It has been months since I've had both the desire and opportunity to fire up any sim. I finally took the opportunity to update the sim, grab the latest GNS updates from WT and test a quick IFR flight in the steam gauge 172. Actual weather in my area is low IFR with 200' ceilings and 1 1/4 mile visibility. The sim nailed the weather including winds aloft. The approach that I tested was to a runway with REILS only and I nearly needed to go missed. At the last moment I spotted the REILS emerging from the mist. I was incredibly realistic.

GNS performed flawlessly (with the exception of being able to monitor ATIS/AWOS on com 2). Thank you Working Title for bringing such care and quality to the GNS! I know the G1/3/5000 and 3rd party GTN units get all of the attention, but I instruct in so many airplanes that are still equipped with GNSs. It is great to finally be able to recommend MSFS for those that want to practice instrument procedures home with "legacy" avionics.

My MSFS installation is bone stock right now. I can't speak for anyone else, but the sim has finally reached a point that it delivers above and beyond what I'd hoped when that first jaw-dropping trailer hit at E3.

I generally agree

43 minutes ago, snglecoil said:

but the sim has finally reached a point that it delivers 

For almost 18 months, thru SU9, I stayed away from MSFS. After hearing the good stuff about SU9 (weather specifically) and seeing developers coming onboard, it was time to try again. It has worked out pretty well for me. Well enough for me to set aside my LM sim and focus exclusively on MSFS and DCS. 

Happy for you (and me 🙂 )

 

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by hs118

Yep. I held out  for the first 1 and a half years or so before jumping in.

I read what was going on and decided it was best to go through all the trials and tribulations of MSFS life vicariously through other simmers. It was a lot less stressful to watch others being frustrated than it would have been to experience it first hand.

That being said, I'm having a blast with how it is now, and giddy with anticipation to see where it goes.

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by MDFlier

23 minutes ago, MDFlier said:

It was a lot less stressful to watch others being frustrated than it would have been to experience it first hand.

I think that is a skewed view based on the tendency for people to post on problems and less so w/ successes.  I've had so little frustration since launch I would have severely missed what I've been able to do had I avoided using the sim because of the posts of what I believe is a genuine minority of all users.  I can say every single time up I am excited to use the sim and do 2-3 flights nearly every day.

30 minutes ago, Noel said:

 posts of what I believe is a genuine minority of all users.  

I tried to use MSFS for approximately 2 months on launch. It was terrible, weather depiction awful, forced updates taking hours and then causing sim to crash. Glad you enjoyed what you had but the frustration at poor quality software was very real for many long time hobbyists.

Pretty good now. On occasion still don't have "real" (actual) weather. Still some significant issues with flight modeling: no twin vertical stabilizers, no horizontal tail dihedral, almost non-existent adverse yaw modeling, etc. CFD is coming along. Overall, worth the time to focus on MSFS exclusively.

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by hs118

Most issues with with MSFS can be attributed to an inadequate internet IMO.

The platform is great, foreward looking and continues to evolve so no negatives on this end.

sp

 

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by Sky_Pilot071

57 minutes ago, Noel said:

I think that is a skewed view based on the tendency for people to post on problems and less so w/ successes.  I've had so little frustration since launch I would have severely missed what I've been able to do had I avoided using the sim because of the posts of what I believe is a genuine minority of all users.  I can say every single time up I am excited to use the sim and do 2-3 flights nearly every day.

No, I made a fully informed choice based on my own experience. I bought MSFS on release day and I tried it every couple of months to see how it was doing. Once I started getting a satisfactory experience for my preferred type of flying (airline flights), I stayed with it. I did have some fun playing around with GA and sightseeing occasionally before then.

MSFS is a monster. Insane. 

32 minutes ago, Sky_Pilot071 said:

Most issues with with MSFS can be attributed to an inadequate internet IMO.

The platform is great, foreward looking and continues to evolve so no negatives on this end.

sp

 

Not sure better internet is going to fix the flight modeling issues 🙂 Many things that could be done in previous sim(s) still cannot be done in MSFS.

However, as you pointed out, it is forward looking and Asobo is engaged with advanced community members to evolve the platform. 

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by hs118

1 hour ago, Noel said:

I think that is a skewed view based on the tendency for people to post on problems and less so w/ successes.  I've had so little frustration since launch I would have severely missed what I've been able to do had I avoided using the sim because of the posts of what I believe is a genuine minority of all users.

Depends on what you prefer to fly. As a heavy iron simmer, MSFS was a terrible proposition pre- and post-launch. l didn't find the GA stuff wonderful either.

Then, SU9 released back in Spring. Combined with the efforts of the highly talented FBW and WT teams, plus other modders, MSFS is a completely different experience. Especially as it's since improved in some important aspects (wheel friction model, enhanced CFD).

No looking back now!

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by F737MAX

I just spent a couple of days getting a RW RV7 owner set up in P3D with a GTN650, and decided to take his personal RV7 for a flight over Vancouver, after not touching P3D for over a year.  Eye opener.. hard to believe I was happy flying in that environment 2 years ago..  Immediately after, started up my RV14 in MSFS and did the same flight..

Wow, we have sure come a way.. Lovely experience.  Not to mention the G36, C414, C310, PC12, SF50.. etc  🙂

6 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Immediately after, started up my RV14 in MSFS and did the same flight..

Ima lovin' that SWS RV14!

All the YT MSFS vids give me the feeling of natural flight,  Other sims vids make me feel like I'm on a rollercoaster.

sp

12 hours ago, MDFlier said:

Yep. I held out  for the first 1 and a half years or so before jumping in.

I read what was going on and decided it was best to go through all the trials and tribulations of MSFS life vicariously through other simmers. It was a lot less stressful to watch others being frustrated than it would have been to experience it first hand.

I installed MSFS 2020 on day 1 and deleted my entire P3D installation, including the thousands of $$$$$$ worth of addons I had accumulated, the same day. Never looked back. Never ever had the feeling of being "frustrated". 

Didn't see any "trials and tribulations". Just the normal development process you see with any triple A gaming title 

MSFS 2020 was/is a journey - there were and will be bumps and potholes along the way. 

It is great that (almost) everybody now seems happy with MSFS 2020, but I am in the group that elected to jump in on the day it was released and stay the course, and have never regretted it for one second. Problems along the way notwithstanding, I have had two years of simming at a level of realism and immersion never before possible, and I would not trade those two years for anything. Staying with FSX or P3D while waiting for MSFS to approach perfection never made sense to me, and in retrospect I am glad I made the choice I did. For every moment of frustration, there have been many more of exhilaration!

 

Edited December 11, 20223 yr by cobalt