Langeveldt

Depends where you are in the world. Some countries like the Netherlands really don't like credit cards. The locals predominantly use local debit cards and it can be really difficult as a foreigner (although it's getting slightly better with things like Revolut).

First time user of Auto FPS (I used the auto TLOD program and it was great). I run a mid range gaming laptop with a 3080 and am looking for 45FPS with FG on. What's the verdict on auto cloud quality? Do we leave it on or off? I'm a bit worried about the change back and forth between medium and high killing my immersion but I haven't tested enough yet. What do you guys do? Does the whole bank of clouds sort of pop back and forth in quality or is it more subtle?

When i got vectored into Paphos yesterday I ended up about 5NM left of track. Should I have just ignored the vectoring and carried on being a child of the magenta line straight to the ILS?

You can use FSLTL in the background and you get AI separately. But without any interaction or control by the actual ATC it's a no from me until they can get that sorted (and I know theyve been totally transparent about this in EA)

The ideal conditions at manchester were winds light and variable. So there was no real rhyme or reason for a runways being assigned. Simbrief says use this runway, tells BATC, and MSFS and FSLTL have other ideas.

Yeah I used it with FSLTL. I just dont see the point when there is absolutely no interaction with BATC and AI traffic. As the immersion breaks when you get routed into an Easyjet A319. (I know this isn't a secret. I'm glad I had a try with the software).

There is absolutely no interaction with or control of AI traffic from BATC at the moment.

It's back to FSHud for me. Though I dont regret the $30 to support the developer. Unfortunately without AI control or even AI interaction the flights leave a lot to be desired unless you want to fly in an empty world. I flew Manchester to Paphos. On leaving Manchester I was routed into oncoming traffic taxying and had to take off into traffic. My callsign Channex 1 was occasionally not picked up on handovers. Perhaps my mic, as I do voiceover work I dont think I have an unclear voice! Routing was pretty cool, I was vectored for an ILS approach into Paphos about 10 nautical miles away from where I should have ended up, and about 5,000 feet too high. I called ready for descent well before the top of descent and descended on a VNAV profile, and then quickly when I was vectored. I was still too high and miles to the left. It was a bit of a stuttery mess too for some reason. It doesnt control traffic so I guess not down to BATC. I love the accents and the immersion that brings. The premium voice chunks get depleted really quickly however. I don't really have the desire to fly in empty skies. None of this is surprising to me, they are very honest about what the product includes or doesn't. I shall try it again in a few months no doubt.

I'm still not quite understanding the "passive mode". Okay it allows you to use the Active Sky interface, but I'm also hearing that there are more impressive cloud formations than all the cauliflower stuff you get with MSFS. How is this so, if it's MSFS that is then controlling the weather? Is passive mode the happy medium between no "jumping" weather transitions and yet nicer looking clouds?

That is a feature of the game, not a bug.

Night lighting for me is one of the biggest letdowns of MSFS. Fine at smaller distances, behind the LOD and at altitude, I just cannot fly with the sepia blobs. The worst place is northern Italy, you literally just get yellow valleys without any definition. When the rest of the sim looks so good, it is just so bad.

FSHud is very good.. Vectoring is a bit janky (I ignore it), but you generally dont get routed into other aircraft at all.. It hits my system quite hard though, but even 5-10 aircraft around you, if they are moving and moving accurately, with the correct liveries, adds SO much to the immersion.

We have a sim so advanced where people are tinkering with fine mass and balance, aerodynamics, handling, microbursts, standing waves, flows, behaviour of things like packs, APUs, tillers... And yet for AI we have to go into another program and delete aircraft manually that cut us up on landing? There's a massive discrepancy there.

I think FSHud is really the leader at the moment in terms of ATC. With these new AI handlers not able to control air traffic (isn't that the whole point?) on release. I don't think performance is great, but I am only on a gaming laptop. I manage fairly well at 45FPS with 15 at the gates and 15 active in terms of traffic. For now I ignore the vectoring and just follow my assigned STAR.

Thanks all, will check those out. Airport was default MMMX, runway 23L AHA, having looked at the vids I didn't have the course set... Something fairly basic I forgot to do.