MSFS 2024 MSFS 2024 Free Flight *may* be very good within 4 to 6 SUs

[abrams_tank]

So I am constantly surfing various forums, including Avsim, Reddit, and the official MSFS forums, and there has been a significant change in atmosphere after the SU1 beta started.  With the flightsim and MicrosoftFlightSim subreddits in Reddit, there has been a huge shift in atmosphere regarding MSFS 2024.  While a lot of negative posts dominated the flightsim and MicrosoftFlightSim subreddits before last week, suddenly, there are a lot of positive posts about MSFS 2024 and SU1.  It seems like SU1 has started to shift people's viewpoints and mood on MSFS 2024.  Like people were very genuinely angry when the Developer Update was released on January 16th and showed that a lot of bugs and wishlist items wouldn't make it for SU1, and then when SU1 beta is released, it's like the Reddit community has done a 180 and now they are quite positive on MSFS 2024.

It's crazy what one Sim Update can do.  I certainly didn't expect such a huge shift in perception in one Sim Update, especially because we already had about 3 patches for MSFS 2024 before SU1 beta started.

So barring any major architectural changes to MSFS 2024 in the next 1 to 1.5 years, I think Free Flight for MSFS 2024 may be very good within 4 to 6 Sim Updates - that is, MSFS 2024 Free Flight in 4 to 6 Sim updates, may match or exceed even MSFS 2020 Free Flight.  Notice I emphasize "may" though, because if there is a major architectural change to MSFS 2024 again, then all bets are off.  What do I mean by a major architectural change? Well, SU5 for MSFS 2020 is a good example.  They pretty much revamped much of MSFS 2020 in SU5 for the XBox release.  And yeah, a lot of PC users of MSFS 2020 got pretty angry after SU5 because a lot of bugs were introduced and it seemed like things went backwards.  Another major architectural change was SU7 for MSFS 2020.  I think that's the one where they changed live weather, to blend METAR bubbles with the Meteo Blue data outside of METAR areas.  SU7 also got a lot of people angry because live weather seemed to take a step back again.

So if there are no major architectural changes to MSFS 2024 in the next 1 to 1.5 years, I think Free Flight can be very good within 4 to 6 Sim Updates.  If the MSFS team just focuses on fixing bugs like they are doing in SU1, Free Flight in MSFS 2024 can be very, very good by next year.  And I think the overwhelming majority of add-ons will probably be ported to MSFS 2024 by next year (actually, most of them should be ported to MSFS 2024 within the next 6 months), if what Randazzo said about the blocking issue being fixed for MSFS 2024 is accurate.

There were rumors that MSFS 2024 was going to revamp ATC and that Working Title may have been involved in the ATC revamp project, but they are just rumors and I have not seen any substantial evidence that ATC would be revamped for MSFS 2024.  But let's say Working Title or some other group in the MSFS team is doing a major revamp of ATC for MSFS 2024 but their work couldn't make the release date for MSFS 2024 last November. Well, that would probably count as a major architectural change and once again, it would look like progress is stalled or maybe progress has gone a little backwards with MSFS 2024, just like SU5 and SU7.

Now I specifically mentioned Free Flight, because Career Mode is a whole different other matter.  I am not so sure that the bugs can be fixed in Career Mode within 4 to 6 Sim Updates.  Career Mode is just that buggy, it is going to take some time to fix the bugs (despite the bugs, I am able to get through Career Mode and I have my own company and I own 2 Cessna 172s at the moment, so I am enjoying it). But if you are coming from an MSFS 2020 background, and Free Flight is all you care about, then what matters is Free Flight in MSFS 2024 anyways.  As for me, I can't go back to MSFS 2020, even though I am patiently waiting for the PMDG 737-800 to be ported over to MSFS 2024.  After using MSFS 2024, it's simply too hard to go back to MSFS 2020.  And with what people are reporting for SU1 for MSFS 2024, once SU1 is released, it will be even harder for me to go back to MSFS 2020, lol.

 

 

Edited January 26 by abrams_tank

[jcomm]

Free flight is already good enough, and I am really enjoying Career Mode, even with it's quirks...

For Free Flight one just has to get the right stuff. I'm doing it mostly in the FENIX with BATC and FSHUD. 

 

Edited January 26 by jcomm

[YankeeMike01]

MSFS2024 Beta 1

Free flight, GA aircrafts

VR with OpenXR Toolkit & MSFS_AutoFPS nicely tuned

Missions & ATC with Sayintentions.ai, be it IFR or VFR

Best flight experience ever in a flight sim

 

It s gotten already really good with Beta1, it was a tougher ride experience with Vanilla but still I could manage.

 

Edited January 26 by YankeeMike01

[Tom Wright]

Free Flight already matches 2020 for me without SU1. Even betters it in some cases. Only thing I'm missing is the PMDG 737, but I'm happy enough with the Airbuses that I'm not going back to 2020 just for that.

[St Mawgan]

As a GA flyer, free flight in 2024 surpassed 2020 from day one. By some margin. It has already improved since then even before SU1. 

2020 'may' be nearly 50% as good as 2024 post SU16, if that is still even being worked on. 

[Max Kraus]

Wow ok well, for me Free Flight out of the box is sublime. I'm using Fenix and any addon scenery that's compatible. Not sure where people are finding problems. (I don't touch GA, maybe it's there). Haven't looked at 2020 since November

[MrBitstFlyer]

1 hour ago, abrams_tank said:

So if there are no major architectural changes to MSFS 2024 in the next 1 to 1.5 years, I think Free Flight can be very good within 4 to 6 Sim Updates.

I think you would need to define 'very good' a little more.  free Flight is working fantastic on my PC, far surpassing 2020 in many aspects like visuals, weather depiction and flight modelling.  I would describe 2024 in terms better than 'very good' already, prior to any additional SU's.

 

[rick celik]

In the beta, the ground resolution is much better and for me now, matches what we had in 2020.

[abrams_tank]

28 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I think you would need to define 'very good' a little more.  free Flight is working fantastic on my PC, far surpassing 2020 in many aspects like visuals, weather depiction and flight modelling.  I would describe 2024 in terms better than 'very good' already, prior to any additional SU's.

 

It's very good for me, but my go to plane is the default Cessna G1000 172 in MSFS 2024. But it's not "very good" for a lot of the people still using MSFS 2020 and not happy with MSFS 2024 yet.

By 4 to 6 Sim Updates, I think even the MSFS 2020 holdouts will probably convert over to MSFS 2024. To be fair though, there are still a lot of high profile planes that haven't been converted to MSFS 2024 yet. And then there are a lot of default planes in MSFS 2024 that are buggy (ie. PC 24).  But I think this will be resolved within 4 to 6 Sim Updates, even the buggy default planes such as the PC 24.

Edited January 26 by abrams_tank

[andy1252]

2 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

So I am constantly surfing various forums, including Avsim, Reddit, and the official MSFS forums,

@abrams_tank, a genuine question here, and not made with any sort of snarkiness, but you pop up so constantly with praise for MSFS that I'm curious. Are you actually in any way affiliated / invested in MSFS? As I say, a genuine question, as it would obviously have a bearing on your posts. It may well be that you are just a confirmed and solid supporter of the product (as am I), but having any kind of even semi-official relationship obviously affects others' perception of your posts.

Not even sure if I'm allowed to ask this sort of thing here, and of course you could always be a little parsimonious with the truth in any reply anyway. Not looking to create a fuss, just would like to be more comfortable with what I'm reading. I wouldn't take the Pope's advice on birth control seriously, simply because of his position, but then I know what his position is going to be, given his job title.

And apologies if you do have any kind of official role which is well known to others (if not me).

Also, apologies to the moderators if this is considered inappropriate and in that case, obviously remove it. No offense to anyone intended.

[Ricardo41]

2 hours ago, jcomm said:

Free flight is already good enough

I agree. Flying mostly the Cirrus Vision Jet (default Asobo version) and have had few issues. The Citation Longitude is also very flyable. The Pilatus PC-24 has many issues but gets the job done - if you don't except too much from the job.

The Honeywell Avionics are great, though. 

[MrBitstFlyer]

1 hour ago, abrams_tank said:

It's very good for me, but my go to plane is the default Cessna G1000 172 in MSFS 2024. But it's not "very good" for a lot of the people still using MSFS 2020 and not happy with MSFS 2024 yet.

By 4 to 6 Sim Updates, I think even the MSFS 2020 holdouts will probably convert over to MSFS 2024. To be fair though, there are still a lot of high profile planes that haven't been converted to MSFS 2024 yet. And then there are a lot of default planes in MSFS 2024 that are buggy (ie. PC 24).  But I think this will be resolved within 4 to 6 Sim Updates, even the buggy default planes such as the PC 24.

I agree with the conversion rate of aircraft to 2024 being quite slow, so that would be a reason to wait for several SU's before converting from 2020.  

[regis9]

I only use free flight and the only time I go back to 2020 is to fly a 737 (777 is not enough to entice me back) so I guess that tells you I would disagree with the OP.

The smoothness, scenery quality, flight dynamics, visuals in 2024 using one of the available payware aircraft and Beyond ATC is an incredible experience for me…the SU1 beta shows they are well on the way to fixing the issues that do exist.

[MrBitstFlyer]

1 hour ago, rick celik said:

In the beta, the ground resolution is much better and for me now, matches what we had in 2020.

Ground resolution in 2024 is far better than 2020 - individual stones are picked out!  2020 is flat!

[abrams_tank]

23 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I only use free flight and the only time I go back to 2020 is to fly a 737 (777 is not enough to entice me back) so I guess that tells you I would disagree with the OP.

The smoothness, scenery quality, flight dynamics, visuals in 2024 using one of the available payware aircraft and Beyond ATC is an incredible experience for me…the SU1 beta shows they are well on the way to fixing the issues that do exist.

I think we both agree that MSFS 2024 is a huge step up from MSFS 2020.  I don't even use MSFS 2020 anymore. I only have MSFS 2020 installed in case I get the urge to fly the PMDG 737, but that urge is not strong enough for me to boot up MSFS 2020.   Unfortunately, it's the wider flight sim community, especially the holdouts still using MSFS 2020, that don't agree. Some of the more ardent holdouts, probably need about 4 to 6 Sim Updates, before they convert over to 2024.

Edited January 26 by abrams_tank