Simviation Forum - Best FS9 Payware or Freeware Add-ons

Jul 16^th, 2009 at 5:46pm

stevehookem Offline
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I saw the FAQ. However, most of those add-ons are so old now. Anything newer that is a "must-have"

I want the best scenery for the WORLD! haha, also the best weather and water. I love REX for FSX, is the FS9 free version the best to get?

What about the planes? We use Level-D 767, Captain Sim 757 and PMDG 747 for FSX. I'm sure that they all have FS9 versions. Any other commercial airliner that is a stand-out for FS9?

I want my FS9 to get as close to FSX as possible. I'm hoping that I will finally get a sim that looks good AND flies smoothly all the time. FSX has just made me mad for the last time. I'll try this now....

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Reply #1 - Jul 16^th, 2009 at 6:38pm

SeanTK Ex Member

I'll get to the addons in a minute, but I am surprised that you are not getting great performance with FSX. My system is no where near your specs and I can have my settings on high and it performs almost flawlessly. Try reading through the various optimization threads we have here at SimV.

Anyway, back to the FS9 world, I would recommend the following for commercial liners:

-Project Tupolev Tu-154M (Possibly the most complex freeware airliner sim out there. Used in association with the real Tupolev company as training material.)
http://fs-proteam.com/products.html?op=one&id=16&pw_patt=catalog

-David Maltby's BAC 1-11 along with his Hawker Siddeley Trident and de Havilland Comet jetliners. Not as systems in depth, but still excellent quality, and free.
http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/

-SCS Tu-134 Another in depth Russian contender with an excellent and detailed exterior model and 2D panel systems. Unfortunately, no VC. Current version is 1.2. Freeware.
http://scs.avsim.su/tu134.html

Remember, just because something is free does not make it inferior to payware offerings. I think these addons prove that point.

More to the list when I think of them.

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Reply #2 - Jul 16^th, 2009 at 6:56pm

stevehookem Offline
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I was getting good performance with it--when it runs. I'm tired of things changing for no reason. I can lock my FPS at 30 and get that. However, the airport add-ons still drag.

We fly commercial airliners 95% of the time and have a home cockpit. My objective is to get to fly in and out of these big airports in heavies and not have to worry about it stuttering and micro stuttering, etc, etc. It's a constant tweaking nightmare!

I'm hoping that my new, fast system will allow us to just FLY more! I'm not interested in the computer side. I want to get into the 767 in Toronto and fly to Paris. And the next time I go to fly, it will do the same. With FSX, I have to mess with it all the time.

I may end up going back if I can't get all the Mega-Airports, planes and scenery that I want. My son (this is his cockpit really) loves to explore the airports and his flights are just as much about making flightplans, going through the checklists in FS2Crew and then departing. He'll duplicate actual routes in the same planes that fly that route.

We have almost all the "mega-airports", all from FS DreamTeam, FlyTampa, Cloud 9 and ImagineSim. He uses FS2Crew, FDC Live Cockpit, Level-D 767, PMDG 747, Wilco Airbus and E-Jets, Captain Sim 757, Super80, AeroCommander, and Carendo 182 RG.

He uses Ultimate Terrain X worldwide and SceneryTech. For weather he uses REX which is fantastic!

If I can replicate this, get ultra smooth flight with great detail and less fuss, I'll stay with it. Many of the screenshots of FS9 look BETTER than FSX because you can turn stuff up so much. In FSX, the "popping in" of scenery is not realistic to me. I understand that FS9 does that much less.

Thoughts?

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Reply #3 - Jul 16^th, 2009 at 7:07pm

SeanTK Ex Member

I would say that in your case, since you are pretty much using the sim ONLY with large commercial aircraft, that FS9 would be the better choice.
Those addons I linked to are optimized for FS2004, and together with those highly detailed airports, should make a very realistic and great combination while preserving smooth performance.
I know that FSDreamteam and FlyTampa has FS2004 and FSX versions of I believe all or almost all of their products, and the aircraft addons that you have chosen seem to have versions for both as well, so it seems that you are in good shape in that regard.

The following site has been immensely slow for the past few days, but that may improve in the coming days or weeks. Anyway, this is a directory of all FS2004 freeware airports released thus far. Unfortunately, an abundance of links are to Avsim, which is still suffering from a reported hack of their file library. A Google search for an airport that you see on the list with an Avsim link may yield alternative download links.
http://walhalla.mine.nu/fs2004.php

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Reply #4 - Jul 16^th, 2009 at 7:13pm

Romflyer Offline
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If your used to flying levelD or PMDG then your best bet would be to acquire their FS9 versions.....I'm not familiar with the russian birds that Seantk has suggested but I certainly agree with his recommendation about David Maltby's stuff, the only freeware plane that I know of that has similar complexities (FMC) to what you are getting with your payware heavies is the Ifly747, my favourite freeware heavy these days is the Simmers Sky MD-11, both of these planes are available here at Simv for free Wink

weather.................Active sky
global textures.......VOZ
water....................I use Vilks Vater (which is hard to find, but its nice) check the one out on this page http://www.simviation.com/simviation/?type=item&ID=85&page=13 ....looks good in the picture Roll Eyes

Hope that helps
Rom

Edit;
check out Fozzers suggestions in this thread http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1247736005

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Reply #5 - Jul 17^th, 2009 at 4:41pm

stevehookem Offline
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Is VOZ just for Australia? Can you give me a link the the Global Textures?

I was also told to use Ground Environment Pro from Flight1. How do they compare if I also have Real Environment Pro installed?

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Reply #6 - Jul 17^th, 2009 at 5:56pm

SubZer0 Offline
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Steve, for the water, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check out this thread: http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1227579094

In my (and many others') view, it is the BEST water one can get for FS9. It's a combination of many water packages all built into one awesome package. Made by Holger Sandmann... so you know it has to be good Wink

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Reply #7 - Jul 17^th, 2009 at 10:43pm

Romflyer Offline
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Voz can be used globally http://www.vistaoz.org/media.html I have ground environment pro and it's great........but I would recommend trying voz first, from pictures I've seen you'll probably be happy to stay with it Cool

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Reply #8 - Jul 18^th, 2009 at 8:01am

ShaneG Offline
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The water Subzero just mentioned can no longer be obtained because of someone's Library still being down. Roll Eyes

( a couple critical components were only there Angry

)

However, if you want, I can send you the assembled package.

Also, if you're a big fan of REX, and don't mind waiting, they have a FS9 version on the way, and I'm NOT talking about REP.

The FS9 version looks JUST like the FSX version. Water & all. Shocked

If not that for your Sky, then get FS Skyworld for your clouds. Freeware, and NOTHING else free beats it.

For the ground, Only two choices here:

-Freeware: Get VOZ, no quesions.

-Payware: Get GEP.

For mesh, It takes a while if you want all of it, but the SRTM mesh here at Simviation is top notch, and free! Cool

♪♫♪‼

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Reply #9 - Jul 18^th, 2009 at 8:43am

stevehookem Offline
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ShaneG wrote on Jul 18^th, 2009 at 8:01am:

The water Subzero just mentioned can no longer be obtained because of someone's Library still being down. Roll Eyes

( a couple critical components were only there Angry

)

However, if you want, I can send you the assembled package.

Also, if you're a big fan of REX, and don't mind waiting, they have a FS9 version on the way, and I'm NOT talking about REP.

The FS9 version looks JUST like the FSX version. Water & all. Shocked

If not that for your Sky, then get FS Skyworld for your clouds. Freeware, and NOTHING else free beats it.

For the ground, Only two choices here:

-Freeware: Get VOZ, no quesions.

-Payware: Get GEP.

For mesh, It takes a while if you want all of it, but the SRTM mesh here at Simviation is top notch, and free! Cool

yes, please send me the assembled water package! Thanks!

How do you implement the mesh and ground textures in FS9. If I use GEP, will it work with the SRIM mesh?

We love REX. I heard they had an FS9 version coming but I didn't know if that was just a rumor. If it does, do I then remove the water package you are sending? That would be a duplicate, right?

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Reply #10 - Jul 18^th, 2009 at 9:03am

ShaneG Offline
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I feel my FS9 set up is about as close to looking like FSX as I can get it in my present state of willingness to spend money on it Wink

.

I've posted screenshots before, and had long time fliers think it was FSX, so that's what I base my claim on.

-I use GEP, and I let it run the full 23 hours to make all of it's texture sets. Shocked

(Faster PC's will do this quicker I'm sure)

-I also use the complete SRTM mesh from here, I put ALL of it in my Addon Scenery/Scenery folder like it said too, and it made an EXTREME difference in the landscape.
Changing the Vertex level to 21 in the FS9.cfg is needed with this mesh for the most dramatic difference.

-The water I'm sending will be replaced/overwritten when you upgrade to REX for FS9, or ANY other environment upgrade that affects the water.

Do the water install AFTER GEP or VOZ, otherwise it will be overwritten, VOZ isn't as harmful as it backs up your texture folder for you before it installs itself. And puts it back when you unVOZ. Cool

To see screen shots of the REX for FS9, go to their forum & register ( you can't see the shots unless you're a member Roll Eyes

) It'll be worth what they charge. Wink

♪♫♪‼

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