This post will be a very unusual one for me as I usually do not involve myself with posting unless it directly affects my work.

This may be quite a bit longer than some other posts but lately I have felt an ever growing need to express my feelings on the subject of FSX.

Every time that a new version of any graphics intensive software is released there is an almost immediate need to upgrade hardware yet on these forums it’s as though this came as a complete shock and in some cases seems to be treated like a personal insult..

It’s hard for me to believe that anyone thought that they could simply install this sim without upgrading? It was apparent from the first public beta that this sim would require a change in hardware.

I run an AMD 6000+ on an EVGA 590 SLI MoBo. Was it expensive? No. Is it top of the line? No. Does it fly FSX beautifully with sliders set very high and 100% AI traffic (WoAI and Ultimate GA) and absolutely no tweaks in the .cfg? You bet it does.

I have 2 GBs of memory with a 7950GT card does that stop me? No. Do I have a problem with blurries? Not particularly. Do I wish that I had an 8800GTS 640? Sure but I can’t afford it and that’s no big deal either.

I don’t use Vista because I don’t think it adds anything to the experience of flying FSX. Do I think that when DX-10 is released I might change my mind? Maybe, but not because of the hype about DX-10 but because I’m in the computer business and feel the need to “keep up”

I love FSX it is the best simulator I have ever flown and I’ve flown them all! It is my heartfelt belief that this community has been blind-sided by misinformation and mythology that in short is destroying the sim and the add-on market.

But I cannot any longer just sit and watch this sim get constantly torn apart and not because I am connected to or in any way receive support from Aces.

I and the people I fly with use multiplayer to travel all over the world and we have a great time. True some places are less detailed than others and it makes you wonder why but others are breathtaking with clouds turned up all the way and real world weather

I use add-ons like UTX, SceneryTech. Cloud9, FsGenesis, UKVFR and many photoreal sceneries like Megascenery So Cal (I live in So Cal) and I love them all. They enhance an already beautiful simulator and have little or no effect on performance.

Those products that don’t work in multi-player I reject so I don’t use Level-D and I won’t use PMDG if it doesn’t work, or any others but I do use The Super MD-80 and many others and find them to be some of the best planes I have ever encountered because they function perfectly in both single and multi-player modes and are both a challenge and a joy to fly.

I look forward to FEX and other add-ons and applaud all those companies who in the face of ever increasing non-productive negativity have brought us great add-ons.

And no, this is neither an endorsement for these products or an indictment but a simple statement of truth based on testing and real life.

So to sum this all up and accommodate those that haven’t the patience to read the whole post I’ll simply state the following:.

FSX is the best simulator I have ever flown. Multi-player through sim-connect is a fantastic concept which has given me hours of enjoyment and a new appreciation of the intricacies of flight far beyond Fs9.

There now I’ve said it. Do I feel better? No because there is more to be said.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and please remember that this commentary is in no way a solicitation for any company or service.

and let the fun begin.

Michael Greenblatt


   

Interesting words Ramsa - things seem to have calmed down now though with SP1 and more and more people are quietly 'moving up'. The main reason for not getting FSX for me these days is not fear of upgrading (I reckon my hardware should run it okay  with SP1) is simply that FS9 is 'good enough already' with all my add-ons. Not playing mulitplayer, and being mainly screenshot focused, I hadn't seen any REALLY compelling reason to move up, tweak stuff all over again, start buying new versions of GE, Active Sky, put up with the absence of walk and follow, transfer every plane and see if it works or not etc..... and I'm sure there are  a lot of people like me who can't see the point... I'm sure once I have it I won't be able to manage without it, but when I'm perfectly happy with what I've got why bother to make such an effort to attain what will quickly become the same level of satisfaction once the novelty dies off.....

...but things have been building up in favour of FSX recently and reached tipping point for me -  Active Sky X looks amazing, especially that sun!!, great new mesh, Tile Proxy for FSX looks great fun to play with, and most importantly for me VOZ Pro's just round the corner. More stuff like this means more great screenies and positive feedback from new users surprised that it doesn't run too bad.... and there will be a slow snowball effect. FSX will begin doing well very soon, I reckon... it's just building slowly, while FS9 is still receiving the interest and support it deserves.

Which is nice to see....because FS9 isn't going in the dustbin immediately both payware producers (who can still use existing techniques/products) and less well-off users are benifiting, which is a good thing. And FSX will slowly evolve having that nice long shelf life that MS like to say they want   - like they don't want people to upgrade instinctively and buy their next-gen products  

The only people who are NOT benifiting from FSX's slow growth, aside from MS themselves, are the people who had, back in 06 early 07, the cash and/or motivation to upgrade to FSX well ahead of the masses..... threw lots of cash at it to get their jollies quick.... and then had to wait for everyone else to catch up...   I'm not surprised you're disgruntled mate...

Cheers

Krigl - one of the poor guys whose been holding the wealthy guys back  
- but soon to join the FSX 'club' 

ramsa I totally agree with everything you said, and you said it well!