Microsoft Flight

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by joea

So long MSFS 1998-2000-2002 (my versions) hello Xplane.

I wonder if it's worth it to get FSX or 2004 now?

Yes - for only the PMDG 737NGX alone (FSX). Beside that I still maintain a fully modded FS9 installation as well, since I have so plenty of scenery for it.

But the PMDG737, if you are into complex things. It is incredible, awesome, unbelievable, what they acchieved with that one.


I read some comment some days ago that PMDG indeed works on something for X-Plane. But it did not say which title, they have several ones. But that also means: it could be the 737NGX.

It'S a shame that FS9 and FSX, especially the latter, were planned by a blokehead not seeing what was coming in those years already regarding multi-CPU-cores, and that they always made the same mistake - to rely heavily on the CPU and ignoring the graphics board. Just now the hardware for FSX, to run it on full settings, has come out, but the sim cannot fully use it (gfx boards, multi-cores). Also, memory limitations for FS9 are a handicap.

But so be it: PMDG 737NGX. That is the one title after which you will not touch any other airliner again. I do not claim that I have mastered it, but I love it. It is brilliant and the most realistic and most complex, indepth system-simulation I ever have used.

[Skybird]

SimHQ's final review is up. Not really friendly.

http://www.simhq.com/_air14/air_518a.html

Conclusion:

So Flight is here. The good news is the base module is free, so there is no excuse not to try it out. The pay content is OK, but not stellar. In fact, I’ve decided that I probably won’t buy the announced Alaska DLC if it is more of the same type of content. After spending a significant amount of time with Flight I just don’t feel that compelled to pursue any more achievements or challenges — they just don’t feel like achievements or challenges. The game is too simple, too dull, and too lifeless. I try to be optimistic and think of Flight as a base module from which great things may spring. The environments are beautiful, the framerate performance fantastic, and the feeling of flight is quite good. They can go in either of two ways (or both) in my opinion. They can make it a better game by making the missions harder, more diverse, and more populated with interesting things. Or, they can make it a better simulation by making the missions harder, more diverse, and more populated with interesting things. (See what I did there?) As it stands, Flight will not attract and keep non-flight sim fans. They will try it, get bored, and lump every other simulator in with Flight as dull as watching paint dry. That does damage to our genre at the expense of a one-shot expenditure on Flight. Meanwhile, flight sim enthusiasts will shy away because for $35 I feel like I didn’t get enough value out of my money, and I’d be gun shy about purchasing more DLC that will leave me disappointed. Flight knew that it was taking a different path with this release. In their attempt to appeal to the masses, they actually are appealing to no one.

[hawk2495]

All I can say is, ouch, burn....

[GSpector]

I hope Micro$oft does not plan to sell each State as a DLC.

The problem when you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

Is anyone surprised that this came from the company that has been trying to force the PC group over to the X-Box.

[GSpector]

I still plan to keep flying FSX.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by GSpector

I hope Micro$oft does not plan to sell each State as a DLC.

Nope, that would require M$ to either put in some more work or let third-party applications play with Flight - can't see it happening.

Originally Posted by GSpector

I still plan to keep flying FSX.

I hear you brother, I hear you

[longam]

Loaded it up just to see.

Mission based , points rewarding.
Can almost fly in 3rd party view if you want.
Doesn't take long until you run into the LIVE wall and have to subscribe (pay) to continue.
Boring as hell.

Uninstalling....

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by longam

Uninstalling....

I took the beta off the other day, forgot it was there. At least you didn't have to pay for the pleasure of being bored!

[oscar19681]

For the competition microsoft has created the perfect software .because microsoft flight will drive all fsx,s and fs9 fans right into there competitions arms. Way to go microsoft !! you just ruined you own flightsim community and genre for an arcadish kiddie game which does not even deserve the name flight . But hey i guess the profits will be just as exiting as microsoft flight!

[Skybird]

No surprise, this is the end of this ugly story:

http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...php?p=31948901

MS sends Flight flying through the window.

No loss there, I'd say. The future speaks X-Plane and Prepar3d, with FSX still doing very good. MS has alienated so many members of the flight sim community by this want-a-bigger-piece-of-the-flightsim-money-pie-stunt that I would be surprised to hear of them again soon. This was needless, idiotic and doomed to fail from all beginning on.

First they ruined the FS franchise, now they stall with Flight. RIP.

[Herr-Berbunch]

I don't know what to say! Part of me thinks 'yay, we've been proven right, it was an unworkable model', the other have thinks that 'with a little bit more than half'arsedness and lame they'd have done a bit better'.

They should turn back to FSX and optimize that for modern systems, how to please millions in one go. It'll never happen, even though LM are proving it can be done.

[flatsixes]

I never played the new MS Flight Simulator, so I can't speak to it's worth. But I've been flying sims for a while now, and hate to see such high-profile failures in the genre. I mean, someday I am going to look for something beyond my trusty (but well worn) Il-2, RoF, and FS-X, and I'd like to have something to put a twinkle in my eye. (I've heard a lot about X-Plane, but my rig is still too weak to support it. Anybody want to buy a teenager or two?)

[Oberon]

Well, that's the end of the MS Flight sim for another decade. A bit of a shame, but inevitable really. That's what happens when you try to make a Flight sim after shutting down the studio that made the last successful one IIRC.
A shame, but FSX is still quite a capable engine and with the likes of PMDG and Accusim it's still got life in it. Then there's X-Plane which I suspect will expand to fill the next-gen global Flight simulator gap, so it's not all doom and gloom. Hopefully MS will learn their lessons from this debacle so that when they return to the Flight sim market they'll do it right...and yes, hopefully they'll also put in a prototypical flying pig with a proper flight model...

[GSpector]

Well, I'm not surprised but I do feel bad for all those that downloaded it and spent money to expand it with the hopes of getting their area or landmarks they wanted. I just see it now as a complete waste of money.

I'll admit it, I downloaded it but I never installed it. I was never impressed with it but I too was waiting to see what the expansions had. I heard aboule the full Hawaii bundle as well as Alaska (never new if the latter was released). I live in Colorado and wondered just how long it would take. I guess I can stop waiting now.

[Skybird]

Flight based on a completely flawed assessement from all beginning on. FSX offers much more in the default package already, and sees users investing heavily into additional planes, scenery, airports. MS wanted to get a bite of that pie, by overpriced minibits of pieces that lacked the quality of dedicated FS9- and FSX- developers. Even regarding content, the default FSX offers more than Flight would have within the forseeable number of years - just that Flight would have turned out to be hilariously expensive by following that model through. And they really expected that any serious FS hobby pilot would abandon his hundreds of dollars-heavy modded FS-installation for - for this...?

Honestly, I think it was a greedy but incompetent fool who bred this idea, and he did not know anything about how the FS/Prepar3d market functions and about the FS community's interests and motivations. And X-plane probably was just a rumour he heared about, but did not believe that it would ever become reality.

Many developers for the first time ever have started to create content for X-Plane, btw. After these many years and many versions, it now seems to experience the real liftoff.