Quadcopter Waypoints

DD_Arthur, sir, I do believe you have just solved this puzzle for me. Without question, I must choose MSFS 2020 over 2024. Your confirmation that 2024 is entirely streamed is the first definitive statement I have encountered thus far clarifying that it will NOT be possible to download selected scenery for 2024 with the hopes of running that sim offline or with a slow internet connection. Even if I move the Starlink antenna to the roof amid trees that I'm reluctant to top, it is unlikely that the download speed will be boosted to a value that will remain consistent enough to prevent stuttering imagery if I select 2024. Just knowing that 2020, with selected scenery pre-downloaded in a few marathon sessions, will run smoothly regardless of fluctuations in download speed means that my decision is an easy one now. With my most recent Microsoft Flight Sim version being FS2004, moving up to 2020 will be a major improvement in all regards, ranging from ground scenery to aerodynamic modelling and weather generation, to name a few. Knowing that the entire PMDG Boeing fleet works with 2020 is icing on the cake. Suffice it to say, this newly returning flight simmer is sold on MSFS 2020, without reservation.

Wow, a download speed of 360Mb/sec is out of this world. I can only dream of that sizzling speed, what with being mired in the tar pits of 23.7 Mp/sec out here in the boonies haha. Hopefully, I'll be able to reduce the initial download time of 2024 by limiting my ground scenery to the USA east and west coasts, Chicago, Honolulu, the UK, Switzerland, Holland, and Hong Kong, since all the flights I have ever created in MSFS 2004 have been limited to those areas. If I get too ambitious with those scenery downloads, I'll be old and grey before they all make it into my computer's hard drive.

The realism and high-resolution detail in this YouTube video is a quantum leap above my archaic MSFS 2004, even with addon scenery, AI traffic, and PMDG airliners in all their glory. It is becoming practically impossible to distinguish real-life footage from MSFS 2024 renditions. What a time to be alive. Even with the greatly improved computer system I will be acquiring soon, I imagine that the initial download process for either MSFS 202 or 2024 will likely be well over 12 hours, given the underwhelming 23.7 download speed and 224.8 ms latency that I am seeing with my Starlink antenna located in a less-than-optimal position surrounded by tall trees standing 50 yards away in most directions. Since I can't yet quote the specs of the computer system I intend to buy, I suppose I can't yet ask what frame rates I can expect to see once either 2020 or 2024 has been installed with all updates included. The stunning realism of YouTube videos I've seen recently is an enormous incentive for me to buy the most powerful computer system I can afford, without mortgaging the house haha. Truth be told, I could live with any frame rate above 30 frames per second, and if that is achievable with both 2020 and 2024, I will be better off going the whole hog to omit 2020 and step up to 2024. Once my new system is up and running, I am bound to have more questions about how to optimize the new rig for the best results. With my yoke, throttle quadrant, and rudder pedals all ready to go, I am really looking forward to seeing 2024 come to life as a full-wall image projection in my home flight deck.

Thanks so much for taking a moment to explain the manner in which FS 2020 uses bandwidth, Ed. I will likely purchase both 2020 and 2024 once I have a computer with the capacity to run either one, but it is 2020 that I'll probably focus on since PMDG Boeing airliners aren't yet available for 2024. There has been a lot of fanfare about the 3rd update for 2024, and it is certain that PMDG will eventually become compatible with 2024, hence my decision to hedge my bets by acquiring both platforms. Once again, I thank you kindly, sir, for this clarifying explanation.

I know the subject of comparing MSFS 2020 with MSFS 2024 has been discussed at great length in this forum, but I am opening this new topic because I live in a rural area where I'd need to fell trees to see faster internet speeds with my Starlink setup, and also because my flight sim use will be limited to flying PMDG Boeings in and out of just a few select airports for which I'd like to see highly detailed ground scenery. Coming from the archaic MSFS 2004, my knowledge of MSFS 2020 and 2024 has been gleaned entirely from this forum and others, as I haven't purchased or tried 2020 or 2024 thus far. Specifically, I am curious to find out how 2020 runs in comparison to 2024 if scenery is NOT streamed, but is downloaded for ONLY the specific areas that I intend to fly, which are listed below. LAX, San Diego Lindbergh, San Francisco, Ontario Calif, JFK, O'Hare, DFW, Miami, Honolulu, Heathrow, Manchester UK, Liverpool UK, Birmingham UK, Stanstead UK, Gatwick UK, London City UK, Amsterdam, Zurich, Frankfurt, Innsbruck, and Hong Kong VHHH & VHHX. I would like to find out whether it would be possible for me to download detailed ground scenery for only the above-listed cities and airports, so that I won't have to rely on my abysmally slow internet connection for the streaming of global scenery that is outside of the select areas that I intend to fly PMDG Boeings and Fenix Airbuses exclusively. With this narrow selection of ground scenery that will suffice for my flight sim sessions, I'd now like to ask for opinions as to whether I can expect MSFS 2020 to offer higher frame rates once the scenery I need is downloaded so that it doesn't need to be streamed on my molasses-slow internet link, or whether I can see comparable frame rates if I download the same scenery for MSFS 2024, and disable streaming, if that is indeed possible. Any thoughts and opinions regarding my very specific flight sim preferences would be greatly appreciated, as I shop for my new computer hardware in earnest. Thanks in advance, fellow armchair aviators, for any insights that can be shared here.