So in the last 2 months of MSFS, the PMDG 777, Fenix A319/A321, TDFi MD-11, and FSS 727 were released.  Some of these are AAA add-on releases.  And just outside of the last 2 months, BeyondATC was released for MSFS.

The last time I can remember when so many high quality releases came out for MSFS in a 2 month period was back in spring of 2022, when the PMDG 737, Fenix A320, Leonardo Maddog, and Just Flight BAe 146 was released.  These 2 months seem like the best 2 months of MSFS since then.

The momentum was already with MSFS, but I am surprised the momentum picked up even further, a few months before the release of MSFS 2024.  Maybe some time in the future, we will have another short period of time where so many stellar releases come out for MSFS and it will even top these last 2 months, or the spring of 2022.

Yep I’d agree that it probably is. Seems like the sim gets a moment in the sun every couple of years. I remember installing it on day one and could see the potential but the whacky default aircraft were a huge step back from the best of the closing chapter of P3D. 

We now have almost everything we had then and others that we didn’t, with the exception of the 747. The Fokker 70/, BAE RJ, 757 will all be day one purchases for me. 

The last two or three months, definitely yes. The Marketplace sale was great too - I picked up the GKS F-111 which, like the Just Flight Vulcan, has proved to be a fascinating model. The term 'golden age of flight simming' is often used, but I believe we are in it right now, with more and better to come.

WU17 is great, WU18 out today looks excellent and soon WU19.  That takes some beating.

And MSFS2024 is just around the corner and if that is anywhere near as good as the hype, then we are all to be amazed.

Absolutely! With the recent updates/releases, MSFS 2020 feels nearly feature-complete to me. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m excited to see what MSFS 2024 brings!😀

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by GCBraun

Hmmm, honestly has been a great time, almost every week, since MSFS 2020 was released... Not just now. We can easily find in it's even if short time wise, GREAT history, many many highs, and surely just a few lows.

I think the Civil Sim market is defined by MSFS, in all possible perspectives with the exception - but that's my opinion - of flight dynamics and overall physics modelling. But if we close the eyes to that, the amount of content either native or by 3pd is so huge and with a mid quality level which is surely good overall, that MSFS has never been less than a success.

I just strongly hope 2024 continues the trend.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by jcomm

2 hours ago, bennyboy75 said:

Yep I’d agree that it probably is. Seems like the sim gets a moment in the sun every couple of years. I remember installing it on day one and could see the potential but the whacky default aircraft were a huge step back from the best of the closing chapter of P3D. 

We now have almost everything we had then and others that we didn’t, with the exception of the 747. The Fokker 70/, BAE RJ, 757 will all be day one purchases for me. 

Totally P3D is a bad memory compared to what with have now its a good time. 

3 hours ago, bennyboy75 said:

Yep I’d agree that it probably is. Seems like the sim gets a moment in the sun every couple of years. I remember installing it on day one and could see the potential but the whacky default aircraft were a huge step back from the best of the closing chapter of P3D. 

We now have almost everything we had then and others that we didn’t, with the exception of the 747. The Fokker 70/, BAE RJ, 757 will all be day one purchases for me. 

I'd agree this were one of the best periods regarding airliners, if not for the MD-11. So far, this one has been the biggest disappointment in my sim life. Luckily the Fenix A319 and A321 came to the rescue. And yes, I got into FS because of airliners 😂

I'm also looking forward to the planes you mention (B747, F100, BAe RJ and B757). MSFS is slowly getting closer to having airliners already released outnumber the ones I'm waiting for.

49 minutes ago, Luis Hernandez said:

I'd agree this were one of the best periods regarding airliners, if not for the MD-11. So far, this one has been the biggest disappointment in my sim life. Luckily the Fenix A319 and A321 came to the rescue. And yes, I got into FS because of airliners 😂

I'm also looking forward to the planes you mention (B747, F100, BAe RJ and B757). MSFS is slowly getting closer to having airliners already released outnumber the ones I'm waiting for.

I kinda like the MD11 for its quirkiness but it can be handful to fly and I find the MCP a bit fiddly. My simming sweet spot is the Fenix - hugely immersive, vast number of options of real world routes and liveries, custom announcements, GSX integration and it’s also highly automated so when I’m feeling lazy (which is most of the time) I can let the plane take the strain and enjoy the beautiful views of the world that we get in MSFS. I’ve bought literally every airliner that’s been released for this sim and within days I’m usually back in the Fenix. 

More than the fact of matching the flights with the right models, expecting a different flight experience with the different members of the A-32 family or any of the other reasons that users seek to justify their purchase; personally I think that the best excuse to make the upgrade in Fenix A320 is the total support to the developer both economically and emotionally and in this way encourage the continuous improvement of the product. It's just my opinion.

2 minutes ago, polosim said:

More than the fact of matching the flights with the right models, expecting a different flight experience with the different members of the A-32 family or any of the other reasons that users seek to justify their purchase; personally I think that the best excuse to make the upgrade in Fenix A320 is the total support to the developer both economically and emotionally and in this way encourage the continuous improvement of the product. It's just my opinion.

I guess your reply goes better in this thread:

 

I am thinking and hoping that MSFS might finely be reaching a maturity level that we will finely start to see some cool airplanes coming out on a bit more regular basis.  Lots of stuff in the pipeline and I am sure as time goes on more stuff will get announced.  Still lots of wonderful airplanes that need to be done.  It seems like it is taking forever and for sims like FS2004 and FSX we pretty much had everything eventually but it was not until about the 10 year mark we reached that point give or take a year. 

Only monkey wrench in our spokes and currently a big unknown is what will FS2024 do for progress?  In theory it should have minimal impact but we won't know until its released what we are exactly dealing with!

Another mild concern is lately a lot of projects get announced and end up being vaporware.  If some company announces say a DC-9 series and puts up some early previews it prevents other developers from taking on that project.  Year(s) go by and we are still waiting on that project.  I think frequent updates are key keeping the community engaged and more so keeping competitors at bay.     

12 minutes ago, longhaul747 said:

Another mild concern is lately a lot of projects get announced and end up being vaporware.  If some company announces say a DC-9 series and puts up some early previews it prevents other developers from taking on that project.  Year(s) go by and we are still waiting on that project.  I think frequent updates are key keeping the community engaged and more so keeping competitors at bay.     

That’s not a novelty, it’s been like that for decades and I don’t see this changing ever. 3rd party developers are, the most part, just individuals who use their spare time to develop their projects. 

The common sense here is, unless it comes from big 3rd party devs, an announcement is not a guaranteed product. I’ve seen more products being cancelled or discontinued than thriving.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by ca_metal

Has anyone else noticed shipping seems to have crept into the sim? When i flew over the channel France -UK there were container ships, (At least 8 under way) and ferries. I wonder are they testing some of these features in preparation for 2024.

7 minutes ago, Car147 said:

Has anyone else noticed shipping seems to have crept into the sim? When i flew over the channel France -UK there were container ships, (At least 8 under way) and ferries. I wonder are they testing some of these features in preparation for 2024.

Aren’t you using GAIST (add-on for sea traffic)?