Should I try X-Plane

[Eugenio Grigorjev 816591]

Gallons of ink have been used to compare FS vs X-Plane, this is not the time or the place and anyway not only it would take too long but it would be an exercise in futility since both have pros and cons. But I will say just a few things so that if you haven't tried it these facts will, at least, draw your attention:

1. X-Plane is a multi platform software

2. It uses OpenGl as graphic engine which is far smoother than DirectX

3. It does not write one byte into the registry

4. It can be installed and uninstalled in the blink of an eye

5. It comes with Plane-Maker and World-Maker with which you can create/modify both aircraft and scenery

6. It’s main [Mod - Happy Thoughts]et is the accuracy of the flight model and aircraft performance

7. It’s constantly updated and all the community serves as beta testers

8. There are literally thousands of people that develop aircraft, sceneries and plugins which enhance its versatility

9. It has a comparatively low cost and updates can always be downloaded from selected sites

10. The interface with online ATC is as simple as it can be, all you have to do is install XSB plugin and off you go.

And if this is not enough to catch your attention I don’t know what is

 

Let me add some few things:

 

11. It is a real flight simulator instead of a flight "emulator" as MSFS is. Every plane developer in MSFS will tell you that if you create a flight model, then you can render a piano, [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ociate it to the flight model, and it will fly. In X-Plane you planes are modeled like real planes. You have to select which airfoil will you use (even for propeller blades), geometry, etc. X-Plane will calculate then all the resulting forces, and apply them to the model (even ground effect). You can view those forces if you want, you can even see the propeller (or jet) vortices behind the engine.

 

12. X-Squawkbox realism is astonishing. You simply tune the radio to the active controller, and you will get in contact whith him, just like real world. (This is how it was from the very beggining, SB3 and FSInn discovered it few days ago).

 

13. X-Squawkbox has just a few hundred Kbytes (I belive 300 or so)... when XSB appeared into Xplane world the VATSIM interface was SB2.3 + 2 other interfaces... in order to run in FS2004 or FS2002...

 

14. It is not so easy to make a plane from scratch, but if you have some idea on flight dynamics, or aeronautic engineering, it is veery easy. All variables are accesible, no hidden or unknown variables, no needing to define strange parameters... just measurements, weights, capacities, power, and some ratios...

 

15. Default scenery is quite... (awful?), I know. But if you want, you can customize it. And DEM's renderization is quite good... there are no limits, but your knowledge and willness...

 

list continues... on and on...

 

(Since I installed XPlane + XSB... I uninstalled MSFS... and never used FS again)... so, don't pay too much attention on me. Im being rather partial in this matter.

 

 

(Cheers)

 

Eugenio.

[Thomas Hall 933426]

I've been an avid Flight simmer for over 20 years: yes! there where flight sims around then. From FS 1 to Sublogic's ATP, to IFTPro and now the excellent value for money X-Plane. I've flown them all on Apples and PCs. X-Plane is by far the best.

Now, like the rest of you, I have some criticisms but the X-Plane flight model is far superior to MSFS. I am on X-Plane 7.63 and MSFS 2002. I haven't touched MSFS 2002 since I purchased X-Plane and probably never will again. Version 8 of X-Plane looks great and its the excuse I needed to upgrade my system. Any quirks I've found in X-Plane don't concern me too much. I remember in MSFS 4x being able to land a float plane on land without wheels. Mind you, the other day after I had taxied to the ramp and turned everything off on my Beech I noted the plane moving ever so slowly sideways; no wind or grade. I fly using the CH Products USB flight yoke and it is good value too. Now that I have joined the VATSIM family, I've discovered a whole new way to fly.

 

As a final note, I do not work for Laminar Research nor Microsoft. Nor do I hold any interests in them. :D

 

Cheers!

[Thomas Hall 933426]

Just a quick follow-up to Mario's excellent Top Ten list.

 

I have installed and uninstalled X-Plane on a company laptop and Windoze doesn't complain. There is some

stuff left in the Registry but a quick search on X-System is easy to find.

 

I bought X-Plane 7 after reading about its development on the Laminar website. I remember thinking to myself,

finally, someone has written a real flight sim. With all the sims I've purchased over the years in an attempt to find

one that flies, I could have got my Pilot's Licence by now. 8)

 

Gallons of ink have been used to compare FS vs X-Plane, this is not the time or the place and anyway not only it would take too long but it would be an exercise in futility since both have pros and cons. But I will say just a few things so that if you haven't tried it these facts will, at least, draw your attention:

1. X-Plane is a multi platform software

2. It uses OpenGl as graphic engine which is far smoother than DirectX

3. It does not write one byte into the registry

4. It can be installed and uninstalled in the blink of an eye

5. It comes with Plane-Maker and World-Maker with which you can create/modify both aircraft and scenery

6. It’s main [Mod - Happy Thoughts]et is the accuracy of the flight model and aircraft performance

7. It’s constantly updated and all the community serves as beta testers

8. There are literally thousands of people that develop aircraft, sceneries and plugins which enhance its versatility

9. It has a comparatively low cost and updates can always be downloaded from selected sites

10. The interface with online ATC is as simple as it can be, all you have to do is install XSB plugin and off you go.

And if this is not enough to catch your attention I don’t know what is :wink:

[James Fortson 937041]

X-Plane is fairly different from MSFS. The huge problem with X-Plane, and the thing which puts most people off is the lack of scenery. The flight modal and simulation itself is awesome, and updates to that can wait. What X-Plane need to do (and are) is concentrate of the scenery and airports; two fairly important areas giving more realism to the game.

 

MSFS has a poor flight modal and simulation. It is not very realistic, although the graphics (cartoon) are much better than X-Plane, at the moment.

 

X-Plane has an awesome flight modal simulation. It is very realistic, although the graphics are some what worse than MSFS. Even with the new V8 scenery you ideally need 512MB RAM and 16MB Graphics. Not everyone has 512MB RAM. A few posts back, a few people gave links to where you could find screen shots of the new V8 scenery. This renderings were using the highest rendering settings, and you would need a pretty fast computer to recreate those. My computer has 512MB RAM and 128MB graphics, and I cannot recreate anything like the graphics above in the US - my rendering options are "average". MSFS works on a wider range of computers with lower specs, with better graphics (cartoon) but poorer flight simulation.

 

 

James

[Guido Cappuccilli 937079]

Hi.

I am a big x-plane fan but I agree with those who say that the main problem is airports accuracy.

In regard to that, did anybody in this forum try FSIMP plugin?

Somebody in a previous post mentioned it I would like to have your impressions.

 

Thank you very much.

Guido

[James Fortson 937041]

I tried the plugin for MSFS scenery in X-Plane today! It is very good if you have a decent computer. You have to fiddle around with the settings a little bit, to get smooth gameplay. Its good, but be weary that some X-Plane airports don't really match X-Plane airports. I tried Heathrow and it was great; slightly slow at times, but really good. I would not advise using it for flying online though. The other problem is that its payware, although a time limited demo is available. The payware version allows you to have continuous use of the software. The demo version we let it work for 20 minutes before being turned off. It costs:

 

UK £16.05

EUR 24.95

US $29.95

 

 

James

[William Brazier 906785]

i use fs but i hear dat Xplane has runways dat arnt perfecly flat lol i think dat would be cool