Until the global illumination and clouds match the first year of MSFS 2020 I will not buy another Microsoft Flight Simulator. Right now 2024 looks more like a reskinned 2020. In a blind test without UI I bet you would not be able to tell the difference in the air.

MSFS 2024 Preview

 

MSFS 2020 c. 2020-2021

 

Which version do you think comes closer to reality, which btw this previewer said was less impressive than MSFS 2024. This is the kind of clouds and lighting I was expecting for a real next generation flight simulator after 2020.

Edited September 25, 20241 yr by francobfort

On 9/25/2024 at 11:08 AM, francobfort said:

Which version do you think comes closer to reality

No can cherry pick a few shots and draw valid conclusions for the entire sim comparison.  Fortunately you won't have to buy 2024 if you don't care to but I'll put my money that you won't last thru Jan 1 before you shell out the coin for 2024 😉.

14 hours ago, Noel said:

cherry pick a few shots

Yes there were plenty of cherries to pick from during 2020 / 2021

  

14 hours ago, Noel said:

I'll put my money that you won't last thru Jan 1 before you shell out the coin for 2024

Hubris...

Edited September 28, 20241 yr by francobfort

20 hours ago, Noel said:

I'll put my money that you won't last thru Jan 1 before you shell out the coin for 2024 😉.

He's been begging for a free copy so you never know lol

On 9/25/2024 at 6:08 PM, francobfort said:

Right now 2024 looks more like a reskinned 2020. In a blind test without UI I bet you would not be able to tell the difference in the air.

They have said clouds will look denser. They have also said cloud lighting has been improved.  These two statements certainly excite me.

15 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

They have said clouds will look denser. They have also said cloud lighting has been improved.  These two statements certainly excite me.

Sure, but other than the welcome addition of cirrus clouds, it doesn't look like the cumulus appearance has changed that much in the MSFS2024 videos and screen shots they are using.

Certainly, I am not seeing anything in the YouTuber testing videos that makes me go 'Wow!  That's much better!".

There’s two things I’ll be looking for other than the flight dynamics, clouds and night lighting/flying experience. So far, as per the screenshots above, I haven’t been blown away by the videos we currently have. 

32 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

Sure, but other than the welcome addition of cirrus clouds, it doesn't look like the cumulus appearance has changed that much in the MSFS2024 videos and screen shots they are using.

Certainly, I am not seeing anything in the YouTuber testing videos that makes me go 'Wow!  That's much better!".

I don't think they've changed the current clouds at all, just the lighting that makes them look a bit better. Kinda masking the actual problem of way too many puffy cotton candy clouds we've had since SU5/6/7 whenever it was. 

Active Sky may well be needed, but alas we'll know for sure come release day.

Edit: I also don't include the Mount Fuji screenshot as that's more than likely a Preset, I want to see that in Live Weather, that'll be cool.

Edited September 29, 20241 yr by MarcG

I don’t think presets can be that specific?

1 minute ago, Tuskin38 said:

I don’t think presets can be that specific?

Maybe not with the current Sim but we don't know what they can do with the new one, so as above it'll be a see on release kinda thing. Either way that's the only screenshot that really shows clouds that are much different from what wee currently have, which is the point of this discussion in that not much seems to of changed.

One of the youtubers said the clouds do not have that grainy look up close anymore, so that in itself is a huge improvement in my opinion.

People seem to expect miracles, but for me the things I have seen is enough too be blown away.

Edited September 29, 20241 yr by Kaboki

46 minutes ago, Kaboki said:

One of the youtubers said the clouds do not have that grainy look up close anymore, so that in itself is a huge improvement in my opinion.

People seem to expect miracles, but for me the things I have seen is enough too be blown away.

Not expecting miracles, just hoping to see a noticeable improvement in the areas we all know need improving.

REX seem to be getting really good results in MSFS2020, so it shouldn't take any miracles from Asobo to improve things like this in MSFS2024.

When I hear some of the criticisms/expectations of a sim that blew our collective socks off when it first appeared, and is still more detailed than anything we ever even imagined was realistically possible before it suddenly hit the scene, I keep thinking of this quote:

“Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.”

Replace "democracy" and "government" with something appropriate to flight simming, and...... eh.

1 hour ago, HiFlyer said:

When I hear some of the criticisms/expectations of a sim that blew our collective socks off when it first appeared, and is still more detailed than anything we ever even imagined was realistically possible before it suddenly hit the scene, I keep thinking of this quote:

“Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.”

Replace "democracy" and "government" with something appropriate to flight simming, and...... eh.

There's nothing wrong with wanting something amazing to become something utterly amazing, MSFS2020 set a new bar of standard quality, MSFS24 can take it to the next level, the next simulation after that can push the genre forward further more. 

If we were to stop asking for more then we'll never progress, I don't want that, I want progression and with reference to the discussion at hand Clouds can certainly be an area for improvement, not stuck in limbo as has been the case since they got worse in the SU5/6/7 period.

Ignore.

Edited September 29, 20241 yr by VeryBumpy
Wrong topic