Built-in ATC Now Totally Bonkers

[RandallR 451]

There were some items in the ATC area that were improved in the last update, but now there are so many more things going wrong that it's almost unusable.  These have been consistent faults in the last 5 flights:

• Loss of communication through COM1 immediately after ATIS playback - COM1 receives no audio for the remainder of the flight.
• Attempts to file the flight plan results in a new voice immediately repeating the ATIS announcement I've already received while blocking out the flight plan approval
• I now have to switch to COM2 or I hear no ATC responses (they are visible in the ATC window but no longer audible through COM1)
• Multiple times in a flight switching my custom cockpit views (Alt+1, etc.) triggers an improper ATC response.  Apparently the sim is inappropriately reading my Alt+ commands as single numbers, activating commands, requests and directions I never asked for.  The ATC system has responded to vector requests (that I never asked for), accepted IFR cancellation requests (that I never requested), switched to different destinations (that I never requested).
• Most of the other really bad issues that were issues before continue: not offering change of runway along with change of approach requests, assigning improper (ridiculous) altitudes, etc.

This is crazy.  I was appreciating the ability to obtain much more appropriate climb to cruise approvals, but with everything else going wrong I'm dumping it.  Looks like I'll need to invest in an add-on ATC system, though it appears that all of them still have weaknesses.

[JYW 2,991]

Yep, it's about as bad as it's ever been since MSFS release.

 

[bobcat999 8,537]

11 hours ago, RandallR said:

There were some items in the ATC area that were improved in the last update, but now there are so many more things going wrong that it's almost unusable.  These have been consistent faults in the last 5 flights:

• Loss of communication through COM1 immediately after ATIS playback - COM1 receives no audio for the remainder of the flight.
• Attempts to file the flight plan results in a new voice immediately repeating the ATIS announcement I've already received while blocking out the flight plan approval
• I now have to switch to COM2 or I hear no ATC responses (they are visible in the ATC window but no longer audible through COM1)
• Multiple times in a flight switching my custom cockpit views (Alt+1, etc.) triggers an improper ATC response.  Apparently the sim is inappropriately reading my Alt+ commands as single numbers, activating commands, requests and directions I never asked for.  The ATC system has responded to vector requests (that I never asked for), accepted IFR cancellation requests (that I never requested), switched to different destinations (that I never requested).
• Most of the other really bad issues that were issues before continue: not offering change of runway along with change of approach requests, assigning improper (ridiculous) altitudes, etc.

This is crazy.  I was appreciating the ability to obtain much more appropriate climb to cruise approvals, but with everything else going wrong I'm dumping it.  Looks like I'll need to invest in an add-on ATC system, though it appears that all of them still have weaknesses.

I think I heard Working Title might give it some attention at some stage.  If it is true, they will definitely get on top of it, but we will need to be patient.  For now, I just don't use it.

[Danno 198]

MSFS is a VFR simulator and unless a pilot is using in a 3rd party solution, I fear it always will be. And I have no expectation that 2024 will be any different. If the issue is coding, perhaps Working Title can fix the mess Asobo created. But any issues related to hardware or networking are probably up to Microsoft. 
 

[Paul K 1,412]

I disabled Asobo's in-game ATC a long time ago, and just use my imagination now.  Coupled with that, FS ATC Chatter fills in the audio immersion gap very nicely - one of the best little add-ons I've bought for MSFS.

[JYW 2,991]

17 minutes ago, Paul K said:

FS ATC Chatter

I use this as well. It's great for North America and mainland Europe but I find it useless flying in the UK, as all the ATC accents are French, German, etc.   I think there may be a couple of Dublin controllers but there is a huge void in it for the UK.   Under the regions, I wish there was a UK option, in addition to the Europe region.

Edited February 9 by JYW

[jschaper 27]

4 minutes ago, JYW said:

I use this as well. It's great for North America and mainland Europe but I find it useless flying in the UK, as all the ATC accents are French, German, etc.   I think there may be a couple of Dublin controllers but there is a huge void in it for the UK.   Under the regions, I wish there was a UK option, in addition to the Europe region.

Unfortunately, UK ATC is not broadcast publically and it is illegal, I think, to record and use it elsewhere. There are more countries where this is the case, unfortunately.

jack

[Bobsk8 12,945]

Default ATC no matter which sim you are talking about has never worked properly. How can anyone be surprised about that.?

[thepilot 598]

36 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Default ATC no matter which sim you are talking about has never worked properly. How can anyone be surprised about that.?

It is surprising that nothing has improved, even in the Age of AI as they call it, when Microsoft themselves have vowed to bring artificial intelligence to their entire product stack. At this point, the bar is ridiculously low. 

[Danno 198]

42 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Default ATC no matter which sim you are talking about has never worked properly. How can anyone be surprised about that.?

From a realist standpoint, yes. But it’s the little things that worked better in 20 year old FSX….

• vectored the pilot away from, or above, mountains.
• kept the pilot on course without asking for vectors. 
• offline voices were more varied and realistic.
• didn't lose audio.

As stated, with so much more technology available, ATC should be better. And Asobo should be more responsive.

[Bobsk8 12,945]

25 minutes ago, Danno said:

From a realist standpoint, yes. But it’s the little things that worked better in 20 year old FSX….

• vectored the pilot away from, or above, mountains.
• kept the pilot on course without asking for vectors. 
• offline voices were more varied and realistic.
• didn't lose audio.

As stated, with so much more technology available, ATC should be better. And Asobo should be more responsive.

I have been using PF3 for many years ( too many to remember). It just works, so no need to try anything else. 

[RandallR 451]

Even if everything worked properly (as far as flight instructions/procedures) the horrible Alt+ command errors by the ATC module are making it (for me) absolutely unusable.

I've been wondering if this is my old keyboard showing its wear or whether they have inadvertently made a coding error where "timing" intervals for keyboard commands are now off.

[kerosene31 350]

I believe the loss of audio has been a bug since the early days of MSFS 2020.  I've always had it intermittently.  Lately I haven't had it in many flights, so I know it isn't something I'm doing.  Once the audio cuts out for me, that's it.  You just have to read the text. 

Sadly, I mostly just switch to VFR and ignore it. 

Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I don't remember FSX being this bad.  FSX would never tell me to climb to 20,000+ in a Cessna 172 (they loved to give me 100 mile approaches though!).  FSX would usually vector you around terrain and basically point you towards a runway.  This seems even worse.  I never expect super realism from the default, but it feels like it isn't even functional for the basics. 

[Christopher Low 5,416]

The more I read about the ATC in MSFS, the more convinced I am to keep the AI planes disabled, and just enjoy the outstanding scenery and lighting.

[JYW 2,991]

I just flew a short hop from EGNV (Teesside) to UK2000's new EGNC (Carlisle).   Set up an IFR FP in MSFS, at 7,000.   Got clearance and taxi, took off, all ok at first.  Then the darned ATC insisted I climb to 19,000 ...... is a very light twin with 2x 100hp Rotax engines!

It certainly used to respect the cruise altitude that you entered into the FP / navlog page.   Now, it just makes it up as it goes along 😄