Jonnoxx

Your solution is actually very simple and amazingly inexpensive.... Just get yourself a Series X Console, and be done with it! It is far and away the best-value solution. And a relatively inexpensive experiment to try if you are at all apprehensive about the performance outcome. And don't be taken in by usual PC sales-spiel that the console will soon be outdated, and that you will then have the further expense of having to upgrade again. So what! This is an even bigger - and much more expensive exercise - in the PC world. More importantly, graphics hardware and PC /Console chips have entered a period of exciting and (literally) game-changing development now. No matter what you buy now, in 2 - 3 years time, you will be salivating at improvements these "new developments" will bring to the "latest and greatest that you buy today" (note: this hasn't been the case in the last few years where, until recently, graphics development has moved at a more incremental, if not pedestrian, pace). It will be easy to resell your console at a good price and recover your money, and then go on and empty your wallet to your heart's desire on an expensive PC and graphics card(s) if the console experience turned out to be underwhelming for you. If you are someone who ALSO needs a PC for other heavy lifting work (video editing, CAD, or Animation), then a Console will not be the solution, and you will have to look at a PC. But for anyone else in the OP's particular position, the Series X console is hands down the best (and also best-value 😊) solution!

I'm with Keto here ... The technical "answers" being given here are talking past Keto's question, and NOT addressing his fundamental question. A plane moves ONLY in proportion to how its control surfaces have been moved. How much force that may require at different speeds may be technically interesting, but is an additional observation. And irrelevant to addressing Keto's question! If the surfaces move SLIGHTLY, then the expected change in aircraft orientation is also expected to be only SLIGHT(Keto's point). This, no matter what speed the aircraft is flying at. So ... if you want to barrel roll the aircraft fast, you would expect that the ailerons would have to be moved to MAXIMUM position as rapidly as possible. How much force that requires on the stick for THAT aircraft at THAT speed is irrelevant! The dynamism of the "Flight Model" of an aircraft is a function PURELY of the ACTUAL position of the ailerons and rudder; the speed with which these are changed; and the unique physical characteristics of the particular aircraft. Violent maneuvers must require fast AND extreme positions of the control surfaces (Keto's point). From the pilot's point of view in this simulator, the "Response Curve" for a joystick controller, is just a "Black Box" adjustment algorithm that is inserted between the pilot and the plane - to allow the pilot to dictate the response from the plane that suits his personal tastes for hand control. It has got nothing to do with determining the inherent flight model of the aircraft. So, for example, one may prefer that around the "neutral position", you may want to allow quite large stick movements, that produce only a little change in control-surface orientation. But that once you move the stick into further deviation from neutral, then only will the control-surface response get progressively more aggressive. So back to Keto's question ... Doesn't matter how Keto's stick is currently set up. If, when he looks out the cockpit, and he observes he's moving the control surfaces ONLY slightly, YET the aircraft is nevertheless responding swiftly AND massively to this SLIGHT input, then it suggests that there is a problem with the basic programming of the Flight Model of THAT plane. I've either got this explanation 100% right ... Or I'm horribly wrong ... In which case, I'll take my medicine! 🤣🤢

LoL ... the people who will really be laughing (and laughing especially at "The Impatient Ones" with a fire burning 🔥 in their pockets!) will be those who controlled their impatience AND wallet, and just bought a Series X Console instead straight off the bat! 🤣🤣 And they won't be waiting two years to get into that position either. From just a few weeks away in November, it seems. Sink an excessive fortune 💸 instead into a super-expensive Gaming Computer now - that is NOT anywhere near either a financial or pleasure VALUE-match for a Series X Console ...??? Nah! NOT the best use of a scarce resource. Instead, take the money you saved wasting 💸 in an expensive and immediately depreciating asset, and invest that surplus in FAANG stocks, and the capital growth in those stocks alone over the next two years, will reward you immensely for your financial prudence and wisdom. And doubly so, when you consider how these sky-high computer prices are going to DROP next year. Best financial decision you could ever make - by far! Absolute no-brainer.💲

We'll have to cross that bridge after it has been blown up! 😜

Gosh, NOW- FINALLY - I know what this sim is REALLY missing ... When I encounter "Bad Weather", WHERE are these CATS & DOGS falling through the sky and bouncing off my windscreen and the runway??? And witches on brooms flying through the clouds sparking Lightning & Thunder at every turn and flick of their brooms. My perennial 5-year-old self has been very disappointed that Asobo continues to ignore how real weather is really made, and instead presents us with a politically-correct simulation of what they can only think is reality. Asobo - where are the Easter Eggs???

I wonder which genre has a bigger following, and a bigger commercial potential. Is it civil flight? Or Combat Simulation?? I think it will be very hard for MSASOBO to continually ignore the future potential of a combat simulator, which has an entire world to cause mayhem in. That's where I see "missions" REALLY gaining traction. I don't see the civil side disappearing anytime soon. But I do see the capability, interest and excitement in this genre eventually plateauing. And then...??? It seems to me that Combat Simulation has the far greater allure AND commercial and games potential. Especially now that there - literally - is a whole new world to operate in (unlike the limited campaign geographies of DCS and BMS). I think Asobo is already preparing for that possible outcome. But what do I know. What do you think?

Hmmm ... There is NO advantage to be the first mover here! Zilch! Would be different if they offered "guaranteed heavily discounted prices", or extra planes, or a 1/2 price new HOTAS to the early birds. But nope! That's NOT the sales plan! The entire purpose of this is a pure marketing study by MS to evaluate just how much demand there REALLY is for the simulator, and how price-sensitive that is to their proposed price-points. If impatient fans want to smack down their money immediately ...? Good luck to them. They are just pawns in the MS marketing game - again! I'm super-excited they are releasing early, but I will still be taking my own sweet time before I put down the big cash. I'm due for a hardware upgrade, but that will DEFINITELY be done only next year (because MUCH too much REAL game-changing (excuse pun!) new computing power, graphics cards, and new Flight-Controller hardware is still right on the cusp of delivery (just months away!). Spend all your money on current stuff now, and you WILL be SERIOUSLY regretting that you didn't wait a few months for all this MUCH BETTER stuff to appear in the shops. Will play the free 30-day trial for $1 on X-Box first. And then ... I would not be surprised at all if after the initial rush, the game will be bundled as a heavily-discounted package with X-Box (and a HOTAS controller thrown in too!) for the Xmas season or as a Black Friday special. I'll probably spring for an X-Box then. Don't forget, the arrival of FS2020 on the market is going to VERY MUCH disrupt the Xmas sales plans plans of all the other guys who also want ( now NEED!) to sell their stuff in quantity at Xmas time. These guys will be FORCED to heavily discount their wares in order to attract attention their way. Have no more interest in X-Plane or PMG. But I'm certainly looking at you, DCS! Patience has a virtue all of its own to those in no hurry (or can convince the sellers that they aren't, anyway) ... 😜

Anyone who is an Autodesk client knows that the feature-improvement each year is minimal. They have slipped into an air of complacency, which is allowing dangerous competitors to gain increasing momentum (and market share). For example, the free Blender is FAST becoming a legitimate AND VERY capable competitor in the animation market. The only reason the animation market is not being overturned overnight is because of the pipeline investments in legacy projects and custom-software built on those. But make no mistake, change is on its way. Slowly at first. Then suddenly. As Hemingway said. The Autodesk architectural program REVIT is just running on the spot, while competitors like VECTORWORKS (mainstream architectural work) and CHIEF ARCHITECT (aimed at the small builder / residential market) are attacking this market with real FIRE in their bellies. There's even rumors (hotly denied!) that SOLIDWORKS is preparing to expand into the Architectural market. Game over for Autodesk if that happens imo. Was an enthusiastic early adopter of SOLIDWORKS (I switched our company to SW in mid 90's when SW had only reached about 3 000 seats). Best decision we made. Very few people that switched to SW would ever consider going back to Autodesk. I see ASOBO bringing the SAME game-changing (intended pun!) FLAIR and INNOVATION to Flight Simulation that SOLIDWORKS did to CAD back in the 1990's. The current complacent commercial players in this market deserve nothing less!

Great question! If I recall correctly, there was an overt hint in one of the early Asobo / MS interviews, that there is going to be some sort of facility that would be similar to X-Plane Plane maker. Nothing has been followed up on this since. I suggested at the time that they should copy the "Repair Hanger" concept of DEADSTICK, or even buy that developer out, and incorporate him into their fold. I'm really hoping they incorporate their own version of Plane Maker. And don't see any reason why they would be averse to that idea. It would be every geek kid's delight (me included!). If they did, this is another feature that Asobo would be sure to implement with their customary - and much loved - flair and steroids, and thereby set the amateur developer scene alight with fire. Such a development would be the greatest threat to the professional Developers, who will clearly have to up their game when all the amateurs in their basements now also have access to amazing new and much more capable SDK's and other game-changing tools. Literally.

That may be true... But their options appear VERY limited! I predict this situation is going the same way of the early days of some other early software development. Remember the word-processing programs like Ami-pro Word-Perfect, and the spreadsheet Lotus 123? All these were VERY popular. Were even the leaders in their fields in the day (and by significant, wide margins too!) Today...? They're TOAST! ALL of them! And it was a very competitive arena with LOTS of very good programs jostling for attention. And just like now, diehard supporters renouncing the alternatives at every opportunity! All this competitive mayhem has finally crystallised today into just SINGLE-PROGRAM dominance. WORD (for word processors), and XCEL (for spreadsheets). The free source Libra, obtains significant following only because it maintains strict compatibility with Word and Xcel. Same story in the word of CAD. Autodesk used to be the dominant player. Then upstart SolidWorks appeared on the scene with the revolutionary premise that serious CAD could now be conducted on ordinary PC's. Autodesk had an arrogant attitude problem that they were too big to fail, and had this CAD market sewn up for themselves. Turns out that SolidWorks cleaned their clock, and is now the dominant mechanical CAD program. And to really rub it in - is now the de facto standard setter! My bet is that the SAME tectonic shifts are underway in the gaming (simulation) market. And that - again - MS will emerge as the dominant player. I fully agree one cannot count one's chickens until the eggs hatch this year end. By this time next year, there will be a sufficiently clear view of the trend. Who is winning. And for who demise is inevitable. Interesting, exciting times as this Battle Royale plays out ahead!

I wouldn't bet on that! Zibo is a passion project - the guy doesn't do it for the money, he does it for his personal enjoyment of the technical challenge, AND the appreciative response from the "community". If that "community" now MOVES en masse to the hugely improved game environment that FS2020 appears to promise (which i think is a distinct possibility), then WHAT would be the attraction of REMAINING to cater for what could then quite likely reduce to (and I speculate!) just an ever-growing backwater? If PMDG have realized their developer future isn't where it used to be, why shouldn't Zibo also not now realize that new, better, and arguably MORE rewarding skies beckon talented individuals elsewhere? So what if he has to start all over again ... ? No Brainer decision in my opinion if I was in his shoes! Zibo will of course do whatever he decides, but I have seen enough of FS2020 to have no further interest in X-Plane anymore. The tide - it's turning. And I'm already headed for the exit.

I'd be very surprised if the Zibo 737 is not ported over sooner or later by the developer. Especially if FS2020 delivers on its promises. Because if THAT happens ... pretty much EVERYBODY is going to transition over as fast as they can. And with that his market too!

But that is EXACTLY the marketing spiel for the (top end) Series X ! It will NATIVELY run games in 4k (and expressly expects that from the new games). The rumored entry-level Lockheart will be the console running HD. Quote below is from https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/03/16/xbox-series-x-tech/ “The team knew they needed to build a next generation console that could run games in 4K at 60 fps with no compromises for developers. They also challenged themselves to deliver a level of performance once thought impossible on console, including support for up to 120 fps for the most demanding and competitive games. While they believe resolution and frame rate are creative decisions best left in the hands of title developers, the team wanted to ensure the system was able to support the needs of the largest blockbusters, competitive esports, and innovative independent creators." This seems a good enough motivation for me to seriously consider a Series X Console ASAP as the optimum value option for playing FS2020. I will ALSO be upgrading my PC (but only next year when the performance options are better and cheaper and MUCH more powerful) - simply because my current PC is now becoming increasingly irritatingly slower for the CAD I do. I'm not disputing that there will be distinct advantages for Developers and Manic-Geek Enthusiasts (cockpit builders et al) to stick with a PC. They will be inevitably happier that they did. No hard feelings! BUT ... for the rest of us Game PLAYERS (I deliberately emphasize the "player" - and NOT the "Geek Mechanic" focus here) who have little interest in having to fiddle with arcane settings in obscure add-ons etc ... it seems the best VALUE upgrade options are now to be found ELSEWHERE ie in the Series X Console rather than the PC. Of course. nothing will be settled until stuff actually gets into consumer hands. Then, if the facts change, so will my opinion.

That will be a bummer for the hard-core developers and geeks! But surely the "developers" will be able to do all this good stuff on their PC's with the SDK? And then this good stuff becomes available to us simple gamers who are not into coding stuff (I speak for myself!) to add into the game via the Xbox store? Just like any other game.

It would certainly seem so! The reason why I keep banging on about the potential cost-saving from going the Console route, is that this frees BIG funds for updating yourself with the new hands-on hardware that will DEFINITELY give you loads more of real pleasure to use. This new hardware is not coming cheap (so far!), and will be a significant addition to any "computer" budget. If all the hardware and add-ons works just as fluently on the Console as on a PC ... it's Game On! Exciting times ahead... I feel like a kid the night before Xmas all over again!