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cobalt

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  1. Absolutely nothing, unless you have an FPS-obsession! The current performance of MSFS, after SU11, is so good that I hardly even think about FPS any more. Many simmers run it locked at 30 FPS and have ultra-smooth performance. The whole topic of FPS may be gradually fading away, two years into MSFS.
  2. Another major difference from earlier sims -- really THE major difference -- is the use of streamed satellite-based real-world scenery, which requires at least a decent internet connection. While it's possible to run MSFS without it by using "off-line" scenery, this is not very satisfactory, especially once you are used to seeing the real world! This can be a source of frustration for some, when the servers are down, but at least in my experience this is unusual. Just be aware.
  3. Daspinall, I may be telling you what you already know, but just in case, let me summarize. When I go to Content Manager and select "Installed" (click the box in upper left corner), and then search for photogrammetry using the search function, it finds 10 "3D Photogrammetry Cities" areas, from Australia to USA (listed alphabetically). You can select any or all of these to delete if you wish; they can be reinstalled at any time. Independently of these, the Photogrammetry option available in General Options > Data can be on or off; if it's off, then all photogrammetry of the areas listed in Content Manager will be turned off. Separate and apart from these photogrammetry areas in Content Manager, are photogrammetry add-ons for many cities around the world available as freeware from flightsim.to (many of them surprisingly small, e.g. Durham NC). When these are placed in Community, their photogrammetry will be visible regardless of your setting in General Options. Hope this helps clarify.
  4. Content Manager contains photogrammetry files for many cities and other areas, which can be located by using the search feature for "photogrammetry". These can be deleted or restored as you wish.
  5. It is worth pointing out that there are some excellent freeware fixes for Vancouver and Toronto in flightsim.to, which make those areas look much better. Overall, to me at least, Canada looks significantly improved after SU10. Check out Montreal and Quebec for example.
  6. Photogrammetry for individual cities or areas can be turned off in Content Manager. Use "photogrammetry" in the search function to find these files. I will add that, before SU10 I was unable to use photogrammetry at all because of terrible performance, but since SU10 it is completely different -- I have all photogrammetry on, and it looks spectacular with good performance as well.
  7. First, welcome back to flight-simming. A lot has changed in the hobby with the introduction of MSFS 2020 two years ago, and it has become a far more immersive, amazing experience than it ever was before (spoken as a user of many earlier sims from FS2 through FSX). But MSFS is not for everyone, and there are several things that need to be understood before you take the plunge. It uses satellite-based streamed real-world imagery to access the entire planet, which requires a good and reliable internet connection with decent bandwidth. Since most scenery is accessed only as needed depending on where you are flying, very little of it is actually stored in your computer at any moment, in contrast to earlier sims (real-world scenery for the whole planet would require hundreds of terabytes, impossible to accommodate on any PC). Therefore, it doesn't matter where you plan to fly, as far as storage on your hard drive is concerned. Secondly, realize that MSFS is a work in progress, a 10-year project with 8 years remaining, and there are frequent mandatory updates that must be installed. On occasion these can be a pain. Third, in large part because of these constant updates, and the fact that everyone's system is different, there will almost inevitably be glitches to overcome from time to time, so patience is required, though individual experiences vary widely. As is true for all sims, the negative posts tend to be over-represented on the forums. But notwithstanding some problems, I personally find MSFS to be beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The sensation of flying over the real world with everything accurately placed, and in real weather, is indescribable! While as I said, this sim is not for everyone (especially if you are looking for something perfect "out of the box"), I think you are likely to be pleased, and Alaska will look more real than you have ever seen it in a flight simulator. As for purchasing from Steam vs, the MS store, you will get different opinions on this. I did it though MS store with no problems, but my impression from the forums is that Steam may be the safest course. Good luck!
  8. Problem solved, at least for now, though I don't know what caused it in the first place (possibly a server problem, but the fact that no one else has reported it to my knowledge suggests otherwise). Anyway, the cure was to turn ON online functionality, apply and save, then turn ON Bing data, apply and save -- in two steps. Turning both functions on simultaneously doesn't work, which took a while to realize. Old age is slowing me down (but you should have seen me in my prime)!
  9. For the last 24 hours I have been unable to activate satellite streaming data. I get the message that my internet connection is poor and that I am being switched to offline mode, even though the connection is is actually quite good (120 Mbps). Anyone else have this problem?
  10. I concur with everything that's been said, and will add that MSFS is not just a better simulator than everything that preceded it (and I was a great fan of FSX for 15 years); it offers an entirely new experience in fight simming that allows you to explore the world in detail with an unprecedented level of realism and sense of immersion. And it is getting better all the time. Also there is an abundance of excellent add-ons available for MSFS, many of them freeware. A couple of caveats. You need a decent internet connection, required for streaming of satellite data, and you need to recognize that this is not a finished product, but a work in progress which entails frequent mandatory updates. You also need patience, because there will be glitches from time to time that need to be dealt with. But the rewards are great. Come aboard and your simming life will never be the same!
  11. Just to point out that the "melting" of buildings near the ground is seen only in photogrammetry areas, which are all urban. Turn off photogrammetry, and there is no melting at all.
  12. Many excellent bridge add-ons are available as freeware or payware, at flightsim.to and other sites. A package containing all 29 bridges in NY City can be found at simmarket. com.
  13. No problem -- I am totally relaxed!
  14. Thanks for the clarification. As a matter of fact, I agree with you that FSX is cartoonish and MSFS is not. It's just that in my years of reading posts in this and other forums, "cartoonish" has always been a derogatory term in reference to any flightsim program, so your usage presents a whole new perspective!
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