Finally able to get back into flight sim and needing advice

[jmcmillen19 0]

Hello All.

My name is Jeremy. I am 26 and live near Seattle. I am finally able to get back into flight sim after an almost 4 year hiatus. I own FSX steam edition and have a few add on for it (Mainly the Aerosoft A320 family) My Original plan was to go ahead and buy the PDMG 737 so I could have two out of my five favs but it appears PMDG doesn't sell the FSX 737 anymore (Which I get FSX is very old now and plus with P3D and FS2020) but at same time I don't see it worth upgrading (To as I don't really do Vatsim or use AI traffic ((Though I will be able to now when my computer comes in I was on a laptop using integrated graphics with two cores so couldn't))  but at same time I really want to be able to get the PDMG 737 and perhaps the 777 the Quality Wings 787 heck the Flight Sim Labs Airbus sounds epic too. I guess my question is should I move over to P3D and if so which version do I get? 

[Luis Hernandez 570]

Hello Jeremy, welcome back. Let me reply with a question: what are your current system specs?

Your choice will mainly depend on this.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Luis Hernandez

[jmcmillen19 0]

Luis-

To answer your question ryzen 5 5600G 3060 12 gigs vram and 16 gigs at 3200 mhz. It's a previously Hp omen

[Chock 17,769]

P3D is certainly worth a look, but in all honesty, you might want to throw a couple of quid (literally) at a trial MS account and download the new MSFS flight simulator, as you will no doubt be surprised at how well it runs on even a modest PC, and it would only cost very little to determine that (I think it's maybe two Dollars, possibly four for a month trial). the PMDG B737 is on the way for that sim pretty soon and in the interim, the PMDG DC-6 is available for it and is a very worthy addition which will keep you busy, and there is a very good A320 available already (free) and an absolutely stunningly realistic one on the way very soon from Fenix. 

Not trying to put you off P3D, but it won't cost you much at all to find out if MSFS is going to suit you (other than the time it takes to download it), so it would be foolish not to at least try it. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at how good it is, and if you did decide to buy it after a trial, it's nowhere near as expensive as P3D, which is another plus point.

[Luis Hernandez 570]

10 hours ago, jmcmillen19 said:

Ryzen 5 5600G 3060 12 gigs vram and 16 gigs at 3200 mhz

P3D5 will do fine for airliners in your system, but you will need a good budget: $60/$200 for P3D (academic/professional) + $100 for the NGXu (assuming you only want the -800 and -900) + $135 for the 777 (-200LR only) + $80 for the 787 (which you will spend in either FSX or P3D anyway) + $140 for the FSL Airbus (A320 wing tip fence only, other models require an expansion). $520 at least and you're covering 4 of your top 5 planes (which is the 5th one, BTW?)

If you want to stay in FSX-SE, no one prohibits you from doing so. Yes, it's 32-bit, VAS limited, blah blah blah, but I never used add-on airports (just Zinertek textures and later GSX) and never ever ever ever had a single CTD in 3 laptops and my current desktop.

About your plane choices in FSX:

- 787: Flight1/QW sell a FSX version too. No issue here. You'll spend the $80 anyway

- 737/747: PMDG stopped selling them. But there's still iFly, which are very good and not as expensive. Easily at the same league of the 787, or even higher.

- 777: you're SOL 😞

- A320: FSL still sells the FSX version for $100, but for the A320 only. No sharklets and no A319 or A321... but you have already the Aerosoft birds.

And as Chock said, you can give MSFS a try for a couple of bucks...

 

 

[Penzoil3 480]

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/pc-games?xr=shellnav

 

Try MSFS it's amazing.

[Tim_Capps 474]

I'm going to file a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part, Jeremy. First, welcome back!

I was in a similar position when I came back into the hobby after a lapse of time. MSFS was the latest and greatest. It didn't feel much like FSX, but that's obviously a good thing in many ways! I bought it, naturally. But, missing my style of flying, I got P3D, and found it more familiar and versatile, and it runs a lot better than FSX ever did. I just wasn't able to do much of the kind of flying I like to do in MSFS. By now, it's been many months since I've used MSFS, which is NOT a judgment on relative merits or contradicting anyone else. It's subjective. Here's the deal: the hobby is split not so much between older and newer, like FS9 and FSX in the old days (when P3D was an exotic up-and-comer). At this point, there's less than ever overlap between what MSFS and P3D offer. Not to say that won't change. It is changing--fast, according to the developers. Guess we'll all see. But I think it makes the choice a easier if you see yourself delving into higher-end jetliners in the short term.

P3D still offers by far the bigger choice there.Granted, quality (always subjective) varies, as it always does, but there's something for everyone. There is more than one "prestige level" product on the market for P3D v5.2, the kind of flying it sounds like you're interested in. P3D looks very nice if you sink some money into scenery. MSFS may eventually have what you are interested in flying. Trying out MSFS makes sense. but I'd just say look at how you can use it, rather than how it looks.

And, to my eye, I'm not so sure P3D looks significantly worse for jetliners, at least not with third-party scenery. Compared to FSX, the frame rates and detail out of P3D are much better. To me, it's what I always wished FSX would be. It's not a dog by any means.

But here's another factor. If I were your age, I might also paying attention to where the "industry" is heading, too, which is undoubtedly MSFS. Now that Lockheed Martin has jumped the 64 bit fence, I feel fairly confident that no soon-coming update is going to break everything I have, but I don't know what things will look like in three years or five. I can see different scenarios, and am not among those writing off P3D or assuming MSFS is going to offer everything P3D does in terms of aircraft anytime soon, if ever. But, for now, devs are flocking from P3D to MSFS. At, 64, I worry less about that sort of thing than I would were I in my twenties! There are still far more products that work in P3D v5.2 than I could ever afford or have time to use.

You picked an interesting time to come back into the hobby!

[Dominique_K 10,138]

When I switched from FSX+fix to P3D2 in 2013, I found it significantly better. Imagine now, three versions later ! So yes, dump FSX, you will not regret it. Sometimes older games keep some charm . Not FSX.

Today, you have the choice between P3D5 and the last Microsoft Simulator. 

As said earlier, you can try MFS for a couple of bucks with the Game Pass and P3D5 has a trial period of two weeks. So in doubt, you can try both.

Be aware that P3D is not easy on weak computers and needs a lot of addons to pimp it out in the scenery and weather departments. Strong point is that it has a large choice of airliners.

MFS on the hand is well optimized for weak computers and is awfully pretty in its birthday suit. The choice of airliners is still  limited but the months to come will bring new high quality aircraft from PMDG and maybe others.

[Fielder 3,671]

As Chock said, it is less than $5 to see if MSFS will meet your needs. To see what MSFS looks like, just watch some youtube videos! Speed the youtube videos up 2x to race thru them really fast. I think everything except MSFS will be dead in a year.

[W2DR 1,860]

I'll still be alive (and so will my P3D) 🙂.