How much is FS2004 realistic ?

[AnySajmon]

I was just wondering if FS2004 is realistic on its age and if it can hold up with newer flight simulators. Are the physics, aerodynamics, weather and many other aspects of flight realistic here ? 

[PhrogPhlyer]

39 minutes ago, AnySajmon said:

if it can hold up with newer flight simulators

This answer is dependent upon what YOU are expecting from a flight sim.

As the countless threads on this site show, there is a strong and vibrant group of users for each of the different variations of FS.

I have used all of the MSFS products since the first one in the '80s. except for 2020.

For me, both FS9(2004) and FSX currently offer the largest selection of options (aircraft, scenery, liveries).

2020 offers the greatest ground scenery and aircraft texturizing reality, and is growing rapidly with add-ons.

As for flight dynamics, that is also a personal preference.

So back to my first sentence, what do YOU expect and desire from a FS?

That will drive your decision.

[JSkorna]

Default weather has been disabled. There are third party solutions for that.

 

Also note that if you have a newer operating system, there are a few extra installation steps. There is a pinned topic all about that at this forum.

[lnuss]

"Realistic," in terms of flight models, varies with the aircraft. Within the limitations of the sim, some come close and some are wildly out of whack, but they tend to be as good overall as those I've seen in FSX and in P3D through V2.4, but I can't compare to 2020 since I've never seen it (except pix).

 

"Eye candy," out of the box, is none too great but there are many add-ons that make considerable improvement. But some of this depends, too, on your mental "immersion" since that's a needed ingredient for any of the sims, and with some add-ons the results can be really nice. So although the later ones offer more improved potential in add-ons, FS9 isn't bad at all, and it doesn't stress a computer as much as the later ones.

[ScottishMike]

And luckily none are so realistic as requiring you to pass a medical each year and complete a given number of hours before being allowed to take off.

How realistic do you want the sim to be? Even multi million pound simulators take you nowhere. “I've just flown from Milan to Paris! Without problems.” I'll announce, and my wife reminds me “You've gone nowhere! You're still sitting in the corner of the living room.”.

That suspension of disbelief and immersion happen in your mind. Unfortunately as we get older imagination fades and we become self conscious; we no longer play, we simulate and model.

As PhrogPhlyer said it is in no small part down to what floats your boat (or flies your plane).

[PhrogPhlyer]

3 hours ago, lnuss said:

but they tend to be as good overall as those I've seen in FSX and in P3D through V2.4

The FSX KingAir "feels" as close to the real aircraft as a PC joystick or yoke will allow.

 

1 hour ago, ScottishMike said:

it is in no small part down to what floats your boat (or flies your plane)

That's what really matters, are you satisfied and Having Fun!!!

[hjwalter]

I've really latched on to FS9 right from it's very beginning and have added huge numbers of addon airports/airfields/scereries/aircraft from all over the world since then. I have improved and expanded most of these to my own liking, have deleted everything which I regarded as being unnecessary ballast and am in general still very happy with my whole setup.

 

My Win7 64bit is still the very original from the installation discs, my machine has never had any internet connections and it still seems to be loving it all by keeping up running very smoothly.

 

FS9 realistic enough ?

Any addon, which in this regard is not up to my own realism standards I immediately improve it by making it as realistic as possible myself. However, I must also admit that the combination of "technical simming know how" and the (sim-)flying itself, seems to need far more brain power than when I would have been a real world pilot. However, I regard all that as being part of this fantastic hobby and which has kept me off the streets and out of sleasy bars for many years !! LOL.

 

Having said all that, migrating to a newer sim and only because of "better realism" would entail me becoming obliged to depart from my beloved FS9 and having to eventually delete the whole thing, also from my brain, the idea of which I just cannot get my brain to accept ........ yet. Moreover, it's my opinion that all these newer sim versions have become just too commercial for me.

 

Long live FS9 !!

 

Hans

 

 

 

[Airbasil_1]

Personally I think, FS9 is still a very capable simulator... in case of Reality it allways depends on what you as a sim pilot want to have... 
For me, i'm not really asking a lot of Panels or cabin interiors of Aircraft, nor do i care about allways needing a VC in an Aircraft... i rather care about the realism on Landscapes and weather situation... and if you take a look at the FS2004 Screenshot Corner, you can see, that in this case, FS2004 is very capable of doing a very good job... 

[PhrogPhlyer]

31 minutes ago, Airbasil_1 said:

i rather care about the realism on Landscapes and weather situation.

This is a good point, everyone has what they want from a sim, some as with Airbasil, scenery/weather, others IFR capability, others early aircraft.

Ray, as I said earlier, decide what you expect and desire from your FS, and let that guide your version decision.

And Have Fun!