Been out of MSFS for a while - tell me whats changed

[centuryseries]

There was a lot of talk about things the last time I was frequently flying in MSFS.

Things like:

Gliders
Helicopter flight model
Fly by view
Churches being non-existant, but useful for VFR flight
London Photogrammetry being awful
ATC

For those of you who have been flying MSFS since it's release, have all these items changed for the better or been added now?

[azflyboy]

Gliders now have native support, although the system that generates the thermals apparently isn't terribly realistic.

There's also native helicopters, although there's still quite a few issues with things like governors, but Asobo is slowly improving the helicopter modeling as time goes on.

Flyby still hasn't been added, and my guess is that it's unlikely to show up before FS2024 releases.

The ATC is still not great, but it's less "pants on head stupid" than it was at launch.

I think they've addressed the photogrammetry issues in London, since it was one of the first updates the sim got, but I don't know lot about it.

No clue about churches, but in general, the autogen/photogrammetry has gotten better as time goes on.

[Javis]

Flyby still hasn't been added, and my guess is that it's unlikely to show up before FS2024 releases.

Well, actually we DO have a FLY-BY view camera in MSFS now !

It's Fabio Merlo of FlightControlReplay who finally made it happen (Grazie mille, Fabio ! ), as he promised already with the 4.5 version of his wonderful FCR proggy. In fact it has been available in the 'Summer 2023 Upgrade' aka Version 5 that was released in last September. Must say i am very surprised not having read anything about it so far. It has been an item on the MSFS Wishlist ever since it was posted for the first time ( can we have our classic Fly-By view back, please!!.. ).

Obviously, as all MS/Asobo could deliver on the subject so far has been "Not Started", someone else would hopefully be clever enough to pick up the Fly-By camera gauntlet. Presenting Fabio Merlo ! As we already could see with the cumbersome surrogate 'Fly-By' view that can be set up via the Drone camera it can certainly look and sound wonderful but it wouldn't exactly be an easy task to implement an instantly available full blown all singing and dancing Fly-By camera view.

And i must say it still isn't..... But hold on, it may not be available *instantly* just yet at the moment, the current 'FCR v5 Fly-By Camera' is still a beta version, but if you take a moment or two to spend some time on it and seriously set it up it will work very nicely indeed. The FCR Fly-By Camera works only during REPLAY atm but it is truly wonderful to have this magical Fly-By View finally back in MSFS. Thank you very much again Fabio !

Just re-download the new v5 version if you own FCR.

[Sunny9850]

No offense, but that is sort of like the guy coming into an untowered airport’s CTAF with “xyz traffic, any traffic please advise” 😉

many things have changed, most for the better. But the only way you know if it is good for you, is if you look yourself.

Cheers
Sunny

[MZee1960]

I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to a sim and tend to get a lot of goodies all in a short time period - both payware and freeware. I would love to 'jump in' to the current MSFS, but have a great fear of not only spending all that money on the 2020 platform, but also on all the fantastic addons for 2020 without any guarantees everything will work the same when 2024 comes in a few months. MS is very tight lipped regarding the new sim and said they may not release any new teaser update for a few months yet. MS did admit that the new 2024 version is quite different at it's core and for that reason they are giving developers plenty of time to adapt their existing and up and coming projects. A quick glance at the FS2020 list of items to be improved, added, or fixed reveals the 'postponed to 2024' phrase more and more, which also suggests to me it may be worth considering the wait until 2024 comes out from both a cost-saving and work-saving perspective if you do not have the current sim installed right now and want, what most likely will be, the best sim to date. YMMW, of course. FS2020 is a phenomenal-looking sim already, but for me, the promise of something even better a few months away is worth the wait, IMHO.

[dvj]

I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to a sim and tend to get a lot of goodies all in a short time period - both payware and freeware. I would love to 'jump in' to the current MSFS, but have a great fear of not only spending all that money on the 2020 platform, but also on all the fantastic addons for 2020 without any guarantees everything will work the same when 2024 comes in a few months. MS is very tight lipped regarding the new sim and said they may not release any new teaser update for a few months yet. MS did admit that the new 2024 version is quite different at it's core and for that reason they are giving developers plenty of time to adapt their existing and up and coming projects. A quick glance at the FS2020 list of items to be improved, added, or fixed reveals the 'postponed to 2024' phrase more and more, which also suggests to me it may be worth considering the wait until 2024 comes out from both a cost-saving and work-saving perspective if you do not have the current sim installed right now and want, what most likely will be, the best sim to date. YMMW, of course. FS2020 is a phenomenal-looking sim already, but for me, the promise of something even better a few months away is worth the wait, IMHO.

I suspect that MS 2024 is more than a few months away.

[DennyA]

I have zero inside info, but based on how much of the MSFS roadmap is still being publicized, and MS focusing on fiscal years that start in July, I would bet the cost of a beer that we'll see MSFS 2024 around the 4th anniversary of MSFS's release. (Around August, 2024)

[MZee1960]

I suspect that MS 2024 is more than a few months away.

Apparently mid to late summer 2024. Speculation has it at pegged at FlightSim Expo 2024, Las Vegas, in June.

The waiting is the hardest part ........