Getting back into simming... FSX or X-plane?

[Grumble]

I'm slowly coming back to simming after a few years away. Over the intervening years it would appear that FSX has basically died in terms of support--certainly my system doesn't like it for multiple monitors--and I'm looking at getting X plane instead. I own quite a few of the RealNZ addons, as a large part of my simming was done flying around New Zealand to relieve homesickness since I live in Japan!

It would appear that Xplane 10 is good, but lacks in terms of NZ-focused scenery and traffic. Is anyone else out there using Xplane for NZ simming, and what do you think of it? I have a strong preference for light aviation over heavies and thus how things look is fairly important to me!

[Ian Warren]

I was looking at X-plane, but that was as far as I got , frankly FSX is still doing Very very well , New Zealand scenery, you maybe best to head toward's the P3D platform to which I'd be more inclined to turn to turn to ... it accept's New Zealand photo real really well.

I'm a very avid looker to see what is going on and building on these simulators, many of the X-plane NZ scenery's is so inaccurate looks more like Noddy Land .. small airfields turned into international airport/airfield sorta thing ...

I think X-plane may have some good points , at the mo ... my 28 plus years in Flight Simulation and different simulators I would stick with the tried and trusted MS versions and P3D.

[Grumble]

Hmm. Pity... I downloaded the Xplane demo and it looks like fine! Oh well!
P3D looks to be a little on the expensive side...

[Ian Warren]

Hey Grumble , with you in Japan , give some off your Japanese mates a nudge . start a new thread with your travels as well, I'm very sure many here would love to see photo's.

[toprob]

Just a couple of suggestions -- FSX is far from dead, with the Steam version available now. This is tweaked a bit for modern systems, but I suspect that it still doesn't have great multi-monitor support. About NZ$30 on Steam.

Prepar3d is a bit dearer, at US$60, and they will add GST, for the academic version. Still, I would always advise that anyone who is interested buys a month's developer license, for about NZ$16, and gives it a go -- you'll either love it or not.

There's an ongoing post hereabout Xplane in NZ, but it has never really fired up. At the moment it is in danger of slipping even further behind, with Dovetail's upcoming simulator, and Prepar3d being continually improved, not to mention Aerosoft FS2, which is in the early stages of development but looks very promising.

[Grumble]

Hey Ian,

Unfortunately the only other simmer I know here is very much into Falcon4 and nothing else, so I would guess that screenshots of "travels" won't really happen. I myself have been here more than 20 years, so don't really take any any more!!

Re the other sims, thanks for the info guys. It looks like the smart thing to do may be to wait a little while longer...

[Ian Warren]

You were able screen Falcon4 I had the original collectors package release in 2000 , I gave that and all my combat sims away years simply the time I was spending making airports for FS9, but the choices for simulators just depends what tickles your fancy.

[mjrhealth]

Nothibng wrong with XPLANe. I have spents quiet a bit of money on FSX over the years, but now tha tXPLANe is finally starting to chang tact i headed over there. Still have FSX it has far to amny good addons to run away from, but XPLANe is maturing. Has Ai traffic. will now spawn static planes to populate airports in any spot thats free, allows planes to land on any runway, you can even set up conditions for which runway to land on, has improved taying no end(mind you this part will get better as the airports are updated), with WED you can quickly populate an airport with building, fix up the parking, specify who parks where , size of plane. Only issue with ATC is it only does IFR at present but so far it is pretty good at getting you in line with the runway, of course there is a payware trafiic programme. I actually spend more time in teh cockpit flying the plane than outside unlike FSX. Xplane 11 should be out next year, that is going to be a game changer.

[Grumble]

Think I will wait for XPlane 11 then. Any good screenshots of Xplane? I did try the demo out... and it does feel waaay better than FSX.

[Ian Warren]

Xplane 11 , with PMDG going down the road specific to their DC-6 I should research this out a little, 11 , I wonder if they have looked at photo real material regard to scenery.

[Grumble]

So I took the plunge and bought FSX steam as an interim sim to see me through until Xplane 11 comes out. Any recommendations on a Freeware GA with a good virtual cockpit and engine management, etc.? I'm not interested in buying anything as I think the switch to Xplane will be fairly... complete. A turboprob like a banderati or Dash 8 is where I'm at...

[dbcunnz]

Have a look through this lot you might find something to fill in until you get your X-plane 11
http://www.fs-freeware.net/

[Grumble]

Thanks... went... and was swamped by the number of choices! Any recommendations?

I'm actually really enjoying this. I have the RealNZ packages for Tauranga, Wellington, and Auckland from way back, and the vector land class. Did a mock "evening commuter" flight last night from Rotorua->Tauranga->Auckland on IFR... landing in Auckland with the sun going down was FUN... and very beautiful. I've upgraded the PC since last I simmed, and the view through twin 23' monitors is pretty nice...

[Ian Warren]

FSX .. Course you have all the freeware scenery posted at FlightSim.com and Avsim ... some new one into light and add that with Rob's Godzone-SUB and RealNZ ... this country is near covered .