P3D V4- What are your thoughts?

[vgbaron]

Extremely well said, John.

 

Vic

[alexzar14]

It's 64bit (fell on us like a thunder), no else needed to be said. I still can't believe it happened and I have it. I can fly PMDG!! I started in 2014 with FSX and then P3D and it's been a nightmare keeping your eye on the VAS counter more than the instrument panel. IT IS OOVVEEERRRR now )))))))))

 

A little raw with most primary addons still in process of conversion, but I'm already back to P3D after using XP11, flying P3Dv4 with what's there already: FTX ORBx, A2A 172, PMDG 777 and 747 converted to v4, and FSDT sceneries.

Waiting for AS16/cloud art, EZdok2, UT Traffic Live and some planessss... NGX, tfdi 717, fslabs A320 will now be possible to fly in 64, excited to try (although that "uniquely" done plane can OOM even a 64bit sim.... will see)

[vgbaron]

ASP4 (AS16 for v4) and ASCA cloud art are both ready for use. ASP4 is technically in open beta but there have been very few issues.

 

Vic

[scottb613]

My, my. Some people do seem to have a need to be right.

 

John, I am like you. I have installed many of my favorite PD3 V3 sceneries and aircraft into V4 and I am enjoying it thoroughly. Maybe the people aren't walking around. No matter, I have never tried to talk to them anyway. I just taxi up, shutdown, and exit PD3.

 

mallcott, I am not trying to pick on you. You obviously know a lot about the mechanics and insides of flight simulation software. And you are correct in your assertions of things not being 100%. However, success, truth, morality, and flight simulation is related the the point of view of the doer, observer, or, in our case, simmer.

 

I am a few months short of 70 years old. I have two stents and a pacemaker. So, not everything is 100% in my body. That doesn't stop me from enjoying life and my two hobbies, nature photography and flight simulation. I travel a lot and often hike to where I can get the picture. Mind you, I can't hike like I use to. Somethings I will never see and photograph. Still, I enjoy and love what I do see and photograph. Flight simulation is a lot like life.

 

I was also a real world pilot. I have flown high performance jet fighters and small GA aircraft. So, I think I know what is a good simulation from a pilot's POV. I love PDd V4, even with it less than perfect V3 sceneries and aircraft. It is not perfect. No simulation is. Yet, that doesn't mean non-perfection can't be very enjoyable.

 

The fun in simulation is in suspending your disbelief. In other words, can the simulation make you feel that you are really in the aircraft. It has for me. Sometimes flying something like the VRS F-18 or either Milviz or Simworks F-4s gives me deja vu. Granted I am in a actual fighter cockpit with a 85" X 48" inch projection onto a DIY screen. Don't let that give anyone the idea you can only get suspense of disbelief with a several thousands of dollars cockpit and projectors. I first started MSFS when I returned to flying after a multi year layoff. I was fascinated by what I could simulate. I used it to prefly new business flights and practice possible approaches at my destination.

 

Again, it wasn't perfect. However, if there was a lake to the northwest of my attended airport in MSFS, it was there in real life. Anyone who has ever tried to find a small airport buried in trees without the aid of GPS, knows how hard it can be. MSFS helped my confidence tremendously that I wouldn't make a fool of myself. That was 20-25 yrs ago. Today, it is even better. Not perfect, mind you, but wonderfully exciting.

 

I will stop. Writing this has made me want to fly. I will go fire up my less than perfect V4 and fully enjoy the flight. My advice is that we all do the same. Forget about perfection. Embrace what we have now.

 

Hi John,

 

How eloquently spoken - I guess you've learned a thing or two in your 70 or so years on Earth... Keep on keep'n on...

 

Regards,

Scott

 

PS: What fighter did you fly ?

 

 

 

 

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[jmig]

Hi John,

 

How eloquently spoken - I guess you've learned a thing or two in your 70 or so years on Earth... Keep on keep'n on...

 

Regards,

Scott

 

PS: What fighter did you fly ?

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thank you John and thank you Vic for your comments.

 

John, I flew the RF-4C and the B-52. I also flew the T-41 (C-172), T-37 and T-38 in pilot training.

[gregjorb.org]

I've not normally participated in these forum threads - my bad! In the past few months we've seen the birth/rebirth of multiple simulators - and I've purchased them all. Pretty cool to have 64-bit choices after years of using just FSX. By far P3D V4 comes up my favorite for one notable reason - performance. Flying King Air 350 under FSX gets 25 to 35 FPS, P3D gets 2 to 3 times that - wow! More importantly, I've pretty much been able to eliminate the stuttering jump that happens when turning or scanning quickly. Well done P3D team!

The only issue now is compatibility. Scenery seems to work but virtually none of my add-on aircraft work. Jez's BD-5J has no gear or panel instruments. FSD SF-50 crashes etc. IRIS and FSD don't seem inclined or able to upgrade to P3D V4. Any idea how to make these compatible or do we just need to wait for the developers?

[vgbaron]

In most cases you really have to wait for the dev's to code the changes. Getting it installed is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Vic

[deansalman]

Been using it for a while now. It is much faster with frame rates, that is for sure. The cars look better and the highways are updated now. V3 has some roads with no cars where V4 has cars. Good example is KDFW. My problem is the Saitek plug in does not work so if I want to use those I have to go back to 3. My aircrafts are slowly being updated so I figure a few more months with stuff. Once hardware is fixed I will switch and add the planes as they get updated. If anyone has Saitek panels working let me know :)

[gregjorb.org]

Been using it for a while now. It is much faster with frame rates, that is for sure. The cars look better and the highways are updated now. V3 has some roads with no cars where V4 has cars. Good example is KDFW. My problem is the Saitek plug in does not work so if I want to use those I have to go back to 3. My aircraft are slowly being updated so I figure a few more months with stuff. Once hardware is fixed I will switch and add the planes as they get updated. If anyone has Saitek panels working let me know :)

 

SPAD.NET worked for me (after a couple of abortive attempts) - see http://spadnext.com

Greg

[deansalman]

ok thanks, I saw this so maybe I will try it. Are you using version 4 of P3D. I have 3.4 working

[Brikkie]

Simply the Best, I have the other simulator, no not FSX the other one and I find it a bit too complicated when it come to controls and settings. I started out whit FSX so to go whit P3D was a no BRAINNER. I was facular whit setting and configuration. And the fact that it is a good sim platform. But what really makes P3D good is PMDG. If all my planes where compatible to X plane I would be using X plane insteed it just sit in the hanger.

[blaunarwal]

 

...I was also a real world pilot. I have flown high performance jet fighters and small GA aircraft. So, I think I know what is a good simulation from a pilot's POV. I love PDd V4, even with it less than perfect V3 sceneries and aircraft. It is not perfect. No simulation is. Yet, that doesn't mean non-perfection can't be very enjoyable....

 

 

Great thoughts, loved reading it. Dan

[Bill Alderson]

My thoughts are as follows: After the v.4 upgrade, I yanked P3D out of my computer and fly XP-11 exclusively. Got tired of banging my head against a brick wall! I'll miss the Maddog, A2A products, PMDG 737's and the Q400 but I'll get over it. ;)

[Clutch Cargo]

Have truly enjoyed P3Dv4 currently even way back with version 1.0 so I have seen, as many have, the improvements over the years. While FS2004 will always have a special place in my simming heart for it's historical aspect and FSX was so close to being "the sim" of it's day (but sadly a miss in performance back then), P3D just gets better and better along with the craftsmen and craftswomen who develop for it... keep it comin'!

[E-Buzz]

Hi All,

 

I've been outta the flight sim world for a little over a year and a half and used to fly in FSX exclusively.

Last week, I decided to purchase P3Dv4 and install it due to curiosity. I'm using the exact same computer (same CPU and vid card) and was able to install all my Orbx stuff (for FREE! Thanks Orbx!) and upgrade to ASP4 without any problems.

I've only flown 2 of the default aircraft (Dino's F-35 and the Carenado Bonanza) for short hops out of Orbx's KJAC, and while to me it may look a lot like FSX, everything just seems to respond a bit quicker and snappier. And, the water reflections at the base of those mountains look waaaay better than anything I've been able to get from FSX (even with Steve's fixer). The lighting looks good.

I also installed EZDOK2 and upgraded my TrackIR driver - head-tracking/movement and the new effects (horizon-hold is pretty cool except when you're flying inverted) just seem soooo much smoother. Gone are all the occasional "jitters" and barely perceptible lag, which was the only thing that would sometimes ruin the immersion for me when using trackIR.

 

I hate having to go through the necessary upgrade path and accompanying expense (PMDG 737, some of my MilViz stuff crashes the sim, and having to buy a better vid card, for example), but, as others have previously said, this latest version is excellent, even with my old hardware.

So far, at least for me, everything just works! I haven't felt the need to tweak anything (I haven't even taken a look at the .cfg file!) - I just fire up P3Dv4 and just fly! It's a nice feeling.

The only sorta criticism I may have so far is the interface - I do miss those pics of all the aircraft when selecting one.

 

I, for one, am glad I decided to go with P3Dv4. And, I'm not sure if I will miss FSX as P3D just seems like the bigger, better version of FSX, and just as familiar. That is, until there's a feature or add-on that I really like in FSX that won't be able to be used in P3Dv4!

Please, somebody tell me that AICarriers WILL work in P3Dv4?! :)

 

Thanks,

E-Buzz :cool:

[ade555]

Best move I ever made is get P3D and I owned FSX since it come out so I have a soft spot for it as it was a present, FSX is ok but is old now, time has move on and newer software is more optimized for current computer specs. yes I get this that P3D is FSX but is so much more smoother even on lower spec pc.

 

Is sort of game that you start and enjoy flying with out worrying when will it crash or what tweeks I need to do to stop it.

 

I have sort of lower spec PC and I am happy at playing 20-30 FPS with ORBX Global/Open LC and Vectors with A2A planes.

 

I think is money worth spending if you like flying.

[mallcott]

Best move I ever made is get P3D and I owned FSX since it come out so I have a soft spot for it as it was a present, FSX is ok but is old now, time has move on and newer software is more optimized for current computer specs. yes I get this that P3D is FSX but is so much more smoother even on lower spec pc.

 

Is sort of game that you start and enjoy flying with out worrying when will it crash or what tweeks I need to do to stop it.

 

I have sort of lower spec PC and I am happy at playing 20-30 FPS with ORBX Global/Open LC and Vectors with A2A planes.

 

I think is money worth spending if you like flying.

 

A different mindset is required with P3D: With FSX it was all about a fixed simulator which required working around with addons,

 

P3Dv.x is a movable feast, which places greater burden on the simmer and developer to keep up with the changes.

 

If one can't keep up, or isn't prepared to make the changes (see what I dd there..?) it's simply not for you.

 

But it's still not as bad as X-Plane with seemingly hapahazard and random changes to code that unfix as many things as they fix. I come back to X-Plane every few variants or so (I believe I might do again when 11.30 is released) and treat each version as standalone, fully aware that previous addons will probably no longer work as expected.

 

The difference is purely perception in how the `versions` work, but that's why I stick with P3D. It `UNfixes` many fewer things than X-Plane...

[E-Buzz]

I've had P3DV4 for a month now, running on the same exact computer/hardware/add-ons that I was using for FSX, and the difference is just amazing to me. The only thing I did change was updating my vid card drivers (I had some old nvdia drivers, 3.xx, and updated to 4.xx) and what a friggin' difference in performance! Same vid card - just new drivers - and the FPS went from mid teens to mid 20's, up to mid 30's up to 60 (set by the in-game framerate limiter) in all instances - even on approach. I know some will say don't sweat the FPS, and I wouldn't, but I've noticed that because I use TrackIR, the higher the FPS, the smoother the panning when I move my head. If I were to keep my head still, even mid-teen FPS looked good in FSX.

I absolutely love flying in P3DV4! No fiddling, fixing, coaxing, or crossing fingers - just load and fly.

 

AI Carriers works perfectly with the Aerosoft F-14x and Dino's T-45 trainer, and I can now actually see the "meatball" on approach. I still can't get the MilViz Phantom F4S/J to work in P3DV4 (CTD when engine starts), but I'll wait for a fix. And, I am just a bit disappointed that I'll have to pony up full-price for the P3D Tacpac version, when all of my previous add-ons conversions were either free (ORBX, Carenado, MilViz) or heavily discounted (Aerosoft Airbus, Majestic Q400, Active Sky, EZDOK, etc.).

 

For fun, I fired up FSX (boxed) this weekend, hoping that the new vid drivers would have the same effect on FPS as it did in P3D.

For me, the answer was NO and, to be honest, FSX didn't look as good as I remembered (I did go right into P3D after not using FSX in about a year and a half, so maybe my memory sucks).

 

So, for me, I'll be retiring FSX (so long old friend, and thanks for all the good times!) and begin flying tube-liners for long distances since I don't have to worry about OOMs. My new favorite is the Majestic Q400 coupled with GSX level 2.

And, since I've saved some money by not having to upgrade my vid card yet (I still can't believe the performance I'm getting with this card, even though it only has 2gb of memory), I'm getting one of those ButtKicker Gamer thingys to enhance the immersion!

[shadowfaxcrx]

I'm not sure if I will miss FSX as P3D just seems like the bigger, better version of FSX, and just as familiar. That is, until there's a feature or add-on that I really like in FSX that won't be able to be used in P3Dv4!

Please, somebody tell me that AICarriers WILL work in P3Dv4?! :)

 

I don't think you will. When I went to p3d4, I kept FSX and FSX:SE on the system so that I could go back to it to fly the stuff that isn't compatible with v4. But P3d is so much more enjoyable and smooth, and so vastly less crash-prone that I haven't opened it once since. I even stopped updating the nav data for them.

 

Others have, btw, gotten AI Carriers to work in v4.

 

(I did go right into P3D after not using FSX in about a year and a half, so maybe my memory sucks).

 

I always remember old stuff as looking better than it did. I stumbled on an FS5 video on Youtube awhile back and was stunned at how bad it looked. I remember thinking it was nearly photoreal after upgrading to it from FS4.

[E-Buzz]

Hi shadowfaxcrx,

 

Thanks for the reply!

I'm probably going to uninstall FSX this weekend, which will free up some space on my SSD. I've gotten AI Carriers to work and it's just great!

 

One question, which is the only annoying thing I've found (so far) in P3D -

 

How do you stop the default flight from loading when you crash the aircraft? For example, I often crash into the carrier (oops!) and instead of reloading the same scenario (as FSX does), it loads the default aircraft/airport every time. I've read that some people suggest turning off crash detection, but what fun is that?

 

Thanks,

 

E-Buzz

[mallcott]

Hi shadowfaxcrx,

 

Thanks for the reply!

I'm probably going to uninstall FSX this weekend, which will free up some space on my SSD. I've gotten AI Carriers to work and it's just great!

 

One question, which is the only annoying thing I've found (so far) in P3D -

 

How do you stop the default flight from loading when you crash the aircraft? For example, I often crash into the carrier (oops!) and instead of reloading the same scenario (as FSX does), it loads the default aircraft/airport every time. I've read that some people suggest turning off crash detection, but what fun is that?

 

Thanks,

 

E-Buzz

 

Read the instructions.

There is no `restore where you left off` flight by default so create one, then make that the default.

[E-Buzz]

Hi mallcott,

 

Got it! Thanks for the reply.

[shadowfaxcrx]

I have crash detection turned on. I did turn off detection of crashes with other aircraft, solely because ground vehicles are considered aircraft by the sim, which means when the stupid fuel truck decides to drive up from behind you and ram into your plane, you get a crash.

 

Note that leaving crash detection on will eventually bite you, because some runways have invisible holes in them, or walls on them, that you will run into and crash, but, like you, I dislike the idea of making it impossible for me to screw up.

[E-Buzz]

The fuel truck crashing into me while prepping at the gate is exactly why I primarily turned off crash detection!

I'm glad to hear that it wasn't only me it happened to - fuel truck drivers shouldn't drive under the influence!

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

 

Magical...

 

 

 

 

Regards,

Scott

 

 

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