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FSX

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EHM-2383 Ian:
Hi
I am looking for some info. I have just bought a new and powerful PC and am wondering whether or not to stay with FS9 or upgrade to FSX. I have one or two questions that will help me decide:
1. Did I pick it up correctly that the default airports in FSX are generally realistic enough not to require add-ons in the way that FS9 requires?
2. Is this the case also with general scenery - land and water?
3. Are the procedures for managing FSX - eg. installing add-ons - similar to those for FS9? I ask this because I very familiar and comfortable with FS9 and don't want to detract from my flying time by having to learn all about new systems.

I would really appreciate what folk think on this one.

Thanks,
Ian

EHM-1997 Alexander:
Even with a top end system, frame rates in FSX are IMHO rubbish. That, the random crashes and the flight modelling are the biggest reasons I'm using x-plane instead.

The graphics are a leap though over fs9 and camera (cinema verite) are very good.

Default airports are improved.

Textures are improved.

Weather and flight models are improvements on FS9.

If you are happy with FS9, I think you'll probably have an easier life sticking with it, or give x-plane 10 a try when that comes out, especially if you have a lot invested in add ons for FS9.

I've never been able to be happy with FSX like I was with FS9, and I spent a fortune on add-ons for both. FSX was and is a lemon in the series. Hopefully Flight will correct that.

EHM-2383 Ian:
Thanks for information Alexander. I must say I have been happy - mostly - with FS9 and may well stick with that meantime. I don't know a thing about x-plane so will need to do some research.

EHM-1997 Alexander:
FS9 runs perfectly well on vista x64. You may have to right click on the exe and disable window compositing, but other than that it runs very well.

Might be an idea to install it to a location outside of the program files folder.

I have a separate program files folder set up on another drive that I install most classic stuff to.

EHM-2387 Eric-Jan:
Hehe, although I am a die-hard FSX flyer, I have to agree with Alexander ;) Stick with FS9, for now, and give X-plane a try

I fly only FSX, because that's what I started out with, and I could not get used to the difference in keystrokes required to look around in FS9. Also, I got used to flying VC, which is not common in FS9, so I would miss that. Reason for me to stick with FSX, despite the whack fps... (which is not really a problem anymore since I bought me an i7-860, 6GB, GTX-260, W7-64 machine; locked @ 25fps no problem)
So I'lll stick to FSX, at least until a little after X-Plane 10 comes out. I have the demo of X-plane 9 installed, and I can advice you to do the same. It's free, and gives you a good idea of what to expect from X-Plane 10, if you know how to imagine what improvements will come with a next generation. X-plane has a very different "feel" to it, is incredibly fast, fps-wise, graphically comparable to somewhere between FSX and FS9 (X-Plane 10 will be MUCH better in that area), and it is said that it is more realistic as far as flight dynamics are concerned. I have next to no real life flying experience, so I cannot judge that, but it is certainly more demanding to fly in X-plane than it is in FSX.

To get back to your original questions:
1) Larger airports are OK, no addons needed, unless you really want them to be detailed as in real life (like EHAM, LFPG, EGLL, LPPT, etc. have marvellous addons). Regional airports, such as Castlegar are OK too. Only the realy small strips are not much more than that.
2) General scenery: not bad at all! see Vertical Studios Mission 2 of 3 for Swiss Alps in default scenery, for example.
3) The folder structure is slightly different to FS9, but other than that, no significant differences

So, the choice is yours, really. Stick with FS9, try out FSX, switch to X-Plane ...
But considering that the MS series will not continue to be developed any further (only the addon market), my advise would be to (also) give X-plane a try.

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