Price Increase Coming on Great FTX Scenery ...

[Guest wantok_YSCB]

FTX is truly a phenomenon. You will never look back once you've tried it. The FTX AU region packs (Blue, Gold, Green, Red) don't contain custom airports - their magic is with the landscape as a whole: the landclass textures, autogen, etc.Separately from the region packs, ORBX (makers of FTX) have produced a couple of payware airports and several payware-quality freeware airports so far - more on the way. But apart from those, the airports you will see are FSX default.However, separately from ORBX, there's a freeware project called OZx ( http://www.aussiex.org ) which has built over 160 airports and airstrips for Australia, and they've been created to blend with FTX AU region packs. Most are small rural/bush strips, but some are large regional centres.>I agree with some of the comments above about information>being hard to find however. Even though they have great demo>and the whole website is really very impressive some basic>information for pilots is hard to dig out. For example with>their Au-Gold they say "visit Brisbane International" but I>don't think they customized this airport in any way. It would>be great to have a list of custom airports available with>every pack. I understand they do have some very few isolated>airports for additional fee. It would great it they could>crank out airports like Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Gold>Coast, Darwin, etc., in other words have a few more customized>airports, not necessarily "mega" but with enough concrete to>put my 737 down.

[tf51d 284]

Anyhow, because of production costs, they are going to up the price on December 1. Like 25 to 30 percent or so. Here are a couple of links. The first is to the forum which shows the pricing but remember that is in Australian dollars.http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?board=6.0Here is their vendor.http://www.flightsimstore.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=92Be sure to plug in US dollars and you will see that the price per region drops to $19.42 Actually the increase is 66% (ORBX message says 50% but the price change is $49.95 vs $29.95 AU, that's 66.6%). Still not bad, considering the detail of their products!!

[Guest teecee]

If you ever wondered what the "Red Heart" of Aus looks like, just wait a few more days and get the "Red" version of Australia when it is released.. I lived in the center for many years, and I can assure you that what you will see will blow your socks off. Orbx is the best thing ever to happen to FS in Australia, and for my money to FSX in general. Teecee.

[Guest Seadog]

Thanks to all who helped me find the graphics I was looking for. The vibrant Orbx map Siggy pointed out was what I had in mind, and the graphics that Chris Porter pointed me to on the FTX site worked equally as well, once I knew what I wanted was somewhere on that page. I didn't see the faint outlines of the regions the first time I looked at that page, because I was looking for what I remembered seeing a while ago on the Orbx site. Thanks again, all.-Doug

[Carabou 0]

Hi I used to do most of my sim flying in Alaska and Canada (Vancouver, Victoria and environs) until I tried the free demo from Orbx. Trust me! Once you experience the absolute fantastic realistic etc. feeling of flying in what I call FTX land, you'll have a hard time flying anywhere else. I tried flying in some other areas aside from FTX land, but just couldn't enjoy them - had to go back to FTX.....Try the demo, it's free. My framerates are higher than in any other scenery and I get very good relatively sharp textures close to the ground. FYI, if you try the demo or buy the products I suggest you read the manual carefully concerning scenery tweaks. I did and was further amazed. My FSX is truly a new flight sim now due to FTX.I Held off buying FTX as I didn't think my computer would run it properly. WOW was I wrong. Thanks to brilliant marketing they offered a free demo, I tried it, enjoyed it, was amazed by it, bought it. I've bought three regions and pre bought the fourth as well as Coffs Harbor (even more amazing).BTW, I'm just a very happy customer of FTX - I don't work for them or have any other connection.Have fun............. you will! Howard

[michal 44]

>Well these are the payware offerings and I believe that YBBN>(Brisbane International) and YSSY (Sydney International) may>be on the horizon somewhere next year...They may feel under pressure to do Sydney - I hope they tread carefully. Sydney airport would be another mega-production and would most likely result in a frame-eating slide show. The spirit of Australia would IMHO be more represented by doing some 2-tier airports like Cairns or Darwin.Michael J.http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9320/apollo17vf7.jpg

[Guest suspa]

My personal experience with FTX scenery was that it revived my (almost dead) interest in FSX. Because of the mainly inappropriate appearance of cat box desert patches and jerky performance in FSX, I had continued with FS9. On purchasing FTX AUBlue for FSX for a measly thirty bucks, and with few expectations, I was literally amazed to see the quality and accuracy of the first region they had done, and not only that, my simulator seemed to run more smoothly. Flight simming for me is now a very rewarding experience, having added the other two available regions and the freeware airports that blend in seamlessly. I don't have any connection with FTX - I am just a very thankful and happy user. BTW their level of support is second to none. :7

[Guest alex333]

I come from Germany, but since ORBX FTX I fly mainly in Australia just because the scenery is so overwhelmingly great! The imersion level is above everything I've seen before.I can only say, try the free demo, you won't regret it :)- Alex

[N562Z 4]

I couldn't agree more. I've purchased all 4 regions and pretty much limit my FSX flying to Australia / because of the great performance in FTX. They have figured it out and I consider Orbyx to be the future of flightsimulation. Just flew from Hobart, Tasmania to Laucasion, potty break then on to Melbourne in the FSX Lear beautiful....Regards,http://www.my-buddy-icon.com/Icons/objects/red_3d_plane.gifAlex ChristoffN562ZBaltimore, MD

[Guest Alphahawk3]

>I couldn't agree more. I've purchased all 4 regions and>pretty much limit my FSX flying to Australia / because of the>great performance in FTX. They have figured it out and I>consider Orbyx to be the future of flightsimulation. Just flew>from Hobart, Tasmania to Laucasion, potty break then on to>Melbourne in the FSX Lear beautiful....>>Regards,>http://www.my-buddy-icon.com/Icons/objects/red_3d_plane.gif>>Alex Christoff>N562Z>Baltimore, MD Same here. I have purchased all regions and two airports and will get more. I don't know what or how they do it but while I would love to continue to fly in the south east USA it just looks nowhere as good as the Orbx FTX. Plus on my old system it is extremely good on performance. I have an i7 build on the way so I will be able to use the Melbourne airport. That is simply outstanding!! The good news is that they are working....I believe.....on Pacific Northwest. I did the Hobart flight to YMLT last night. I am just pulling out the maps and looking for airports and doing flights from place to place. Great product. Regards Regards

[Guest ThrottleUp]

I would like to add to the praise for FTX/Orbx. Fantastic people and equally fantastic product. I only have the Tasmania demo and find myself scooting about in the trike only on that small island. My computer cannot run FSX at smooth FPS on any other plane apart from the trike so I will wait for my new rig before buying the entire FTX collection. I do not mind paying more for it - theres some people you really dont mind paying more to and this is one of them. Very friendly forums and for the benefit of a newbie reading this: the Tasmania demo is fully-functional with no time limits. Its 100% free. However its only for the Spring season. An excellent try-before-you-buy.And it doesnt end there - these guys crank out quality freeware airports like its no-ones business.Bookmark FTX. Now :)

[maxter 0]

>>And it doesnt end there - these guys crank out quality>freeware airports like its no-ones business.>>Bookmark FTX. Now :)Interesting that you mention it ThrottleUp, because Orbx/FTX and Jarrad Marshall have just today, released the latest freeware airfield in the series, this time YBLN (Busselton). It is sensational and brilliant for a flight down the coast from Perth, Western Australia using either YPPH (Perth International) or YPJT (Jandakot, soon to be released as payware by the FTX guys)as a departure point.Simming in Australia has just become even more immersive lately... Cheers,Chris Porter:-outtaPerthWestern Australia

[yellowjack 28]

Only one problem with AUBlue. They missed the Defence complex out of Canberra. The defence complex is not far off one of the Canberra airport runways and includes tha Australian-American war memorial which is a tall hexagonal column with a stylised eagle perched on a globe on the top. The eagle has outstretched wings held vertically. This caused the memorial to be known locally as "Bugs Bunny". It is also known colloquially and with typical Aussie irreverance as "Phallus in blunderland, the giant American erection". ;)PS I worked at the the defence complex for many years so maybe its a personal thing.

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Ah yes, the Campbell Park office complex. Without a doubt, the ugliest government building ever constructed and paid for by the poor Oz tax payer. I have spent many a day there, both inside and out. The Campbell Park complex used to have one of the largest resident "herds" (or is that gaggle) of 'roos around. I could have spent hours watching them. My only regret is that I never had my camera on hand to record them when I did see them. But, I will be in Canberra a couple of times next year, and I do not plan to repeat that mental slip... REALLY... it is the ugliest government building in the world! :)

[yellowjack 28]

My locale was building 'M' or EDP1, now dead and buried. I agree that Campbell Park was ugly especially inside. I always thought of it as the "Concrete Jungle". However ugly it is, it is very relevant to YSCB where I did my GA training and climbed out over Campbell Park on more occasions than I care to remember, there could be a nasty rotor over that hill too. Campbell Park is not in the the ORBX scenery either yet "Manuka Oval" is now a great stadium according to ORBX. The mind boggles.:-lol