Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 to be released Aug 18 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 07:25:28 am
content: Looks awesome.Flight sims have come along way since the subLOGIC one on the C64, that's fer sure.Release date: 18/8/2020Prices:Standard: $59.99Deluxe: $89.99Premium deluxe: $119.99

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 12:53:48 pm
content: So, is that the "real" Microsoft flight simulator? - I used to enjoy playing with the older versions and never understood why they dropped it...

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 04:26:02 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on July 14, 2020, 12:53:48 pmYes it is.I still have FS X, which was the latest version. Already pretty good, still works fine. Back when it was first released, people were not able to use it to its full potential though, as it was very GPU and CPU intensive compared to the kind of computers we had back then. A few years later, it became great to use (to me it started to be great to use with a Core i7 and a decent Nvidia GPU.)They decided to stop FS a few years back, and sold software licenses to Lockheed, which released Prepar3D:https://www.prepar3d.com/it was more or less an evolution of FS X. Still exists and maintained, but more aimed at pro users (and education), as the licenses state.Meanwhile, MS released MS Flight, a game that was definitely just a game and nothing close to FS. It was probably using some components from FS though. Why they decided to drop FS, I don't know. It was probably not profitable anymore.Why they decided to start again, I don't know either for sure. But FS 2020 definitely looks like what FS X should have become, so that's pretty cool.Note: this video is a lot of talk and very little screenshots/actual videos from the software. If you want to take a good look at FS2020 (beta versions), you'll find a handful of them on Youtube. Looks fantastic for the most part.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 04:33:00 pm
content: Theres a much cheaper alternativehttps://www.flightgear.org/

author: Domagoj T
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 07:11:47 pm
content: Looks nice, but I have to say that the list of available planes and airports is rather sparse.That's what DLCs are for, I suppose. $10 for a new plane and $15 for an airport? Remains to be seen, but preliminary evaluation:

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 09:52:21 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on July 14, 2020, 04:33:00 pmIt's the only alternative for me.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 11:12:32 pm
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on July 14, 2020, 09:52:21 pmI might splurge on this one. I haven't bought a "game" application in 10 years or more, LOL!

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 01:45:15 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on July 14, 2020, 11:12:32 pmThe software area on the shelves above me: FSim 2004, FSim 2000, Doom2That's it.edit: one of those three ^ isn't like the other two.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 02:01:56 am
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on July 15, 2020, 01:45:15 amI recall getting in trouble with my wife, for having a 5 year old child sitting on my lap helping to play Doom (he manned the gun, I steered the avatar)!I tried to call it "educational", but she wasn't buying it.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 02:16:01 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on July 14, 2020, 04:33:00 pmAs nice as flightgear is, and obviously it's much cheaper as it's open source, you can't compare it to FS IMHO, and especially FS 2020, which is miles ahead in terms of graphics and realism.For those who didn't know flightgear yet, sure, give it a shot. But if you have used FS before, you'll see what I mean.Actually, I think FS has been one of the best software products MS has ever produced.A closer alternative is X-Plane IMO.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 02:25:23 pm
content: I'm looking forward to this... haven't used a Flight Sim for quite a while.In the meantime... checkout...https://www.youtube.com/user/NTMApilot

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 05:44:25 pm
content: FSX is still around, though it's still active servers seems to be an absolute shitshow (basically GTA with planes). Don't expect realism, just a bunch of noobs or pros that faf around anyway.https://m.youtube.com/user/Airforceproud95

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 05:49:21 pm
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on July 16, 2020, 02:16:01 pmAgree... One of the reasons they are getting back into it is probably to get "brownie points" for having at least one product that is indisputably awesome!Microsoft hardware is often rather good and durable as well, e.g. web cams, mice, etc.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 08:35:05 pm
content: Neat thing about MS FS - a number of years ago, there was a farm down the hill from where I lived that the people had a light plane (only ever caught quick glances once in a while - A Cessna 152 I think). They had a grass field alongside the barn they stored the plane in. There is/was some sort of FAA rule int he US that if the field could support landings, it had to be listed on charts - my best friend has a pilot's license and explained it all to me once. And whatever version of Flight Simulator I was playing at the time - had this property in it! I could take off from the local commercial airport, and fly to effectively my neighbor's place. That always impressed me - not only were all the big cities and known landmarks in the game, but even these little private fields were included as well. That's pretty comprehensive.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 01:38:45 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on July 16, 2020, 05:49:21 pmThis is the only piece of mickey softwarez I would consider buying. One thing bothers me, I see this as a further move to their software as a subscription model. Nothing Microsoft does is fully benign in intent.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 02:26:01 am
content: It's not subscription software... is it???

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 12:44:59 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on July 17, 2020, 02:26:01 amThe data base of geography is on their servers. You need a net connection as far as I know. I think you can download a region and run local for now. Once you are addicted then I bet they will enrol users into a subscription. Just like any drug pusher the first hit is free. It has been a stated goal of Microsoft to go to subscription model for all products for a long time now. like 2 decades in the making.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 03:33:10 am
content: Of course, you could just get this..

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 01:31:57 pm
content: Looks pretty good. As for the MS flight simulator if they had a mode where you can crash planes with a load of people on board and you could view the aftermath with dead bodies etc, that would sell very well (like Grand Theft Auto). Not saying it is wholesome, but it would sell well.I toured the air traffic control simulator room in Toulouse because my son-in-law worked there. About 130 extreme performance graphics PC's running in parallel and a 360 degree view of being in the air traffic control room of any airport. The detail was so good, you could see the fuselage rivets on aeroplanes. Awesome. That facility attracts students from all over the world. It is so big, they have a bowling alley, a supermarket and restaurants on campus.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 03:50:53 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on July 17, 2020, 02:26:01 amIt doesn't look like it, and the pricing for the different versions is still similar to what it was with FS X. It's probably not going to require any subscription to use it as it is sold. BUT if they add any extra service or content later on, then we don't know, but it's likely not to be free. Whether it will be subscription-based or just add-ons you must buy, I don't know.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 03:59:13 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on July 19, 2020, 01:31:57 pmSorry, but I think that would be pretty twisted, especially as it is sold as a "simulator", not merely as a "game" with planes. I'm sure the general opinion would find this unacceptable, and it would be likely to be banned in a number of countries anyway (including the US), as it could be seen as a tool for training terrorists or something. Are you sure you thought that through?

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 02:28:00 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on July 19, 2020, 01:31:57 pmWhy not include a "Mile High Club" sequence in the simulator, that would probably increase sales even more!QuoteIt is really difficult to qualify to work as an ATC. They test you pretty hard...

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 11:25:40 am
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on July 19, 2020, 03:59:13 pmEver seen Grand Theft Auto? GTA is popular in Australia - people download it and you cannot stop them. But we don't see terrorists addicted to GTA mowing pedestrians down in Australia. The Saudi Arabian terrorists used real flight lessons, books and their religious stupidity to commit their atrocities on September 11, 2001. I personally don't like violent games, find them boring and rather repulsive and to be fair many deserved to be banned. If MS provided realistic plane crash scenes, they would sell more; thus making Microsoft's shareholders more money.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games.I have used earlier MS Flight Simulators (I bought one once) and I found it to be boring. But a friend said this one could be a game changer - if you have a powerful GPU.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 11:42:51 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on July 21, 2020, 11:25:40 amI can tell you that, sim choice aside, if you populate it with nice, well-chosen human interface hardware, the flying experience can be profound. And time. What you put in is what you get back. Just like flight school. And it's easy for me to say cos I get to devote a fortnight every half decade to a orgasmic flight sim experience. And such, I consider myself an expert.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 02:43:27 pm
content: Not to add to the IMO thread derailing, but again GTA is a *game*, not a simulator. Besides, a game flagged with offensive/violent content IIRC, which excludes a range of users. And violence is an integral part of the gameplay.A *simulator* is another thing entirely. "Simulating" human death is again pretty twisted IMO. If you can't see the difference with a "game", that's your problem. GTA is definitely NOT a simulator. There is nothing really accurate in it relative to how things are represented. A completely different goal. Whereas in games like GTA, violence is part of what can make you progress in the game (but is not meant to be accurately depicted either - it's not the point IMO), in a general purpose flight simulator, it would be totally gratuitous.Beyond a questionable goal, contrary to what you seem to say, and as I mentioned, FS is marketed as a SIMULATOR, not as a plain game. They wouldn't sell more of it adding human death - people interested in flight sim are usually not interested in that, except probably if they are a bit twisted, which I like to think would be a small minority.AFAIR, MS never even added material damage simulation after a crash - you can crash a plane, but won't really see how it ends up. Given how old FS is now, I'm pretty sure this has always been a deliberate choice.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2020, 03:29:53 pm
content: LGR: Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0 - 31 Years Later!

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2020, 09:50:33 pm
content: I could see some pre-loaded scenarios with actual crashes being a kind of challenge... the test is, can you avoid the crash - even knowing in advance something is about to go wrong?

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2020, 01:32:39 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on August 14, 2020, 09:50:33 pmThis is what I think about just before I leave the house.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2020, 11:03:55 am
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on August 15, 2020, 01:32:39 amSounds like you are a professional - thinking about what can go wrong, rather than what is going right!

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 11:35:39 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on August 15, 2020, 11:03:55 am

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2020, 01:03:56 am
content: Two reviews:

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2020, 02:39:27 am
content: Another real pilot plays it:Note the jet doing insane stunts starting at the 33 minute mark - is that an AI or another player?

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2020, 01:18:02 pm
content: My 'missus' actually wants me to get back to my Sim Hardware/Software while I still can! (Been busy on her needs/projects).I have all (most!) of the Hardware, including yokes, throttles, pedals, displays, radio stacks etc etc. The 'difference' for me, isthat I don't just 'fly' as a game, but use all the relevant maps, comms, beacons, nav, radio equipment etc, to make it realistic!I tend to stay with the 'basic' Cessna's, and have handled a few 'real' planes years ago. Years back, a family member who isa professional pilot, took me up again, handing over the controls. He quizzed me on my Map/Nav/Radio/Beacons knowledge,and then allowed me to do everything, to get back to the Country airport for the last hour, and then insisted that I land it!(Of course he he could take over at any point, but didn't).Perfect Maps/Nav/Comms/Glide-slope, flight-controls & landing. It's funny that I felt perfectly at ease the whole time, as I haddone it so many times before. It was a humbling experience...

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2020, 11:40:48 am
content: Ha!!! I just saw a Site where you can download it for free. But I'm not going to!!Seems it it a 77 Gb download!, and needs up to 150 Gb HD working space...

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2020, 11:53:49 am
content: Quote from: GlennSprigg on September 20, 2020, 11:40:48 amSeems legit.