High Hopes For Prepar3d V2 - My Thoughts

[cabnz]

Hello,

 

I just wanted to share a couple of thoughts that I have been thinking about lately.

 

I've got myself into a situation where I don't know what flight sim to use. I have FSX, Prepar3d and X-Plane 10 installed onto my system, which each having there good points and bad points.

 

I've been with Microsoft FS for as long as I can remember and have put alot of money into it (which I don't mind to much as I love flight simming). I have bought all of the ORBX world and absolutely LOVE it, ORBX have re-invented FSX!! My main problem with FSX is the amount of crashes!! I really am getting tired of the crashes. Don't get me wrong - I know these crashes have nothing to do with ORBX, it's just the OLD FSX CODE which is really showing it's age. I can also see that addon developers are really doing wonders with the old code with some amazing addons, ie ORBX.

 

I purchased Prepar3d 1.4 and had high hopes for that but even though I can see some improvement, it still has a long way to go. 

 

I've had X-Plane on my system for some time and updated it whenever a new update was released (64 bit for example) but I never really fired it up - until recently that is!    X-Plane really shows up how old the FSX code is. I haven't had one single crash and I feel it's using of of my hardware, in a good way. I don't have it maxed but it's pretty close and I'm getting some smooth frame rates. The down side? SCENERY! Saying that, there are some pretty good scenery addons just starting to come out both freeware and payware. There is even a couple of airports which are almost - I say almost as good as ORBX (but ORBX is still better) but X-Plane doesn't do whole Countries well.  

 

This brings me on to Prepar3d V2. I really hope that they can pull it off with this version. If they go 64bit and DirectX 11 I think that that will make a huge difference but my only concern is that they are still working with an old code under the hood.  

 

Right now, I wish ORBX did there scenery for X-Plane too but I've read on here somewhere that that wont be done due to FSX/Prepar3d being DirectX and X-Plane being OpenGL and the time converting would be to costly, which I totally understand.

 

At the moment, I've gone back to using FSX over Prepar3d and using ORBX land which can't be beaten but I have to say, I am enjoyong X-Plane 10 knowing that it's not going to crash on me.

 

If you have read this, then thank you very much. I wouldn't mind knowing if anyone else is having these thoughts?

 

And don't worry ORBX, I love your work and will be hanging around with you guys for a long time yet

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[anfield ace]

Hi, Craig,

I'm with you on this one, I've tried P3D ver 1.3, was not impressed, downloaded ver 1.4 not installed yet, bought X.PLANE 10, tried that for a while, uninstalled after a couple of months, just couldn't take to it, not tried 64 bit ver yet!

I've used Microsoft flight sims from ver 1, been using FSX for 3 years since upgrading my PC. Like you I have all of Orbx sceneries and airports and they make FSX into a different world, even with all the problems with FSX in my opinion, no other flight sim compares to it!

I know there are lots of problems with an old program and new ad dons, I've been lucky I haven't had many CTDs, just low FPS sometimes, nothing an I7 upgrade wouldn't harm!

Until someone comes up with an alternative I think FSX will be hard to beat, especially when Orbx World is released!

Just my thoughts,

Mal...

[cabnz]

Hi Mal,

 

Thank you for your thoughts - and yes you're right, FSX and ORBX is hard to beat

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[Düsselwings]

Hi,

absolute d'accord with both of you, Mal and Craig!

And with FSX it seems to be the same, if there would exist just a Ford T model as base for all the car development... Old code and Win8 has Alzheimers disease with joysticks... So bad...

But nevertheless it's for me the only Sim, I use without stopping to buy Addons, mostly ORBX. I tried X-plane 9 and now 10.2 and I run it on a 27" iMac. Nice but I miss my loved Walter Suttons private Strip and all the other Goodies from ORBX. Sure, there are very nice sceneries somewhere, but... The other thing is, that I like to fly in Multiplayer (Msflights.net) and its not possible (right now).

Prepar3d, ok... I thought, it's a real step forward, but it isn't really right now. Perhaps one of the next builds? Let's see.

Outerra would be a nice platform to make a nice Sim, but they are just in the beginning...

MsFlight has a nice engine, but it's dead.

There could be a pilots paradise, if there would be a Sim-God, who would take the best of every single Sim, add the best Addons to it, put it all together. *dream*

So let's fly and see...

Stephan (you can keep all the mistakes I made in englisch ;-))

Gesendet vom Handy....

[Andrew 737]

Hi Craig

For me FSX is rock solid and stable during flights if I *DONT* adopt a one size fits all attitude.

If you follow the link below you will find a post by Chic - IMHO that post sums up running FSX with stability in mind, perfectly

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/58511-improving-fps/

I too have high hopes for Prepar3d v2.0 and even though I have invested 'heavily' in FSX add-ons I am willing to do the same again with an updated simulator should progress prevent backwards compatibility. We will have to wait and see.

[cabnz]

Hi, absolute d'accord with both of you, Mal and Craig! And with FSX it seems to be the same, if there would exist just a Ford T model as base for all the car development... Old code and Win8 has Alzheimers disease with joysticks... So bad... But nevertheless it's for me the only Sim, I use without stopping to buy Addons, mostly ORBX. I tried X-plane 9 and now 10.2 and I run it on a 27" iMac. Nice but I miss my loved Walter Suttons private Strip and all the other Goodies from ORBX. Sure, there are very nice sceneries somewhere, but... The other thing is, that I like to fly in Multiplayer (Msflights.net) and its not possible (right now). Prepar3d, ok... I thought, it's a real step forward, but it isn't really right now. Perhaps one of the next builds? Let's see. Outerra would be a nice platform to make a nice Sim, but they are just in the beginning... MsFlight has a nice engine, but it's dead. There could be a pilots paradise, if there would be a Sim-God, who would take the best of every single Sim, add the best Addons to it, put it all together. *dream* So let's fly and see... Stephan (you can keep all the mistakes I made in englisch ;-)) Gesendet vom Handy....

Thank you for your thoughts

Hi Craig

For me FSX is rock solid and stable during flights if I *DONT* adopt a one size fits all attitude.

If you follow the link below you will find a post by Chic - IMHO that post sums up running FSX with stability in mind, perfectly

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/58511-improving-fps/

I too have high hopes for Prepar3d v2.0 and even though I have invested 'heavily' in FSX add-ons I am willing to do the same again with an updated simulator should progress prevent backwards compatibility. We will have to wait and see.

Thank you and thank you for the link

[JimmiG]

I gave up on FSX because of the constant CTD's and micro-stutters. Prepar3D has been working great for me considering my modest computer specs.

 

I think Prepar3D 2.0 is going to be turning point with its rewritten rendering engine. This is something that was overdue even when FSX came out. It's essentially the FS9 engine (which in itself is heavily based on FS2002 which shares much code with FS2000), with lots of extra stuff bolted on as an afterthought, including multi-core support. I'm just worried that it will break compatibility with too many existing FSX addons or complicate the licensing agreement further. If everything works out, P3D 2.0 could be the sim to get.