by harrinsson » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:07 pm
Dear Microsoft Flight Simulator Team. I actually was writing this letter over several days to prevent missing important things for me (and i'm sure for the rest of the users of Flight Simulator X) First of all I want to express my wide gratitude to all of you for the great work you have done over the years, since the times of Bruce Artwick on the improvement of FS. I understand that is not easy to re-create a real-world environment into a DVD. and you guys have managed to do that (big applause) To have a Flight Simulator X is A very important thing for me because I am a Frustrated Pilot (I could not be a real pilot due to my height) it over passes the FAA limits for commercial, but flight simulator has given me the satisfaction that a real pilot could experiment while flying (That is for, it is very important for me and for all of those like myself) to feel the High Standards of realism inside the FS. As I have been using FS for all these passed years many improvements were made. However I have to admit that some things were approved without having the proper attention. When I was using flight Simulator 2004 I was dreaming that on the the next generation of FS which is (FSX) they will pay more attention on the issue-islands of the world and also on the coast lines. When FSX appeared I was eager to get a new copy because I was sure that the texture of the panels on the aircrafts was going to be astonishing and that I could see (from my very defined pilot window) nice docks, ports, piers, and "real waves" splashing over the shores. The panels of the aircrafts on 2004 to FSX have not changed at all (the Mooney Bravo) is exactly the same in its entirety, the Douglas DC-3 remains the whole same.I thought that I was going to see realistic panels on the Caravan, Bombardier, and Lear Jet, and I was so excited expecting to see the realism particularly on the panel of the great 747, But none of these happened (and that upseted and deflated me, because the technology and resources are right there to create a photorealistic 3D panel)) as you can find them on the add-ons-planes that you purchase appart.(Not difference even on the distortioned parts of the plane that you see from the pilot seat)( What happened with photos of real wings, why can't they use those??? The only difference was found on the De Havilland Beaver which panel pleased me very much and you could see that a hand of an artist was there). As a Flight Simulator pilot, I was dreaming that one day I could go on my realistic-panel plane to the island of Wake, Samoa, or pehaps to Turks and Caikos. and find a lot of birds on the Parrot island (that is also available) to notice the blurishness of the glasses due to the cold and wind (available) the water running on the windows (available) and see real towns from above (Not the annoying white-redded-roofed-boxes, placed on browned-charcoaled-savanahs, that were acceptable on prior FS's) beaches, docks with boats and piers (and not these horrible little plants that appear in front of you as you go by, and maintain an unrealistic size that draws you out from your dream. Like the terrible gigantic plants that grow on the mountains in front of Princess Juliana Airport in St Marteen, that destroy completely all the other good work made by you. (I don't think that I am being unfair on my comment as the technology is available right as this moment).
I however loved the change inflicted on the "water". The oceans on Flight Simulator X left me spellbound and also the realistic sight that you can see from the farness of the mountains, the change of colors made by the distances and the difference between the mountains that are far away and the ones that are near by. That, is great (but again when you get close to the surface of the mountain, the "Cursed" little-pre-historic-round-gigantic little plants appear, sabotaging the moment. Those plants do not have a realistic size (if one of these plants were brought to the real world, one of them would be bigger than a big house)
I wish they could pay more attention on the cities (the locations around the buildings (the sidewalks). when you get close to the building the enchant disapears as you find yourself seeing a building placed on a naked-brown-earth (that, I think could be corrected on the models placing a sort of (light weighted-gray-lined-color. as if it were the roads and boardwalks.
Last week I departed from Los Angeles on my Add-on-purchased Beechcraft Bonanza V35B from LAX on direction to the South West I passed across the islands of Catalina and San Clemente and went further south to a misteryous island (lat: N 29