This is gonna sound whiny and self-serving but it would seem that "Microsoft Service Packs" whatever those are, are once again standing between my use of FSX and some very good scenery packasges from all over the place.( the latest of course KMCI from Imagine). I have nearly $1000.00 worth of worthless scenery packages that are gone to waste as FS9 only products. Unbelievable. I'll never do that again. By the time what I have is FSX ready, it'll be 2/3 through to the next FSX version number and then what? More unfriendly changes by "ACES" to frustrate the payware scenery modelers? .Randy Jura, KPDX

Personally, I wouldn't expect any FS9 addon to 100% work in FSX, either immediately or in the future, unless that promise came from the developer when you bought it. There is nothing stopping you continuing to use your expensive scenery packs with FS9 until they are updated to the current service packed FSX. Life can still be good!Gary

Hey Randy, this post sounds whiny and self-serving. :)In thinking about this matter I recalled all the great add-ons that I had for FS5, then 5.01a, then 5.1 and how many of them didn't work with FS6 (FS95). I remember being upset but I just swollowed hard and moved on. But now I see a big difference; in those days most add-ons were freeware. Oh sure, some items were shareware but then the cost was only a few bucks.Today's add-ons cost serious money. And there are so many now. It is easy to sink a lot of money into one version only to see tham obsoleted whan a new version is released. I believe that a shift in the dynamic started with the FS2002 - FS2004 change. Quite a few people stayed with FS2002; more, I think, than ever before. Now the same thing is happening with even more folks sticking with FS2004 and shunning FSX. I see nothing wrong with this but feel sorry for people like you that find it frustrating.I have kept FS2004 and bought FSX. I use both about equally and I'm buying just what FSX payware that I think is necessary. If FSX becomes my new "standard," it will happen natually over time. If not, then I'll be content with FS2004.R-

I am obsessive a forward user, I cannot go back to FS2004. I salute what it has accomplished but it's all bittersweet isn't it. Randy Jura, KPDX

Hi Randy,Just think what would happen if MS listened to those who want NO backward compatibility between versions. Then what an outrage we would have on our hands!Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/banners/hifi-community-sigbanner.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/

Nothing stops you from skipping FSX and waiting for FS11. Hopefully that version (if it is ever released) will we fully functional out of the box. When you really break it down the major thing missing in FS9 (vs FSX) is the more detailed scenery. Other than that FS9 gives you everything in terms of detailed airports, aircraft and playability.Mark.

It's called progress. You cannot expect add-ons or programs to be compatible to every new version. Unfortunate, frustrasting? Of course! But on the other hand, FSX would not be what it is right now, if we would be still backwards-compatible to FS98 (for example).I have a good $600 in FS9 add-ons and maybe 25% of them have been ported to FSX. Most of them for an additional upgrade price tag.Pat

>This is gonna sound whiny and self-serving but it would seem>that "Microsoft Service Packs" whatever those are, are once>again standing between my use of FSX and some very good>scenery packasges from all over the place.( the latest of>course KMCI from Imagine). I have nearly $1000.00 worth of>worthless scenery packages that are gone to waste as FS9 only>products. Unbelievable. I'll never do that again. By the time>what I have is FSX ready, it'll be 2/3 through to the next FSX>version number and then what? More unfriendly changes by>"ACES" to frustrate the payware scenery modelers? head in frustration>.>>Randy Jura, KPDXI feel the same way. But that's the nature of the beast!

This is the official line from Microsoft for the last 4 years:Scenery should no longer be created with BGL opcodes or the BGLC compiler from previous versions of Flight Simulator. The older BGL opcodes are supported for backward compatibility, however, we cannot guarantee their support in future releases. This has been repeated numerous times and all designers were aware of it. So, it comes as no surprise that scenery made using unsupported techniques no longer work correctly.The FS X Service Packs, in large part, are a response to this, and attempt to re-create backwards compatibility for some features (thanks to the guys in Redmond). So, most old scenery should work correctly in FS X, except for some minor details.Best regards.Luis