NZFF

Hey all,

As a few of you would know I have been away from FSX and Prepar3d for quite some time having a goal to complete my PPL. More life circumstances had of course disallowed me to complete my second attempt at it although I did get some hours in. However, a third attempt is inevitable.

I have been slowly drawn back to FSX from due to a slow dettachment from Prepar3d (mainly because of the incompatibility with multiplayer and some other incompatibilities) and after completing a 6 month stint for my texture work for Outerra planet rendering engine in which I have created just under 200 textures (about 650MB worth) for the natural Biome system.

Prepar3d has been good but I find that there are too many negatives with the software at present and Seeing as my texture work is on hold I thought I would sneak myself back into the FSX line. Yup, FSX. I don't feel so bad because when I purchased it it was $499 USD but Lockheed Martin decided on reducing the cost and provided me with a refund of a significant amount so no real loss given the time I had with the product.

I think I may review it once version 2.0 comes out with their more advanced rendering pipeline.

So, seeing as I want to come back to FSX I will of course need FSX and wondering if anyone out there has a copy they can part with before I attempt to go through the various stores which I find are few and far between having done a quick search. I'm also reviewing some yokes including VRinsight, Goflight, and lastly looking into the Precision Flight Control range (again) for a baseline setup with yoke and rudder.

Ian, hopefully we can fly a dam buster missions or something as a celebration of my return.

Look forward to hearing from someone soon hopefully.

Cheers,

Kelvin

Kelvinr wrote:

QUOTE (Kelvinr @ Jun 3 2013,5:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ian, hopefully we can fly a dam buster missions or something as a celebration of my return.

Looking forward to having back in from the cold , least some off those Outerra screens almost made be shiver .. not sure if it was the cold or the excitement of the work you had done

Lancaster Crew's .. I can pick two others , there is G for Greg , D for Doug , course I for Ian and might even get a M for Marty but sure many 617 of us would be happy to join the Damn Busters

Heaps of new copies on Trade Me - just make sure you search on FLIGHT SIMULATOR X (not FSX)

Like Husker says, hit Trademe, HEAPS of cheapies there. Try and score a copy with Acceleration Pack included.

deeknow wrote:

QUOTE (deeknow @ Jun 3 2013,6:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like Husker says, hit Trademe, HEAPS of cheapies there. Try and score a copy with Acceleration Pack included.

YES INDEED .. The Gold Pack

Kelvinr wrote:

QUOTE (Kelvinr @ Jun 3 2013,4:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ian, hopefully we can fly a dam buster missions or something as a celebration of my return.

Look forward to hearing from someone soon hopefully.

Cheers,

Kelvin

Hey, you can count me in on the mission too if you are keen for greater numbers.

Thanks guys, always knew I was missing out on something with using Prepar3d, the multiplayer feature is hardly worth a mention. Scaber, would be good to get Teamspeak going and a formation flight. I'm going to also look at getting back on Vatsim as well.

Kelvinr wrote:

QUOTE (Kelvinr @ Jun 3 2013,7:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm going to also look at getting back on Vatsim as well.

Sunday nights are the best bet for VATSIM Kelvin if you want ATC coverage of NZ, I'm usually online from about 8pm onwards, flick me an IM any Sunday you're keen. We could do some circuits wherever there is a tower maybe, and do a cross country perhaps?

Interesting to see where your thinking's going, Kelvin. I too am back to flying FSX most of the time. Since I put in Kosta's tweaks, FSX is performing like never before. Fast, smooth, stable, no stutters or blurries and a frame rate to die for (hard 30fps locked everywhere in the world except for Orbx Melbourne and Brisbane - I've never had that before) and capable of far higher unlimited (albeit less stable). I am loving flying in FSX now, whereas always before there has been an element of frustration at its performance. My P3D is also very good with Kosta's tweaks, but I've found to match it to my current FSX, I've had to pull a slider or two back a notch.

At present, I'm running FSX fully stocked with addons as I always have (VLC, Godzone and Horizon VFR scenery being the main ones), while P3D is kept for Orbx and FlyTampa sceneries. That's a great way for me to have the best of both worlds and P3D works really well with Orbx, but it's getting too much to maintain these two sims, as well as three iterations of FS2004 (standard, Golden Wings and Silver Wings). I was thinking that once P3D 2.0 arrives, I would ditch FSX entirely and migrate everything across once and for all, but I'm not sure now. I don't do multiplayer (yet) so that's not an issue for me but there's still a fair amount of incompatibility and manual tweaking involved with P3D and I suspect there could be even with 2.0. Lockheed Martin have a clear roadmap ahead for P3D and as it develops, legacy compatbility for an increasingly aged software platform may suffer. It takes months for me to rebuild FSX fully and I suspect it would be even longer for P3D, so the upgrade will have to have massive performance advantages to be worthwhile. Before Kosta's tweaks, P3D was way ahead of FSX but now both sims are about level, making the move more difficult to justify. At least with FSX you know all your addons will work out of the box with minimal fuss.

It'll be interesting to see what P3D 2.0 brings, but until then I'm now sure FSX will remain my primary platform. A year ago, I would have laughed at that suggestion. It just goes to show what FSX is still capable off with some revolutionary tweaks!


Ade

AdrianPetford wrote:

QUOTE (AdrianPetford @ Jun 4 2013,8:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't do multiplayer (yet)

We have to get you in on the dam buster mission then ... you could always be Des Munro and turn back to England if you run out of time

Has anyone made/updated the FSX multiplayer instructions (Sorry a little off topic) given that gamespy is no longer active?

Timmo wrote:

QUOTE (Timmo @ Jun 4 2013,11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Has anyone made/updated the FSX multiplayer instructions (Sorry a little off topic) given that gamespy is no longer active?

I think this would have to be address shortly , we have run MPs using the Local network (LAN) and word of mouth running though Teamspeak with the host passing his IP address to the regulars that use the NZFF TS Channel .

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jun 3 2013,10:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We have to get you in on the dam buster mission then ... you could always be Des Munro and turn back to England if you run out of time

Heh heh... it would certainly be good to set up a regular TeamSpeak slot as whenever I randomly go on, no one else is there! Evenings (NZ time) would be better for me.

AdrianPetford wrote:

QUOTE (AdrianPetford @ Jun 4 2013,11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Heh heh... it would certainly be good to set up a regular TeamSpeak slot as whenever I randomly go on, no one else is there! Evenings (NZ time) would be better for me.

I try most mornings going thru my mail , turn it on when i see you there .

AdrianPetford wrote:

QUOTE (AdrianPetford @ Jun 4 2013,10:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Heh heh... it would certainly be good to set up a regular TeamSpeak slot as whenever I randomly go on, no one else is there! Evenings (NZ time) would be better for me.

I am on most afternoons from approx 4pm NZ until about 1 am NZ time

Timmo wrote:

QUOTE (Timmo @ Jun 4 2013,10:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Has anyone made/updated the FSX multiplayer instructions (Sorry a little off topic) given that gamespy is no longer active?

Was going to ask that question at some point. I forgot MS game servers no longer existed.

dbcunnz wrote:

QUOTE (dbcunnz @ Jun 5 2013,12:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am on most afternoons from approx 4pm NZ until about 1 am NZ time

Weekends or weekday evenings (TBA). I'm keen to setup a weekly slot just need to see who else is keen and how the server side is now managed given MS has pulled the plug.

Kelvinr wrote:

QUOTE (Kelvinr @ Jun 5 2013,6:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Weekends or weekday evenings (TBA). I'm keen to setup a weekly slot just need to see who else is keen and how the server side is now managed given MS has pulled the plug.

Well between Doug and myself , you almost catch the both from the time you get up till the dark hours off the morning .. and if not a nudge over NZFF and doooon