Just purchased xplane 9 fo pc, worth it?

[Errol Ikalina 919928]

Hi Guys,

Just purchased xplane 9 for pc (Awaiting delivery) and i was just wondering if I made a good choice.

 

Is the flight dynamics really that much more realistic in Xplane?

 

Thanks.

[Paul Heaney 879309]

Shouldn't you have asked this question before you bought it?

 

I'm sure you made a wise choice, but I'll let the XPlane fellas chime in. I've been wanting to get it myself as well.

[Errol Ikalina 919928]

I guess so but I've put it off long enough, I've tried the demo but just wanted other people's opinions.

 

I don't think I will be disappointed.

[David Voogd 857885]

I tried Xplane a month or so ago and uninstalled it a week ago. Honestly I didn't find the flight dynamics that much more realistic. It still comes down to the developer themselves. The main reason I quit Xplane was the aircraft. Xplane aircraft are like FS2002 level complexity, there's just nothing nearly comparable to the advanced stuff for FS2004 and FSX.

[Tim Krajcar]

If you tried the demo, I think you'll find the full version is like the demo, except you can fly more places.

[Kevin Meyers 1048575]

I find Xplane great for props, but I leave the jets to FS9. The xplane gauges move very smoothly and realistically, the aircraft detail is pretty good, everything is controllable from the virtual cockpit. It will take you a few hours to get used to xplane if you have been using microsoft FS for a long time, but once you learn the ropes, you'll fall in love with it.

[Wade Williams 877539]

Xplane aircraft are like FS2002 level complexity, there's just nothing nearly comparable to the advanced stuff for FS2004 and FSX.

 

Nobody has said any different. If your goal is a 747 with every switch modeled, then X-plane is not for you. If you prefer letting the FMC do the flying, X-plane is not for you.

[David Voogd 857885]

 

Nobody has said any different. If your goal is a 747 with every switch modeled, then X-plane is not for you. If you prefer letting the FMC do the flying, X-plane is not for you.

 

I fly mostly props, even there I felt Xplane falls far short of what's offered for the MS series (Dreamfleet Dakota, Realair Scout, Aerosoft Beaver etc.)

[Reece Hunter]

David,

 

Can you be more specific? Which areas do you find lacking? (I would like to know for future aircraft systems modeling.)

 

Also, the stock aircraft indeed comes up short, so you may want to invest in third party software just to compare apples with apples. I'm sure a quick Google search will return some good results. If not, the ads in the X-Plane.org forums may be helpful.

 

Rock on Errol! Welcome to the X-Plane family.

 

RH

[David Voogd 857885]

Hello Reece,

 

I found the 3D cockpit visuals weren't quite up to what you can see in a lot of FS2004 and almost any FSX aircraft, especially in texture quality. I prefer photoreal cockpits and found most if not all Xplane 3d cockpits were the painted variety. I also found it difficult to use the 3D cockpits as there isn't any easy way to quickly hop to different sections as you can with FSX (press A to move to the radios view, then switches etc.). With Xplane you can only move left and right in the 3D cockpit.

 

I also found just the interface as a whole overly difficult in Xplane for things like tuning the radios, setting the autopilot etc. Obviously it takes getting used to any time you make a change but I just found the way Xplane works for stuff like that was just not done in a readily approachable manner. As for systems I love things like the Garmin 1000's in the Flight1 Mustang or the true to life Garmin 430 in the Dreamfleet Dakota. It seemed in Xplane all the GPS gauges and avionics were just not nearly as functional.

 

I'm not trying to completely bash xplane, there is much to like about it, especially the framerates you get with relatively good looking terrain, but it really does seem the aircraft lag significantly behind other developments in the program. That and not having any airport buildings without 3rd party scenery sort of sucks too. Sure the point is to fly the plane but I do like having somewhere to fly to.

 

Also wind modelling is horribly screwed up, even light winds toss you around like a paper airplane. 5 gusting to 10 in xplane is like 25 gusting to 35 in real life (flown in that once, fun to say the least lol).

[Reece Hunter]

David,

 

Sounds good.

 

Maybe others can comment on the quality of XPlane payware and how it stacks up against MS payware.

 

RH

[Jeremy Castellanos 1007109]

I tried Xplane a month or so ago and uninstalled it a week ago. Honestly I didn't find the flight dynamics that much more realistic. It still comes down to the developer themselves. The main reason I quit Xplane was the aircraft. Xplane aircraft are like FS2002 level complexity, there's just nothing nearly comparable to the advanced stuff for FS2004 and FSX.

 

Absoultely not like FS2002. I don't know what version you fly with but that is not how the current version or the last was. I'd say it's more like FSX. I admit there is room for improvement like the ATC and AI planes but you can find and download lots of add-on scenery, airport, and planes that rival FSX. I have flown Just about every flight sim Microsoft put out and I can say I would never go back to FS2002 now or ever. FS2004 a bit more but Xplane is my preferred flight sim.

 

3d Cockpit are clearer to read and can be realistic if someone made it for the plane. I don't like FSX nor FS2004 Virtua cockpits. Textures can be messy. Payware for FSX can have better panels, but again it depends on the creator. X-Plane payware can be just as good or better. Google X737 and take a look at Xplanefreeware's site. Most of the creators put the all into these planes.

 

I am not putting down any sim, it's all preference anyways. I have FSX and Xplane installed and yet I still fly more with Xplane then any other. You really have to form you own opinion for it. You say flight modeling is not good. Again the most recent version of Xplane is right up there or better than FSX, again my opinion.

 

Xplane doesn't have a bunch of panels like the real plane or Microsoft's Sims but some creators have made plugins to do that for their planes. But like I said, there are all good sims, you have to play with them to appreciate the sims. I always read folks putting down one or the other sim and some never even flown one of them, just FSX or XPlane.

 

Oh one more thing. In xplane the navaids are correctly places. Microsoft puts them close to what where the are really placed so it can still get you near where you need to be. Robin Peel from Xplane.org puts out Nav files out with accurate Navaid info.

 

If you have XPlane, try it out. You don't like it then put it away and uninstall it.

[Wade Williams 877539]

Oh one more thing. In xplane the navaids are correctly places. Microsoft puts them close to what where the are really placed so it can still get you near where you need to be. Robin Peel from Xplane.org puts out Nav files out with accurate Navaid info.

 

This is definitely an advantage. There's a large group of X-plane users constantly updating the Nav and airport databases. Got a new runway coming in? Not to worry - it will be in the next update. Additionally the Nav and airport databases are just text files. You can change them whenever you find it necessary.

[Trent Smith]

Well, I run both mac and windows on my computer and have X-Plane and FS9 and FSX. Like stated Above if you want to run X-plane for a big airliner it definetly isnt the answer. however they do make nice small GA Aircraft. The Flight Dynamics are ok I guess. However it really comes down to what you like and prefer depending on the type of flying not to mention the type of computer you have. In my personal opinion I think X-plane airliners dont look as sharp as FS2004 and no where as close to FSX. But hey! Hope you find what your looking for!

[Michael Kleef 1103408]

I have FSX and X-Plane 9.22 and I still prefer FSX for fast jets.

X-Plane just cant seem to do a semi stable military jet that doesnt want to depart on you when on autopilot at any faster (>400kts) sort of speed. Doesnt matter which one Ive tried, just not stable. Props seem ok, so are most standard commercial jets.

 

/mk

[Tanner Litowsky 877756]

The terrible texture blurries that are in all of FS series do not exist in X-Plane at all. And basically what all have said, if you like flying jets with the FMC etc. stick with FS. If you like to actually fly the plane low and slow go with X-Plane. It basically comes down to what you want like others have said.

 

An amazing payware author is Jason Chandler, google him.

[Charan Kumar]

I fly all 3, FS9, FSX and XPlane, and I think XPlane is definitely worth the money. I have flown GA (freeware King Air B200 my fav) , the x737 and even flew the freeware Concorde on X-Plane during the Cross the Pond even this year with Scenery for Schipol and NY, it was a blast. If you have been a MSFS buff, it will take u a while, and I mean a while to get used to the changes, but a lil bit of work, and settings and tweakings, it is an absolute pleasure. I like how I can tweak my cockpit panels w/o having to worry too much of an editor, and they are visual too (no guessing on notepad there ). I also use vasFMC 2 with X-Plane which provides additional nav capabilities. Like everyone said, it's all a qn of preference. I don't fly the PMDG or LDS, so i can't offer a comparison there, but I like what I get from X-Plane and the plethora of models available out there.

 

Errol, welcome to X-Plane!!

[Brian Ranes]

I flew MSFS from FS4 thru FS9 and loved every minute of it. When I recently switched to a Mac with enough juice to run a simulation I thought about running Windows on it only to run FSX. I decided, however, to give X-plane a try and was at first disappointed: "where are the buildings?!" Then I dug deeper into the x-plane community and found enough freeware scenery (thanks Ted!) and aircraft to satisfy what I found were pretty basic visual needs. Sure, some of the screenshots of FSX posted on the vatsim forums are incredible, jaw-drop-inducing, envy-causing, works of art. But when it comes down to it, I want to leave from a gate (or something that looks like a gate) fly from point A to point B, and taxi to a gate. With some of the high quality products like those from xplanefreeware and x737, as well as some of the very sophisticated FMCs available, x-plane more than fits the bill IMO. I understand, though, that not everyone's tastes are like mine.

[Jeremy Castellanos 1007109]

With you on that Brian, I have done just about all of MSFS's and I hugely favor X-Plane more. Not only do I get great freeware stuff and payware as well, I get better Framerates with my settings above average. As always it's preference of choice to what sim you want to fly but I am an X-Plane junkie.