What's your Sim?

[Charl]

I tried a Pimax on FS24 last December, and very quickly returned both from whence they came.
Be keen to hear your experience, 6 months on.

[jpreou]

I tried a Pimax on FS24 last December, and very quickly returned both from whence they came.
Be keen to hear your experience, 6 months on.

That's interesting. Putting aside FS24, what didn't you like with the Pimax (and which specific model was it)? I'm led to believe its the cream of the current crop, so to speak?
It could be a while before I can report back, but report back I shall. As well as the new PC we're also doing kitchen followed by bathrooms, so things are a little manic in the PREOU residence right now!

[Charl]

Crystal Light.
It was a confluence of upgraded PC, New sim, SteamVR, and the somewhat convoluted driver set behind the Pimax that sank that boat.
I see they are putting out several other models, maybe FS24 will also work in time for my annual end-of-year VR experience.

Of course, if I go the VR path, that would leave all this Saitek gear redundant.

As an occasional VR user, I have never managed to avoid at some point peering around the headset to use some RW hardware on my desk.
Not sure how a dedicated VR setup would run a 100% virtual cockpit.

[jpreou]

Crystal Light.
It was a confluence of upgraded PC, New sim, SteamVR, and the somewhat convoluted driver set behind the Pimax that sank that boat.
I see they are putting out several other models, maybe FS24 will also work in time for my annual end-of-year VR experience.

Of course, if I go the VR path, that would leave all this Saitek gear redundant.

As an occasional VR user, I have never managed to avoid at some point peering around the headset to use some RW hardware on my desk.
Not sure how a dedicated VR setup would run a 100% virtual cockpit.

Yeah, that is something that has been 'playing' on my mind a little. Its also possible the Puma X might 'conflict' with other gear (like the TPM, for example) and need to be the 'sole master' of certain channels like throttle. I guess I'll find out.

[Naki]

What's my sim?....somewhat frustratingly at times MS2024...bought early in release and hoping for great things but spent ages trying tweaking it.
Did muck around with the career mode but eventually got bored. Probably would of gone back to 2020 but unfortunately i borked it and then I ran out of storage space so something had to give. I have now bought a couple.of MS2024 only aircraft so I'm now fully committed. I have for now, steered clear of career mode but might go back to it if I can fly some of the better payware aircaft in it.

I now believe 2024 is better than 2020 or good as with the various updates.

[Charl]

Interesting... I gave my copy back.
You'd think a brand new sim would raise the bar by a fair old margin, would you not?
FS20 was way ahead in the user stakes when the last poll was taken, be interesting to see where the user base sits now.
I guess it's inevitable that it must supplant the existing sim, I'm not really tempted at this time.

[cowpatz]

I have yet to try 2024 so am sticking with 2020. It is running solidly now and I'm very happy with it.
Maybe when SU 3 comes out for 2024 I'll take a look at it as that is where most add on development will be taking place going forward. Plus, I'd like to get the A2A Aerostar which is only for 2024.

[toprob]

At the moment the MSFS 2024 SU3 beta is looking good, I rejoined the beta recently and now the sim loads properly, doesn't crash (none so far) and is looking nice and stable. The LODs which drove me balmy are improved, I can now start a flight at NZCH aeroclub, and actually see the tower across the airport, whereas in the early beta I'd need to be just about on top of the tower to see it. Performance is ok, not great by any means, but I am limited by my GTX 2070S.

However MSFS (2020) still looks good to me. 2024 is far too computery to me, it's hard to explain, so here's a couple of screenshots. These are my WIP Taieri. Note that these are two different sceneries, as I've been updating the airfield for 2024. But the aerial image has been updated and is the same in both.
First, here's (2020). I love the way everything looks like it's part of one whole world. I love how the distant hills look real, just enough scattering to make it look like it's life-sized. I love the sunlight glinting off the roofs.


Now here's 2024. Although there are plenty of ways I could adjust the look, this by default is just too garish, the PBR had been diluted for performance I guess, and the overall result misses the mark. It seems like the goal has not to make it look like reality, but make it look like a quality video game. Give me reality any day. It's a cartoon now.


These were both 4K, but reduced here. I didn't realise I was running in 4K, I normally use 1440P, but I guess as both have had sim updates lately, they've reset. But the fact that I haven't noticed shows that both are performing well for me.

There are other issues here, the procedural scenery -- rocks, grass, flowers, crops -- are a great addition to the scenery, but they should be easily excluded from airports -- rocky ground just isn't a feature of many airfields here in NZ. I notice that NZA is still held up with their NZCH for 2024, and I suspect this is the same problem I have with mine, there's maize growing on the airfield, and I can't make it go away.

So although I normally fly in 2024, and would love it to be all I need, (2020) is still far more of a finished product.

[Charl]

2024 is far too computery to me

I only have screenshots to go by, but that's a fair comment of what I've seen so far.
Also, plenty of daisies growing all over the place.

So what would be the advantages of FS24, once the "look" is tuned by whatever graphics software you choose?

[Naki]

The default flight model in 24 "feels" more realistic in my view.
The dust and dirt etc from bush flying is quite cool.
You can walk easily and do preflight checks and wander through terminals, etc. The default aircraft have more wear and tear functions. You can fly carreer mode if you must. The FPS is suppose to be superior (not sure if it is, in my case anyway).
The UI is worse in my view.

[toprob]

...
The dust and dirt etc from bush flying is quite cool.
...

This is similar to what I said about the procedural scenery -- a great addition to the sim, but I don't want a cloud of dust when I'm sitting on a tarmac somewhere. We just need more control over where this shows up, hence my wish for an 'exclude procedural from airport bounds' button.

The comment I made about the resolution of my earlier screenshots was actually wrong, if I use the Windows|PrtScn combo to take a screenshot in fullscreen mode at any resolution, it creates a screenshot at the Windows desktop resolution for some reason. Using the built-in camera mode doesn't do this, I did know that but I forget things...

[jpreou]

I finally got my new rig unboxed a couple hours ago. I'm still 'setting' up and have a long 'to do' list. MSFS 2024 is a wee way down the list but *maybe* this weekend I'll get it installed and setup the PUMA controls. Depends; with kitch reno happening at the same time, my free time, and space to move, is limited. Looking forward to what this new rig can offer though as my old one was certainly lagging and I had to have all the nice things switched off to run smoothly. On multi-flights I got a lot of 'look at that' which I never saw!

[deeknow]

I finally got my new rig unboxed a couple hours ago. I'm still 'setting' up and have a long 'to do' list.

photos !!!

[jpreou]

I finally got my new rig unboxed a couple hours ago. I'm still 'setting' up and have a long 'to do' list.

photos !!!

In good time! With everything going on, could be a few weeks. When I next get 2/3 of a day spare, I need to get out those Pro Flight PUMA controls and get those assembled.
I also need to re-build two older computers for the kids to take over, with appropriate monitoring \ parental control software. And the kitchen reno. And the concreting and new shed outside. And the HUNTS course about to start. And my 'little' girl (14) wanting to get into racing motorcycles, despite only three lessons and two track sessions on a KAYO! And my young lad doing his FPV drone racing every other weekend and wanting to prep for the NZ Open in February next year (which will come faster than we think!). So yeah, busy. I even find time to go to work each weekday. No idea how! But yep, next job in a couple weekends hopefully, will be those heli controls and setting up MSFS 2024 (base install done, nothing else, and haven't tried it because I have no controls on the rig!)
Jeff

[deeknow]

Holy cow Jeff you ARE busy .. I'm beginning to think you should prioritise photos of the bike racing that sounds amazing !!!

[hasegawa]

MSFS 2020 – my installation sits at just under 1 TB, and I see no reason to move to MSFS 2024. That would mean buying a new PC, while in real life my washing machine is 14 years old and my TV just gave up the ghost… priorities. MSFS 2020 gives me everything I need for exploration, GA and just enjoying the world.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles – for me this has the best aircraft modelling, aerodynamics, and damage modelling – both in combat and through pilot error. The occasional criticism of the ground graphics doesn’t bother me. In air combat or ground attack I’m not sightseeing – I need fluid performance on my current rig (Ryzen 5, 16 GB RAM, GeForce 1650), and IL-2 delivers exactly that. My set includes Moscow, Stalingrad, Prokhorovka (Tank Battles), Kuban, Odessa/Leningrad on the Eastern Front, plus Normandy and Bodenplatte in the West. At the moment I’m waiting for the release of Korea. and the first jets after WWII.

Andreas Schmidt, Potsdam, Germany

[K5054NZ]

Due to hardware, space and money limitations I've been on Xbox Series X for the last year and a half with MSFS2020 and now MSFS2024 through Game Pass. It's been terrific but does have the issues of using a game controller (proper HOTAS etc is available, but again cost prohibitive for me at the moment) and being limited to addons available in the official Marketplace. I've been having a ton of fun but having the issues Robin's mentioned with inappropriate autogen (rocks on grass runways, a radio mast in the middle of Whanganui's apron) and all the limitations of Asobo's scenery generation. There's so much potential but I think many of my issues are down to my way to fly being a little off the beaten track - I don't think the team planned for anyone to fly the length of the Whanganui River at 100ft in a helicopter!