Flight Sims

Owen

Any Flight Sim people in here. I've Flight Sim X at home, on a serious PC setup, and am delighted with it to the point that I'm going to buy the CH Pedals and Yoke. Anyone else simming?

FunkyDa

Yep! But I'm sticking with FS2004, enhanced with FS Global 2005 scenery addon.

FlutterinBantam

yes ....fs2004, global scenery, joystick. Basic stuff.

Currently on virtual flights around the USA north/ south direction using the flight planner and ATC stuff.

Currently have a 777 parked in Green Bay Wi.:D

RoundyMooney

Like Flutther, I'm sticking with fs2004 for now. I've heard horror stories about the new fs and mediocre processors and graphics setups (P2.4, gig of ram here, coupled with basic graphics card).

How's yours running ned?

Ruu_Old

Ah nothing serious at all, I have an ancient version of MS Flight Simulator (version 4.0) that I mesh about with from time to time. It is one of the older ones that I use with DOS. I think there were 4 aircraft used in it.

pclancy

Yeah ive been mad into it since 4.0, had every version, loving FSX but im trying not to spend much time playing pc games any more now, need to get better on the piano and get out of the house more!!

OP go for the yoke and throttle they're fantastic!

For irish scenery for FSX/2004 get over to www.ifsd.ie they're a cool bunch!

Anyone takin it to the next level with vatsim? Thats what really makes you become a flight sim nerd....virtual ATC!

www.vatsim.net

Owen

RoundyMooney wrote:

How's yours running ned?

TBH, not great. My PC should be up for the task, I've 2 Gigs of RAM, a Dual Core processor running at 2.13 Ghz, a half gig video card, and that's hooked upto a Dell 30inch monitor, but instead of running that at it's native 2660x1600, I have it running at 1480x1024 to keep frame rates up. But it's jerky and unresponsive, I might revert to FS2004, I have that on disk too.

Definitely going to go for the yoke and pedals. Here's a question, it should be possible to get this kind of visual range on my 30inch at full resolution, but without having to use 3 monitors. Anyone know what settings I need to change? No matter how much I up the resolution, I end up with the same view of the cockpit, just with more detail, and I'd love to have the panoramic view that this guy has :

pclancy

Just a matter of zooming out enough? You should be able to get that kind of a view but the three cards/monitors that bloke has just probably gives the wider angle/resolution possible. Not sure though, maybe ask on one of the FS forums on flightsim.com or avsim....

As regards FSX framerates yeah its a killer! DX10 and vista are supposed to make it better, ive never seen it run with all sliders to the best on any kind of current graphics card though....I was averging 25-30 with mid details/1024 on two Geforce 7600Gs/2Gb ram/Athlon 64 4400+.

Owen

Woohoo! Zooming out worked! And it seems to have increased the frame rate too for some reason. Go fig.

pclancy

Nice one. Id say its amazing on that 30inch. Enjoy!

SouperComputer

surprised nobody has mentioned X-Plane

I was toying with FS2004 but this new rig needs a beefier PSU. No gaming until I get one

muppetkiller

Are there any il2 flyboys here ?
Love that sim and can't wait for the Battle of Britain released later this year..

pclancy

Yeah did play it for a while, probably the best combat sim ive played lock on-modern air combat was excellent as well.

Captain Chaos

Yeah IL2 with all the addons, Lock On + Flaming Cliffs addon, Falcon 4.0 AA and with the Super Pack and Free Flight mods, all great sims.

Still waiting for the Black Shark addon for Lock On, 2 years and counting...:(

Owen

Just ordered the CH USB Yoke and Pedals. I almost ordered the throttle quadrant too, but I'll hold off a while to see if I realy need that or not.

pclancy

Nice one....

To complete everything you should get a trackir headset! Id say it would be amazing with your screen. Never seen one in action meself but vids look class!

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/03-enhanced-games/game-flight-simulator-x.html

Captain Chaos

I have a Track IR 4 pro for over a year now and its great.

I ordered mine from www.simw.com good price and next day delivery if order before 12pm.

Its a great piece of kit and makes dogfighting a lot easier. I could not play Lock On without without the track ir at this stage. To do that would be like trying to fly using a keyboard and mouse instead of a stick to me.

Owen

It's a pity you're in Dublin Chaos, i'd love to see that!

Owen

Never mind, it's amazing. Just amazing ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AO0F5sLdVM

Dyr

Ive played il2 since the demo but fell off the wagon around about the time pacific fighters came out. just bought il2:46 but the flight dynamics have changed quite a bit and its a good deal trickier.

Owen

I ordered from the same site as you Chaos, so hopefully I should have the Track IR and Pro Clip soon enough to go with the yoke. I found an interesting site below, where a team of developers are doing their best to render scenery for Ireland to VFR standards, with good models of the Airports to boot :

http://www.ifsd.ie/

pclancy

They have a very good helpfull forum as well!


*not that boards isnt supurb, fantastic and amazing in every possible way...

Fabio

I use FS2004 on the following system:

-3.33ghz Celeron Processor
-512mb RAM
-VIA Unichrome Integrated Graphics (no great shakes really)
-15 inch monitor

I am able to run most bars up to full with no real slow down on the default planes. However when I choose cockpit view, (not virtual cockpit), the guages are not very clear and are shown as if the zoom is too high (square steps instead of smooth circular patterns...)

Any solutions for that would be great!!!

As for the IFSD, it looks great and I'll def be downloading that for my FS.

Gablin

Long time simmer I am, started with US Navy Fighters (anyone remember that?), then USNF97, then Fighters Anthology, then Microsoft Combat Flightsim 1, then a wee break until Microsoft flight 2004. Had Pacific Fighters and Lock On, and recently got MCFS3 and 1946, but I'm not big into those.

Right now it's mainly MFS2004 with Roads and Rivers of Europe, and FS Terrain Europe installed. I used to have all the IFSD stuff installed, and a Boeing 314 Clipper addon which had foynes seaplane base modelled(if you visit Foynes Museum they might have some copies left), but R&RE renders them innacurate. After a re-install, I haven't reinstalled Carnmore (my local).

Question for anyone who knows Galway and flies with R&RE and FS Global, my terrain addon leaves Lough Atalia looking like a huge hill of water, does FS Global do the same? It'd be a pity to uninstall R&RE, since it's the only thing I've found which puts in Dun Laoghaire (I do a lot of flying in big floatplanes).

Also, I've made a few AFCADs of interest (Alcock & Brown crash-land site, Fairway 8 Connemara Golf Club, Foynes, Dublin Port) how do I upload them to places such as avsim.com?

Owen

You'd be better off posting them to the IFSD site, they could do with your work to complete Ireland terrain.

pclancy

Fabio you really need to get a 3D PCI-E or AGP graphics card, that will enhance your system for FS beyond belief and you wont get the problems you mentionned. The integrated graphics just dont cut it.

andrew_ireland

Here's one I've only ever heard of but not had a chance to try- I believe it works due to Excel 97 having the same engine as FS

http://www.eeggs.com/items/29841.html

Anyone that has Excel 97, try it and let me know if it's true!

pclancy

Yeah it does work I remember playing with that during boring ECDL classes

RoundyMooney

Doesn't work on Excel 2003

Ned, did you get your goodies yet?

Kintarō Hattori

Ahh I used to be full on into Flight Sims a few years ago, I used to review for avsim. It got far too hectic though and I just had to give it up as I was living and breathing the whole scene.
I haven't played much since then though I have been thinking about getting back into it.

Owen

RoundyMooney wrote:

Doesn't work on Excel 2003

Ned, did you get your goodies yet?

Sure did, got the Track IR, with the pro clip, and my yoke&pedals. It makes a significant different to simming. FSX is still only giving 13FPS with the settings half way though, and no matter if it's running at 1024x768, or 2560x1600, it averages 13FPS. Turn the quality settings down, and it goes to 30, but then it looks like crap. And this is with 2 Gigs of Ram, and a half gig graphics card!

RoundyMooney

I know what you mean.

Off topic for a sec, but I'm starting to think Micro$oft=Bloatware.

Installed IE7 there lately, and after a few hours the bloody thing was hogging about 120megs and rising of memory, (with only one tab running-and it scrolled like a bitch too, even though the PC was well able for it)!

I'm on Firefox now, 9 tabs open, and using less than half that.

Pity there's no such option for Flight Simming

Gablin

I know what you mean.

Off topic for a sec, but I'm starting to think Micro$oft=Bloatware.

Installed IE7 there lately, and after a few hours the bloody thing was hogging about 120megs and rising of memory, (with only one tab running-and it scrolled like a bitch too, even though the PC was well able for it)!

I'm on Firefox now, 9 tabs open, and using less than half that.

Pity there's no such option for Flight Simming

Ever hear of X plane?

RoundyMooney

I didn't.

I'll have a look at that later, thanks.

Gablin

Ahhh I don't beleive it!

Another Jane's fan!

Thanks for bringing back some memories....

"Good morning folks, and welcome, to the Black Sea!"

Just wish I could find the CD again.

pclancy

Anyone remember fleet defender? 4 floppy disks of F14 fun!

deaddonkey

simming since fs98

currently running fs2004 with stock scenery and a bunch of addon planes on this machine:

e6600 2.4Ghz Dual core
Nvidia 7600GT
2GB RAM 800Mhz
Vista home premium

i run it with the graphics cranked at 25 fps constantly unless i use intensive weather, in which case it falls down to 17 or so fps
turning down autogen helps a lot

addons I like: sf260 by real air simulations
fsd cheyenne 400ls
dreamfleet archer, 177, cessna 310. i used to have the 737 for fs2002, best 2d panel ever

all above except 737 have amazing VCs
i'm gonna get the DF 727 soon, looks slick

also, the spartan.zip from flightsim.com is great freeware too
i post at the flightsim.com forums, i wrote a few reviews there years ago

fun hobby, i'd love to fly for real but i'm damned if i'll ever afford it.

pclancy

Stock scenery? Get the Irish addon from www.ifsd.ie

Nice graphics card

Fabio

pclancy wrote:

Fabio you really need to get a 3D PCI-E or AGP graphics card, that will enhance your system for FS beyond belief and you wont get the problems you mentionned. The integrated graphics just dont cut it.

Thanks, looks like when I get a new machine I'll be looking for a 3d graphics card then.

jackofalltrades

Anyone remember fleet defender? 4 floppy disks of F14 fun!

I'd say if I looked hard enough I'd find it around the house somewhere. Could never get the hang of the game though.

BostonB

I spent hours with F15 III and F14 Fleet Defender and Tornado. Never could get into MS FS though I have FS2004 installed. Have a few modern sims, Falcon F4, Lock On, IL2 BOB2 etc. But Wings Over Vietnam is my favourite of recent yrs.

pclancy

Fleet defender sticks in my mind because it came in the pre-dvd sized box that was big enough to contain 3 huge manuals! It did take a lot of fiddling to work that radar and target system but the joy of knocking down a few Migs from 50 miles away with a few AIM54s then burning in to finish off the rest with cannon and sidewinders was brilliant. It was a seriously buggy game though but my 486 seemed to be well able to handle the graphics. The carrier landings were great too and the AI was well ahead of its time. How did they fit it all on 4 floppies?

Ah memories

BostonB

Funny I don't remember it being buggy at all.

BostonB

Funny I don't remember it being buggy at all.

Dyr

Speaking of joysticks... Im in the market for a new one. Anyone here use the X52? I have the X45 and while i love the throttle i gave up on the joystick and went back to the stick on my thrustmaster, The X45 is far too big and unresponsive. I hear the X52 is a twist rudder which suits me but i dont want to shell out on one if the joystick is anything like the X45.

Can anyone gimme a compare and contrast?

Owen

I went with the CH Yoke and Pedals, I felt having six axes on one joystick was just too much, so I diteched my joystick as soon as I had the opportunity to try out the CH Equipment. It feels like a real plane now.

Fabio

I just use a standard, kinda cheap joystick. It does the job without much fuss and I have no intention of upgrading it but I'd say you're prob a more serious flight simmer than I am.

(My very poor video card is testament to that!!)

Anyway's have people here seen the cockpitrs some people build in theor houses to make flight simming all the more realistic? I'd love to do tha someday!

pclancy

Yeah theres some incredible ones out there, id love to have a door in my eventual own house that opens into the cockpit of a 737! A few cans and some Kai Tak approaches with some mates would be some craic!

Owen

I had a mate over last week, who has no interest in either Computers, or Aviation. Stuck the Track IR on his head, and let him loose on Flight Sim with some safetys turned on. He wouldn't budge for 2 hours!

pclancy

Class I love when that happens! The Track IR looks like it would convert anyone to flight sims, looks like a deadly piece of kit!

BigTommyBomb

I used to be the biggest flight sim nut when I was younger. The one that got me into flight sims and into aviation was Flying Corps Gold. I was obsessed with that game. The manuals were as a big a draw for me as were the games. It really pissed me off when PC games starting coming out in console style boxes. The whole dumbing down of pc games kind of killed off flight sims to an extent.