Plain Xp12 is still one of the 3 modes, ex-aequo with Ortho4XP + X-World !!!

I selected default XP12 scenery even if I am very aware about its poor quality in most places.
For me all the other options have some downside except maybe for the ORBX's regions.

I do occasionally use ME with X-World but most times just the default scenery and choosing an unknown location so I can fool myself into thinking it looks fine.

 

Problem is, unless you have being there, you dont actually know it right.

Orbx True Earth GB North/Central/South for the UK - excellent scenery so I have it installed.

For everywhere else I'm not really bothered - if I really like an airport I might buy that, but the surrounding scenery I'm usually happy to leave default as I don't care that much what it looks like. MSFS looks "pretty" but i couldn't tell you if it looks correct if I don't know the area so for me a plausible representation of whatever is there with X-Plane is adequate. I find the airports more important than the scenery.

Ok, 3 modes ex-aequo, and two share X-World and a form of Ortho while the other is pure default.

Interesting !

I presume we are talking Landclass and mesh here. As for airports XP has it nailed both in quality but also with fidelity. I only add in custom airports that are crafted with local scenery and may be a little quirky requiring special build airport building models - as well and as it is the Pacific and elsewhere I try and find block scenery addons such as Antartica, Artic Regions, Southern South America, French Polynesia etc. I leave the rest XP but use Orbx Global Forests, SimHeaven or XWorld only for Europe, Africa and Asia - Asia same some block mods basically realistic autogen. As you aware XP has a major deficiency with Artic regions basically left open and not populated with mesh or land so - No Antartica No Artic just water. from 70 Degrees to the Poles. Rest of the Planet is not to bad - don't frequent North America but middle Earth that is Russia through to China not very well done either. 

An interesting poll, @jcomm!

I think it serves us well to acknowledge the fact that almost one third of all X-Plane users are apparently so satisfied with the default scenery that they don´t even feel the need to bother installing the totally free options X-World and Ortho4XP.

I think this proves the point that it IS perfectly possible to enjoy X-Plane vanilla scenery, despite the often cited "X-Plane default scenery is impossible to enjoy".

Maybe there should be some more tolerance in the future by those convinced that default is "unflyable" and they should realize that this may not be so for everyone. It is a personal disposition and may be true for one guy, not true for the next.

8 minutes ago, Litjan said:

An interesting poll, @jcomm!

I think it serves us well to acknowledge the fact that almost one third of all X-Plane users are apparently so satisfied with the default scenery that they don´t even feel the need to bother installing the totally free options X-World and Ortho4XP.

I think this proves the point that it IS perfectly possible to enjoy X-Plane vanilla scenery, despite the often cited "X-Plane default scenery is impossible to enjoy".

Maybe there should be some more tolerance in the future by those convinced that default is "unflyable" and they should realize that this may not be so for everyone. It is a personal disposition and may be true for one guy, not true for the next.

For me I've said a few times that it is the "uncanny valley" thing that causes problems in MSFS (for me). It's so close to realistic that anything appearing slightly odd throws my brain off and I find it quite jarring. In X-Plane, it's as if my brain is put into some sort of "suspended belief" mode where I'm happy to use my imagination so things that aren't correct are barely noticeable and don't detract from the enjoyment I get from the simulator.

It's probably the same reason why I can't enjoy CGI films like The Polar Express, whereas I'm fine watching something like Shrek.

Weird psychology!

Edited August 6, 2025Aug 6 by FPVSteve

It's some time ago, when similar discussions came up and I responded as following: 

 

14 minutes ago, Litjan said:

An interesting poll, @jcomm!

I think it serves us well to acknowledge the fact that almost one third of all X-Plane users are apparently so satisfied with the default scenery that they don´t even feel the need to bother installing the totally free options X-World and Ortho4XP.

I think this proves the point that it IS perfectly possible to enjoy X-Plane vanilla scenery, despite the often cited "X-Plane default scenery is impossible to enjoy".

Maybe there should be some more tolerance in the future by those convinced that default is "unflyable" and they should realize that this may not be so for everyone. It is a personal disposition and may be true for one guy, not true for the next.

Were not enjoying the scenery, were enduring it. Like Brussel Sprouts  

what we enjoy is the way XP flies. Like a sizzling steak. 

the finer perspective is that sprucing up XP scenery is an expensive (either in $ or time) PITA, so many folks just skip it. 

but sooner or later, one gets tired of flipping switches and ILS approaches in IMC and would really like to experience…more of how the world actually appears 

1 hour ago, Litjan said:

An interesting poll, @jcomm!

I think it serves us well to acknowledge the fact that almost one third of all X-Plane users are apparently so satisfied with the default scenery that they don´t even feel the need to bother installing the totally free options X-World and Ortho4XP.

I think this proves the point that it IS perfectly possible to enjoy X-Plane vanilla scenery, despite the often cited "X-Plane default scenery is impossible to enjoy".

Maybe there should be some more tolerance in the future by those convinced that default is "unflyable" and they should realize that this may not be so for everyone. It is a personal disposition and may be true for one guy, not true for the next.

Indeed! Although I own MEP, I still have X-World Europe and Africa latest version on an external disk, and I purchased "Global Forests" which I once installed and honestly didn't cause a significant impression, at least for the places I usually fly at, this turn around I am also using Xp12 latest beta standalone, just as FS 2024, same applying to weather and ATC. 

At most I can install JustFlight's Traffic Global. And OFC I have a couple of Tolisses and helis from the .Org...

 

But it's mostly vanilla Xp12.

Edited August 6, 2025Aug 6 by jcomm

56 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

Were not enjoying the scenery, were enduring it. Like Brussel Sprouts  

what we enjoy is the way XP flies. Like a sizzling steak. 

the finer perspective is that sprucing up XP scenery is an expensive (either in $ or time) PITA, so many folks just skip it. 

but sooner or later, one gets tired of flipping switches and ILS approaches in IMC and would really like to experience…more of how the world actually appears 

Indeed @UrgentSiesta, indeed!

2 hours ago, Litjan said:

I think this proves the point that it IS perfectly possible to enjoy X-Plane vanilla scenery, despite the often cited "X-Plane default scenery is impossible to enjoy".

I must admit I was once in the 'default XP12 scenery is awful' camp. I decided to install a second vanilla copy of XP12 for beta testing, and over time I began to appreciate that the default terrain and autogen weren't as awful as I originally thought. I mentioned in a separate thread that the truly great features in XP12, like the flight model, weather, and lighting, make the autogen and terrain feel more like supporting elements, rather than the main focus to be stared at.

 

2 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

but sooner or later, one gets tired of flipping switches and ILS approaches in IMC and would really like to experience…more of how the world actually appears

I'm mainly a GA flyer, so terrain and autogen are important to me. I've used MSFS 2020/2024 since release, but I now find the XP12 world to be far more believable. Individual features in each sim can be applauded or criticized, but it's how they gel together that really matters.

It could be argued that MSFS has the prettiest terrain and autogen, but that alone doesn't make a sim believable. Now, the overall world in XP12 feels more realistic to my eyes.

Attention apostille (might be a slightly exxagerated 😄) ...

1. The typical MSFS user: buys a flightsimulator. Searches on the internet for hints how to make it look prettier. Buys lots of addon airports. Buys lots of environment addons. Buys lots of 'immersion' addons like passengers simulation. Buys lots of AI traffic addons. Buys lots of ground services addons. Starts to doubt if his PC can handle all that. Researches which CPU can handle that. Researches which GPU can handle that. Buys a new CPU. Buys a new GPU. After weeks and months of tweaking and twiddling starts for the first time the enigne of his plane and takes off.
2. The typical XP user: buys a flightsimulator. Does it the other way round (apart from starting the plane and taking off).

Edited August 6, 2025Aug 6 by flying_carpet

On 8/5/2025 at 8:18 PM, uwespeed said:

Might be ... but I'm not sure about that. Autoortho/ME first have to download the textures from the net (for first time use - cache aside?), convert them and only then can display them - I have read, around 5 minutes or longer? That's the reason why I don't use them. Ortho4XP OTOH at least is stored locally.

Yes. The download and conversion times are the reason why my interest in AO fizzled out after a single flight. No fun when you get an overworked server and XP hangs for a few minutes while the orthos are downloading.

 

3 hours ago, Litjan said:

I think it serves us well to acknowledge the fact that almost one third of all X-Plane users are apparently so satisfied with the default scenery that they don´t even feel the need to bother installing the totally free options X-World and Ortho4XP.

Not necessarily. It's rather that the only sensible alternative to default scenery (orthos) is very time consuming to obtain and very variable in quality or limited to a specifric region (TrueEarth), so I figure that a good part of users simply stick to default out of convenience. If there was a download for a more detailed and up to date scenery based on better landclass and using better mesh and more autogen variety (or alternatively, a legal download for global, premade ortho tiles), the percentage of users flying default scenery would be smaller.

 

2 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

...enduring it. Like Brussel Sprouts

 

Brussels Sprouts (or "rose cabbage" in German) are a delicacy, best enjoyed with meatballs and potatoes.

Edited August 6, 2025Aug 6 by Bjoern