Another Look at X-Plane?

Especially in light of the recent loss of the MSFS development staff, I wonder if another discussion of X-Plane isn't timely? I've never run X-Plane, but I'm thinking about it.

I've never been able to get FSX to run--or look--nearly as good as FS9, despite service packs and tweaks. I hate to give up on it, but frankly I'm pretty disgusted. And now it doesn't look like there well be anymore developoment work by MS anytime soon.

The X-Plane folks are trying to cash in on this. In a new message on thier website ( www.x-plane.com ) they're billing themselves as the future of flight simulation, and that message sounds credible to me, at least on it's face. But what to do those of you who've run X-Plane think?

I just checked out the XPlane web site, and they seem to be catering to the MSFS people now with tools and transitions to help convert MS files to XP files etc.

I think this is a huge opportunity for XPlane to make a substanial hit in the FS market...if they do things correctly for the consumer and continue to build XPlane to be an ever better plateform.

I have not used XPlane since the version 6 days...many years ago. I liked it, although it was not as "pretty" as MSFS then.

I do not, as yet, have the latest version (9.22).
I know Bob Thompson has it. Perhaps he will chime in here and give his opinion.

I am thinking about it. It now now...then down the road.

Thanks, guys! Jerry, I agree...Maybe down the road. From what you've all said it sounds to me like FS9 is still my best option, and maybe FSX with an upgraded graphics card and more RAM....maybe. (Currently GE 7800 and 1 gig of RAM) Also, I have a wide screen. had I ordered X-Plane, I think I would have been pretty unhappy! Hope Robert and anyone else who's run it will jump in here, as well.

I don't "hate Microsoft". But I think they laid a couple rotten eggs with Vista and FSX. Hopefully they'll get back on track sometime in the future.

Yoland, Looks like you were responding to me, though not sure who Jim is...in any case...
I have a dual-core HP I bought specifically to run FSX. I took the minimum system requirements, doubled them, and bought this PC. FSX ran, but just barely. Service packs and tweaks have helped, but it's still not acceptable.

Performance is subjective, to some degree, and it's relative. Likewise "realistic". FSX's graphics are certainly more accurate than FS9's. Are they realistic? Depends. St. Paul and KSTP are marginally ok, but the landscape surrounding it looks like a cartoon to me. Again... i live here. I know what the landscape loooks like.

I have a friend who lives in Edmunton, and she just loaded FSX. She's totally disgusted. She claims it looks nothing like the real Edmuton. But Edmunton looks fine to me.

When I fly FS9 on this PC, I reliably get 30 fps, and the airplane responds immediately and without glitches. When I fly FSX it works, but I get jerks, jumps, white screen flashes, and the aircraft never look like anything but bad artist's renderings. I like the glider flights in FSX, and the Maule aircraft. But the performance simply isn't okay for me to use it for most of my flying.

Vista? Dunno. I got a free upgrade with this PC. I haven't tried to run it. Why would I? It offers me nothing I don't have already. Eventually I'll have to get off of XP, of course. And the next release of Windows is reportedly built on the Vista code, so I guess there's no escape. But I don't see where any value has been added for me, the user.

Rev, the default scenery in FSX is not that great. I installed Ultimate Terrain from Flight1.com and it made a difference. The roads, rivers, streams, etc. are there and it looks a lot more realistic both high and low. You can configure the complexity of your scenery with the included tools.

Link -> <a href="www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=utxusa" target="_blank">Flight1

For realism in the air, I use ActiveSky. No more cotton ball cloud types.

Link -> <a href="www.hifisim.com/" target="_blank">ActiveSky

All is possible if your pockets are deep enough (not that I'm made of money or anything like that). You can just cut out the trips to McDonald's and save up for it. Your stomach may rumble, but just pretend it's an approaching thunderstorm.

Hey - If you need some extra cash, just sell your old electronics that are sitting around in your closet. Link -> <a href="buymytronics.com/" target="_blank">Cash for your electronics

<br /><br /><!-- editby --><br /><br /><em>edited by: Robert_Thompson, Jan 27, 2009 - 08:14 AM</em><!-- end editby -->

Gents,
Over the last few years i have slowley added scenery add ons for FSX.

These addons are all from www.flight1.com
Ultimate Terrain,
Europe,Canada,USA.

GEX USA & Canada.

Scenery Tech,
Indo Pacific,N Ameraca, Europe.

I have a Intel X6800 2.93Ghz duel core processor.
2048MB Corsair Memory
ASUS Extreme motherboard.
A couple of hard drives with FSX loaded on a 150 gb WD Raptor sata 10000rpm.
Graphics card is a 768MB GEFORCE 8800GTX

In the bult up areas frame rates drop to 9-12 when i am flying VFR i can get 40fps that is why i have these addons to make VFR flying a lot better.

I would check out flight1 they have links to the scenery sites.

Dave