PMDG 737-X about taking DCS A-10`s sim throne ?

[Stormfly]

PMDG 737-X about taking DCS A-10`s sim throne ?

...check new videos here (over 1h lenght each)

http://vimeo.com/26700490

http://vimeo.com/26693770

[Arclight]

Think I'm in love... this for FS9? FSX?

Ah nvm, FSX it is: http://www.precisionmanuals.com/pages/product/ngx.html

[Skybird]

PMDG's 747 is available for FS9 since years and has now been carried over to FSX.

For FS9, it is usually been seen as one of the three or four most sophisticated packages for FS9, beside the 767 by Level-D, the ATR-72-500 by Flight1, and recently the 737 by iFly.

Knowing all the mntioned titles for FS9 myself, I can only say that it is packages like this that do justice to the claim that Microsoft's software can be used as a simulator indeed. Because what Microsoft delivers in the box by default, is not so much a simulation, but a game. The big advanatge of it is it strictly modular conception. And by exchanging all the modules that come out of the box, and replacing them with more sophisticated modules for cockpit functionality, weather, environment etc etc, you can turn a game into a sim, using FS only as kind of a framework to keep all the new modules linked together and interacting with each other.

The PMDG 747 is plenty of fun, and plenty of studying, especially if these kind of addons are new to you.

This is not to reduce the fame of DCS simulations. Getting A-10 next week, and knowing Black Shark so far, I do not say at all they are any less worthy simulation. In fact Black shark still gives me more prblems to master, than any other flightsim. Those Russian systems simply are not up to my taste, and I am also not used to their handling design philosophy. A problem I already had with the cockpit of Flanker 2.0/2.5. I even struggled when trying (infeiror) moduels for Airbus simulations in FS. I like the way Boeing does system handling simply better. Plus I am used to it. Currently reading the manual (the almanach...?) for A-10, and already feeling more at home within the sim, than I ever would feel in a Russian avionics package. The way systems and their handling are designed just are more familiar to me, from other sims over the past 12 years, including F4, of course.

[Skybird]

Hehehe, it is the 737. However, despite having shot myself in the leg, what I said in principle stays true. Only that the PMDG-737 for FS9 is many years old, and never became a favourite of mine, due to it having several issues that never got resolved. The new iFly 737 is much, much better. However, PMDG has redone the 737 for FSX from scratch, and not just "translated" the old FS9 packge, so the FS9 version in no way should be seen as a hint for the quality of the FSX version now.

FS9 users will not see this new plane, so they are left with the iFly 737 anyway. From the video, the FSX 737 looks like a prime argument to get and try FSX, too. Fantastic.

[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Skybird

... PMDG has redone the 737 for FSX from scratch, and not just "translated" the old FS9 packge, so the FS9 version in no way should be seen as a hint for the quality of the FSX version now.

FS9 users will not see this new plane, so they are left with the iFly 737 anyway. From the video, the FSX 737 looks like a prime argument to get and try FSX, too. Fantastic.

That. Quite impressed with what they showed in the videos. I don't own any paid-for modules for any FS game (and I agree what MS delivers is rather light for a sim), but I've seen and read enough about them to recognise this as something special.

Originally Posted by Skybird

This is not to reduce the fame of DCS simulations.

Mmm lets not even go there. DCS is at some point limited due to the fact some systems are classified and therefore can not be modeled 100% accurately. It sets out for the same goal: to model a given platform in as much detail as possible, but you still end up comparing a combat aircraft to a jetliner. With that restriction in mind, the comparison kinda falls apart imho.

(And yes, The A-10 doesn't give me nearly as much as a headache as the Ka-50. It's a lovely thing, but wrapping your head around it is far from intuitive.)

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by Arclight

(And yes, The A-10 doesn't give me nearly as much as a headache as the Ka-50. It's a lovely thing, but wrapping your head around it is far from intuitive.)

I'll say!

[Skybird]

Nick has done two more videos on the 737.





The two videos Stormfly originally started with, are also available at Youtube.



.

(At Youtube you can quickjump to parts of the movie that have not yet been cached, at Vimeo you cannot do that)

All videos in HD.

[Skybird]

The HUD in action - from the simulation, not reality...!



And one night landing at Brussel. I had to look twice to be sure that it was no real multi million harware cabin simulator!

[Skybird]

Service Pack 1 for 800/900 released. Also: the 737-addon 600/700 released.

Aerosoft marks release of the boxed 800/900 for November 25th (in Germany at least), for 60 Taler.

[Oberon]

My god...that is beautiful. I'm going to have to look into this, I think.

[Skybird]

German Amazon now has the same release date, but 10 Euros less in price. I just pre-ordered.

And here is a 45 minute tutorial in German (!), and with 1080 resolution!, showing a cockpit actiovity from pushback and Frankfurt 'til Landing at Paderborn. Gives a very good impression even if you do not understand German (he just explains what he actually is doing and what it is).

[Skybird]

Tomorrow's the day. My DVD is on it'S way.

[Skybird]

Touch down - the beast has landed. No tanks for me this week.

[Skybird]

First impression

All what the videos and pictures show and say, is true. The looks and visuals are AWESOME, and a benchmark.

The plane needs thorough tweaking and setup, even in the FSX-config. What the pics show cannot be acchieved in quality by a standard installation only, with the config file of FSX remaining untweaked.

For a system like mine, I can acchieve those externally locked 30 fps even on an addon airport of the German Airports series.

Sounds are great.

The installation includes SEVERAL THOUSAND PAGES of manuals. That is a benchmark record, I think.

The system depth simulated is second to none, it seems. They mentioned so many examples illustrating that, that it sounded insane. But it is there.

The DVD installs the so far latest version, SP1b.

While the plane reliably launches when selected in the menu, after finishing a flight the FSX does not correctly shut down, but needs manual shut-down via task manager. Maybe that is just on my system.

I have not yet made a flight, so cannot judge the stability when the whole sim gets under stress. With REX2 clouds, and when following their far-leading recommendations on option setups, frames were, as said, at 30 (locked). Standing at the gate, cold&dark, sent the used RAM indicator to around 3500 MB. I have 8 GB, whether the sim ever uses all that, or stops at 4, is something I am still not certain about.

So until here, i just adress the looks and visuals - and what the many great videos and pics reveal in incredible detail and laser-engraved sharpness (and I can tell from my very own eyes' experience): it really looks that way. It is the best looking sim module I have ever seen in any flight sim version.

The manuals are - intimidating, to put it friendly.

If it now all works reliable and without ctd, then this is a phantastic package, and you are unlikely to ever need any other airliner module after this one, I cannot image how any developer could reach beyond this on a PC. I will see in the coming days regarding reliabilitxy and stability. Unfortunately, FS9 and FSX have hickups with Vista and W7, and x64-OSs. What this means for this great module's fate, I still must find out.

Oberon, I know you asked for an Airbus, but you cannot afford to pass on this one.

[seaniam81]

I've been running the 737NGX since release. It's great. It's the only payware I fly now except A2A and Katana 4X now.