Newbie intro/basic questions FS2020

I played the snot out of FS95/98 etc. 25 years ago. I haven't touched it in 25 years but FS2020 re-ignited the spark for me.

 

Anyways, I have some really simple and stupid questions. First off, am I just old or is every game these days un-navigatable (not just FS2020)? I can't seem to do simple things like load a plane, and an airport. I don't want ATC, Flightplans, etc. Just drop off at meigs Field like back in the day, or any airport for that matter. Choose plane, Choose airport. Why would MS make such a simple thing so hard? I'll eventually make my own IFR flightplans and use nav's myself, and I do plan on joining vatsim eventually, but I need to shake the rust off first and get back in gear. I couldn't even find out how to post a topic on the official FS2020 forum, lol. it wanted me to download an xbox app, and then one thing led to another and it gave me a weird username, and then wouldn't let me login or start a new topic. So here I am!.

 

Also, I'm being shown that there is a "World Update:Canada" available... I think it's XI or IX or something, but I am not being shown anything beyond World Update VI in the content manager. where's VII, VIII, etc?

 

Sorry for the stupid noob questions, haha. The fourteen/fifteen year old me would have easily solved these, but I think I'm being left in the dust by new tech/jargon. I don't really have interest in any games period except FS2020 so I'm a little out of the loop with simple things.

I think in an effort to appeal to gamers as well as flight sim enthusiasts, Microsoft/Asobo went with a "contemporary" interface that can seem somewhat opaque. Frankly, it annoyed me and, along with many other aspects, dissuaded me from spending time with the program.

 

For something more familiar you should just try Steam's version of FSX. Of course, it won't be as pretty.

I have made screen shots of the process of loading a plane and airports in FS2020. Note the red arrows indicate the navigation tools to use in this process. Let me know if you have specific questions? Scrolling with your mouse wheel will let you zoom in on your airport on the map.

Edited October 19, 2022 by plainsman