54 minutes ago, Sky_Pilot071 said:

Except he's spot on.  Begin with a clean slate before shooting yourzelf in the foot.

sp

 

Again bro, it was in no way helpful to ME or necessary. In fact, it read like a borderline scolding for having a strong opinion about something. I have specific questions I am looking for answers to and some of the adults in the room were kind enough to take time and actually help me. 

Also, not real sure how I'm going to shoot myself in the foot. If you are implying that I'm just going to run out and buy a bunch of stuff and load up with bad DLC or DLC I don't need? Rest assured I've been around the flight simming block a few times. I'm simply gathering info. I hope this helps you sleep tonight and not worry about my foot.

But I digress. Main point is, if you willing to answer my questions, please do so. It confuses me to no end that folks will chime in with unsolicited advice or criticisms. And you literally posted immediately after my post asking specifically not to do that. 

@sivart2000 I would highly recommend the Fenix A320 and JustFlight BAe 146 Pro for great airliners, as a few others have recommended. The iniBuilds A310-200 is now a default aircraft in MSFS, and is also very good. It was not initially available for MSFS, but was developed by iniBuilds and brought in as a new default aircraft for the 40th Anniversary update (I think it was that update, but it could have been one of the many other Asobo updates that MSFS gets). Also, you will see mention and hear of the various Black Square analog addons. What Black Square does is take some of the default MSFS aircraft and really upgrades the avionics and systems upgrade in the aircraft. They also do some graphical upgrades to the cockpit and also some tweaking to the flight models. They do NOT change the exterior of the aircraft. One of the big differences in MSFS compared to P3D regarding default aircraft is that the default MSFS aircraft are actually, for the most part, decently done. They all look good, and some of them have had thier avionics seriously upgraded by Working Titles updates. 

I think GSX is a worthwhile addon, especially if you want to fly tubeliners. It works well with the Fenix A320 and the JF BAe 146. Your TrackIR will work great in MSFS, it's what I have been using since the beginning and no problems with it. The default weather system is pretty good, looks really good and is slowly improving, so I do not recommend any of the few weather addons that are out there. I am a big fan of addon airport scenery as there are some really good ones out there. In fact, there are so many good airport addons because third parties don't really need to focus on any other type of scenery development for MSFS. Asobo keeps updating the scenery around the world, adding new upgraded airports and POI's in what they call World Updates. We are on #12 of those. So, after you explore the default world of MSFS, I would highly recommend looking at some of the really well done airport addons available. Oh, and the camera system. There is no camera addon available like a Chaseplane for MSFS, and whether or not it is needed is always a discussion. I loved Chaseplane in P3D, but once I took the time to really learn the camera system in MSFS, I no longer feel that way. It IS very different from the P3D camera system, and you might hate it at first. But, take the time to learn it. There are some really good camera system YouTubes out there that are very helpful. 

A few other utility programs that you might check out are Flow from //42 (look at Orbx) and also FSRealistic. You may or may not like those. 

Welcome and enjoy!

28 minutes ago, sivart2000 said:

I appreciate your time and input along with Burt and the others that gave information that is actually helpful to me.

I would suggest re-reading the advice received from the others.. they actually are making an important point..

Start small and get used to the sim.. it is very different from P3D and initially, you are likely going to be frustrated trying to get it working the way you are used to..  😉

3 minutes ago, sniper31 said:

@sivart2000

A few other utility programs that you might check out are Flow from //42 (look at Orbx) and also FSRealistic. You may or may not like those. 

Welcome and enjoy!

Thanks! Already anticipating enjoying addon airports. The utilities end of it I think was my biggest concern, what I need versus what I don't as compared to the P3D world just getting started.

4 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

 

Start small and get used to the sim.. it is very different from P3D and initially, you are likely going to be frustrated trying to get it working the way you are used to..  😉

This is my plan. 

Some quick answers to some of your questions below, but I'll reiterate what others have said.. unlike with P3D or XP, MSFS in its current state really provides for a compelling experience without needing any add-ons.. definitely try it out like that and then start to think about what add-ons you need (for me, those tend to be 3rd party aircraft and specific airports).

 

4 hours ago, sivart2000 said:

What is the best weather engine?

MSFS's default weather engine is quite capable and plausible. Not that there are many add-ons anyways since currently MS/Asobo have not opened up the weather engine for 3rd party injection (due to contractual issues with the weather service Meteoblue they partnered with and/or other reasons).  But like many others keep saying on this forum, the default weather is quite good. That said, if historic weather is important to you, that is currently lacking however.
 

4 hours ago, sivart2000 said:

Do any atmosphere/scenery textures need to be addressed?

Apart from specific areas or airports where you want higher detail than the default scenery, again unlike with legacy sims this is another area where MSFS shines at in its default state, to represent the planet at a level and detail we never imagined before.. no more worrying about managing and adding on textures, orthos, etc.

 

4 hours ago, sivart2000 said:

Next, can I get a couple recommendations for aircraft to start? 

Study level airliner, preferably not PMDG because I find the company and minions to be condescending, pedantic and full of broken promises. How's that GFO coming, Robert? My hope is that there will be enough competition in the MSFS space that PMDG will be a bit more customer oriented.

Good bush plane?

Like others have said, you should try out the high fidelity aircraft that come as default in the sim (i.e. iniBuilds A310 in all editions, Citation Longitude in the premium edition, etc). In terms of payware birds my non-PMDG favorites are the Fenix A320, Milviz C310, Sting S4, SimWorks Kodiak (good for bush flying)

 

Edited March 22, 20233 yr by lwt1971

Don't plan to add anything for 6 months.  Ask your questions then if you stll feel the need.

sp

Edited March 22, 20233 yr by Sky_Pilot071

I have become extremely fond of the Got Friends Monster NXCub mod of the default NXCub for Bush flying. I think it flies great, good performance, has tricycle gear (personal preference over tail draggers) and provides some "modern" niceties (like an AP) that is useful for those long stretches in the Aleutians.

https://www.got-friends.com/collections/freeware/products/monsternx

As you have gotten some great answers already, I will reiterate that MSFS does not "automatically" need stuff to make it look good like we used to do in FSX, P3D, etc. That being said, I do think there are a few select add-ons which I would almost consider "base" add-ons for MSFS. (At least, for my personal preference.)

1. We Love VFR Regions 1 and 2 - Adds antennas and other things

2. If you simply want your jets at the airports to "look more right" than the default generic liveries, the absolute simplest solution is Aerosoft Simple Traffic. I fly mostly GA and without any fuss, these makes those bigger airports I fly into have more real looking planes with the default live traffic. For a more comprehensive custom solution, you will have to put some time into the solutions. It all depends on how much effort you wish to put in. The default live traffic is fine for me, and this adds a realistic coat of paint on the airplanes for me. Done and done.

3. Zinertek Enhanced Airport Graphics - I don't think this add-on gets the credit it deserves. I MUCH prefer its default texture replacements over the original textures. (Again, personal preference, you may prefer the look of the default textures more, but I personally think this add-on is an absolute bargain.) Like most MSFS add-ons, unlike FSX or P3D, it is not "required" or "essential" to get things to look good in MSFS ... it just gives everything that slight tweak that might make it just that much better for you. (It does for me.)

4. Some of the "improvement" mods to the default planes are absolutely stellar. The JPL 152 basically turns the default 152 into the best payware version of a 152 in any sim ever. The Bagolu 172 improves an already pretty fantastic default plane. The C208, DA62 and DC3 Duckworks mods all are also recommended.

 

Overall, I have found that once I shifted my mindset from the FSX "must install all of these addons to get a good sim" to the "less is more" approach, I started to really appreciate how nice it is to not have to constantly be on top of updating addons, seeking out addons, etc. YMMV, but I have found I do not collect add-ons like I used to with MSFS (nor do I need to.)

 

A few quick edits to add a bit more info:

5. I think that the default TBM is probably the best turboprop in the game, and possibly one of the best default planes. With the latest avionics updates, it is much closer to a traditional "payware" offering than a "default" plane.

6. I prefer the STEAM install. I tried the Microsoft Store version first during the one dollar trial they had, and then switched to the STEAM version when I made my full purchase. I am already a STEAM user, so I know where everything is, and I just find the STEAM system to be much more transparent than the Microsoft Store. Zero issues with the STEAM version and updates. (If you ever hear of update issues happening, it almost exclusively happens to folks who have the Microsoft Store version.)

7. You can install sceneries and just about anything anywhere you want, and alias everything to the Community folder where they are picked up and recognized. This is wonderful functionality, and can all be easily manage with a fantastic piece of freeware called MSFS Addons Linker.

8. Getting the premium gives you some more planes and some more handcrafted airports. Take a look at the planes that are added and decide if they interest you. The Citation Longitude in the premium HAS been significantly upgraded to be "payware" quality and will probably continue to become one of the finest bizjets you can get. It may be worth it for that alone. You also get the steam gauge C172 and the Baron. I think in regards to the aiports it will depend on where you fly. If you do tubeliner stuff, you will probably have the airports you "want" to have at max fidelity and will probably seek out specific payware for those. However, there is not real benefit to having premium over the default version in regards to how it affects what 3rd party addons you can get in the future. i.e. Premium is not required for 3rd party addons, unless, of course, it directly upgrades something that is only in Premium (like the Blacksquare analog mod that is coming out.) These are rare.

 

 

Edited March 23, 20233 yr by salasnet
More Info for OP

DYOR.

 

42 minutes ago, MikeH99 said:

DYOR

He is doing his research, by asking here. At which point we become the librarians behind the desk who can either help him or not depending on what knowledge we have. I have never been to a library where I asked about a topic and was simply pointed to a computer terminal without an explanation and the librarian spelled out "DYOR" to me.

Is a lot of this information already covered in previous forum posts? YES. But I also know how difficult it can sometimes be to zero in on the information you need by searching forums. Sometimes really useful information is hidden in a thread where the original topic does not reflect the goodies of information that are inside. Sometimes, forum threads are old, and like stale bread, no longer reflect the state of a fresh bread out of the oven (like the Citation Longitude, which was transformed not that long ago from being lackluster).

Anyway, fair enough if somebody does not wish to contribute to helping the OP out. It is your choice and your right. But, in the spirit of collegiality and good manners, I would recommend to just keep walking by the topic rather than chime in with a response that at best, is not helpful, and at worse, seems quite inconsiderate.

@sivart2000 First homework after you install MSFS. First familiarize yourself with MSFS by doing what most do, and difficult or impossible to do in other default sims:

(76) Tutorial #5 - Find ANY House - Microsoft Flight Simulator - YouTube

He's a very good MSFS YouTuber too.

(76) Microsoft Flight Simulator - Tutorials - YouTube

Edited March 23, 20233 yr by spinoza

8 hours ago, sivart2000 said:

But I digress. Main point is, if you willing to answer my questions, please do so. It confuses me to no end that folks will chime in with unsolicited advice or criticisms.

"Unsolicited advice" ?  You posted a topic here asking for assistance and opinion  -  and people have taken time to respond.

Nothing compels you to respond back rudely to posters with whom you disagree or if the response doesn't meet your specific needs.  A simple thanks, but no thanks usually works, if you absolutely need.

If you want to put conditions on responses to your post, next time do us all favor and include them in your topic title........

Back on topic - I agree with those who suggest to simply install the sim and go from there.  My system is a pittance in comparison to yours and I think (maybe) you'll be very surprised and satisfied. (hopefully....I dunno). 

Edited March 23, 20233 yr by irocx

13 hours ago, sivart2000 said:

I was under the impression before the release that the basic MSFS would provide a lot of the features that typically needed to be added on to P3D to bring it up to a good state of technical depth and immersiveness. It looks now like I was greatly mistaken and that to get an experience at least equal to P3D that I will need to add almost all the same DLC that I did for the older sim.

Some of the reactions are triggered by this part because this is simple wrong and I don't really get where you got that idea. MSFS needs way less addons in order to satisfy. I've been simming since the eighties and had tons of addons in P3D but at this moment I only use ONE addon in MSFS (FSHud). My scenery is default and looks a thousand times better (and I seriously mean a thousand times) than P3D with its awful generic ground textures... When it comes to graphics MSFS beats P3D out of the universe. Weather, atmosphere, it all looks so much better and realistic in MFS compared to P3D! The lighting is incomparable! Well, you get the picture: you don't need ANY addons in the graphics department. Apart from airport scenery if that's important to you. (For me the default but also the free updated airports are more than good enough and I personally decided to not use payware or even freeware airport addons.) But the non airport scenery is in another league: you can fly all over the world and you will get realistic scenery everywhere. In P3D you can get realistic scenery nowhere!

Having said all that: the question of course is what you want from a sim. In other words: define "an experience at least equal to P3D". My first reaction to this is the above: the scenery is soooooooooo much better! But maybe you were mostly thinking about the planes and systems! Well, even planes and systems are better in MSFS than in P3D. For instance the (by now default) G3000 or the GNS in MSFS are payware quality. You won't have that in P3D without addons. Or the A310: payware quality. Even the Longitude and CJ4 are close to payware quality (as long as you are not into failures and stuff).

But anyway, enough has been said already by others. I would also advice you to start with default MSFS and use it for a while: soon enough you will discover what's missing in order to make the "experience at least equal to P3D". Just do not start with looking for all kinds of addons right away: you might add stuff you don't really need or which only degrades the experience.