Content Manager - A Dumpster Fire

[DAL1850 51]

Am I the only one who is completely stymied by how out-of-place, obfuscated, and completely dysfunctional the Content Manager is, in what is otherwise an extraordinary sim? Just getting Premium Deluxe content to show up in game is an absolute moon launch. I made the mistake of purchasing on Steam which adds yet another layer of content management on top of what is already an engineering dumpster fire. I find the whole interface cumbersome, unintuitive, and exceedingly redundant in places. I can't even categorically sort my content (aircraft, airports, challenges, etc.) This part of the sim feels exceedingly out of place and something that was outsourced as an afterthought to some freelance software dev during a mad rush to get the product to market. This whole mechanism needs to be "rethunk".

That said, the core sim is nothing short of fantastic and has reinvigorated the hobby for me.

But man, I seriously hope someone at Asobo extinguishes the dumpster fire burning in their content management system.

Also, can someone explain why some content says UP TO DATE and other content says NEWER GAME VERSION REQUIRED TO UPDATE when there is no other game update to install...or is that just more smoke from burning tires?

Edited November 21, 2020 by DAL1850

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 hour ago, DAL1850 said:

 

Also, can someone explain why some content says UP TO DATE and other content says NEWER GAME VERSION REQUIRED TO UPDATE when there is no other game update to install...or is that just more smoke from burning tires?

You always will get that just before a patch.

It basically means that aircraft/airport is scheduled for an upgrade when the next patch ships in another week or so.

[bobcat999 8,438]

It is inefficient and could do with speeding up. 

I don't have the fastest internet connection, and I have to wait ages for the content photos to load, whereas a standard internet page with loads of photos (like one of Steve DRA's posts! 😁) is fine - it should be more like that.

Also, does anyone know how to get straight to the content manager?  I have to keep searching for a product I own first, then go to it from there.

[MatthewS 761]

14 hours ago, DAL1850 said:

I made the mistake of purchasing on Steam which adds yet another layer of content management on top of what is already an engineering dumpster fire.

Oh... I thought Steam was the better way to go, rather than the Xbox Game Pass route?

I used to have it on Game Pass ($5 a month) but dropped my subscription, still haven't got around to getting it on Steam yet.

So MSFS on Steam has problems? 🤔

 

[Art_P 6]

11 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

Also, does anyone know how to get straight to the content manager?  I have to keep searching for a product I own first, then go to it from there.

I just noticed the other day that I could get there from Profile.

[suncoastflyer 685]

I agree the UI for the content manager could use improvement. I would prefer if it were similar to file explorer because it takes too long to scroll through the thick content titles. Categories as well would make it a lot nicer to navigate. Seperate the official from other content via some dropdown menus at least.

[marsman2020 1,310]

0 issues with Steam here.  It only installs and updates the base launcher.  Everything else is in-sim.  There is no in-sim content managed in Steam.

From the descriptions I have has people give of the Windows Store version, Steam sounds easier.  My understanding is the Windows Store version puts the Community folder in a location the user doesn't have write access to by default for some people and you also have to manually trigger the updates to the launcher in the Windows Store app.

The only Steam pitfall I am aware of is the using the 'verify game integrity' option in Steam will cause the entire sim to re-download.

Edited November 22, 2020 by marsman2020

[Little Jenny 315]

I'm confused about the OP's comment on Steam.  I purchased MSFS through Steam and other than using it to add $ to my wallet, I never go into it.  I launch the sim from my desktop.  SO I don't understand this 'another layer of content management'.  

As for the MSFS content manager, yep it needs some work.  

[Fielder 3,634]

I have 2 shortcuts to launch FSXSE (steam edition of FSX). One has to use the Steam client and one did not.

The one that requires the steam client was just a normal shortcut to FSX.exe.

The one that did not require the steam client is: steam://rungameid/314160

I found this strange number 314160 and the shortcut above on the FSX forum on Steam. A message there said to use the web shortcut URL steam://rungameid/314160 and you would avoid having to go thru the Steam client. And it worked for years and still does.

I imagine there is a way to run MSFS without the Steam client, but I haven't seen how yet.

[DAL1850 51]

Today's update is case in point. I had to pull an update from Steam (about 250MB), which in turn did something to prime the game to cause it to update (about 12GB) when I started it, then I had to visit the marketplace to install content for the update, then I had to visit content manager and scroll through a flat list of a bazillion unsorted/unorganized modules and selectively tick off the few remaining items which needed to be further updated to be in line with the new update. This is insane. I want to click one button "UPDATE" or "UPDATE ALL" and update everything affected to move the chains for all my installed content forward to be in line with the new release. This hunting and pecking through multiple convoluted interfaces clicking through stage after stage of updates until you can't find anything else to update is lunacy. I still am only about 80% confident my content is all up-to-date. Do not want.

Edited November 25, 2020 by DAL1850

[Phantoms 800]

23 minutes ago, DAL1850 said:

then I had to visit content manager and scroll through a flat list of a bazillion unsorted/unorganized modules and selectively tick off the few remaining items which needed to be further updated to be in line with the new update.

For the Content Manager items, click the select all box at the top and the the download button that appears at the bottom will download any updates available.No need to go through them one by one.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

1 hour ago, Phantoms said:

For the Content Manager items, click the select all box at the top and the the download button that appears at the bottom will download any updates available.No need to go through them one by one.

Is there also a way to disable/uninstall those items that I no longer need?

Edited November 25, 2020 by Bert Pieke

[wthomas33065 994]

1 hour ago, Bert Pieke said:

Is there also a way to disable/uninstall those items that I no longer need?

Yes.  Simply click on the item you want to uninstall and click uninstall.  The status will change from up to date to "in library".  You can do that to disable Asobo Bespoke airports that might conflict with 3rd Party ones you may have.  Although you shouldn't have to, But in some cases the runway markings may bleed through, so disabling the airport you don't want usually works.

[CJ1045 469]

The update for the MS Store version is pretty much identical to the Steam version, same steps. The updates in the content manager are optional so are separate. It is all quite sensible really.

CJ

[feng 0]

I use steam but all I do is start the game via a desktop shortcut, and it downloads and updates as part of the "startup". I don't have to go into steam or the content manager to get the updates, the only updates that needed manually installing were the Japan world scenery update (and I expect the USA one as I haven't done it yet) but the general updates just happen automatically.