MSFS will never allow users to stay on an older version

[Republic3D 1,232]

I don't want to stay on an old version, but this part worries me:
 

Quote

...the team strongly believes that having the full community (which will now also include XBox) on the same version ensures the best possible feedback and telemetry...

Game consoles go years between every update. Sometimes 7-8 years. 

Does this mean the PC version will be held back going forward by the XBox? 

MSFS only uses 4 out of 24 threads on my CPU, 8 GB out of 64 GB RAM and 6 GB out of 24 GB VRAM. There's clearly room for improvement here. Can we get higher fidelity and sliders that will improve the experience for PC, or will that be limited by what the XBox can do?

I think it's a fair question to ask. 

[Concodroid 84]

17 minutes ago, neil0311 said:

That’s not the only issue. Much of the scenery is integrated with data from the Azure cloud. Weather is cloud based. Traffic data is cloud based.

I said the only other issue, the other referring to what you just said

[ThrottleUp 619]

28 minutes ago, neil0311 said:

I know some don’t want to hear it, but none of the updates has caused a problem for me.

I’m sure there has been some minor variation in performance or visuals, but nothing that’s been really noticeable to me.

So again…the people having problems aren’t the majority. They’re the folks who tinker, who tweak, who are using 3rd party or freeware scenery or aircraft, and they are very critical about things many of us don’t even notice. 

I actually had no big issues like CTDs, of course the increased performance was welcome. After an update I always rename the Community folder to test the base game only. 

What makes me gripe about SU5 (well at least on my system) is the bleached out lighting. Its like the world is being lit up by 10 suns. Thats the major one for me with a couple of others (the tree draw distance etc) 

But since I got the game (which Ive had for about 6 weeks) I have had only one CTD - and that was early on before I found out this game hates overlocked CPUs so I bought mine down from 3.8 to 3.5Ghz and never had a CTD.

I will just accept that updates may affect things and theres nothing I can do about it. The game is still amazing and the visuals amazing and I'll keep flying 🙂 

[Krakin 5,775]

Welcome to modern game development.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

12 hours ago, Silicus said:

On paper, yes, but in reality, EVERY SU so far had major issues. I don't know of ANY software that forces you to update NOW. Even mother Windows gives you opt-out to a point.

They have to up their game when it comes to quality control. The 300 beta tester approach clearly does not work. 

The opt-in beta option seems to be a step in the right direction.

Having to update MSFS in three different places (Store, Sim, Content Manager) is another booh booh that I will never understand and is totally and completely user unfriendly....

Well, the only 'opt out' we all have, is (no sarcasm) that I see, is to not opt out, but to 'drop out' and fly something else....(the other's....).  I guess it is what it is, and will be what it will be.  That's why I would never (personally) put all my eggs into one basket, and delete P3D (my most favorite version, etc) and XP11 (same).  Those are my two 'opt out' pathways, I guess.

[overspeed3 410]

It's  just the same situation with Win 10 automatic updates, also by The Microsoft Corporation, BTW.  You can try to stop them from time to time but eventually you have grin and bear it, even though it may mess-up certain apps or features...  One update actually deleted about six short-cut icons from my Window 10 screen - I had a heck of a time trying to figure out which ones were deleted... 

[desbean 357]

We should have the option to download the 2.5 Petabytes of world map data and play offline. Standard hard drives would be too slow but 1,250 2TB SSDs can be had for about $200,000 retail, and you might get a discount for that many. I would have to replace my case and would probably need a 4,000 watt power supply. Will I have to upgrade my electrical service? I'm also not sure what motherboard would be needed for this rig. I think I'm all set with my RTX3080 though.

[abrams_tank 7,426]

8 hours ago, enright said:

This would definitely make the most sense - allow customers to opt-in to "release candidates" as so many other companies do. Then you'd only have to support two versions at any given time, vs. a potentially infinite number of them if you simply allowed people to opt out of updates altogether. You'd also greatly expand the testing audience and therefore be more likely to capture issues with specific CPU / GPU / driver combos. 

I think it's fairly amazing that Asobo is doing so many updates, so regularly and so proactively that this is even an issue. I for one really enjoy the anticipation of having something new to look forward to each month, even if it means a few quirks here and there.

Yes, please vote for the "opt in" beta feature.  We could really use it and it would help Asobo to find bugs during beta, which would make the final public release version much more stable.

Edited August 17, 2021 by abrams_tank

[GoranM 3,772]

I've seen GPU's cook due to bad drivers.  2 well known cases were when nvidia published drivers that didn't increase fan speed on the GPU to keep it cool.  The result?  Fried and destroyed GPU's.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/discover/226705/the-latest-drivers-fried-my-graphics-card/

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/geforce-graphics-cards/5/165081/do-not-install-latest-driver-will-destroy-your-/

To put your faith into an in house tested update is a big mistake.  Regardless who provides it.  SU5 was evidence of that.

And for Asobo to force it on you is them being either extremely confident or extremely irresponsible.

[abrams_tank 7,426]

14 minutes ago, GoranM said:

I've seen GPU's cook due to bad drivers.  2 well known cases were when nvidia published drivers that didn't increase fan speed on the GPU to keep it cool.  The result?  Fried and destroyed GPU's.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/discover/226705/the-latest-drivers-fried-my-graphics-card/

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/geforce-graphics-cards/5/165081/do-not-install-latest-driver-will-destroy-your-/

To put your faith into an in house tested update is a big mistake.  Regardless who provides it.  SU5 was evidence of that.

And for Asobo to force it on you is them being either extremely confident or extremely irresponsible.

LOL, MSFS isn't going to fry your GPU!  Yes, there are rare cases in the past where the video game maker didn't throttle the FPS and it may have damage people's GPU.  This is not the case of MSFS.  There are no wide spread reports in MSFS of people's GPUs being fried.

Goran, I know you have commercial ties to X-Plane.  But please don't come into the MSFS forum here in Avsim and "fear monger" like this.  I hope the mods can regulate people with obvious commercial ties to P3D or X-Plane that come into threads in the MSFS forum (they come into the MSFS forum mind you and make such statements, rather than staying in the P3D or X-Plane forum) and make such claims and spread "fear mongering" like this.

Edited August 17, 2021 by abrams_tank

[Reader 2,030]

1 hour ago, abrams_tank said:

Yes, please vote for the "opt in" beta feature.  We could really use it and it would help Asobo to find bugs during beta, which would make the final public release version much more stable.

Despite the suggestions to the contrary, effective beta testing is a skill which few possess.

[abrams_tank 7,426]

13 minutes ago, Reader said:

Despite the suggestions to the contrary, effective beta testing is a skill which few possess.

Well, I disagree with that, and this comes from my experience in testing software in a professional environment.  The more beta testers, the more variety and different permutations of hardware and software setup.  Also, the more variety and different permutations of add-ons.

If you want trained testers, the trained testers are working at Asobo and they likely go through the first phase of testing (after the developers test it of course), before the release even reaches the beta testing phase.

As for beta testing, you want more people testing with different setups because that means more thorough testing, more permutations of hardware/software/add-ons during the testing, which will find the bugs easier.

If I were running a software project and my lead test supervisor came to me and said we need less testers, not more testers with different configurations, I would fire that lead test supervisor and replace him/her with someone else.

Edited August 17, 2021 by abrams_tank

[RobF2 150]

Man, I'm old enough to remember getting excited when a CD of FSX Acceleration was available on the shelves of the local dept store or games shop, so getting an update every month (let alone the 25-33% improvement SU5!!) is pretty amazing.  

Come to think of it, don't ever recall there being an update for the 8bit C64 version at all.

I prefer living in the future thank you  🙂

Edited August 17, 2021 by RobF2

[Ray Proudfoot 8,980]

14 minutes ago, Reader said:

Despite the suggestions to the contrary, effective beta testing is a skill which few possess.

Many years ago on a version of Microsoft Flight Sim I wanted to see how the sim would react to a ridiculously over-the-top cumulonimbus layer of well over 30,000ft thick. That was over 20 years ago and graphics cards were nothing like those we have now.

It crashed the sim. I did it on a friend’s computer running a beta version. He said it would never have occurred to him to create such a layer.

The whole point of beta testing is to try and break the sim. Not just fly around with your normal settings. I believe the expression is “thinking outside the box”.

[Reader 2,030]

22 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

Well, I disagree with that, If I were running a software project and my lead test supervisor came to me and said we need less testers, not more testers with different configurations, I would fire that lead test supervisor and replace him/her with someone else.

I wrote "effective beta testing is a skill which few possess". You appear to have read "there should be fewer beta testers". I have worked for managers who didn't listen many times and it was not a pleasant experience.

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Reader