2 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I don't remember poor FPS up to the point the weather was degraded.  

No, neither do I.

2 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

I have never seen real weather that only consisted of Cumulus clouds. 

Uhhhh.  These are not airbrushed.  My award winning MGB thrives off of car show days that present only cumulus clouds.

 

I purchased Active Sky for MSFS and looks to me like a big improvement over the MSFS default weather

I have a sneaking suspicion that AI will play a role for accurate cloud depiction.

sp

1 hour ago, F737MAX said:

Don't forget, HiFi Sim et al. are limited by what they can achieve due to the constraints imposed upon external weather apps caused by a lack of a weather API.

It's hardly just lack of a weather API at least in terms of cloud depiction--go ask Damian how much more definition/resolution is possible given the constraints imposed by performance considerations.

2 hours ago, Flic1 said:

I do hope 2024 improves the overall Live WX as that is my 'most wanted' feature for the new sim.  

Absolutely, though I was surprised when I posed the comment I hoped the lion's share (i.e., a 'majority', >50% IOW) of the touted greatly improved multithreading would be allocated to address cloud depiction and weather.  Here are some of those replies to that post:

"I’ve been flying simulations for somewhere around 40+ years.  I’ve had them all I figure. Never, NEVER have I seen cloud depictions like the current depictions in the current release of MSFS."

"Study the aircraft first with the flight model and physics and worry about scenery last."  (he's calling weather, 'scenery')

"Clouds look ok to me. I have always seen the pixellation there and really just let it slide."

"I can think of a lot of better places to use that performance. AI traffic for one. ATC for another. Clouds like great to me"

Oh well what are you going to do!

 

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by Noel

2 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

Thanks! That's very useful information. It sounds like MSFS is making the right decision to go with MeteoBlue then, since MeteoBlue is providing the most accurate data for areas outside of METAR zones.

The NOAA GFS would be just as accurate, but it has a more coarse time resolution. It appears MeteoBlue (as a weather provider) can use almost 30 different forecast models depending on their customers’ specific needs. As far as MSFS is concerned, the NEMS model probably has the best combination of geographic coverage combined with time resolution.

4 hours ago, Noel said:

my sense is people's opinion on just how much better pre SU5 was is....somewhat....overblown.

I'm not so sure.  I used to start a flight right on the edge of an approaching warm front.  It was possible to see what was obviously very high level cloud way off in the distance.  The lowering clouds were pretty good as the front approached.  The rain shafts were better defined.  I never used to get the sense the sky was mostly cumulus.

If I do the same today, there isn't any high cloud off in the distance, just cumulus low on the horizon.

15 hours ago, CO2Neutral said:

Apparently MSFS users and Asobo don't consider weather important to flight ... lets just ignore what real world pilots do when the first thing they check is the weather before then even get close to the aircraft.  Boggles my mind they can associate "Simulator" to this game.

What hyperbolic nonsense.. just because some MSFS users and MS/Asobo don't seem to be of the legacy mindset that 3rd party add-ons are always needed to improve core sim features like weather, doesn't mean that they don't consider weather important to flight 🙄

To everyone else seriously discussing this topic, my few cents:

• MS/Asobo have shown themselves more than capable of simulating global weather quite realistically, as we saw pre-SU7.. where they faltered was in the blending of METAR with global Meteoblue weather data (which as discussed by other experts in this thread is quite good data and fit for purpose). They have since improved that blending in live weather, but obviously still can improve more, especially in being able to render more cloud types (which the core sim weather engine certainly is capable of, as evidenced by manual weather configurations we can do ourselves, or using add-ons like AS or Rex that handle this manual weather config "on-the-fly continuously")
• It'd be safe to assume MSFS 2024 is going to enhance the core weather capabilities and engine (given that they've stated they want to improve simulation of storms, super cells, even add tornado simulation, etc: https://youtu.be/VPhScg_FINE?t=1144).. hopefully as part of that they tackle the METAR blending properly or do a rewrite of it. They might even introduce more cloud types than what we have now in manual weather and improve the rendering of them given the core sim performance improvements and proper use of multithreading, etc.
• I'm definitely going to wait to see what MSFS 2024 offers before considering any weather add-ons
• Perhaps the AS developer could be of use to MS/Asobo, perhaps not since they already have enough expertise on board.. and who's to say if the AS developer is even interested in joining the MSFS team
• At the very least add-ons like AS or Rex can continue in MSFS 2024 making use of its core weather engine features and continuously configuring it on-the-fly like they do in 2020 (but they'd need to offer something compelling above and beyond 2024)
• If MS/Asobo decide to open up weather write access in 2024 that'd be great, but if they don't it's not the end of the world (unlike for legacy sims which needed weather add-ons for any viable weather)
• We'll know more about 2024 very soon after the June 9th XBox showcase event and more likely at FSExpo mid-June for the juicy details

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by lwt1971

Flew into an interesting rendition of a stratus layer today (default wx) at FL440 that I haven't seen before.  Cumulus layer topped out at FL390.  It wasn't perfect but looked pretty good.

sp

9 hours ago, Noel said:

While here, what have we heard if anything about clouds/weather in MSFS 2024?  I won't be buying any ATC nor weather addons until 2024 is released....unless we have it on solid authority neither of those will be updated in 2024.

All I remember is Phil Spencer saying the sim will have dynamic tornadoes.

Maybe more was said at FSExpo 2023

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by Tuskin38

3 hours ago, Sky_Pilot071 said:

Cumulus layer topped out at FL390. 

IRL cumulus clouds do not exist at FL390.  Cumulus cloud bases rarely exist at or above 8,000 ft.  Tops of cumulus normally below 10,000 ft.   Towering Cumulus can range up to 15,000 to 18,000 ft but beyond that they become Cumulonimbus or CB's?  But unlike predecessors, CB's are still not rendered in this new sim MSFS 2020, nor are representatative TCU's.

I'm putting up a vote as well.  To vote "NO".

Let's see what the end result is.  They came in late for a cash grab with a substandard product.  Please HiFi, stay away...…please.

Jase

 

I feel this thread should honestly be locked for discussion as it's completely de-railing itself.

Edited May 29, 20242 yr by sultanofswing

5 hours ago, JaseMelbo said:

They came in late for a cash grab with a substandard product. 

And yet the majority who use ASFS find it depicts live weather with more cloud variety, creates a greater likelihood of seeing storms, snow/ice coverage that better reflects irl and removes the terrible MSFS 50% wind speed reduction at ground level 'feature'.

While not perfect (nothing is), I'll take such a "cash grab" add-on that enhances many people's flight sim experience, rather than complain about it on multiple different social media.