSFS, too, though, especially things oriented to older airliners. MSFS is really immersive and creates a sensation of flying a light aircraft, just like I remember. I find myself turning my head when I glance out the left-hand window. The vaunted Bing mapping, however, did not live up to my expectations flying around Southern Illinois. I expected landmarks. (And don't say there are none here.) The controls are hard to get used to, but oh well. It was cool to fly around Manama and find the pier where I spent so much time during Desert Storm, albeit 2D, with an ugly 2D frigate alongside. I would pay good money for a 3D USS Samuel Gompers tied up there. Ah, good times.

So, right now I'm sitting pretty in flight simming. P3D feels familiar, and has everything I want (well, weather would be nice). MSFS scratches an itch P3Dv5.1 just doesn't reach. But I don't itch a lot. I'm spending 90% of my time in P3Dv5.1 and using MSFS for a fun change-up. I'm married to P3D. MSFS is an anima projection of the collective flight sim unconscious, to go Jungian. I have spent more than I want to say on P3D and will continue to do so. I haven't bought a single add-on for MSFS, and don't see myself doing so until there are more third-party airliners. So, I'm not buying the argument that there's no money in P3D. No doubt MSFS is selling relatively more add-ons at the moment. Time will tell.

Now, here's a lovely Court Line L1011 parked at Luton. GSX2 pax on "insane" setting.