Great having a server-based sim, isn't it?

I guess everytime the severs hiccup for a half hour, we will see a 5 page "The Sky is falling" thread on Avsim....

To see about running MSFS offline just click your wifi or ethernet icon and turn it off. Then boot up MSFS.

49 minutes ago, Dillon said:

My ISP 😄, when every other website/web feature works except Azure.  That's a good one... 🤨🙄

I don't mean this to be personally condescending but I'm sure all of us reporting on Avsim had internet access at the exact time the situation was going on with Azure/the Xbox servers.

IDK man I'm just saying that it's not ALWAYS Microsoft's fault when there are connection issues. I guess I don't know what to say. This is a server-based sim. Therefore like every other program that has online connectivity, it will be vulnerable to server issues. We can argue the pros and cons of that for weeks or we can just take it as it comes and enjoy this spectacular piece of technology. Keep X-Plane or P3D installed in case there's an issue and you want to fly? lol

 

Also: I'm sitting here at work not able to do much because our online medical records system is down. Such is life! 

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by liamp51

Don’t see anyone on the official forums talking about server outages. 
 

Generally though I’ve had enough experience of periodic server usages in other games, and appreciate the advantages of the architecture in MSFS enough to put up with interruptions every couple of months or so.

OK, I just finished a flight, and checked the Menu structure in MSFS Under General Options. There is an item in there that says... Online Functionality. It says that it determines if on or off, if you want to connect to allow internet connectivity or not, during your session. Pretty self explanatory I would think.  

 

So I disconnected my router, started MSFS, and a message popped up as it was starting up that it couldn't authenticate my MS membership or something like that, and I needed to sign in, and then it continued to boot up , MSFS started, and I loaded up a flight and everything worked. 

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Bobsk8

OK, so I finally found out what was happening to me.

To recap - I'd first thought the servers were down as I was getting no downloaded scenery, and was back flying in FSX level scenery. I thought I'd fixed it after a reboot but I realised that I only thought it was ok because the airport I started from (but never bothered with an actual flight from) looked ok - and then I realised that the airport was part of the base package and not downloaded scenery.

I tried to change servers from the main menu, but it was showing me as connected, and the only server option was showing as "automatic" and couldn't be changed. I then noticed that the little character/avatar by my gamertag (sheesh - I hate that lable) was blank, and the "marketplace" option was greyed out, which got me wondering if I just wasn't connected, in spite of the gamertag drop-down saying I was.

After a bit (lot) of googling, I started going through various sequences of logging off and logging back on, both in the sim and the MS Store app, as per the various articles I found online.

Still no joy (no actual connection, avatar, or marketplace, and FSX style scenery).

Eventually, I found a single reference to the "Xbox Console App", which I don't ever recall using at any previous point. Didn't even know it was on my system. Anyway, found it and ran it, and logged off THAT and back in again and all was well. ANd it was conspicuous that on the Xbox app window there was a lot of gumph about "the exciting new xbox app we're working on for you" so I assume MS must have somehow reset acces to a bunch of IDs during their excitement. Can't think of any other reason for all this faffing around.

I really don't like all the rubbish that come with this sim. Weird folder names and locations, and all this stuff about Xbox ids etc. This is not a world I wanted to be in.

Still, when it does work it's 'kin marvellous. I just wish it came in a more straightfoward package. And don't bother telling me I should have used the Steam version - I'm no fan of that environment either.

Anyway, thought I'd post this in case anyone else finds themself in the same situation.

Edited to add - I have also just realised that I may have been running like this since Saturday. I posted some pix back then from a flight I did around Damascus, where the scenery was also FSX level. At the time I just assumed that maybe that part of the world was one of the neglected areas in the sim, but I've just been back there now and it is back up to what I'd expect from MSFS. All the other MSFS activity I've had for the past few days has been airport exploration, never really getting out into surrounding areas, which is why I only noticed it today.

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by andy1252
added text

16 hours ago, liamp51 said:

IDK man I'm just saying that it's not ALWAYS Microsoft's fault when there are connection issues. I guess I don't know what to say. This is a server-based sim. Therefore like every other program that has online connectivity, it will be vulnerable to server issues. We can argue the pros and cons of that for weeks or we can just take it as it comes and enjoy this spectacular piece of technology. Keep X-Plane or P3D installed in case there's an issue and you want to fly? lol

 

Also: I'm sitting here at work not able to do much because our online medical records system is down. Such is life! 

I bet you use Brightree ? or a Program using Azure's servers?

Anyways here's a little insight as to what happened .. (And i bet it also explains some issues with the sim as well)

Valued Customer,

Last night, a major worldwide Microsoft Azure Cloud service interruption impacted many SaaS companies, including Brightree. The Microsoft Azure DNS service experienced intermittent global failures which in turn caused the Brightree BMS platform to be unavailable for some users.

Details redacted.....

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

In a nutshell some aspects of  Azure is probably being serviced and the servers are probably being a bit spotty with uptime for the past couple of days affecting not only the sim but rather a whole bunch of companies. Including companies that have some level of reliability of service tied into their contracts (Healthcare).

It is what it is. i assume they will get on top of it if not already.

 

Edited July 21, 20214 yr by Maxis

16 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

OK, I just finished a flight, and checked the Menu structure in MSFS Under General Options. There is an item in there that says... Online Functionality. It says that it determines if on or off, if you want to connect to allow internet connectivity or not, during your session. Pretty self explanatory I would think.  

 

So I disconnected my router, started MSFS, and a message popped up as it was starting up that it couldn't authenticate my MS membership or something like that, and I needed to sign in, and then it continued to boot up , MSFS started, and I loaded up a flight and everything worked. 

As with many things in FS2020 we need a manual that explains everything with the sim.  Asobo released the sim with no manual leaving the community to figure things out as they use it.  This leads to features not fully explained and others seeming left out when they are actually in the sim.

Something still seems amiss. Progress bar loading a flight has been stuck mid-way for about 10 minutes now, though MSFS itself loaded okay initially, presumably it needs to grab the scenery from the servers.

Oh well, two more minutes then I'm going to kill it, reinstall FSX SE, FScene and my DC10's.

3 hours ago, Dillon said:

As with many things in FS2020 we need a manual that explains everything with the sim.  Asobo released the sim with no manual leaving the community to figure things out as they use it.  This leads to features not fully explained and others seeming left out when they are actually in the sim.

I could not agree with you more. It is inexcusable that a product of this nature & magnitude is released sans [.pdf] documentation. Welcome to the wonderful world of software releases (of all kinds) 2020s, where even the modest costs associated with producing even rudimentary [.pdf] product documentation are simply the newest casualties in the crusade to cut corners, no matter how rounded they may be or whether warranted or not. (e.g.: The totally fun & enjoyable "Super Mega Baseball" games are also unaccompanied by documentation. In fact, their developers explicitly state in Steam forum conversations, when asked about the absence of documentation, that they want folks to "learn by doing". I am glad that my dentist did not subscribe to this method of learning lol.)

When I have discussed MSFS's lack of [.pdf] documentation with friends and in forums such as this, I have most often been met with the following response (in a thimble and boiled down to its barest essence): "Hey, look, that's just the way it is now, get over it & get used to it." (Today's approach to "excellence" I suppose.)

To that I say horned-bovine-animal-excrement. Even if I purchase a cheap $16 toaster from Walmart, it is accompanied by printed instructions which can often be found online in .pdf format as well. No, not looking for a printed manual here, but at the very least, a rudimentary .pdf is certainly in order.

Edited July 21, 20214 yr by RustyFlyer

11 minutes ago, RustyFlyer said:

I am glad that my dentist did not subscribe to this method of learning lol.)

You said it!!!!!!!!

lol

Edited July 21, 20214 yr by BobFS88

The DC6 Manual I got from PMDG  was over 250 pages. Just for one aircraft. 

2 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

The DC6 Manual I got from PMDG  was over 250 pages. Just for one aircraft. 

PMDG is well known for documenting their aircraft, leaving no stone un turn with it comes to information about the systems and how to use the aircraft. I have to give them credit for that. Aerosoft documentation with their buses are similar in natural. 

On 7/20/2021 at 5:48 PM, Bobsk8 said:

OK, I just finished a flight, and checked the Menu structure in MSFS Under General Options. There is an item in there that says... Online Functionality. It says that it determines if on or off, if you want to connect to allow internet connectivity or not, during your session. Pretty self explanatory I would think.  

Just checked this and you would have to know in advance that Azure is going to be down in order to take advantage of this setting and choose the offline option before you close down the sim.  🧐