Anyone else tried Microsoft flight?

[HeadInTheClouds]

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this Microsoft Flight game, the successor to FSX from Microsoft. It is free to download and play with more scenery and aircraft costing extra, aircraft for free are the Icon A5 (Amphibian) and a rotary engine aircraft not dissimilar to a Tiger Moth (Can't recall the name).

 

To me it doesn't seem as realistic as FSX does, the sounds seem less real and it just seems to be marketed more to people who know nothing about aviation. Although they have fixed the overly sensitive braking mechanism which saw the nose of most aircraft diving into the ground when braking in FSX. Stalls seem to work out well in MSFlight however spins don't, and the rudder controls are terrible (But I don't have a joystick which is likely why)

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Tried it. Too power hungry for my basic pc. Poor response even with a joy-stick and it may be "free" but you get sod all really. Not impressed.

 

It is no longer on my machine.

 

 

[Guest pookemon]

Tried it today. I have been a long time user of Flight Simulator - from way back in the Apple Mac days (wireframe graphics) to Flight Sim X. In my opinion they have been getting less and less realistic over the last few versions - and Microsoft Flight is by far the worst of them all. Personally I think that Flight Sim 98 was the best of the versions, it's multiplayer was easy to use, and you could fly with people across the globe even with the crappy connections that were available back then. 2000, and 2004 weren't too bad - but I didn't use the Multiplayer portion of those. Flight Sim X dropped the ball. It's buggy (crashes), you can't set it up how you want it and then just leave it (it reverts to the original screen config or, as in my case, it begins displaying on the wrong monitor and you can't move the screens around) and the flight physics are of a fairly poor standard (I managed to spin a Cessna, backwards). There's been too much emphasis on "make it look pretty" and not enough on "make it realistic" in my opinion.

 

Microsoft flight takes that to a whole new level. I can play it fine with maximum resolution, maximum detail and everything set to "Realistic". But it just doesn't feel like a simulator. It feels like an arcade game. The free flight portion of the game is severely lacking, and while I could buy more scenery aircraft etc. - I'm not inclined too - I just don't think it'd be worth whatever they are charging.

 

Tested on: Intel Q9550, nVidia GTX260, 8Gig RAM, 1920x1680 LCD, CH Products Yoke and Pedals.

 

 

[HeadInTheClouds]

Fully agree. I do find FSX good but that is because it is the first one I played, even if it is insanely resource intensive. MS Flight seems more like a fun game rather than a sim game, and I am glad it was free because I would have been frustrated to pay for it...

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

So while we're on this topic, who uses X-Plane? And what do you think of it?

 

 

[J170 Owner]

I have never found PC flight simulators of any kind to be realistic. I have flown a F18 simulator at Williamtown RAAF base and a huge simulator in the UK 32 years ago! That was awesome...

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Not a flight sim but you'd remember Falcon-4. An F16 based game which became a bit of a winner back in the 2005. Well some of the 'fanatics' have taken that game to a new level and have made every switch and knot in the cockpit, do what it's supposed to do. I can't vouch for the flight characteristics but you can pretend to be a fighter pilot like in no other simulator.

 

Here's how to cold start an F-16. Enjoy.

 

 

 

[Ferris]

Does anybody know how and where to download additional aircraft for MS FSX? The current range is fairly limited.

 

 

[prwood]

Does anybody know how and where to download additional aircraft for MS FSX? The current range is fairly limited.

Avsim Online or Flightsim.com both have a huge range of downloadable freeware in aircraft, scenery etc

 

 

[prwood]

So while we're on this topic, who uses X-Plane? And what do you think of it?

X-plane 10 on my iMac (also runs under Windows). Runs beautifully with orthophoto scenery of the UK. Would love to be able to run it with all options maxed, but don't think the computer has yet been developed that could do that!! One thing I dislike in v10 is the so-called plausible world. I think the roads & buildings look cartoonish & much prefer to use 3rd party add-on orthophoto scenery.I prefer X-Plane to FSX (which I also run under Bootcamp on the iMac). Get a much better frame rate with X-Plane, although FSX has a huge resource in add-ons. Interesting to see more 3rd party add-ons are being developed for X-Plane now that the MS team have been disbanded for over 2 years. Have recently installed UK photo scenery & it's pretty realistic.

 

 

[daddy-jake]

Was just popping in to get the word out about the new Microsoft Flight. I found the short rewarding flights good value. The physics model could be better but it is going to get better. We're all Beta testing it on mass without even knowing it. I thought the plane models were very good and the analytical data available at the press of a button to be very cool. But mainly it's the flight model that let it down, that said there are some intricate details of the physics model that are more accurate than FSX. (fly straight and level, roll left , watch compass ribon at the top of the screen)

 

I am a huge fan of X-plane 9 for flight physics and it is completely hackable. They even tell you how in the manual so you can tweek it to your own specs. I agonised for days when I did try to justify to myself but glad I did and bought a Saitek 52x Joystick http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.html if you want to check it out.

 

Isn't it about time we organised a dedicated server flyin on FSX some time soon?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Not a flight sim but you'd remember Falcon-4. An F16 based game which became a bit of a winner back in the 2005. Well some of the 'fanatics' have taken that game to a new level and have made every switch and knot in the cockpit, do what it's supposed to do. I can't vouch for the flight characteristics but you can pretend to be a fighter pilot like in no other simulator.Here's how to cold start an F-16. Enjoy.

 

I agree, it's the only realistic one around.

 

 

[Guest pookemon]

Falcon 4 was pretty much the best of the best - it had an update from a third party (who licensed the "leaked" source code a few years back) called Falcon 4: Allied Force. There were going to be further versions but that never eventuated. The problem with Falcon 4 was that you can't use it to practise your circuits, xwind landings etc.

 

 

[daddy-jake]

There is an update to Falcon 4.0. It's called free falcon 5. It uses a polished version of the same source code as falcon 4. You might need to know a little about playing around with torrents and ISO's. But very worth it. I've read that they are soon to release free falcon 6. FF5 is free. You're right Pookemon the Wx in falcon 4 couldn't be modified and the flight model wasn't the best. Actually it was pretty crap, but in it's day it was hell cool. If there was a gun to my head and I had to choose it would have to be X-Plane 10.