I just accidentally stumbled across a screenshot thread elsewhere going back to the launch of the sim.

I wish I hadn’t seen it because it’s just made me so depressed and angry at how the sim has been downgraded graphically since release.

One can scroll through the posts and clearly see how the clouds get significantly worse in terms of quality at SU5, and then just since SU7 are a total mess with all the ridiculous towering convective CB clouds on the ground basically but just over the airport where the METAR data is been so poorly rendered.

I really wish I hadn’t seen it, it made me furious. Anyone else get this kind of feeling?

It's a 10 year project,we will have a stable sim in 7 years.........

40 minutes ago, BIGSKY said:

It's a 10 year project,we will have a stable sim in 7 years.........

Lol maybe stable yes (to be fair it's pretty stable for me currently), the overriding point is during a development program the idea is to Improve and move Forward not to Regress and go Backwards during said development.

I've never know a game or sim to take so many steps backwards during the first 18months as this one has, it's become laughably frustrating!

Users wanted more fps, that's what we got, plus it has to run on XBox, I think that was the main reason for the downgrade.

8 minutes ago, MarcG said:

I've never know a game or sim to take so many steps backwards during the first 18months as this one has, it's become laughably frustrating!

I agree that in my many years of gaming and simming I've also never experienced a development with so many frustrations in its updates, but then I've never had any game / sim that attempts so much and is updated so regularly as this one. I know comparisons are unavoidable (and often helpful), but tbh I don't think MSFS is like any other game / sim so far in what it aims to offer, and it has done / is doing a lot very well.

Having said that the current cloud depictions are total word not allowed compared to what we used to have, and that is often quite deflating. Hoping we eventually get back (and then surpass) what we once had.

‘familiarity breeds contempt’,

MFS progress has given so much the last, say, 18 months…

before complaining, just consider if your best option would be to completely delete MFS from your computer system…

btw, I think most MFS pilots/dare I say gamers are in for the long haul!

I must not be fussy, or doing something wrong, or something else, because relatively few problems here, and getting better all the time.  Loving it.  Cheers.

26 minutes ago, scotchegg said:

I agree that in my many years of gaming and simming I've also never experienced a development with so many frustrations in its updates, but then I've never had any game / sim that attempts so much and is updated so regularly as this one. I know comparisons are unavoidable (and often helpful), but tbh I don't think MSFS is like any other game / sim so far in what it aims to offer, and it has done / is doing a lot very well.

Having said that the current cloud depictions are total word not allowed compared to what we used to have, and that is often quite deflating. Hoping we eventually get back (and then surpass) what we once had.

Coming from a racing sim background I'm very used to others updating just as much (if not more, see Automobilista 1 &2!), but I do agree with you that MSFS is a different kettle of fish altogether especially with the cloud based system, but...that does not excuse the poor attention to so many other vital areas that they're consistently messing up on, IMO it boils down to poor overall management which must be improved upon.

2 hours ago, abennett said:

Anyone else get this kind of feeling?

No.

2 hours ago, abennett said:

I just accidentally stumbled across a screenshot thread elsewhere going back to the launch of the sim.

I wish I hadn’t seen it because it’s just made me so depressed and angry at how the sim has been downgraded graphically since release.

One can scroll through the posts and clearly see how the clouds get significantly worse in terms of quality at SU5, and then just since SU7 are a total mess with all the ridiculous towering convective CB clouds on the ground basically but just over the airport where the METAR data is been so poorly rendered.

I really wish I hadn’t seen it, it made me furious. Anyone else get this kind of feeling?

Wish you had the link

I've done my first flight since yesterday's update, just now, where I am in the UK. I've looked at presets and live weather. I'm seeing more cloud variety in the presets than when I first bought the sim, and the live weather matches exactly what I'm seeing outside right now, with the same kind of clouds, and definitely none of the often ubiquitous cumulonimbus.

So, I don't see a downgrade at all -- not in rendering quality or effects. In fact, clouds look better than they have for a long time, with no pixelation or banding this morning.

My thoughts are that our experiences are locally dependent, which I know would be true of weather anyway, but if weather is so inaccurate or cloud types seem to be limited in certain locations, this points to a) an issue with the local data coming from Meteoblue, or b) a bug that only manifests in certain places.

Hmm, I have to say, maybe it's me, but overall my opinion is that the textures and overall look of clouds has improved. Yes, there are still those rediculous 'mashed potato' looking clouds that appear when the engine is trying to create towering storm clouds, which clearly needs addressing. But from my memory, they have been with us since release. In fact the awful looking clouds on release almost prevented me from buying into the sim. So for me, I think there has been a gradual, slow improvement. EDIT although I must add, that because I have had very little confidence in the real weather, I have always flown in pre configured themes that I have created of my own. Now that the real weather engine is supposed to be fixed, it will be interesting for me to now return to flying using real weather and if my opinions here remain with me 

Crikey, here we go again.

I pretty much sat out the first year, but since I have been using it, it has gotten better and better. I guess that makes my answer to the OP's question, "No". Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. 

This sim is stunning regarding country, weather, environment colors, ambiance in flight. Plus very high fps.

And plenty of freeware among them the fabulous FBW A32NX.

Well done ASOBO/MS. And well done FBW team.