7 hours ago, GCBraun said:

Unfortunately that does not work well with add-on airports using custom mesh. XP terrain system is just outdated and needs a complete revamp. 

It can be easily patched if you read the map enhacement FAQ.

5 hours ago, YukonPete said:

Nonsense

Why do I still need to manually edit text files just to ensure scenery loads in the correct order every time I install a new airport? It’s 2025, and managing scenery_packs.ini like it’s 2005 it’s just not fun.

Why is the Earth still effectively flat? And why does the sim either crash or render corrupted scenery when flying over polar regions? These aren’t edge cases for modern flight simming; they’re fundamental limitations.

The DSF tile system might’ve been innovative when it launched, but it’s a dated relic now. Even Laminar Research has acknowledged it needs a revamp, especially to support curved Earth models and more dynamic terrain loading.

I love what X-Plane gets right, but terrain just isn’t one of them and it’s high time they modernized that core system.

3 hours ago, Aglos77 said:

It can be easily patched if you read the map enhacement FAQ.

Patched by generating custom tiles with Ortho4XP, I assume? I’ve done that too, several times, in fact. I have multiple terabytes of orthoscenery on various drives. So yes, been there, done that. But honestly, it’s just not fun anymore. It turns simming into scenery management, and that’s not why I sit down at my PC to fly.

56 minutes ago, GCBraun said:

Why do I still need to manually edit text files just to ensure scenery loads in the correct order every time I install a new airport? It’s 2025, and managing scenery_packs.ini like it’s 2005 it’s just not fun.

Why is the Earth still effectively flat? And why does the sim either crash or render corrupted scenery when flying over polar regions? These aren’t edge cases for modern flight simming; they’re fundamental limitations.

The DSF tile system might’ve been innovative when it launched, but it’s a dated relic now. Even Laminar Research has acknowledged it needs a revamp, especially to support curved Earth models and more dynamic terrain loading.

I love what X-Plane gets right, but terrain just isn’t one of them and it’s high time they modernized that core system.

Just sharing my thoughts here!

Every platform has its ups and downs, right? I’ve heard that when there's an update for MSFS, it might need a clean-up of the cache folder or something like that, and then it has to rebuild it. I'd consider that mildly annoying, but an acceptable necessity if it's required.  I haven’t tried 2024 yet, so I’m hoping to get some clarification on that. Also, it seems like a lot of folks agree that having registry entries for everything you install isn’t the best idea, especially for those who are comfortable navigating their PCs. Plus, it can be frustrating when rogue files and folders stick around after uninstalling an add-on or even the whole sim.

Honestly, editing a text file doesn’t seem like a big deal to me, especially when it leads to such customizable scenery options.

Just my two cents!

Also, regarding the flat earth assumption.  X-Plane doesn't use a flat earth model.  Here's a couple of links addressing this very thing.

https://developer.x-plane.com/2017/04/thats-bettarrrrrrr/#comment-19033

https://x-plane.helpscoutdocs.com/article/33-is-the-earth-really-round

However, it does seem as though the MSFS world is a flat disc.  But I can't find anything to disprove or confirm this.  Just this in the forums that is left with a reasonable amount of doubt of a spherical MSFS earth.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/in-the-msfs-the-earth-is-a-disc-really/349958

Edited May 12, 20251 yr by GoranM

1 hour ago, GoranM said:

Also, regarding the flat earth assumption.  X-Plane doesn't use a flat earth model.  Here's a couple of links addressing this very thing.

https://developer.x-plane.com/2017/04/thats-bettarrrrrrr/#comment-19033

https://x-plane.helpscoutdocs.com/article/33-is-the-earth-really-round

However, it does seem as though the MSFS world is a flat disc.  But I can't find anything to disprove or confirm this.  Just this in the forums that is left with a reasonable amount of doubt of a spherical MSFS earth.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/in-the-msfs-the-earth-is-a-disc-really/349958

Thanks for the feedback. So, I stand corrected regarding the flatness of X-Plane's earth. Thought it was still flat, considering that I've had issues flying over the poles in XP12.

34 minutes ago, GCBraun said:

Thanks for the feedback. So, I stand corrected regarding the flatness of X-Plane's earth. Thought it was still flat, considering that I've had issues flying over the poles in XP12.

I remember something about the math getting all weird, the closer you get to the poles.  Google Earth has the same problem with their distance measuring around the poles.  

There's also this.

Edited May 12, 20251 yr by GoranM

Funily enough I made this video 3 months ago.

 

57 minutes ago, GCBraun said:

Thanks for the feedback. So, I stand corrected regarding the flatness of X-Plane's earth. Thought it was still flat, considering that I've had issues flying over the poles in XP12.

If the world in XP would have been flat, how would we ever have been able to plan our flights? The flightplanning and fuel-planning would have been entirely wrong (the longer the flight, the more). And how would we be able to fly around the world in the sim if was modelled flat? You can only model a flat piece of land-area, modelling the whole world in a flat-way is mathematical impossible.

46 minutes ago, Franz007 said:

If the world in XP would have been flat, how would we ever have been able to plan our flights? The flightplanning and fuel-planning would have been entirely wrong (the longer the flight, the more). And how would we be able to fly around the world in the sim if was modelled flat? You can only model a flat piece of land-area, modelling the whole world in a flat-way is mathematical impossible.

Not sure about that, but FS2004, for instance, did not model the earth's curvature.

 

 

Edited May 12, 20251 yr by GCBraun

I still have both, and I have to say: 2020, with every setting on Ultra and TLOD at 400, looks and performs better than 2024. The textures in 2020 are much crisper, and the lighting particularly runway and taxiway lights aren’t a blurry mess with overbloom. I also find the night textures to be more realistic in 2020, in 2024 it's way too bright. 

6 hours ago, GoranM said:

I’ve heard that when there's an update for MSFS, it might need a clean-up of the cache folder or something like that, and then it has to rebuild it.

Takes a second.  Delete the cache file and MSFS re-creates it on next load of MSFS.

1 hour ago, usernamerequired said:

The textures in 2020 are much crisper

Even if that were true, which it isn't, 2020 has a flat terrain where 2024 hasn't.

Where are the blurry textures?  We all should be honest - some areas of 2020 & 2024 are awful as far as textures go.  There must be some configuration issue your end if you can say 2024 as a whole is blurrier than 2020.

  

 

2020 is not going for me yet - But it is likely I'll swap to 2024 once I get my hands on my new PC build.

 

1 hour ago, usernamerequired said:

I still have both, and I have to say: 2020, with every setting on Ultra and TLOD at 400, looks and performs better than 2024. The textures in 2020 are much crisper, and the lighting particularly runway and taxiway lights aren’t a blurry mess with overbloom. I also find the night textures to be more realistic in 2020, in 2024 it's way too bright. 

Exactly the same feeling!!!!!! As far as I'm concerned I use Google Map Enhancement (Pro) and REX Atmos. It's simply incredible. I'm finally out of the FS2024 cartoon. 

29 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Even if that were true, which it isn't, 2020 has a flat terrain where 2024 hasn't.

Where are the blurry textures?  We all should be honest - some areas of 2020 & 2024 are awful as far as textures go.  There must be some configuration issue your end if you can say 2024 as a whole is blurrier than 2020.

  

 

Next time show us a video of London on FS2024...