How's everyone doing on FS8?

[PC-Pilot]

I had a great time with FS8. Unfort. my lappy died and I got a fairly decent desktop that runs FSX just very well.

I might install it to see how it runs but 64-bit WIndows I'm not so hopeful.

[pmkaiser]

I'm using 2002 solely, as I can't find a decent copy of 2004. I run an XP-based laptop, and it works just fine on it.

Do you run XP, Vista, or 7?

Mark Kaiser
Makati, Manila

[PC-Pilot]

Windows 7.

[napamule2]

PC-Pilot,
Can't you run FS2K2 in 'XP' mode? If you can then you should get 200 fps. Not kidding. It should be up there, unless you lock it somewhere 'sane' like 60 fps (which is where I locked mine and I get solid 59 fps. I got 2K2 to run/test the Concorde (for later inport to FS9) and to re-tweak some vehicles I had long time ago. I LIKE those frames. I have FSX locked at 30 and get 20 to 24, and stutters, and sound corruption, and gray hairs. So why wouldn't us simmers not like FS2K2. My kind of sim.
CB
Napamule

[PC-Pilot]

@napamule

From what I heard, XP virtualization mode doesn't support 3D hardware acceleration.

Certainly, I'd appreciate a sim that runs a very fluid >30 FPS at all times. But then again, FS2002 lacks so much of the fun that is FS X. Don't get me wrong. FS2002 IS FUN, lots of. But FS X triples that easily.

I got FS X locked at 20 FPS with all the settings max. Most of the times, the sim runs at 20 FPS, in heavy load situations it's down to 13 or so. But, it's never unflyable and looks pretty smooth when it's flying with 20 FPS. I'm having lots of fun with FS X right now (the combination of looks and the implementation of mature virtual cockpits is its strongest selling points for me. Add the mission feature to the list of things I don't want to miss anymore.)

Since I build this desktop myself, I'm not shy upgrading in about 2 years time or so from 4 GB 633 Mhz Ram to 8 GB or more at 1033 Mhz and from a Core 2 at 2.86 Mhz to a Quad Core.

I'm very pleased with my NVDIA 9600 GT overclocked version with 512 MB.

The current system is enough to run a vanilla FS X installation at maximum settings. I got MyTraffic installed and I run an external ATC program. I tweaked the settings a bit back (water from highest quality to a good medium quality. Percentage of AI traffic around 20%) to not lose FPS in heavy load situations.

If you build a PC yourself one day and XP mode is a must, be sure you buy a processor that supports virtualization mode (all of the new ones should).

Sorry for the long FS X fanboy post but I'm getting back into FS8 hopefully soon. There were some scenery addons that I fell in love with and I want to use once in a while.