FSX - Steam Edition

[gojozoom]

Hi guys,

Not sure if you're aware of this already, but FSX: Steam Edition has been just released with an 80% off sale price of $5!

Let's ignore all the different opinions on what Dovetail will or will not do with it, the point is this: you have a cheap digital copy of FSX Gold Edition as a backup.

Also it's worth pointing out that these guys did some actual work on it:


General
* FSX: Steam Edition is now built using the VS2013 compiler for better optimisation and performance. (Still makes use of VS2005 libraries for backwards compatibility.)
* Updated splash, launcher and mission preview images for FSX:SE versions.

Multiplayer, networking and communications
* Gamespy networking now replaced by new Steam networking.
* Game chat now integrated with Steam chat
* Friends/Banned lists now integrated with Steam.
* Game invites now use Steam.
* Host networking defaults to a single port 6112.
* Host networking uses 27016 for Steam Master Server Browser.
* Host timeout (loss of connection to host) now 35 seconds by default (was 55).
* "Disconnected" message dialog now retained on screen for 4 mins before automatic dismissal (was 30 secs).

Steam Support
* Top Down Camera (camera view select 4) was previously bound to F12 by default which is normally used for Steam's screenshot feature. Camera View Select 4 now uses Shift+F12 by default to avoid potential clash.

Compatibility with FSX boxed
* FSX and FSX: Steam Edition co-Existence feature allows both versions to be installed on the same machine.

Default System-Setting Alterations
* Increased TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD to 4096 up from 1024
* Changed HIGHMEMFIX=1
* Increased Vertex and Index Buffers and the number of buffers.

Bugs Fixed
* Fix to particle emitter controllers which were not being updated properly.
* Fix to flush all levels of detail in terrain cache.
* Fix to Texture Composition preventing fail and crash.
* Fixed issue where player is able to reserve more slots for friends than maximum players allowed in the game.
* Fixed issue where invalid Briefing Room was presented to player when cancelling session creation.
* Fixed issue where weather text in the multiplayer briefing room is partially cut off.
* Fixed issue where no error message appears when attempting to host a session with the network adapter disabled.
* Fixed issue where there is no error message when attempting to host a session with the network cable unplugged.
* Fixed issue where host player is frozen after a collision occurs in multiplayer.
* Fixed issue where client gets dropped from a multiplayer game after they crash into the host.
* Fixed issue where the Host Options in multiplayer/ Free Flight allow a user to have a maximum of 99 player slots.
* UIAutomationCore.dll work-a-round is now supplied by default with FSX:SE. This fixes a number of crashes relating to UI interaction on 64-bit versions of Windows.
* Fixed issue where the application’s taskbar preview window displays no content on Windows 8 and above
* Prevent default colour mode for Windows 7 and above (enable automatic display composition).
* sserife.fon file now automatically supplied and loaded.


It doesn't sound bad at all, I'm thinking these guys might actually enhance FSX after all....


Dan

[Ian Warren]

I noticed the posting this morning , wonder if its worth the D/load simply as a back up ......... the big thing is the performance, interesting question .. FIVE BUCKS , be worth sticking away on a HD

[NZ255]

I'd say it's worth buying now for $5, I haven't downloaded and installed but incase it does get better I'll have it.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (NZ255 @ Dec 19 2014,2:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd say it's worth buying now for $5, I haven't downloaded and installed but incase it does get better I'll have it.

Completely AGREE !

[omitchell]

5 bucks doesn't eat into my beer budget Had to get it

[cezeta]

QUOTE (NZ255 @ Dec 19 2014,4:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd say it's worth buying now for $5, I haven't downloaded and installed but incase it does get better I'll have it.

Yeah I agree too.

[Ian Warren]

I noticed this at SOH , maybe this is the way of the future , two areas of interest I hi-lighted

Changelog:
• Networking: Resolved - potential crash bug when decoding Steam host tag data.
• Error Reporting: Resolved - error message if the software failed to load the language.dll so that it shows the name of the actual dll it is trying to load.
• Learning Centre: Resolved - when selecting a mission from the Learning Centre, you would be told that the mission script failed to load and would be disabled.
• Learning Centre: Changed - the Learning Centre still referenced a GameSpy logo - now replaced with Steam logo.
• Graphics: Improved vertex and index buffer handling defaults and a few other things to give up to 10% framerate improvement (as long as vsync is not enabled/forced).
• Graphics: Change - Enable trilinear mipmap filtering by default.
• Graphics: Resolved - If the Special Effects setting was set to HIGH, some special effects like external lights, landing/water effects would not work.
• Graphics: Changed default value for max per-frame texture uploads to decrease time for high quality terrain textures to appear.
• Settings: Resolved - HIGHMEMFIX was enabled by default but could very rarely be disabled at load time.
• For new installs, we now provide default versions of dll.xml and exe.xml files to improve compatibility with existing addons.

[Barrington]

QUOTE (gojozoom @ Dec 24 2014,1:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi guys,

Not sure if you're aware of this already, but FSX: Steam Edition has been just released with an 80% off sale price of $5!

Let's ignore all the different opinions on what Dovetail will or will not do with it, the point is this: you have a cheap digital copy of FSX Gold Edition as a backup.

Also it's worth pointing out that these guys did some actual work on it:


General
* FSX: Steam Edition is now built using the VS2013 compiler for better optimisation and performance. (Still makes use of VS2005 libraries for backwards compatibility.)
* Updated splash, launcher and mission preview images for FSX:SE versions.

Multiplayer, networking and communications
* Gamespy networking now replaced by new Steam networking.
* Game chat now integrated with Steam chat
* Friends/Banned lists now integrated with Steam.
* Game invites now use Steam.
* Host networking defaults to a single port 6112.
* Host networking uses 27016 for Steam Master Server Browser.
* Host timeout (loss of connection to host) now 35 seconds by default (was 55).
* "Disconnected" message dialog now retained on screen for 4 mins before automatic dismissal (was 30 secs).

Steam Support
* Top Down Camera (camera view select 4) was previously bound to F12 by default which is normally used for Steam's screenshot feature. Camera View Select 4 now uses Shift+F12 by default to avoid potential clash.

Compatibility with FSX boxed
* FSX and FSX: Steam Edition co-Existence feature allows both versions to be installed on the same machine.

Default System-Setting Alterations
* Increased TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD to 4096 up from 1024
* Changed HIGHMEMFIX=1
* Increased Vertex and Index Buffers and the number of buffers.

Bugs Fixed
* Fix to particle emitter controllers which were not being updated properly.
* Fix to flush all levels of detail in terrain cache.
* Fix to Texture Composition preventing fail and crash.
* Fixed issue where player is able to reserve more slots for friends than maximum players allowed in the game.
* Fixed issue where invalid Briefing Room was presented to player when cancelling session creation.
* Fixed issue where weather text in the multiplayer briefing room is partially cut off.
* Fixed issue where no error message appears when attempting to host a session with the network adapter disabled.
* Fixed issue where there is no error message when attempting to host a session with the network cable unplugged.
* Fixed issue where host player is frozen after a collision occurs in multiplayer.
* Fixed issue where client gets dropped from a multiplayer game after they crash into the host.
* Fixed issue where the Host Options in multiplayer/ Free Flight allow a user to have a maximum of 99 player slots.
* UIAutomationCore.dll work-a-round is now supplied by default with FSX:SE. This fixes a number of crashes relating to UI interaction on 64-bit versions of Windows.
* Fixed issue where the application’s taskbar preview window displays no content on Windows 8 and above
* Prevent default colour mode for Windows 7 and above (enable automatic display composition).
* sserife.fon file now automatically supplied and loaded.


It doesn't sound bad at all, I'm thinking these guys might actually enhance FSX after all....


Dan

Sorry to ask but how does one get access to the offer?

[SeanTK]

Barrington, I don't think it's on sale anymore.
To purchase and download the full program, you need the Steam game client.
I would start here:
http://store.steampowered.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_%28software%29

[omitchell]

New addon on Steam for the Steam Edition, Around the world in 80 flights by First Class Simulations...

About This Content

Around the world in 80 flights! Circumnavigate the globe, heading east from the historic Farnborough airfield in the UK, on an epic 80-leg journey around the world. Fly over the Alps and Pyrenees before facing the challenge of the mighty Himalayan range. Explore the Far East and Australia. Blaze a trail from the frozen north, to tropical Africa. Conquer the lonely Pacific, leapfrogging across a series of islands as you make your way to the United States. Make landfall and catch your breath before flying over some of the most stunning scenery in the world as you head across the vast expanse of the USA to the Caribbean before venturing a trans-Atlantic crossing back to Farnborough.

Each of the 80 flight legs can be flown as individual or consecutive missions and are comprehensively detailed, with a flight plan, pilots notes, full briefing and a guide to many of the wonders of the world that pass beneath your wings. From man-made wonders such as the Great Pyramids and the Golden Gate Bridge, to natural wonders such as Mount Kilimanjaro, the Sahara Desert, the Indonesian Archipelago and the Grand Canyon, the entire route has been carefully chosen to showcase the breathtaking beauty of the planet.

Complete the entire trip around the globe in a stunning recreation of the 1937 Lockheed Electra 10E and you will have truly earned the special circumnavigators’ certificate awarded to master aviators!
Features

- Over 400 hours flying time and 35,000 miles
- Over 112 countries are either visited or flown over
- The longest flight is nearly 3000 miles from Honolulu to San Francisco
- The shortest flight is 55 miles from Helsinki to Talinn, Estonia, crossing the Baltic
- The northernmost point of the trip is Sondre Stromfjord in Greenland whilst the southernmost point is Darwin, Australia

[Ian Warren]

I do have a funny feeling .. but I'm still going to ask .. Who built the Lockheed 10

[omitchell]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jan 20 2015,2:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do have a funny feeling .. but I'm still going to ask .. Who built the Lockheed 10

No idea I just know who released the pack

[Ian Warren]

I questioned this due to my experience with FCS , Wellington and Lancaster are OK but the Sunderland did a real nose dive, fact was their is a NZFF member who was working on a Lockheed 10, I checked some of the amazing detail with it ways back at a Tauranga airshow and met the guy...... it would be a great little mission pleased I brought the Steam package for the $5 , looks like they are really pushing ahead .

[omitchell]

Does look like a good mission, but either way nice to see a developer already starting to do something for the Steam edition, shows at the least the support products will continue to be there

[Ian Warren]

Is good but obviously already able or plan to drop and plop .... Thing is there should be no real change from FSX to FSE .