FSX SP2 -- ACES and Phil Taylor -- Release Date Please

[Guest byoung]

I know SP2 is part of the FSX Accelleration package, but I was wondering when it will be released as a seperate upgrade.Also, what are the benefits of SP2, for those hwo have installed it? (Better FPS??)Barry

[grajay 2]

I don't know the answer Barry although I believe it was promised before Christmas. However I DO believe that the SP2 to be released is a different animal to the SP2 released with Acceleration.

[victorwest2 0]

>I don't know the answer Barry although I believe it was>promised before Christmas. However I DO believe that the SP2>to be released is a different animal to the SP2 released with>Acceleration.I thought it was exactly the same.

[Mike T 208]

SP2 for Acceleration is the same SP2 that is going to be released seperately. There are no further patches, fixes, ammedums or enhancements forthcoming as per Phil Taylor. Aces has begun to shift gears to FS11, also per Phil Taylor.The only difference between the seperate SP2 and the one included in Acceleration is that it is seperate and free.Like it or lump it, FSX is now the product that it will be until FS11. SP2 does not provide a magic FPS bullet my any means and the hope of a DX10 holy grail will not exist in FSX. As such, the only upgrade path for all of us remains in the hardware department. That is to say, keep upgrading your hardware until you can put all sliders right. Regards,Mike T.

[blueridgeflyer 1]

>SP2 for Acceleration is the same SP2 that is going to be>released seperately. There are no further patches, fixes,>ammedums or enhancements forthcoming as per Phil Taylor. Aces>has begun to shift gears to FS11, also per Phil Taylor.>>The only difference between the seperate SP2 and the one>included in Acceleration is that it is seperate and free.>>Like it or lump it, FSX is now the product that it will be>until FS11. >>SP2 does not provide a magic FPS bullet my any means and the>hope of a DX10 holy grail will not exist in FSX. As such, the>only upgrade path for all of us remains in the hardware>department. That is to say, keep upgrading your hardware>until you can put all sliders right. >>Regards,>>Mike T.>I do find the DX10 Preview in SP2 Acceleration to improve some 20% upon the FPS that I register in DX9. I am a bloom user, so I presume this to play a large part in the increase. DX10 is also much smoother on my system versus DX9.There obviously is a down side to DX10 Preview. Even with the latest NVidia 169.21s, I am still plagued with flashing runway/taxiway textures and/or markings. The Maddog 2006 aircraft livery fails to display properly. Regardless of scenery slider position I have missing airport terminals at some locations. Aircraft external lighting issues to boot. Question for anyone knowledgeable on the subject of flashing textures:Is this a driver or FSX issue? I have read where each is blamed. I really would like an accurate answer on this one.

[Mike T 208]

Ryan:This is an issue with the way FSX interacts with the NVidia Drives. MS blames Nvidia for their drivers and historically the video card mfgr usually corrects their drivers to fix issues in programs, rather than the other way around.Unfortunately, Nvidia's ride on Vista has been filled with severe turbulence since the start. I imagine that this will all get fixed in time...after all 2008 is a leap year so there are 366 days to get this working properly.Regards,Mike T.

[Guest Alphahawk3]

>I don't know the answer Barry although I believe it was>promised before Christmas. However I DO believe that the SP2>to be released is a different animal to the SP2 released with>Acceleration.I may be totally off on my opinion but I agree with you. My reasoning is that if SP2 is the same as in Acceleration why did it have to wait to be released.

[n4gix 4,947]

>Ryan:>>This is an issue with the way FSX interacts with the NVidia>Drives. That's not quite accurate, Mike...FSX talks the the DX9 API or the DX10 API, whichever is selected in FSX.The video driver talks to the DX9 API or DX10 API, depending on which currently active.It is done this way so that applications need to speak only one "language:" that used by the relevant DX API.Considering that FSX is far from being the only application to have "issues" with specific video hardware points directly at the vendor's driver software as being the proximate problem child. The continuing stream of driver revisions and the immediate results (fixes of specific problems, new problems being introduced) lend credence to this as well... ;)

[n4gix 4,947]

>I may be totally off on my opinion but I agree with you. My>reasoning is that if SP2 is the same as in Acceleration why>did it have to wait to be released. This has been explained here (and elsewhere) ad nauseam. If you haven't read the explanations, or choose not to believe them is another issue entirely.Hint: it isn't SP2 that's the cause of the delay, it's the bloody installer package that has to be coded, tested, revised, retested, et cetera, as well as all the language specific versions which all contribute to the time needed.Consider that there is one - count 'em - ONE person who does all of the installer programming and you have your answer.

[Guest ziporama]

+30% FPS on Vista 64 and DX10 on the WHQL drivers vs DX9 (checkbox on or off in FSX Acceleration) with no other settings changed. I've tried the latest beta drivers that supposedly fix and optimize a few DX10 features (not FSX specific mind you), and that cost me two days to repair the damage and get rid of the great evil that descended on my box. Oh, and it broke the OpenGL games. I've never had this level of bad luck with beta drivers before.The DX10 boost on Vista 64 is similar to other benchmarks reported here and elsewhere, but again, I'm also reading that this is not true of Vista 32 and DX10. I don't know as I haven't tested that.So yes, I'm tickled pink about FSX Acceleration and the new dx10 box it gave me. Oh, the planes/mission are nice too...Etienne

[klemay 0]

Speaking of SP2/NVidia; do these latest drivers fix the CTD when accessing the menu in full screen mode for us XP/pre DX10 folks?Thanks,

[Mike T 208]

Hey Bill:You said what I said. The program is not going to change to suit video drivers. The API is not going to change to suit a specific program or drivers. SO, that leaves the video drivers that must be changes to fix issues with a specific program...historically! :-)

[GHarrall 494]

Somebody needs to get this information regarding SP2 straight....mass confusion reigns!Over at the LDS forum the developers are insisting that SP2 in Accelration is NOT the same as the SP2 that will come as a free download. "Changes to multiplayer code amongst other things" was the line I got and that the 767 would NOT be patched until the 'real' SP2 was released.I mentioned what Phil had stated but got shot down.Figure that one out.......Glenn

[Mace 1,909]

>Somebody needs to get this information regarding SP2>straight....mass confusion reigns!>>Over at the LDS forum the developers are insisting that SP2 in>Accelration is NOT the same as the SP2 that will come as a>free download. "Changes to multiplayer code amongst other>things" was the line I got and that the 767 would NOT be>patched until the 'real' SP2 was released.>>I mentioned what Phil had stated but got shot down.>>Figure that one out.......>>Glenn>There's no figuring out people who deny fact. :) RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[Guest deadly]

Totally Unacceptable.These "features" were "finished" months ago. A separate installer does not take 3 months to write. I could do it in 1 hour.The only reason for the delay is because of the XMas shopping period.And thats obvious.