Prepar3d- The future of SIMULATION?

[michaelb15]

first of all, I hope I put this in the right place, as it is FSX (although a heavily modified version)

Well after reading extensively about what flight is going to be, I am wondering what people think of Prepar3d. Seems it is based off of FSX, and it has people working from the ACES studio working on the bugs, (of FSX) and just generally working on the same thing they have been for 25 years.

If you have not heard of Prepar3d it is what Lockheed has done with FSX. Although it is $500 (or $10 a month), it covers the entire planet and not just what Microsoft wants to include in Flight.

If you have not seen Prepar3d here is a link: http://www.prepar3d.com/experience/images/

I do not want to compare it to flight, becuse nobody has seen the "Full" version. But we all know that it will not be like FSX.

I think Prepar3d will be for the people that would like to stick with the tried-and true Flight simulation series. (and FSX addons work on it as well)

Personally, price aside, I am pleased that work is still being done on the FS series as we know it. I am not sure of what Flight will be like, but I do not want to get my hopes too high on it, and I like the idea that there is the alternative. (being a product that I have stood by for my entire life)

So what do you guys (and girls) think of what lockheed has done?

[Steve M]

I've been thinking about taking the plunge, but I still want to review things like Hardware specs and how much upgrades cost. I have heard if you get the monthly deal updates are free and if you buy it, updates are not free? I would rather purchase it than pay monthly. Also I am thinking the monthly is for developement only.

[Boikat]

Prepar3d has been mentioned before, and seems like a "good thing (tm)", if it were not for the price. But it is what it is, and LM does not seem interested in lowering the price.

If I had the spare money, and as long as FSRecorder works with it (or, if it has it's own recorder that works better than the default FSX record feature), I would seriously consider plopping down the money, but would do the $10.00/month thing first, just to check it out.

[Daube]

LM cannot legally lower the price. Else the product would become a general public entertainment product, which is prohibited by the contract they had with MS when they bought the FSX (ESP) engine.

You can either buy it once for all, and pay 500$ once.
Or you can "rent" it (officially, for developping and testing your stuff) for 10$ per month. You get TWO licences for this price, which means you can legally install it on two different computers.
If you want to produce freeware stuff, the rent is OK.
If you want to produce AND SELL payware products, you'll certainly have to pay the 500$.
This sim is intended to be embeded into professionnal training simulators, with moving cabins etc...

Most FSX addons work in P3D.Prepar3D (P3D) is FSX with further corrections, modifications, optimizations, additionnal features and evolutions. Next changes include a full 64bits executable (bye bye, out of memory errors) and deeper usage of the multi-core CPUs.

Perpar3D is, by definition, the future of FSX.

[Boikat]

Well, that explains the price tag. 

[Strategic Retreat]

Whatever the reason, when the price is too high, it is too high.

Half a grand only for the barebone sim? And then? Shall we begin receiving hypothetical payware add-ons with a zero to much on their price too?

Not for me. I refuse to soil myself with Flight and cannot afford the migration to Prepar3d... AND I'M NOT QUITE ALONE AT THAT... so we need a third alternative.

Be it X-plane, Flightgear of whatever, we shall see what this third way will be when it will be needed. For the moment, what we have should suffice. Neither FS9 or FSX have not quite finished yet to say their own.

Let us use what we have for the moment and wonder about something else when the something else will be available.

[Steve M]

I was wondering where you were Strat.. glad your OK. 
  Pricey? Yes. So you are correct in saying FSX and 9 are still there. But the opportunity to take FSX to a higher level is something that didn't exsist 2 years ago and to me that's exciting.  8-)   

[Fozzer]

For my way of thinking, $500 equals a; Very Expensive Computer Game!

I cant help reminding myself every time that I am sat in my comfy arm chair, in front of my Computer Monitor Screen, watching a pixel generated "object" constantly in the centre of the screen, whilst I wiggle a game joystick around to cause the pixels in the background to be constantly manipulated to give the the impression that I am flying a real aeroplane through real air...
Of course, I am not. Its just a figment of my imagination, and I am wondering to myself, something of better use that I could put that $500 to...instead... ...!

Its the CFS 2 game...but without the imaginary guns and bombs... ...!

Paul...pretending to fly with FS 2004!....(

[pirate21213]

[quote]For my way of thinking, $500 equals a; Very Expensive Computer Game!

I cant help reminding myself every time that I am sat in my comfy arm chair, in front of my Computer Monitor Screen, watching a pixel generated "object" constantly in the centre of the screen, whilst I wiggle a game joystick around to cause the pixels in the background to be constantly manipulated to give the the impression that I am flying a real aeroplane through real air...
Of course, I am not. Its just a figment of my imagination, and I am wondering to myself, something of better use that I could put that $500 to...instead... ...!

Its the CFS 2 game...but without the imaginary guns and bombs... ...!

Paul...pretending to fly with FS 2004!....(

[Rocket_Bird]

To put it bluntly (and I hope I don't offend anyone), I think there is way too much hype for Prepar3d and I don't exactly consider it the future of simulation at this point.

[michaelb15]

[quote]I was wondering where you were Strat.. glad your OK.

[Daube]

There is need for clarifications here.

Prepar3D is not the future of simulation.
Prepar3D is the future of FSX, that's all.

The "technology" which is in FSX is not old at all, in fact that doesn't mean anything. We're talking about a platform here, and as a platform, FSX (and P3D) is still way ahead of any other sim currently available anywhere. It allows the most complex sceneries, the most complex planes, the highest level of realism and immersion, and it had an UNLIMITED range of possible features. A2A and VRS prove that everyday.

Now, P3D is just that, and more. More, because it's still being developped. The performance will get much better than the FSX performance. The rendering will get better than the FSX rendering. The feature list will get more impressive than the FSX feature lists. The fact is that P3D still evolves, while FSX can only receive new addons, that eventually bring in new features.... features that can be brought into P3D too. Granted, P3D on a visual point of view is, for the moment, just identical to FSX. However, this might change.

And for the price, once again you have the choice between 500$ once or 10$ a month.

Now, the only "alternative" for FSX... is FSX for the moment. XPlane is far from being ready, but it will happen in a not-so-far future. For the moment, we can wait with FSX.

[Cusance]

There is need for clarifications here.

Prepar3D is not the future of simulation.
Prepar3D is the future of FSX, that's all.

The "technology" which is in FSX is not old at all, in fact that doesn't mean anything. We're talking about a platform here, and as a platform, FSX (and P3D) is still way ahead of any other sim currently available anywhere. It allows the most complex sceneries, the most complex planes, the highest level of realism and immersion, and it had an UNLIMITED range of possible features. A2A and VRS prove that everyday..........
...........Now, the only "alternative" for FSX... is FSX for the moment. XPlane is far from being ready, but it will happen in a not-so-far future. For the moment, we can wait with FSX.

This is right. FSX from a code point of view is actually a bit of a strange beast. some of the code, such as the rendering engine is very advanced and in a 64 bit version would have been amazing.
One has to ask why LM is working on Prepa3ed at all? It cant be to just keep it as is. IF their objective is to embed it in simulator cabins then improving realism must be high on their critical path. This may mean significant changes to the structure of FSX. I think MS turned their back on FSX NOT because its bad code or old hat, but because it did not afford them the commercial opportunities they wanted from a flight sim. The ability for third party add ons development must have been high on the hit list. They would have wanted to close that option as they have done with Flight. So hence the 'bottom up' development of Flight.
Where does it leave FSX?
I agree that P3D is unlikely to be its long term future, simply because LM will be developing for a different, more professional market. they wont take third party FSX development into account. So slowly but surely P3D will move away from FSX and become less and less 'compatible' (that dreaded word).
Everything hinges on how succesful Flight will be. If it bombs then maybe MS will become more 'open' with it or withdraw from the market all together.
But for now I think it is far too early to make decisions. There is a lot of fun still left in FSX and it remains to be seen what exciting things third party developers may now come up with. They have a major incentive now in knowing that the FSX platform is stable as is for the future and there is a captive market out there.
So sit tight and watch this space I would say.

[Strategic Retreat]

[quote]I was wondering where you were Strat.. glad your OK.

[alrot]

who didn't spend more than $500 after FSX was release? I spend more than a thousand and still my computer does not have what FSX really requires