GoranM

Yes. Without a doubt. X-Plane 12, out of the box, uses physically based lighting. It can be enhanced in areas with shaders, but out of the box, the lighting is definitely the best and most realistic.

Many a time, I have seen a sky, and lighting, exactly like that, shortly after a storm, in the city where I live. The purple/orange on the horizon is very similar to the pollution haze I am very familiar with, as the airport is very close to the city. Obviously, images like this are very subjective, but I still think it captures many environmental elements, extremely accurately.

Another example of what X-Plane is capable of. One of the few images I had to do a double take on. To clarify, Visual XP is being used.

After reading this entire thread, seeing the pleasant tone, advice, and positive comments, I’m seriously considering getting this. If only just to support Andrew Wilson, who I’ve spoken to a few times, and is a very respectful and considerate, not to mention talented, person.

It's not about pride. We've discussed it, and it was on the table once or twice. I've gone so far as to export the 650 into MSFS, to see how it looked ( minus textures). It's not about the money. I don't want to disclose what I've made, and obviously, it's less than what I would make in MSFS, but it's enough for me to be happy, continue updating products for 2 years now, and have the things I have. I never said I hated MSFS. I have a lot of praise for MSFS. I started in MSFS, back in FS5. I bought MSFS last year on Steam to check it out. It's not a X vs Y thing with me. I even tried Flight Gear, and I bought P3D a few months ago. X-Plane is simply my preference. It's like asking someone do they prefer McDonalds or Burger King. I've had both, but I prefer one over the other. All due respect, I've said all I wanted to say on the matter. You can believe what you want to believe.

You choose to believe the MSFS market is 1000x bigger than P3D? You choose to believe P3D has a userbase of 10 000 people? Hey...No problem. 👍🙄

Indeed there is. More units of P3D were sold than FS9. Much, MUCH more. It was touted as a military funded product. The marketing was brilliance. So my "dump of conclusions" is actually very much on the conservative side. @lwt1971 I keep getting notifications. I don't want to come across as rude by not replying, when I keep getting quoted.

I really don't want to perpetuate something this trivial. So let's wrap it up. We're delving into semantics now. I know he said "if". It's obvious he doesn't know actual numbers. I never assumed he did know actual numbers. I used his number as a secondary example. If you misinterpreted what I said, then consider it corrected on an "if". Thank you for your opinion. When someone of RR's status and reputation tells me the market is 1000x larger, I'll ask them what they're smoking. BTW, is it hyperbole when I say I've made MILLIONS selling add ons? Would you find it an off the cuff remark? Or would you say, "Ya, Riiiight! Pull the other one." Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't. 😁 Let's get back on topic. It's late, and I need to get some work done.

Asobo have over 300 people working on MSFS. I think it's actually closer to 400, but I'm not sure, so I'll stick with roughly 300. This is what abrams said in his top post. 1st line. Copied and pasted. Maybe Randazzo is exaggerating a bit, but even if MSFS were 100x the size of the P3D market, that is a huge increase in the size of the flight simulation market.

Seeing as you quoted a comment about the dev team I'm a part of, I'll respond. Speaking for myself...and at the risk of coming across very blunt, it's no one's business what kind of return we make. Even when my best friend asked me what kind of money I made from add ons, after seeing the car I drive, I told him I make enough to get by and to also get myself a few toys. (At the mild objections from my wife.) If Robert Randazzo wants to show photos of his DC3, that's his business. Although last I heard, he sold it. We (MSFS, X-Plane, P3D developers) are here to make add ons for flight simmers. Once or twice a year, you'll see them at an expo. Have a chat if you want. But that's all. Enjoy the add ons. If they can keep churning out add ons you like, appreciate the fact they can keep doing it, while still paying the bills. I hold Robert to a very high regard. I would have expected factual statements. Not hyperbole. As someone who has been in this business for over 20 years, it's safe to say he should be using more realistic numbers. I'm a "facts" guy. Far less realistic than "1000 times...". As in, impossible. So Robert, abrams and the interviewer were all using hyperbole. But that's your opinion. I can appreciate you coming to abrams defence, but that's all abrams could have said, instead of calling for a mod and getting mad at me for, supposedly, putting words in his mouth. Incensed? I was explaining something. You think I was "incensed"? I think abrams was the incensed one in this. Of course it is. No one disagrees with you. They never have. How many times larger? Only a few people know. Having Gamepass throws a spanner in the numbers, though. I hope you can see why. Apart from offering to support current P3D add ons, why would a P3D dev stay with P3D when the SDK is, from what I can tell, a parallel to MSFS. Of course it doesn't make sense. They can dev for both. But in the case of X-Plane, only 1 dev (inibuilds) has moved. Will more of them move? Who knows. So far, no other devs have announced a move to MSFS. I've spoken to several regulars in here, who have asked me to move, and I explained to them why we haven't.

10 million MSFS users (reported) YOU said MSFS has about 100x more people using it than P3D. 10 million (reported users as stated by Asobo themselves) divided by 100 (the number you used as a multiplier) is 100 000. ie. You're stating P3D has about 100 000 people using it. Basic math. If you want to change your number, by all means. I'm not presenting an opinion or an assumption. I'm presenting mathematical fact using YOUR number. Try it yourself. Google "Calculator" and type it in. 10000000 (reported MSFS flight simmers)/100 (your multiplier) The answer is what you state is the number of people using P3D. If you choose not to accept it, that's on you. I don't know how to clarify it any further. Back to work.

Much higher. Based on add on sales only. I doubt military would buy add ons, but if they do, we can include the military. I'm happy to explain my conclusion without giving away actual numbers that would reveal too much information. These numbers don't include MSFS due to the nature of Gamepass, and Asobo mentioning MSFS has had 10 million DOWNLOADS. Not SALES. The percentages are fairly consistent between X-Plane and P3D, based on discussions I've had with 2 P3D developers. For a developer to sell an add on to 3%-5% of the total user base of a flight sim, is above average. 3% is about the average. The developer who sold 90 000 units for P3D and FSX (probably more by now, since that was after about 3 years) reached a considerably higher number than that 3%-5%. No. I'm afraid you have math issues. A reported 10 million MSFS userbase divided by 100 (your number), is 100 000 people using P3D. As you said, you assumed MSFS is 100x bigger than P3D. I'm using your number to divide into 10 million (The number given by Asobo).

I never said the P3D market was massive. I said it's larger than 100 000 (conservative estimate) and much, MUCH larger than Robert's estimate (10 000). 10 000 is just too ridiculous to even consider. I'm simply presenting a conclusion, derived from given information. I wouldn't say I "went off". If I had a mouthful of coffee, I probably would have spat it out after reading "1000x higher userbase than P3D". Innocuous? It's hilariously ludicrous. I've seen many unusual comments, and I usually just smh and move on. But for a reputable developer to come out and make such an outlandish comment is, weird. And I find myself asking...why??? Is he hyping it up to be something more than what it is?? If so, why?? It doesn't need it. Agreed. Without objection. And much larger than abrams estimate of 100 000. I really want to mention the actual figure, but obviously, no-can-do. I sometimes need a smile. 1000x more people in MSFS than P3D gave me a big one. Besides, I was up until 4am this morning working on it. Back to work. I've said what I wanted to say. I'll let the math speak for itself now. I have to say I'm surprised there are people who actually blindly believed Robert's comments, without even considering the math.

First of all, no. Even if every single person (10 million, which includes those who tried it out as part of Gamepass) bought an add on at $100, that would "only" equal $1 billion. I never said the whole market. I based the numbers off a known developer and their revenue, for 1 add on, that was made public. Level D (LDS) sold 35000 units of their 767 for FS9 only. That's 35000 ACTUAL sales. All the math is derived from that. Not the entire user base comprising of, reportedly, 10 million. Robert claims the MSFS 2020 userbase is 1000x larger than P3D. I'm just multiplying the sales of 1 add on from 20 years ago, by 1000. Safe to say the market has grown since then, so 35 000 is a very conservative number by today's standards. Basically, Robert claims that P3D has a userbase of 10 000. (10 million downloads of MSFS 2020 divided by 1000), and abrams is using a more conservative estimate of 100. 10 million divided by 100x, so he's assuming P3D has a userbase of 100 000. I know, for a fact, P3D has a far larger userbase than that.

1000x larger than P3D????? Let's do some math. So if a developer sold 1000 units of an add on in P3D, at $100 (non discounted FSLabs Concorde), and they grossed $100 000, they would earn $100 million if they made it for MSFS?! It's a certainty they sold in the 10's of thousands over the life of the Concorde, so let's base it off a known developer. Level D has made it public they sold 35000 units of their 767 for FS9 only. I'll use that number as an example. 35000 units x $100. That's $3.5 million gross. Reasonable. There are website costs, server costs, developers need to be paid, advertising, store commission, etc... The record number of sales for an add on is over 90 000, between P3D and FSX. Multiply that $3.5 million by 1000 (1000x larger market than P3D), that's $3.5 billion!!! The add on that sold 90 000 units...let's say that one also cost $100. That's a gross of $9 million in P3D and FSX. Again, very reasonable. As a matter of fact, exceptional. Multiply that by 1000(???!!!) $9 BILLION in gross sales. MSFS, HERE I COME!!!!! Ok, let's go with the more conservative estimate. 100x larger. 3.5 million x 100. $350 million in gross sales??!! The highest selling add on. 9 million x 100. $900 million??!! MSFS, HERE I COME!!!!! Shall I even entertain the validity of these figures? (Here come the "Get out of here, troll" comments.)