I came in out of the cold...

[birdguy]

After a few years of toying with FSX and P3D and uninstalls and reinstalls and generally spending too much time tryng to fix things I came back home to FS2004.

 

I've been running it for a couple months now with nary a hiccup. On the computer I bought for running FSX it's virtually flawless and runs virtually ultra smooth. I spend a lot more time flying now than fixing.

 

I have stacks of CDs I saved of all the addons I had collected over the years of running FS2004.

 

Yesterday I found a disk with all the Bush Flying Unlimited ai aircraft, AFCADs and traffic file. I was like the old man who went up into the attic and discovered his old Lionel train set.

 

Yes, Mr. Wolfe, you can go home again.

 

Noel

[Mowgli22]

Welcome back, It was American Flyer for me. Could never get used to the 3 track system of Lionel. Hope your fs9 continues to satisfy. Cheers

[ViperPilot2]

Step back into the Light, and revel in the Glory that is FS9!

 

Welcome back!

 

Alan :pilot:

[Thorbengilles]

well come back dear.. glory is waiting for you

[Wing_Z]

There's a bit of this going around... :)

I am hoping developers will see that it is entirely possible to make stuff that can be used (albeit in slightly different form) across the MS-based simulators!

[ViperPilot2]

There's a bit of this going around... :)

I am hoping developers will see that it is entirely possible to make stuff that can be used (albeit in slightly different form) across the MS-based simulators!

 

 

+1 to that!

 

As long as we keep stoking the FS9 fires, and if the 'tweakers' out there start coming to their senses... who knows?

 

(just kidding about the 'tweakers' part...)

 

Alan :pilot:

[Qballbandit]

Hi Noel,

Glad you're having fun instead of ripping your hair out.

Not quite the same situation, but because of a hard drive issue on my older XP FS9 machine, I had been away for 3 1/2 years. I finally salvaged all of the FS9 stuff from that drive in November 2015, that I did not have saved on CD.

I toyed with the notion of moving on and starting over with FSX, or whatever, but didn't have the energy or time for the whole new learning curve to get them going.

Very glad I stayed with FS9 for now, as it looks better and runs better then ever on my newer gaming rig.

And, since being back, I have educated myself on tweaks I never applied in the past, which further enhanced the entire experience.

I came home too....and ain't leaving anytime soon! :p

 

Neil :cool:

[birdguy]

And it takes and order of magnitude less disk space. I have a 500GB SSD that used up over 400GB with P3D and all the Orbx scenery. Now I have FS9 with all the MAIW for North America installed, all the Misty Moorings scenery installed, several payware airports, FSGenesis Mesh, and load of airplanes and it's only taking up 10% of the space.

 

Noel

[zswobbie1]

Welcome home, our house is your house...

So, have you seen Howard's http://biggles11.wixsite.com/the-natural-world

NOT to be missed!!!

 

And, of course, my favourite... http://www.ford-tri-motor.net/

Some/all amazing stuff there. Scenery, planes, textures.

As well as ramps & sloping runways.

[jgf]

...have you seen Howard's http://biggles11.wixsite.com/the-natural-world

...

 

Oddly, Firefox displays a blank white page there, though K-meleon displays it properly. I was taken aback by a dozen links to videos but no download links; instead we are expected to email, "Please, sir, may I have a download link?". I'm not playing those games, if there is no charge then post the link(s) and be done with it.

 

I'm also curious as to system specs for using such textures. I recall the Blue Sky scenery for FS9, absolutely beautiful but needed a next generation computer to display the meshes and textures decently.

[Wing_Z]

I was intrigued... haven't seen any of Howard's latest.

Maybe Wob can comment on what's with the convoluted download process?

[birdguy]

I wouldn't hold my breath for any significant changes or addons to FS9 unless someone did it out of a labor of love. Certainly the payware community isn't going to go retro.

 

With FSX giving way to Steam and P3D we are the retirement home devotees of FS9.

 

I never did get rid of my P3D/Orbx rig. It's still there in a simplified form (only the North American FTX addons) Because I still like to see the scenery from time to time.

 

But I regularly fly FS9 now because it performs better on my rig and is less prone to anomalies.

 

I drive a Prius now. But if I could afford one I'd go back to an old MG or Austin Healy. Less performance but more fun to drive. Can you still get cars with standard transmissions?

 

The world today is geared for Xers and Millenials and they are the market. Old patoots like us aren't. Follow the money.

 

Noel

[Wing_Z]

After a few years of toying with FSX and P3D and uninstalls and reinstalls and generally spending too much time tryng to fix things I came back home to FS2004.

Well, if you came back to what you left back then, you are missing out!

 

There have been some very clever and dedicated minds applied to the hobby in the last couple of years, both pay- and freeware.

I'll leave you to trawl the online shops for FS2004 stuff, but as an outstanding freeware example take a look at this:

 

FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 SceneryFS2004 CYQR 2015 Regina Airport Scenery

[ Download | View ]

Name: cyqr_2015.zip

Size: 196,289,480 Date: 08-13-2015 Downloads: 582

 

FS2004 CYQR 2015 Regina Airport Scenery. Regina Airport can trace its history back to 1919, when Regina airport became the first registered "air harbour" in Canada. This FS2004 scenery of CYQR represents the airport as it was in spring of 2015. It includes detailed models of all major airport buildings as well as the major landmark buildings of the Regina City and those on the Runway approaches. By Gregory Putz.

 

 

FS9 has not been standing still, by any means. So much so, that some have started calling their sim "FS9.5"! (Search this forum for FS9.5 and you'll see)

[zswobbie1]

No problem with Howard's stuff at all. Actually, it is great, & he keeps it personal as well, with updates, emails & such like. It's just his way of doing it, do not knock him for that.

For me, it also started a bit of back & forth emailing about all kinds of things.

Actually, even with payware stuff, some of them, you send the guys an email, pay for it, & they send you the link, then often go to their forums if their is a problem.

Howard's way is great, & works for me.

I like the personal touch, such as it is. Far too often we never actually correspond with our freeware developers. I've actually built up a small circle of friends this way, all over the world, and have been invited to beta test a few things this way.

 

Cheers,

Robin

(Cape Town, South Africa)

[Qballbandit]

I too have Howard's TNW, and like it very much. I've noticed much nicer detail and depth in rural areas, and forested areas.

One thing I did not care for was the explosion of various autogen objects in inappropriate places.

I have talked to him at length about this, as well as other subjects, and he is very accommodating to this type of feedback, and continues work to improve TNW.

For free, it's well worth it. As long as you save your original files, you have nothing to lose, and possibly much to gain.

I also use Sascha's EVO, and swap between the two packages (swapping the texture folders). After adding in my preferred trees, and various other textures and weather generation for both, my FS9 never looked so good.

 

Neil :cool:

[KCD]

I too switched to FSX SE a few months ago, but it didn't take long to determine that my well worn and superbly broken in FS9 was where I preferred to be. I turned my back in X and have never gone back, what a waste of money. I say welcome back, enjoy the ride, it's the best that Microsoft ever made and has obviously stood the test of time rather well!!!

[zswobbie1]

I wouldn't hold my breath for any significant changes or addons to FS9 unless someone did it out of a labor of love. Certainly the payware community isn't going to go retro.

 

 

The world today is geared for Xers and Millenials and they are the market. Old patoots like us aren't. Follow the money.

 

Noel

 

Garry & Ed's Ford Tri-Motor project, as mentioned before, deserves an install of it's own..

It gives you ramps & sloping runways that FSX does not. & it is an ongoing project.

[birdguy]

Yeah KC. My steady is FS9. But I still have P3D with the Orbx North American Regions that I go to when I'm in the mood to just look at the scenery. Nothing in FS9 can compare with Orbx scenery. But there is a performance price to pay for it.

 

I think of it like sometimes having a fling with Gloria Glamorpuss but always going back to my steady, Doris Kowalski.

 

Noel

[zswobbie1]

So agree with Noel..

Doris Kowalski never needs to be wine'd, dine'd, nor be given new clothes to do what you want her to do. She will always give plenty of pleasure, without falling over.

A diamond in the rough, with many hidden facets, she does not need to be stroked to 'put out', as it were!

Fickle Gloria, on the other hand, needs too much make-up to look pretty & is often too tired to be turned on. She is reall a high maintenance gal!

[gaputz]

...an outstanding freeware example take a look at this:

 

FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 SceneryFS2004 CYQR 2015 Regina Airport Scenery

 

Thanks for the compliment! Despite its limitations, I think FS9 still has potential and I am sticking with it as a hobbyist scenery developer.

 

Greg

[ammarmalhas]

Guys, is there a way to get Prosim737 and Opencockpits SIOC to work with FS2004?

I will go back in a second if I can figure out how to get them to work! I hv invested 10's of 1000's on my sim hardware and I need Prosim737 (or something) and SIOC with FSUIPC.

I opened a topic on this but no one commented yet.

 

Sent from a non-explosive (so far) Galaxy Note7 Duos

[JSMR]

I too switched to FSX SE a few months ago, but it didn't take long to determine that my well worn and superbly broken in FS9 was where I preferred to be. I turned my back in X and have never gone back, what a waste of money. I say welcome back, enjoy the ride, it's the best that Microsoft ever made and has obviously stood the test of time rather well!!!

 

Same. Iv'e tried for years to enjoy FSX. I dont think its possible. Just when I get FSX 'smooth' and think, wow, this is great, I try FS9 again and get a SMOOTH hassle free sim.

 

I love it. :)

[Wing_Z]

I am sticking with it as a hobbyist scenery developer. Greg

Greg, that is music to an FS9er's ears... and I am hoping more will again see the potential in the sim.

[jgf]

.... It's just his way of doing it, do not knock him for that.

 

No condemnation or castigation, anyone is free to distribute their files as they see fit. And I am free to not jump through those hoops if I do not wish to do so.

 

 

...

I like the personal touch, such as it is. Far too often we never actually correspond with our freeware developers. I've actually built up a small circle of friends this way, all over the world, and have been invited to beta test a few things this way....

 

Correspondence is wonderful, one of the best things about the internet. But voluntary, not forced.

[zswobbie1]

'No condemnation or castigation, anyone is free to distribute their files as they see fit. And I am free to not jump through those hoops if I do not wish to do so.'

 

No hoops, just a polite email. Not being 'forced'at any time, voluntary, if you would like the free software.