MS Flight Simulator

[Fishu]

Originally posted by Estel
Very strange color set. And greetings from neighbors ;-) UUWV_V_CTR.

Hallo there

I do like the colours in fact..
Does not cause that much eye strain and everything is clearly visible.
Sort of neutral background colour.

[Halo]

I'm complaining about slow regular download speeds for X-Plane and FS2004 additional planes or upgrades, Chairboy.  Like phone modem speeds even with cable connection.  

But pay extra for Bit Torrent (you haven't seen the latest donation plea with picture?) for X-Plane or subscribe to faster third party download speeds with Surclaro for FS 2004 and that's the only way you get the fast download speeds we have been accustomed to with Aces High.

I suppose it's free enterprise at work.  I'm not totally ungrateful --yes, plenty of wonderful additional planes are free if you accept phone modem speeds and not for too much more ($10 to $20 or so) if you pay for the fast downloads.

And I still think X-Plane 7.41 should have been a separate easy free upgrade for 7.30 instead of having to face the massive 140 MB download for both full version and upgrade or pay another $10 for disk.

[Chairboy]

Well, it's a free download, and I got it at 120 K per second, so if that's dial-up speed for you, I'm awful jealous.

If you're using Bit Torrent for one download, you can choose whether or not to donate to the author, I'm sure he'd understand.  Plus, there are bit torrent clients out there that are totally free w/ no donation requests.

Please understand that I mean no offense, but you sound kinda like a martyr.  It might be my imagination, and if so, I apologize, but that's my perception based on your posts.  

I'll take the 140 meg download any day if it means I get a flight sim that's updated so proactively with exciting new features and technologies.  With Microsoft, you're lucky if you get a plane and a bug fix in an update, while the author of X-Plane might introduce whole new features that change the whole sim for the better.

[Halo]

Chairboy, our systems and experiences seem quite different.  I would never complain about a 120K sec download speed.  My download speeds reduced at these sites were around 13k or less, and you must admit that is primitive.

It seems like a deliberate slow tease to coerce into buying higher speed downloads that are a routine feature of most current competitive programs.  If anything deserves pricing, it is the individual donated add-on vehicles, or even the site, but not just an expedited download speed routinely supported by other internet sites.  

And yes, my system is fine and runs other programs and downloads at cable speeds.  

I cheerfully admit to being a routine average computer consumer.  I'm not that technically competent, but I'm a lot more experienced than many people I know.  

Hence I think I represent a substantial number of consumers who ought to be listened to by some of the more technically inclined who think people shouldn't drive cars unless they are mechanics.  

I think I've pointed out some legitimate areas that need improvement, and if that sounds like martyrdom, so be it.

[Fishu]

Have you tried http://www.avsim.com  ?
AVSIM has a huge selection of addons.. only other site I've used is fsnordic, mostly for local scenarios.
Download speed is almost always 90-110kb/s, which pretty much tops my bandwidth.
Nowadays it does require registration, but it's for free and will remain that way. (they changed download systems to some less resource hogging one)

Never had problems downloading addons.
If any site advertises some kind of premium download account for $$, I usually boycott the site and wonder why bother, when theres plentiful of other sites for free with a sufficient bandwidth!

[Halo]

Thanks, Fishu.  Hadn't registered there before but will give it a try.

[LePaul]

If I could ever get my X-45 throttle to hold FULL THROTTLE in F2-2004, I'd be a happy camper.

Since the local Cessena 172s are $81 per hour (wet, hobbs meter), I prefer shooting touch n goes with the Lear at my airport online (BGR).  The graphics arent bad, the seasons/effects is slick.

[Halo]

Still can't beat MSFS 2004 for all-around user-friendly noncombat fun.  Downloaded the little Curtis pusher-prop putterarounder that was an everyperson plane in the '30s before Depression zapped it.

That, the Piper J3 and the cropduster are such pleasant surprises.  Makes you feel like everyone could go chugging around a thousand feet or so above the terrain.

As for X-Plane, just received the $10 X-Plane 7.41 disk for supposedly either upgrading earlier 7s or total new load.  But no instructions, just four files, guess where and how to install.

Haven't found the solution yet.  So far I have my old 7.30 and a separate 7.41 that requires transferring all my 7.30 settings and plane additions.  And ... 7.41 planes still run blissfully through ground obstacles.  X-Plane is definitely a tough love simulation with its quirks and unfriendly setup.

[Fishu]

Originally posted by LePaul
If I could ever get my X-45 throttle to hold FULL THROTTLE in F2-2004, I'd be a happy camper.

Have you checked joystick sentivity settings or something like that?
Should be pretty easy to find from the options.
Make sure there is no deadband for throttle or anything alike, it doesnt need such things.

Kind of familiar issue to me, especially with rotaries, which by default has deadband and so on.

[Estel]

Originally posted by LePaul
If I could ever get my X-45 throttle to hold FULL THROTTLE in F2-2004, I'd be a happy camper.

Try to play with FSUIPC settings. I had the same problem with trottle on my Gravis Firebird 2. Due to noise it wasn't get down to idle and as a result I couldn't apply reverse. After adjusting in FSUIPC it's ok.