Flight Simulator X - A Photo Diary (Broadbandy)

[v4moose]

yeh xplane ran like a dog for me also. Didn't really pursue it too much however.

Finished optimising prepared. Am getting good frames now. Still waiting for something 'revolutionary' or at least native support from more add-on developers, then I will make the switch. A few pics anyway. I must be missing something though as there ain't no jets in the academic version from what I can see.

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[v4moose]

Ok messing around with some new freeware add-ons - I swear add-ons are a legitimate addiction.

206 Stationair water takeoff from rotto

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Tiger Moth - as noted in the freeware section of the guide

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Some aerobatics

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RFDS livery for the C90

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'RumRunner PC-6' Flying under the radar

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Testing out the seasons. Spring Summer Autumn Winter

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[DarkMellie]

Did you ever play Rise of Flight, Moosey?

[v4moose]

i tried the demo for a few days. I don't think i managed to shoot a single plane in my time. Found it so difficult without a trackIR as I would always loose them from view. Tough game, and probably would be really enjoyable if it was easier to get into

[DarkMellie]

Just watched that Lockheed Martin vid, looks amazing. I wish I wish that a mix of ArmA and DCS would come out that offered full-on fidelity of experience for all branches or vehicles and infantry. So is that a proper commercial sim for companies or is it a playable 'game'?

Also, RoF is lots of fun but, I think, best played in multiplayer. The SP scenarios are incredibly hard. One of the best pilots in the world for RoF is an ex-Australian BF2 player who learned to play before he had TrackIR, he reckons he just used the hat-switch view quadrants really effectively and accurately read pilot behaviour.

[v4moose]

in a nutshell, several years back L&M licensed the FSX engine (called ESP) and developed their own simulator for commercial training purposes. Up until march this year you could purchase the software but it was 500 bucks or something. They've now release the 'academic' version which is 50 bucks

since the aces dev team is focusing on flight, (which all of the dedicated flight sim community detest) future 'core' fsx development is dead. L&M want to continue developing the source code as the new HK simulator.

currently in 1.3 there isn't enough difference to warrant switching over from fsx. the core engine is still identical from a players perspective. When they introduce DX11 support and multi core optimisation in V2 (hopefully) this will be the new shiznit

i also can't see any of those training scenarios, jets or vehicles in the academic version, so i'm not sure if its a cut down version or something...

I've seen those links you posted of that RoF player before... complicated stuff. I agree, combine arma2 with a decent DCS games or tech and i would jizz in my tight pants. The DCS combined ops thread that brim posted looks interesting at least.

[brimlad]

I wish I wish that a mix of ArmA and DCS would come out that offered full-on fidelity of experience for all branches or vehicles and infantry.

as v4moose mentioned dcs combined arms is close to that hope and is a pared down version of their military simulator.
DCS CA will plug into DCS world as the other modules will and with the correct mp mission will provide a complete battlefield experience.

where I fly my A-10C exactly like it is in Warthog, can bomb an AI target marked by a ground unit, steered by my friend while another friend is playing commander of the enemy ground forces... and another friend in a Tunguska completely ruins your day by chasing a couple of missiles up your tail-pipe

the potential is huge as DCS allows third party addon's (much like fsx) so folks can build a Tungusta module or any other ground/air unit that then can be built into a mission and controlled by a player either directly or as a commander.
still early days but the vision is grand.

currently in 1.3 there isn't enough difference to warrant switching over from fsx. the core engine is still identical from a players perspective. When they introduce DX11 support and multi core optimisation in V2 (hopefully) this will be the new shiznit

yes that optimisation will be a great development and probably make prepar3d a sim to purchase;
great pics once more v4moose.

cheers

[cyclobs]

I wish that a mix of ArmA and DCS would come out that offered full-on fidelity of experience for all branches or vehicles and infantry.

wasn't BiS working on that concept with take on helicopters / jets and arma3?

[brimlad]

not sure cyclobs; I did spend some time with toh and while it's good it's a fair way short of a sim, cabins have only a few clickable/usable controls which is very different to say the DCS Black shark where almost all of the cabin is modelled; the same when you compare an arma2 tank to a Steelbeast tank.
DCS atm seems the best pathway to a full-on fidelity experience.

cheers

[cyclobs]

not sure cyclobs; I did spend some time with toh and while it's good it's a fair way short of a sim, cabins have only a few clickable/usable controls which is very different to say the DCS Black shark where almost all of the cabin is modelled; the same when you compare an arma2 tank to a Steelbeast tank.
DCS atm seems the best pathway to a full-on fidelity experience.

cheers

i believe the functionality is there to up it much more. i think they released a much much more detailed chopper as DLC. might have to correct me on that though

[brimlad]

from the interview that mellie did with Joris and Jay from Bohemia I got the impression that the cabin wasn't fully modelled, they added some nice features like a fully retractable landing gear and rolling liftoffs but I haven't seen any vid or detailed descriptions yet; I'll have a dig tonight.

cheers

[v4moose]

Righto - capped internet for two weeks has been painful.

I've pretty much transitioned over to Prepar3d now. It runs better with less stuterring, and I don't miss FSPassengers as much as I thought I would. Native REX Essential support is awesome, and have only come across 1 or 2 addons which didn't port over well.

With the likes of REX, FS-Scene, ORBX and Carenado declaring their full support for the new simulator based on Microsoft ESP, I see good things ahead. Time will tell weather PMDG will backtrack, they initially discredited Prepar3d saying they would not support it as Lockheed Martin are not interested in developing for home simulation purposes. I think they will lose many customers over the next couple of years if they don't change their attitude soon.

Hopefully I will be discussing the development of new and current simulators in a video quite soon. Will post here when its up.

Now for some screenies.

Went looking for interesting places in FSX, this is what I found

Airfield in a crater, somewhere in Africa I believe

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South Pole... nothing to see here

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A couple of terrain mesh bugs which never got patched out by MS

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Tried to fly down, but it gets very hard due to the lack of any reference 'features'

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Shooting the gap in the Stationair

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I have a whole bunch of Mooney shots which I think turned out really nice, a sample of a couple. I'll prolly do a post a little later on with some more in a separate post.

Overfly Skydive Express in York

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Crossing the straight

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This will probably conclude shots of FSX. Now that I've got Prepar3d sorted the only reason FSX is sitting on my HD is because some installers need it there to work.

To wrap up, I'm getting particularly excited about the release of SimAir from Rex Game Studios. I don't know much about it yet, but from interactions I've had with them and listening to podcasts of FSBreak.com it sounds like a revolution in online simulation.

http://www.simairexperience.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brimlad]

rex essentials does look very good and available since the end of last month, think I'll add that to the purchase list along with tacpak.
I'll probably stick with fsx for now as I don't think tacpak will compatible with prepar3d at release.
The gon fsx server will accept both fsx and prepar3d so we should be able to get a few flights in and I noticed you flying a redbull racer so we should organise a few races

and great pics again v4moose, those mesh bugs can be fun to discover, cfs2 use to have one south west of newcastle which created a massive canyon which made for great flying.
I did a dusk flight from Sydney to Moruya last week and I'll post those pics when I get a chance.
and looking forward to your vid

cheers

[brimlad]

Taking off from sydney last night while testing the GON fsx server

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a couple of great pics of moreton national park at sunset I took last week


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and a few of the IRIS p40 I took for a fly to moruya.
great plane with a cool cabin and panel

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leaving canberra

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kings highway

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the landing went rather bad, poor angle and to much height and this is where I should have powered up for another try... I didn't.
best to approach from the south as there are a few tall trees to the north.

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cheers

[v4moose]

wow - how did you get the sim to look so dark? ENB mod or shade? Even at midnight I still find I can see most of the land features.

is the P40 freeware? looks schmick