Is Prepar3D an end of life sim?

[Hamilton_]

I don´t care about Navigraph Survey, for me P3D is very much alive and it will continue to be on my PC, as well as on several others such as FS2004, FS98.

I don't need new addons for P3D, I already have TONS of addons, payware aircrafts, sceneries, sound Immersions, Ortho and Autogen, FC scenery, etc, etc. and everything is working very well, thank you very much, and someone comes to say that it's dead ? Not on my PC.

[Ray Proudfoot]

P3Dv5 has a 64-bit FS Labs Concorde. I waited years for that.

XP has one but it’s not as accurate or complete. No indications from FSL when it will be available for MSFS or even which version it will be compatible with.

I have all the aircraft I desire in P3D and the scenery and weather depiction is fine for me. I have a computer fast enough to deliver great fps even at Simwings Heathrow with 250+ AIG Ai. Life is bliss!

[ywg256]

I don't have any complaints here either...It's a mature sim that provides everything I want/need at this point. 

[dave2013]

I don't think that P3D is at the end of its life.  Perhaps one day, but not in the near future IMO. 

I switched to P3Dv6 from v5 and really appreciate the improvements in performance and lighting.  I don't care about backwards compatibility for payware planes as I only use freeware, and ORBX FTX openLC, FTX Global textures, FTX Trees, and FTX Buildings all work, so the switch was easy.  The weather is very realistic with Active Sky and ASCA clouds.  I've got all the realistic AI traffic that I need using AIG and Bernie's flight plans.  I have tons of freeware planes and scenery that I've accumulated over the years.  As far as I'm concerned, this is by far the best flight simulator that I've ever had.  To be fair, however, I hail from the old days of Sublogic's FSII, so from my perspective P3D in its current form with all the addons is a huge evolution from what I had for many years.

I just breathed some new life into P3D with the acquisition of some FC Scenery photoreal scenery with autogen of Asia, so now I can finally fly in that part of the world and enjoy it.  I'm working on updating Shanghai Pudong airport as we speak, and will be doing more Chinese airports in the future.

From what I've seen of MSFS, it does indeed have better scenery than P3D, and perhaps some other aspects are better as well, but that's just not quite enough to get me to make the switch.  MSFS is also plagued by a myriad of problems that will take a long time to fully resolve, whereas P3D is more mature and almost devoid of problems, at least in my case.

P3D is not a dead sim.

Dave

 

[blaunarwal]

I did not take part in the survey this year, cause I missed it. In other years I think got e-mails to participate. Navigraph can steer the outcome of the survey by inviting the right people. The survey is just a marketing tool, telling us what we need. So they try to convince us to use the other sim, which in return will generate more customers for these products.

Staying with P3D5 means using a legacy product. That's end of life. If LM ever provided support, we would now miss it. 

Edited April 20 by blaunarwal

[Daube]

10 hours ago, DavidP said:

To be fair, it is probably true.

And the point in the discussion was... ?

We're taking about the results of the navigraph survey. Do you think the msfs users who filled it are arcade players ? No, they are people who are flying pmdg (amongst others) liners using navigraph while brosing forums. And the survey shows that this profile of pilots have migrated to the new sim. Did they become arcade players now?

Also, how would that be an argument not to switch ? "Ah, that other sim has nice stuff, but most users are arcade players, so i cannot go there"... let's be serious for a second. It was just an opportunity to insult the users of the other sim. 

10 hours ago, DavidP said:

When you have the "gamey" aspects like careers etc. you are reaching into the gamer's world, and there would be a lot who would play the game to fly under bridges and get their kicks from flying "stunts".

Careers are gaming ? What about the missions in fsx/p3d then? How are these different ? Also, what part of this is mandatory to the user ? Can't you just do free flight ? Yes you can. P3d users just like to focus on these gaming side-features, as if they missed them 🙂

10 hours ago, DavidP said:

I hope they keep maintaining the SDK to give developers what they need for the best fidelity for actually making and flying aircraft.

As long as the sim developers keep interacting with the addon developers, listen to their feedback and requests etc, the situation should keep getting better and better. We'll see what the next updates bring. 

[d.tsakiris]

When is software "dead"?

For about half of my flights I still use P3D. I have an extensive installation if 5.4, with hundreds of add-ons - including yours, Hervé, thank you, and some top-notch aircraft. For the type of flights I do those aircraft, I need historical weather and a weather radar. I still enjoy P3D. After using FS20 for a while, I always look forward to switching back. And I even still buy certain add-ons for it.

That said, ecosystem-wise, I have no doubt the MSFS world is the future, and I am following the developments, especially in the ATC area. But until MSFS is completely suitable for what I do, I will continue to also use P3D.

[juaness]

13 hours ago, BostonJeremy77 said:

If I had PMDG and FSLabs in v6, I would still be using P3D. (ALONG with XP and MSFS2024)

Sadly you won’t see that. PMDG said few day ago that they won’t give more support for P3D users.

For its part, Fs Labs has yet to comment on the matter, but everything seems to indicate that it will do the same as PMDG.

As a P3D user and Fs Labs fan, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to Fs Labs updates and new P3D projects, but one day everything fell apart.

I don't think they themselves are putting in the time, enthusiasm, and desire they showed at the beginning, or so I perceive in their forums.

[hervesors]

I note that P3D is not dead here for many. This is good news.
I am also happy with it (and sometimes even FSX) considering my simulator practice is mainly a substitute for real flying I do not practice anymore since a couple of years.
I build my flight plans manually using available tools I previously used for planyfing real flights.
I only use a few medium range piston or turboprop aircrafts (Baron 58 and PMDG B1900) and occasionally a high-performance business jet aircraft (Citation X from Carenado) I modified a bit for a more accurate handling, performance and fuel burn data.
I prefer short duration flights (1-3 hours is enough for me) and perform all my flight (departure, cruise, intermediate and final approach) using current charts and updated navigational aids, usually at night or in poor weather conditions since it is the most challenging. An accurate ground scenery is not a priority for me and I usually exit the sim as soon as I successfully lande at destination.
I don't have any addons (except Active Sky and FSUIPC)
In the past I flew on IVAO and it was an interesting practice since it reenacted real ATC communications and instructions (at least when controllers were skilled).
That's fine with me and P3D/FSX do a great job in this context.

[Ray Proudfoot]

I’ve just completed a flight from Oslo to Heathrow. It took 1hr 10m with a northerly takeoff and an easterly landing. I only managed to get up to 56,000ft due to warm upper air. Mach 2 all the way down the North Sea! Fantastic! 😁

It was in Concorde of course. I fly the departure manually and with a rotation speed of 170kts increasing to 230kts within a minute plus two big right hand turns to head south it requires total concentration.

Anyone thinking of looking out of the window to admire the view would soon regret that decision.

Admiring the view is for light aircraft. Not airliners. Oh, and P3Dv5.3HF2 of course. The only sim it’s currently available for. 😉

[DavidP]

4 hours ago, Daube said:

And the point in the discussion was... ?

We're taking about the results of the navigraph survey. Do you think the msfs users who filled it are arcade players ? No, they are people who are flying pmdg (amongst others) liners using navigraph while brosing forums. And the survey shows that this profile of pilots have migrated to the new sim. Did they become arcade players now?

Also, how would that be an argument not to switch ? "Ah, that other sim has nice stuff, but most users are arcade players, so i cannot go there"... let's be serious for a second. It was just an opportunity to insult the users of the other sim. 

Careers are gaming ? What about the missions in fsx/p3d then? How are these different ? Also, what part of this is mandatory to the user ? Can't you just do free flight ? Yes you can. P3d users just like to focus on these gaming side-features, as if they missed them 🙂

As long as the sim developers keep interacting with the addon developers, listen to their feedback and requests etc, the situation should keep getting better and better. We'll see what the next updates bring. 

Calm down, it's just a game.

[Patco Lch]

29 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Admiring the view is for light aircraft. Not airliners. Oh, and P3Dv5.3HF2 of course. The only sim it’s currently available for. 😉

Not necessarily Ray. Fly an approach into SEQM or SCEL or Bogota in a FSL A320 or PMDG 747-400. The Andes are breathtaking especially with FC Scenery. Or thread your way through mountain passes in a MJ C47 with real time weather. All in P3DV5. 😊

[shermank]

I did not get the Navigraph survey, which surprised me because I have always responded in past years. I still use P3D, it is my only sim. I have tested xplane, but to be honest, there is a learning curve which I am not ready to climb. 

I fly only a few planes, primarily Manfred Jahn's DC3, dabble occasionally with the Airplane Heaven version. Otherwise, I also like A2A Cessna 182 (still have issues with its quirky trim settings)  a few  twins, especially the Carenado Piper Seneca. Every now and again, I will wrestle with the Connie and have gotten to know it and its quirks fairly well.

I don't expect LM to ever do any more upgrades, which is  too bad. But for now, at 84 years old, I am happy with V5.4, plus all the addons available that I might want, payware or free.

Sherm

[Ray Proudfoot]

14 minutes ago, Patco Lch said:

Not necessarily Ray. Fly an approach into SEQM or SCEL or Bogota in a FSL A320 or PMDG 747-400. The Andes are breathtaking especially with FC Scenery. Or thread your way through mountain passes in a MJ C47 with real time weather. All in P3DV5. 😊

Consider the aircraft speed. Concorde’s is considerably faster than other jets. In  a 737 I do get more time to look out of the window but below 10,000ft I rarely do. That’s the most intensive part. If something is directly ahead then yes, admire the view but panning left / right should be a no-no. 😉

[IanHarrison]

17 hours ago, G-RFRY said:

 LM will continue developing P3D for their own use they have no commercial pressure, it`s a product that supports their industry for training. It`s your choice if you want to use it.

For me, it is simple economics. I cannot justify spending my pension money on a new sim. when my existing one does everything that I need.