Should I move/add P3Dv5 or MSFS?

[expat]

Really happy with P3Dv4.5. But the screenshots of MSFS are pretty mind blowing. And there sadly is less going on here than before which is such an important part of the hobby.

I have not had time to research all the issues. Which version, standard or deluxe to get. What about all the bugs/fixes for these that have since come out and issues adding these. Then - this could be all wrong - I don't think there is any AI? Can you have moving carriers and ships? Lastly, what about my system specs (like altitude and fuel, never enough, LOL).

System spec:
Intel i74770K CPU@3.5GHz 3.50
16.0 GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

[Priller]

I've had M$ flightsims since CFS1. I've also had P3D in almost all versions. But a couple of months after the release of MSFS, I cracked and got that one. I'm not looking back.

I no longer have FSX or P3D on my rig, only MSFS. I installed P3Dv5.x a couple of months ago, and it didn't last long, really. After having experienced MSFS, everything else seems cartoonish.

There is AI, there are moving carriers, there's even a few very good freeware designers coming out with the more exotic stuff. And then there is https://flightsim.to

As for the version, in hindsight, I should've gone for the standard version.

As for your rig, on the 23rd of August, DLSS will be incorporated into the new sim, and that should benefit lower end cards a lot. Although RTX is recommended over GTX. But there are people running MSFS at good settings using cards like yours. For a harddisk: SSD is a must.

Cheers,

Priller

[expat]

Priller,
Thanks very much. Just what I was looking for!
expat

[Manschy]

I am still waiting to make a change. Why?

1. As matters stand now, MSFS is unpredictable for my money. Today you have a well running sim, tomorrow there is an update and lot of things will suddenly not work. That's pretty important if you are designing addons (chiefly aircraft). Contrary to previous sims, where you did finish a work, you now are damned to always correct your work if something is changed by MS or Asobo or anyone else...
2. Using MSFS, you are contingent on others.
Yes, the visually impact is awesome, until you lose internet connection, for example. Furthermore, in my opinion, what happens, if in any case MSFS or Asobo is knocking off the work? Will you keep everything you own?
3. What about XBox? MS seems to be keen on getting the sim as a closed system as possible and I fear 3rd-party-developpers (in most case freeware) will be barred from it.

So my two cents:
If you are happy with a running P3D(v4 or higher), wait. There is a high potential inside MSFS, but also in annoying updates that will strain your nerves permanently. In 4 - 5 years, the sim may be stable and a lot of stuff will run almost perfectly.
If you own TrueEarth stuff from ORBX, you are able to fly almost in a same virtual world, even if the internet is broken.

Each false front is only as good as the work behind. I was able to resist the truly fantastic visual reality (until now...).

Most important is, what you are keen on.
If you are satisfied with a brilliant visual game without any desire to design or change anything, you will be already satisfied with the XBox. Use the default aircraft and settings, don't expect any good AI and you will be very happy.
If you are looking for a sim you can change things at, you may be disappointed so far. The SDK is not ready at all, and parts seem not to be really accessible to everyone. As matters stand now, many (most?) freeware addons on flightsim.to are legacy stuff being converted to MSFS - which means it is far not bad. Most UK air bases done for FSX or P3D (Coningsby, Honington etc.) look simply briliant in MSFS. But they are empty without any real military AI....

I am not an enemy of MSFS, I like the truly seminal progress they did. But same with e-cars. Capability, but embryonic with a large room for improvement like infrastructure, security of electric supply etc.
Once it's given, all will be attractive to me. Not until then....

[gray eagle]

A lot of back and forth discussed here

https://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=139285

[BendyFlyer]

Expat - horses for courses! First yes I had MSFS but shelved it and now only use P3DV5 - that's my preference. I think you can be wowed by the visuals true but think about all these things below. If you can have both on your system fine go for it

Now Why no MSFS for me?

First, it demands a stable constant high bandwith internet connection - that I do not have so that's that end of story.

Two, yes I will say the visuals at low level in a lot of the world are very impressive BUT once your above say about 3000 ft then with high quality scenery in P3D (LC etc) the difference is imperceptible in my view. Higher than that no difference at all at FL's really.

Three, there are no sim models in MSFS that float my boat and most of what I have in P3D is unlikely to ever be done for MSFS - that is critical to me - I like flying boats and old jets and quirky aeroplanes from WW2 for example. So no flying boats (Think Boeing Clipper the Sikorsky's and Shorts (all of them) to start with) in MSFS, No Lancasters, no Mosquitos, no Beaufighters, no Short Sterlings etc I have all these in high quality models in P3DV5 and with P3Ds graphic capacity etc they are great! Early jets I have the DC-8, DC9, the DC10 the MD11 (All Study Level) The B737-300, the BAC 111, the VC10, the HS748, the Fokker Friendship (F27 and F50) and a whole bunch of other stuff ready to go in the hangar when it suits (Dare I mention the DC-3, D4 as well).PMDG DC6 is fine as well. My old Aerosoft DHC6 is as good in P3D as in MSFS and I still have the (Milvoiz) Beaver and Otter to play with as well. And in the GA arena there is the HS125 or XP850, the Real Air Duke etc etc.

So there is no point in me going to MSFS because nothing I use in the sim is available or likely to be available in MSFS for a very long time.

Four, I have built up an extensive collection of high quality airport and local scenery over the years that gives MSFS stuff a run for its money - with EA and wave motion and Volumetric Clouds and real time weather I am satisfied with my P3D set up (that said I have the professional version not he academic) Finally P3D runs flawlessly, smooth as silk and quite frankly is all I need for a satisfactory sim experience.
I am sure MSFS will get there but I could not be bothered with the constant updates the internet bandwith demands and finally the lack of choice for sim models. I have enough real time in a C172 to not want to fly it in the sim (been there done that)

Others may differ and I am not bagging MSFS I am just very dissappointed with their architecture, closed market approach, lack of access to me as part time modeller fiddler and just lack of the ability to get the aeroplanes and places I like to go into that sim. (See the flying boat thread here at SOH and you will understand what I mean)

[wombat666]

I have MSFS and rarely use it.
As a matter of common sense I keep it up to date, FWIW when it was released I opted for the fully loaded option, my personal preference. (Byers Remorse? Not really)
IMHO both BendyFlyer and Manschy have covered the most salient points for not going the MSFS route, I (me/myself) find the emphasis on X-Box and the word 'Game' unsettling.
I'm not into 'Gaming', it has always been 'Simulation' for me.
Just a few thoughts.

PS: i fly P3Dv5 90% of the time, but I have P3DV3 and P3DV4 on disc to fly my incompatible CS Boeing 707 collection and the like.

[expat]

OK guys, many thanks, I am very much in your camp.

I hugely enjoy the open architecture and constantly fiddling, improving paints, airports, AI etc. I have well over a thousand aircraft - some FS8 era that work in P3Dv4 - that I love to go back into the hangar, pull out, update, etc. I like populating US, UK and European military airfields with my own custom made retro AI. Big part of the fun.

I guess MSFS relies on the wonderful - at low level - scenery via the web/Cloud which is why high broadband speed is essential. Where I live at the moment it is pretty slow.

I have real time in PA-28's and C172's and don't fancy mainly being able to do that at 1,500' in MSFS.

I also as I get older LOL find increasingly irritating updates that make you go back and change a number of things. P3Dv4.5 is the most smooth and stable (no more OOM's"!) sim I have experienced.

. . . now Wombat, just how did you get the CS 707 to work in P3Dv4 64 bit?!

[wombat666]

. . . now Wombat, just how did you get the CS 707 to work in P3Dv4 64 bit?!

I gave up on trying to get them into P3DV4 and kept my much loved Boeings in P3DV3....
Not what I would have done in an ideal World but we can't have everything.

[blaunarwal]

At one point, I went from v4.5 to v5 definitely. Never flew again in v4.5. V5.3 is much more fluent.

I never tried MSFS but I went to their forums and read, what they talk about it and downloaded some freeware file s for MSFS. To my surprise a lot of the file structure is still the same like FSX. So it´s still a FSX derivative like P3D5 is. For me, this is pretty dissapointing for a new sim.

I know, using MSFS will kill my love for P3D5, since it looks better. No doubt about that. But I like the possibilities to design in P3D5, which I know for long time. I have no idea, how to create scenery for MSFS.

I have so many addons for P3D5, even from FSX times. I don´t wanna buy these for MSFS.

The most dissapointing fact for me is, you still need addons to make it look right. Shouldn´t this be better than P3D5? The most bought addon for MSFS according to Simmarket is a 4 seasons package. Is this really not part of the default MSFS? And all these addons, as mentioned before, can break on every update, which is mandatory. Too many uncertainities for me.

Dan