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Which Flight Simulator should I buy?


goodjohn80

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Hello Folks,

 

After a long break I would like to get back into flight simulators, which one should I buy to get back into it now?

The only version I can find to buy is Microsoft Flight Simulator X Professional, is that version compatible with all the add-ons and mods available for FSX Gold and Deluxe?

The last FS I used was FS 2008.

Thanks in advance for comments and advice!

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Buy Flight Simulator X:Steam Edition (FSX:SE) from this download link, it's on offer at only £5.99 (9 US dollars) until 23 June..:)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/314160/

 

It's by far the most popular flight sim on the market today, and if you click 'Forums' at the top of this page you'll always see more people are viewing the FSX forum than all the rest put together, which means you'll get massive support and advice from members if you ever need it.

For the record, FSX was originally released in 3 versions in 2006/7, namely FSX Standard, FSX Deluxe, and FSX Gold.

Then in 2014 it was tweaked to improve performance and released on Steam as FSX:SE, and that's the one everybody buys nowadays, so that's the one you want..:)

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.... if you click 'Forums' at the top of this page you'll always see more people are viewing the FSX forum than all the rest put together

 

 

FSX

 

  • Threads: 37,649
  • Posts: 252,621

 

FS9

 

  • Threads: 44,601
  • Posts: 262,667

 

 

I think the MSFS community is still about evenly split between FSX and FS9. The former has better graphics, steeper system requirements, and a known proclivity to CTD. The latter is more stable, runs well on nearly any system, but isn't as "pretty" (though with more plentiful addons, and less expensive payware, you can make great improvements).

 

 

...which means you'll get massive support and advice from members if you ever need it.

 

That can be said for any flight sim which has a forum here.

 

 

Then in 2014 it was tweaked to improve performance and released on Steam as FSX:SE, and that's the one everybody buys nowadays, so that's the one you want..:)

 

Everybody? A bit of hype. There are still many who do not care for the draconian policies and invasive software associated with Steam and would prefer a used original copy from ebay or Amazon. (Not wishing to rekindle this debate, just pointing out there are alternatives.)

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..I think the MSFS community is still about evenly split between FSX and FS9. The former has better graphics, steeper system requirements, and a known proclivity to CTD. The latter is more stable, runs well on nearly any system, but isn't as "pretty" (though with more plentiful addons, and less expensive payware, you can make great improvements)..

 

I had FS9 (aka FS2004) for years and loved it to bits, but then I tried the FSX demo and was instantly hooked because as you say, it's got better graphics, so I switched to FSX and have stuck with it ever since, and it's run fine on my 3 computers over the years, namely a desktop PC with Win XP, a Laptop with Win 8.1 and a desktop with Win 7.

Sure, FSX may be a little harder for some people to get running properly, but everybody who's asked for help in the forum usually gets their problem solved quickly enough.

To sum up, FSX is like dating the prettiest girl in town, she might throw the odd tantrum but you gladly put up with her because she's so beautiful..:)

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/P-51-sunning_zpstethjewe.jpg~original

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Thanks for all the feadback!

 

I am decided to buy FSX but the only version immediately available for me is FSX Professional, is this version compatible to the other versions of FSX and the add-ons and mods?

 

You will have to check individual mods, some work with any FSX, some require a particular version.

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...

To sum up, FSX is like dating the prettiest girl in town, she might throw the odd tantrum but you gladly put up with her because she's so beautiful..:)

...

 

Then FS9 is like dating the girl next door - she's attractive, you know her well, and she's low maintenance.

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OK, it will be FSX Professional, now, will this configuration do?

 

 

Processor:

 

Intel® Core™ i5-6400 Prozessor (up to 3,30 GHz, 6 MB Intel® Smart-Cache)

 

Processor Clock Speed:

 

2.7 GHz

 

Processor Clock Speed with Over Clocking:

 

3.3 GHz

 

Processor Brand:

 

Intel®

 

Processor-Number:

 

i5-6400

 

Processor-Model:

 

Coreâ„¢ i5

 

Number of CPU cores:

 

4

 

Cache size:

 

6 MB

 

 

 

Memory type:

 

DDR4

 

Memory size:

 

16 GB

 

Memory configuration:

 

2x 8 GB

 

Memory Speed:

 

2133 MHz

 

graphic card

 

Graphics card manufacturer:

 

NVIDIA®

 

graphic card:

 

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 750TI

 

Graphics memory dedicated:

 

2 GB

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Windows 10, and here is the next question, will FSX run with Direct X 11?

 

Strongly recommend you purchase FSX-SE instead of any legacy FSX version. You should probably do some research about the changes that Dovetail Games to FSX to understand why you would get better stability and performance from FSX-SE for a modern operating system.

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..I am decided to buy FSX but the only version immediately available for me is FSX Professional, is this version compatible to the other versions of FSX and the add-ons and mods?

 

I've never heard of FSX Professional, where's the advert for it?

 

PS- For the record the only versions I've ever heard of are-

FSX Standard

FSX Deluxe

FSX Gold

FSX:SE

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Windows 10, and here is the next question, will FSX run with Direct X 11?

 

Many people are running FSX in W10 with no major problems. There is at least one W10 update you will have to uninstall however, as it will prevent FSX from starting.

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P3D is the best FS ever... nothing comes close! FSX still is very good, but I use sceneries and aeroplanes from FSX in P3D with little or no problems at all. By the way, A2A are the only planes that come close to flying the real thing...
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I've never heard of FSX Professional, where's the advert for it?

 

PS- For the record the only versions I've ever heard of are-

FSX Standard

FSX Deluxe

FSX Gold

FSX:SE

 

Looks like between Standard and Deluxe. Only see German references to it. A LOT of modern add-ons require Acceleration and this is definitely not FSX Gold/Acceleration.

 

https://www.amazon.de/Flight-Simulator-X-Professional-Edition/dp/B000H6SY9G

 

EDIT: Here is the info: https://flyingscool.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/whats-the-difference-between-fsx-deluxe-vs-basic/

 

FSX-SE is an optimized FSX Acceleration and includes ALL FSX feature sets.

 

EDIT 2: FSX-SE is $7.50 US about 5 euros until July 23.

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Many people are running FSX in W10 with no major problems. There is at least one W10 update you will have to uninstall however, as it will prevent FSX from starting.

I have every Win 10 Update ever released and my FSX runs just fine. Care to elaborate?

http://www.air-source.us/images/sigs/000219_195_jimskorna.png
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..[FSX Professional] Looks like between Standard and Deluxe..

 

Weird, I'd never heard of Professional..:)

Anyway I'm sure our advice to any newcomer wondering which version to buy is to plump for FSX:SE because it's the very latest version and incorporates everything that the earlier versions have, and it also has tweaks that might improve performance for some users, it was released in 2014, but all the others (including Professional) date back to 2006/7.

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Weird, I'd never heard of Professional..:)

Anyway I'm sure our advice to any newcomer wondering which version to buy is to plump for FSX:SE because it's the very latest version and incorporates everything that the earlier versions have, and it also has tweaks that might improve performance for some users, it was released in 2014, but all the others (including Professional) date back to 2006/7.

 

So it really looks like the way to go es the FSX SE. Thanks for the detailed input!!!

 

Now once again, do you think it will run well on this configuration (windows 10):

 

Processor:

 

Intel® Core™ i5-6400 Prozessor (up to 3,30 GHz, 6 MB Intel® Smart-Cache)

 

Processor Clock Speed:

 

2.7 GHz

 

Processor Clock Speed with Over Clocking:

 

3.3 GHz

 

Processor Brand:

 

Intel®

 

Processor-Number:

 

i5-6400

 

Processor-Model:

 

Coreâ„¢ i5

 

Number of CPU cores:

 

4

 

Cache size:

 

6 MB

 

 

 

Memory type:

 

DDR4

 

Memory size:

 

16 GB

 

Memory configuration:

 

2x 8 GB

 

Memory Speed:

 

2133 MHz

 

graphic card

 

Graphics card manufacturer:

 

NVIDIA®

 

graphic card:

 

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 750TI

 

Graphics memory dedicated:

 

2 GB

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No one's suggesting it, but if you're looking for a fresh start, you would do well to check out Dovetail Games Flight School and forthcoming Flight Sim. They are trying to evolve FSX, and both their work and their plans are worth a gander. Their Facebook page is a good place to start. Considering the individual idiosyncrasies of all the "main" sims right now, DTGFS is promising, and at $16, Flight School is sort of like a sophisticated demo.

 

I am one of those for whom, after years of simming with MSFS, FSX has become an increasingly expensive and tetchy dead-end; I've actually stopped buying add-on's until I see how Dovetail's full sim shapes up later this year.

 

Tim

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No one's suggesting it, but if you're looking for a fresh start, you would do well to check out Dovetail Games Flight School and forthcoming Flight Sim.

Tim

 

You know, I hadn't considered it quite this way...this is a great suggestion for a first time flight simmer.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Looks like I, too, will be downloading FSX-SE. Two questions:

 

1. The last time I used a Flight Simulator was 20 years ago! At that time, I recall that the simulator came with a user (flight) manual that provided detailed info about how to fly a plane. Is such documentation available for FSX-SE?

 

2. What do users normally use to control your flights? Keyboard? Joystick? Yoke? Mouse? Would appreciate suggestions!

 

Newbie, here...great thread and I learned a lot. Thanks to all!

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In answer to your questions:

1) In a way. Hows that for a non-answer? :D

All that info is now contained in the Learning Center, that is integral to the sim. Look at the left had menu when it loads up, it's over there. Anything you need to know about how-to.

2) I use a joystick for the cotrol surfaces, like the elevators, ailerons, rudders, flaps, and so on. I use a keyboard to pop-up windows, work the throttle, and many other FS commands. Like lowering the tailhook, setting the AP, and so on. I use the mouse for certain switchs in the cockpit, radios, and so on. So essentially, 3 out the 4 choices you gave. The most important thing, though would be the joystick, very closely followed by the KB. But all that is just me. You will get many answers to this one as there are people who answer :)

Super helpful NOT. Sorry, but they're the best answers I can give.

Pat☺

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Had a thought...then there was the smell of something burning, and sparks, and then a big fire, and then the lights went out! I guess I better not do that again!

Sgt, USMC, 10 years proud service, Inactive reserve now :D

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