MSFS 2020 News

[orbmoke]

1 minute ago, wolfko said:

 

What do you mean with 3D/2D scenery?

If you look at some scenery in X-Plane 11, for example, there are cars in car parks that are flat images, which when observed at altitude may look reasonably realistic, but when flying low down above those buildings or car parks they are in fact flat images, ie, 2 dimensional (2D). With 3 dimensional objects (3D) they are very realistic with cars/buidings etc, looking more like they would appear in the real world.

MSFS 2020 doesn't appear to have any 2D scenery that I have observed so far.

 

[John Hargreaves]

5 hours ago, orbmoke said:

Just my opinion on observations of the various scenery addons for X-Plane 11 that are available now and yet to come (MSFS2020).

 

Percentage accuracy compared to the real world.

 

Laminar X-Plane 11 Default = 25%

Orbx TE = 75%

Orbx Airports = 85%

MSFS 2020 = 95% +

 

These are very approximate estimations that I have come up with. Others may have different views on this.

 

 

Percentage accuracy compared to the real world (that is close to where you live and isn't as famous as all the famous places)

Laminar X-Plane 11 Default = 25%

Orbx TE = 75%

Orbx Airports = 85%

MSFS 2020 = don't get your hopes up too much.

 

[stiletto2]

My one question about MSFS 2020 is what do building and trees look like when viewed at roof top or street level  (helicopter kind of views)?  Since the visuals displayed out in the countryside (away from airports) are 3D pictures via photogrammetry, does the  MSFS 2020 3D image including trees/buildings etc. tend to blur/deform when  one  gets very close to the surface of the image.   I would think this would be true since the images are lacking specific individual vertices (e.g. for a building) and the texture resolution is based on the overal resolution of the global texture which would be a lot lower than the texture of a P3D object.  Today, P3D objects are very clear up very close (especially the object edges) when you land on a road or fly at rooftop level.  A couple of pics from the road in a Seattle suburb using P3Dv5:

 

 

\

 

Will I see the same clarity when sitting on a road in MFS 2020?

 

Rod

 

[W2DR]

And all this time I thought we were talking about a FLIGHT sim.......................

[Rimshot]

11 hours ago, stiletto2 said:

My one question about MSFS 2020 is what do building and trees look like when viewed at roof top or street level  (helicopter kind of views)?  Since the visuals displayed out in the countryside (away from airports) are 3D pictures via photogrammetry, does the  MSFS 2020 3D image including trees/buildings etc. tend to blur/deform when  one  gets very close to the surface of the image.

 

In the video below, starting around 12:15, you can see that up close the building textures are looking very crisp. Hopefully it will look as good as this in all areas of the world.

 

 

 

[chumley]

Not sure about the crispness  but Venice looks remarkably accurate in terms of activity.

[John Heaton]

Just look at the road markings at 15.23 - is it a safe pedestrian crossing - and the lane markings

Clear enough ??

[stiletto2]

W2DR....sorry the pic was meant to be an example of close up objects.  That kind of close to objects experience when not at an airport is quite applicable during floatplane activity in the back country of Alaska when one pulls up to docks, slips, trees on the bank or whatever. 

 

Rimshot....thanks for posting that video.  It answered my question.

 

Rod

[HiFlyer]

If you want to see how things look from close up, it might be instructive to take a look at google earth or the bing equivalent. As a general rule, from a certain distance it looks great. But can quickly fall apart at very short distances.

[Christopher Low]

I would be very, very surprised if the scenery looks as good as that across the entire globe.

[wolfko]

1 hour ago, HiFlyer said:

If you want to see how things look from close up, it might be instructive to take a look at google earth or the bing equivalent. As a general rule, from a certain distance it looks great. But can quickly fall apart at very short distances.

 

12:18 Close enough?

What I'm actually more concerned about is, that buildings and trees sometimes have the same funny looks and shape as thy have in Google Maps/Earth 3D.

 

But let's nit forget this is still alpha and this video is of XBox19, which graphic's are inferior to what an mid/high level PC can provide. So my guess on a PC this will look even better.

[orbmoke]

5 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

I would be very, very surprised if the scenery looks as good as that across the entire globe.

Maybe not at launch, but I suspect that the Microsoft devs will progessively work on the sim so that eventually, the whole world is covered to the same standard as that to which we have been exposed to in recent months.

Could take some years though to get to that stage!

 

[shane280172]

It looks mind blowingly good. Surely this is a gee up?

[Nick Cooper]

11 hours ago, orbmoke said:

Maybe not at launch, but I suspect that the Microsoft devs will progessively work on the sim so that eventually, the whole world is covered to the same standard as that to which we have been exposed to in recent months.

Could take some years though to get to that stage!

 

 

Hello,

just for the record.

As you have no idea what they may or may not do, this must fall into the category of speculation.

[craigeaglefire]

current Bing mapping engine/graphics will give you an idea - as far as global data.

[gibo]

That video above is Remarkable!

 

It does not matter what the critics say for this sim but it will be an automatic purchase for me. I will be lining up at the gate.

 

Much better than tissue covered balsa frame rubber band wind up aeroplanes when I was a Kid.

 

Cheers,

 

gibo

[asustech]

So, after viewing the above video, would or could Orbx replicate that kind of scenery?

[wolfko]

3 minutes ago, FILOU said:

New Update :

 

https://www.flightsimulator.com/

 

 

 

Beautiful!

Thanks for the heads up Filou. Iwill now head over to the Insider Login.

[wolfko]

This was released on the MSFS Insider site yesterday:

"Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass in 2020, and coming to Xbox One at a later date."

[John Heaton]

I am not knowledgeable to understand the specialities of S.D.K. but the blurb on this is the most interesting

part of this - to my way of thinking

200 companies + 400 developers are seemingly involved - which MUST lead to speculation on the DLC side

Surely - we can surely take those comments to include Orbx - Carenado and Just Flight somewhere along the way

The other 3 paragraphs make the release even more interesting - especially the reference to Gaming developers

Notice also earlier - the reference to controllers - I wonder what we will get for X box?? 

[Mawson]

On 5/13/2020 at 5:40 PM, gibo said:

That video above is Remarkable!

 

It does not matter what the critics say for this sim but it will be an automatic purchase for me. I will be lining up at the gate.

 

Much better than tissue covered balsa frame rubber band wind up aeroplanes when I was a Kid.

 

Cheers,

 

gibo

Well as a helicopter and VR user I wish I could say that but to date we have entirely left out  other than a few  cheap words on a wishlist.  Long live Xplane for me at this point.

[patful]

5 hours ago, wolfko said:

This was released on the MSFS Insider site yesterday:

"Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass..."

That would be confirmation that it requires a subscription, $9.99 or possibly $14.99 per month.

[orbmoke]

1 hour ago, patful said:

That would be confirmation that it requires a subscription, $9.99 or possibly $14.99 per month.

$15 a month is a figure that I was thinking about a few months ago. It's more likely to be at the top end of estimates in my view as MS will no doubt be looking to recoup their expenditures to date. However, they need to be careful in pricing the thing. Too much will deter the kids who are looking for a bit of gaming fun. The serious flyer may not mind that sort of monthly fee (some will of course).

[Maurizio Giorgi]

At the end of the year it should come out the new 5th gen Xbox X series, i think it can handle the simulator very well

 

[John Hargreaves]

4 hours ago, Mawson said:

Well as a helicopter and VR user I wish I could say that but to date we have entirely left out  other than a few  cheap words on a wishlist.  Long live Xplane for me at this point.

That's also my area of interest, so my contribution to their development forum has been a little limited unfortunately 

[wolfko]

3 hours ago, patful said:

That would be confirmation that it requires a subscription, $9.99 or possibly $14.99 per month.

 

They currently have a timely limited offer for PC only for $ 1.00/first month and then $ 4.99/month.

[wolfko]

2 hours ago, orbmoke said:

$15 a month is a figure that I was thinking about a few months ago. It's more likely to be at the top end of estimates in my view as MS will no doubt be looking to recoup their expenditures to date. However, they need to be careful in pricing the thing. Too much will deter the kids who are looking for a bit of gaming fun. The serious flyer may not mind that sort of monthly fee (some will of course).

 

$ 15.00 is for XBox and PC. Just for PC is $ 9.99. Thes currently have an offer for $ 4.99 PC only.

[Siggy]

 

8 hours ago, patful said:

13 hours ago, wolfko said:

This was released on the MSFS Insider site yesterday:

"Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass..."

That would be confirmation that it requires a subscription, $9.99 or possibly $14.99 per month.

Strange, I don't see this on the www.flightsimulator.com web site. When I did this Google search:
site:flightsimulator.com "Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass in 2020, and coming to Xbox One at a later date."
It also did not find this. This seems to come from the E3 last year.
That statement also does not say "exclusively with game pass" and Jorg Neumann, the head at MS for MSFS2020, has said before that it can also be bought outright. How they will do it w/o a subscription, who knows. The only thin confirmed seems to be that one option to have access to the "game" is through the game pass.

[wolfko]

28 minutes ago, Siggy said:

 

Strange, I don't see this on the www.flightsimulator.com web site. When I did this Google search:
site:flightsimulator.com "Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass in 2020, and coming to Xbox One at a later date."
It also did not find this. This seems to come from the E3 last year.
That statement also does not say "exclusively with game pass" and Jorg Neumann, the head at MS for MSFS2020, has said before that it can also be bought outright. How they will do it w/o a subscription, who knows. The only thin confirmed seems to be that one option to have access to the "game" is through the game pass.

 

"Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Windows 10 with Xbox Game Pass..."

You will find above in the Q & A section of the Insider Login.

[John Heaton]

11 hours ago, Maurizio Giorgi said:

At the end of the year it should come out the new 5th gen Xbox X series, i think it can handle the simulator very well

 

It's no secret that I have been spruking the X BOX series X  for some time now - especially as the spec is equal or better Than 

and a whole lot less expensive - to what it would cost to build a computer to handle this new sim - and as laid down by MS themselves

$A 5000 - as opposed to $A750 - (which is $A100 more than the last X BOX on release)

I believe the cost of the X box in November will be around $A 750 and the cost of the "Game" around $A 100 ( the price of most new top games)

(the US $ is around 2/3rds the Aussie $)

 

Personally - there is no way I can afford the sort of new computer $s  outlay that will be needed - either PC or X BOX - but there are ways to obtain such

an X BOX  package for a subscription of around $A 28 per month over 2 years - similar to a current offer -  by our major local internet provider -

( and at 85 - that might just be the way I - and some other oldies - might just be going)

 

The current cost of a subscription  "Games Pass" - and I pay it - is $A10/month - for 100 games - (as many as your 1TB box will hold) and the Gold Pass

is $A15 - which gives access to most of the latest games and the 100 as well - and large discounts if you wish to purchase one of any on offer

as well as DLC (recent additions to the 100 are Aces 7 and Redemption 11 both on sale around $A 75/100). The same sub will apply to the PC as well.

 

Reading the latest Info  on SDK and the number of developers and companies  leads one to surmise that life will still be full of addons particularly

airports and aircraft.- and orgs like Steam and others (Orbx) will be the resellers - with the MS shop - for such addons

 

 

[Mawson]

It's all so much speculation and so little  fact with this MSFS 2020  other than MS approved screen shots and Videos and if you are an Alpha tester then you can't add to the fact v speculation. Call me cynical but all this Alpha testing hype and that FOMO of not being an Alpha testing seems to be a bit too much hype for me. I'll leave it to the lollipop test, Ill suck it and see when the time comes but in the meantime I am enjoying Socal TE on X Plane 11 B9 in my rotary wing choice of the day. Its amazing I can follow streets and see the smallest detail like I was flying at 1500 Ft IRL. That's one lollipop I approve of !

[Rimshot]

19 hours ago, patful said:

That would be confirmation that it requires a subscription, $9.99 or possibly $14.99 per month.

 

No it would not. Being able to get the game with an Xbox Game Pass does not mean it won't be available as a single purchase. The team has already stated in an interview you'll be able to buy MSFS as a single purchase, or you get a gamepass which will give you access to all the other games as well.

[patful]

2 hours ago, Rimshot said:

 

No it would not. Being able to get the game with an Xbox Game Pass does not mean it won't be available as a single purchase. The team has already stated in an interview you'll be able to buy MSFS as a single purchase, or you get a gamepass which will give you access to all the other games as well.

I saw the same interview. But he was an Asobo developer, not a Microsoft employee. I could be wrong, and hopefully am, but I don't think he has any input into the pricing.

[orbmoke]

2 hours ago, Rimshot said:

 

No it would not. Being able to get the game with an Xbox Game Pass does not mean it won't be available as a single purchase. The team has already stated in an interview you'll be able to buy MSFS as a single purchase, or you get a gamepass which will give you access to all the other games as well.

A single purchase? Maybe, but if so, I can't see them charging $50 or so that includes 2Pb of scenery. Maybe they will charge per area of scenery as and when you fly into that section, or perhaps offer customers a one off lifetime payment of, say, $500 that gives you free access for evermore to the whole globe. Scenery data of course being accessed from their servers and not downloaded to one's PC.

[pmb]

1 hour ago, patful said:

I saw the same interview. But he was an Asobo developer, not a Microsoft employee. I could be wrong, and hopefully am, but I don't think he has any input into the pricing.

This interview was given by Jörg Neumann, lead of the Asobo MSFS development team, who should know what he says. The original is here

 

https://www.lanacion.com.ar/tecnologia/hablan-creadores-del-flight-simulator-2020-nid2318927

 

and this is an English translation

 

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/572995-msfs-and-xbox-game-pass/page/2/

 

(scroll down halfway). While no one can give a 100% guarantee what will happen upon release given business plans can undergo changes, the present plan obviously is an option to buy MSFS once and use it without a subscription (or alternatively use it within your game pass subscription).

 

Kind regards, Michael

 

 

[Mawson]

23 minutes ago, pmb said:

This interview was given by Jörg Neumann, lead of the Asobo MSFS development team, who should know what he says. The original is here

 

https://www.lanacion.com.ar/tecnologia/hablan-creadores-del-flight-simulator-2020-nid2318927

 

and this is an English translation

 

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/572995-msfs-and-xbox-game-pass/page/2/

 

(scroll down halfway). While no one can give a 100% guarantee what will happen upon release given business plans can undergo changes, the present plan obviously is an option to buy MSFS once and use it without a subscription (or alternatively use it within your game pass subscription).

 

Kind regards, Michael

 

 

It's still all speculation and all the IT companies be it Apple, MS or whomever play this game of planned leaks and misinformation as a way for people to spread the hype for free through channels like this and social media generally.  No-one will really know anything until it is finished and released and all the kids  and adults hooked on the free Alpha will have to pay the ferryman at that point.  I won't play the game.  

[Maurizio Giorgi]

On 5/16/2020 at 6:04 AM, John Heaton said:

It's no secret that I have been spruking the X BOX series X  for some time now - especially as the spec is equal or better Than 

and a whole lot less expensive - to what it would cost to build a computer to handle this new sim - and as laid down by MS themselves

$A 5000 - as opposed to $A750 - (which is $A100 more than the last X BOX on release)

I believe the cost of the X box in November will be around $A 750 and the cost of the "Game" around $A 100 ( the price of most new top games)

(the US $ is around 2/3rds the Aussie $)

 

Personally - there is no way I can afford the sort of new computer $s  outlay that will be needed - either PC or X BOX - but there are ways to obtain such

an X BOX  package for a subscription of around $A 28 per month over 2 years - similar to a current offer -  by our major local internet provider -

( and at 85 - that might just be the way I - and some other oldies - might just be going)

 

The current cost of a subscription  "Games Pass" - and I pay it - is $A10/month - for 100 games - (as many as your 1TB box will hold) and the Gold Pass

is $A15 - which gives access to most of the latest games and the 100 as well - and large discounts if you wish to purchase one of any on offer

as well as DLC (recent additions to the 100 are Aces 7 and Redemption 11 both on sale around $A 75/100). The same sub will apply to the PC as well.

 

Reading the latest Info  on SDK and the number of developers and companies  leads one to surmise that life will still be full of addons particularly

airports and aircraft.- and orgs like Steam and others (Orbx) will be the resellers - with the MS shop - for such addons

 

 

Yes, it's a good option to consider, according to me

[Mawson]

On 5/19/2020 at 12:57 AM, Maurizio Giorgi said:

Yes, it's a good option to consider, according to me

Based on the public roadmap of MSFS 2020 its still a very basic simulator if they don't deliver a high fidelity helicopter , glider and fast jets along with VR ( yes I know some of these items are on a wishlist but my concern is if they are not at least on the beta then it will be years if they are developed post commercial release as they fight to gain traction and kill off the bugs on the released version there will be zero resources to extend the sim) it's not an option for me and many others at any price. Again this is all 100% speculation as no one eve knows whether XBox will be  to optimum spec to run it at max do we?

 

[Maurizio Giorgi]

Well, the new XBox is more powerful than the 97% of pcs registered now on Steam, even if they register also office pcs that are far from a gaming pc. This time the 5th consoles seems to be really enough powerful, with some advantages too, according to me, like the price respect to a pc of the same level (maybe a i9 with a RTX 2080 onboard and with a 1 TB NVMe hard disk).

The other advantage is that you are much more comfortable to play, i ceased to play on the pc since many years, i like more to play games with the consoles, except for the VR experience that for now is negative due to the low resolution and the motion sickness that i suffer, expeciallly with particular games.

 

 

 

[cbcdesign]

Bring on the eye candy I say. For me, the attraction of flight is seeing the world from a different point of view. I see little point in playing with switches and sitting there looking at blue sky and clouds for hours on end, its not as though we get the physical sensations associated with real flight after all.