Will you be buying?

[cavity]

How many of you will buy FSX the day it is released?
I have decided to wait until DX10 is released because I am going to get a new rig and hope that if any patches are released, I can do it all in one swoop.  After waiting for more info, I am starting to think that FSX is going to be a disappointment.  Other than improved mesh and weather,(which already exist on the market), I am just not seeing the kind of improvements that I had hoped for.  It sounds like ATC will be in the same format, just better voices.  That is not something to write home about.  Same default airlines, no FMC, nothing amazing to say wow.  Although I will still buy it, Im not sure how they can fix this, but the freeware and payware market has outpaced MS so far they really cant catch up at this point.  To include even the basic elements of all the new stuff would take more time and money than MS is willing to invest.  I think you will eventually see continuous patches or upgrades in the future rather than new releases.  Too many changes and improvements happen over 2 years for MS to compete with.  Now before everyone makes claims about whining, this is ONLY my opinion, everyone is entitled to their own and how they wish to express it.  I feel that my gratitude to the freeware and payware market should be expressed for truly pushing the boundaries for FS.  Without their hard work, the sim would be nowhere near what it is today.  Todd

[x_jasper]

Not buying.

[BAW0343]

Its been said over and over, "FSX looks about the same as FS9 with good addons, so im not happy with FSX" Well you havent tried it yet so whos to say you dont like it? And remember, if FS9 with add-ons looks like Default FSX, imagine FSX with add-ons. i know for one that the flight dynamics have been made better and who knows what elce they have improved, we need to wait for its release before we jump to a conclusion "I don't like FSX"

[Katahu]

Cavity, you got a point there and you seem to be the kind of person who understands the "if-you-don't-like-it-don't-buy-it" concept.

Me, I'm buying it. Why? Simple. Just like the movies, I just enjoy what's out there.

[cavity]

I really wasnt saying that I wont like it, Im just trying to get at the point that MS is going to have some big decisions to make about he future of this platform.  Since the freeware and payware markets will continue to drive the sim,  I dont think MS has much choice but to jump on the wagon if it wants to reap the benefits.  There isnt much benefit to MS spending millions of dollars every 2 years to release a product for 50-70 dollars, when payware alone sometimes costs that much.  With freeware and payware reaching incredible realism, how will MS market a sim that doesnt live up to the current standards of the market?  I assume that is why they are heading towards x-box features and such.
After thinking about this some more, maybe adding some of the game like features will attract a larger audience that may ultimately stabilize the franchise.  I just hope they can get the right balance so we dont head down the path of Train Sim.  Todd

[Katahu]

There isnt much benefit to MS spending millions of dollars every 2 years to release a product for 50-70 dollars.

Would you prefer it to be the other way around?

[cavity]

No, it is great that it costs as little as it does.  I just dont know how they will continue to do so in the future, without making some sort of adjustments.  Who would have thought that the FS community would explode the way it has.  Maybe MS will have to hire some of these individuals and come out with a kick ass revolutionary flight sim.  Todd

[flyboy 28]

I will eventually. I'm building a computer completely around it (once I get the money), so we'll see.

[Fozzer]

Fozzer, as usual, will be rushing off to his local Game Shop to thrust loadsa money into the shop-keeper's sweaty palms for the luxury of purchasing FS X, immediately it is released....
...exactly the same as he has with all his other MS Flight Simulators... ...!

I collect 'em.... ...!

Paul "Loadsa-money" Fosbery.... ...!

[vololiberista]

This is why FSX is to be released in two versions.
Version 1 is incorporating the best of all the free addons and making us pay for them.
Version 2 is Let's try and do something a little better.
Many of the flight models on FS9 are already at optimum and can't be improved. Other's of course need a lot, but that is down to the developer's ability not the platform.
Some weather effects could be improved from FS9. As for moving vehicles and birds they are already available on FS9.
I would caution anyone to "rush out blindly and buy it"  Until DX10 is firmly established along with Vista and running on a cutting edge PC I doubt whether more than a marginal improvement on FS9 will be seen. If it is going to be mainly a gaming platform and not a full blown sim then I'll stay with FS9.  I'm a pilot with almost 20 years of experience so my expectation from a flight sim programme is VERY HIGH. The only sims that are close to realistic are the fully developed a/c type cockpit trainers for pilots.
The PC sims are great for practising cockpit drills and the like but as for a simulated flying experience NO WAY!!
Vololiberista

[Katahu]

Even though I am fan of the FS series, I have to say that Microsoft still has a long way to go when it comes to the flight models. For one, they have to fix the high-speed bug encountered in the FS series whenever a player reaches the limit. Microsoft would also need work on making FS understand the dynamics files a little better. I have learned from experience that the "aircraft.cfg" is pretty dang hard to understand when it comes to making anything stable. I guess it's because I'm the type who makes car addons instead.

[Fozzer]

...it's only a game to amuse little boys like us, with an over-active, vivid imagination... ...!

..get used to it... ...!

Real Pilots fly real aeroplanes......!

LOL...!

Paul... ...!

[x_jasper]

Lmao.

Maybe they should release FSX with a slightly different name? : "FSX, the prophecy comes true / we did ya like kippers"

Perhaps more folk in the 'sim' community are begining to realize MS is NOT in business to give quality & accuracy. Their business is based on short life span high volume sales, period!

The bulk of our community say 70~90% are what might be categorized as casual gamers. purists and aviation enthusiasts account for a small minority. MS is not going to deliver what a small minority wants, there simply is not enough return in it for them. Hence things like air dynamics etc are taylored for the masses who would find aerodynamic concepts and historical accuracy too challenging. In other words, getting it right results in either a poor seller or a long life span product - not good for business.

An example is the fact that you hardly ever see anyone complain about the bull**** ground speed in any of these sims. Trust me on this, 200 feet altitude at 450 knots is very, very different from what you see in CFS1/2/3 FS9 etc. In the virtual world the average punter would fly straight into the side of a hill if MS sims were accurate in this respect. Although in my opinion they should at least get this one right as it would be a major selling point.

Someone on this thread stated that FSX will have improved flight modelling, I don't think so.

Personally I would agree with the general concensus that MS are hedging toward gaming, i.e. xbox and it's offsprings.

For the enthusiast minority, I think it would be better to 'wait and see'. After all, plenty out there who are so eager to get the latest offering no matter what you tell em. This way there will be plenty of feedback, and at least FSX will have been given a chance.

Alternatively, re-write all the airfiles, damage profiles, model scaling, and make accurate sound files. Then you have a half decent sim.

(or just take up fishing or something like that)

Jasper

[AnGeL_MaKeR]

If it's got wings in it, I'm gonna buy it, just like I did with CFS3 when it was released!  (I was immediately disappointed trying to run that beast on my measley little machine at the time... 900 mhz Duron, 512mb ram...)

Nevertheless... I will be buying FSX as soon as they're taking it off of the truck to load it up on the shelves in the stores, just like I have with the last few releases of M$'s flight sims.  Just like Mr. Fozzer said, "I collect 'em!"

(...I just hope it's not CFS3 without guns...)

[Lazerbeak]

I won't be buying unless I can get my hands on a rig that will allow me to run it with full settings. And, considering that I will probably never have such a system, I'll just have to learn to live without FSX.