Microsoft Flight Simulator X

[[Delta ²k5]]

gaaaaaaah gotta love the marketing pics lol.... I got break into the game a little bit more, a question though is it better to use a joystick then the keyboard?

Joysticks are the better way to fly for me: you can stear with a joystick more exactly as with the keyboard. You can feel the difference best, when you try to land on an aircraft carrier... (on Acceleration) And yes... my system isn't the worst, but also not high end (Okay... I can play GTA IV with around 37FPS on the same resulution, but as I said before: FSX is a performance hog )

By the way... I got something for you, that I would mark as a "must have": Search on flightsim.com for  uss_nimitz_ike.zip <-- this is an carrier package for FSX SP2 / Deluxe / Acceleration. It is a very huge package (around 116mb) but it includes some nice models and variations of the Nimitz and Eisenhower (for example: Empty, crowded, land only, takoff only, "visiting", normal and many other configurations) It also has many other features like callouts on the deck via loudspeakers, working elevators, a car driving around on deck, different static plane models, people on deck, hard deck hangars (means you can drive in) and many more... and remember this is FREEWARE

here you can see some pictures and features oft the beast: http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1245173254/11 (you can also download it at simviation.. it's in the category "FSX Misc"). The rest is clearly instructed by the included readme file (you also should download Dino Catanneo's T-45 Goshawk [simply the perfect plane to train landings on those carriers] and AiCarriers2 [you can place moving ai carriers where ever you want to with this small plugin])

some pictures by me will follow very soon

@null45: Nice pictures! If you've got a good graphics card (something like GeForce 9800 and better), I would suggest you to use enb ( http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=248307&st=0 ). It will give you some nice kind of blur and light effects and the best is, that it will not affect your cpu, because those effects are mainly processed in the GPU (The graphics card). If you card can handle enb, than you will have no inpact on framerates

Edit: Pics!

[frdrcklim]

Hey, that blur effect might really come in handy .

[null45]

A few more Screenshots 

[art128]

Wow ! I really love the one with Paris ! 

[WC_EEND]

recently got FS2004, but I can't seem to get the custom planes installed in the game, is there a trick I'm missing, already tried some tutorials on the internet, but it doesn't help

EDIT: managed to install, but how on earth do you steer your plane using your keyboard? the controls listed in the game itself are all wrong

[Mr_Maison]

I would strongly recommend getting REX! It gave me a whole new sky.

Here's a link to the site:
http://www.realenvironmentxtreme.com/

[[Delta ²k5]]

jep. You can see REX on my pictures as I've got it...

Carrier Ops...



Something I also recommend is the Flight Simulator Water Configurator (flightsim.com: fswc_315.zip). With this tool you can tune your water shaders

[null45]

A few more locations 

[RickD]

After reading this thread I just had to get Flight Simulator X. After some serious setbacks I do now have a certain level of control over the plane using the mouse.  But I think I should definitly get a joystick. Can you recommend one?
I had a look at the Saitek X52 Pro Flight System which looks very impressive.  But it doesn't seem to have force feedback which I think is strange considering the price. Is force feedback important for the real airplane feeling?

Oh, and is there a good FSX website? Something like sc4devotion but for FSX?

[City Builder]

Get a flight yoke instead of a joystick if you can.  It really lends an air of believability to flying the planes, not to mention it makes it subtantially easier.  I don't recall the mfg of the one I use but it was night and day better when I made the switch from a joystick to a flight yoke.  Now I've just got to buy the pedals and I'll be all set to fly either FSX or Xplane 9.

I picked up my flight yoke off ebay (one of the most popular mfg too, again, can't remember the name though, but it's pretty much the one that 80% of people with a yoke use) for less than the price of a new fancy joystick.  Works perfectly, very happy with it.

The downside?  Having to clear my desk to attach it to the desk.  Although it just means that I don't take 10 minute flights anymore, now when I set it all up, it's usally for a couple hours flying time.

[Mr_Maison]

After reading this thread I just had to get Flight Simulator X. After some serious setbacks I do now have a certain level of control over the plane using the mouse.  But I think I should definitly get a joystick. Can you recommend one?
I had a look at the Saitek X52 Pro Flight System which looks very impressive.  But it doesn't seem to have force feedback which I think is strange considering the price. Is force feedback important for the real airplane feeling?

Oh, and is there a good FSX website? Something like sc4devotion but for FSX?

This is my favorite FS sight: http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl

I have a Saiteck Cyborg evo Force. It have force feedback and I love it. One day when I have more room, I'll pick up a flight yolk.

[[Delta ²k5]]

Oh, and is there a good FSX website? Something like sc4devotion but for FSX?

A few more sites that you could be interrested in:

http://www.projectopensky.com/ <-- Simply high detailed Boeing aircrafts (complete Boeing 747 series with allot of features) The FS2004 planes do work fine in FSX
http://www.flightsim.com/ <-- Very big download library! But you need to register first!
http://www.simviation.com/hjg/main.htm <-- mostly older jets, but also newer ones (like the KC135R)
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/index.php <-- Many military planes that you won't find at another place
http://www.pairbus.com/board/ <-- Airbus aircrafts... well, the project itself is down, but you can load the buses from this side

happy flying

[RickD]

Thanks for your suggestions. I ordered the Saitek X52 Pro Flight System. I also had a look at the Flight Yoke in the electronics store. It's really cool but I don't have so much room and I think I could not mount it on my desk. Besides it is much more expensive as i would need the foot pedals also for rudder control.

[City Builder]

Keep the yoke in the back of your mind for the future.  It's one of those things that really takes the fun to the next level.  I originally started out with an old Microsoft joystick, and hated playing with FS.  Stopped playing it.  Then I bought one of the (saitek I believe) joystick combos that had the joystick for my right hand  and a throttle control for the left hand and enjoyed it a bit more, but not nearly enough to justify the price of that unit so returned it and stopped playing again.

Finally when FSX came out people kept swearing by going the route of the flight yoke, so I took the plunge since I had returned the joystick combo and I have never regretted getting the yoke.  It just adds a bit of realism and fun level to the sim.  Joysticks have their place in my life too, but usually now for space sim games.  I did have to add an extra piece of wood to the underside of my desk so that the clamps of the flight yoke would hold on securely, my desk is very thin so adding the extra small piece of wood to the bottom can't be seen, doesn't interfere with my legs under the table and allows the yoke to hold securely.


I still don't have foot pedals, Im sure it would take it to the next level, but Im at a comfortable level right now without breaking open the piggy bank.  I turn on the controls in the sim to deal with not having foot pedals and it's good for me.  Some folks need the full blown package to have fun with it though and I've seen some very elaborate setups where their desks look like mission control with a button or switch for everything they want to control.  That goes far beyond my comfort zone of spending.

Enjoy your new hardware.

[WC_EEND]

I recently got FSX, but when I select the 1920x1080 resolution (which is the native resolution of my screen)and go fly, it loads in the right resolution, but once I see the game, it reverts to a much lower resolution (1024x768 or something like that)

EDIT: sorry for bumping the thread
EDIT2: problem solved

[RadicalOne]

Does anyone else know about FlightGear? It is to FSX like Linux is to Windows, minus the compatibility issues.

[City Builder]

Does anyone else know about FlightGear? It is to FSX like Linux is to Windows, minus the compatibility issues.

Never heard of it before, but I'm downloading it now to try it out.  Thanks,

[tooheys]

Hi all

I've been flying FS for years but always seemed to have a PC not up to the task when it came to displaying some decent graphics.

Over the years, I've enjoyed using a couple of addon's such as Airliner Pilot and Cargo Pilot. The 1st was my favourite but the latter is the only one compatible with Vista and FSX and therefore where I spend quite a bit of my non SC4 time.

My PC has however finally caught up, and I'm enjoying the game more than ever. Apart from my time using Cargo Pilot, I've started a round the world trip which I am mapping on Google. This certainly won't be a direct route and I'll be doing it in low altitude, short stints when possible.

At the moment I'm doing the rounds of Australia, which I 've done a dozen times already, being my home. So I'm doing it in style at the moment in a Leerjet, just to speed things up a little, I don't want to use acceleration modes on this trip (yep it will be a long one  )

Anyway once I head offshore, I plan to drop back to a prop of some description. Two engines would be good, which narrows it down to a couple. Any other ideas/thoughts?

I also factor in a failure as well, but so far so good. I can just see it occuring half way across a long water hop.

So here is the journey so far.



If you are interested, I'll keep you updated on the journey. Also if you have any favourite airports or routes I should have a look at along the way, please let me know.

Dave

[RickD]

Wow Dave that sounds like an interesting project. And yes, I am interested in updates on your journey.

I now finished the missions that came with the game. Now I am totally lost. I need to find out how to fly in the right direction to find the destination airport. There should have been more tutorial missions in the game. 

[sc-4]

Great pics all!
I will post mine later , but someone here use Tile Proxy?
Edit : Pics are here :