I never ranted before on here. I absolutely love MSFS 2020. But…
…those handcrafted airports are really bad if you compare them even to the worst of payware add-on airports. I actually paid for the premium deluxe because it advertised handcrafted airports. But they are just like me advertising handcrafted chairs with just two legs. Taxiway signage completely off, not a single gate marked at least at EDDF. And there are no payware airports to make up for this. EDDF, KJFK, KSEA.
I’ve been using this product since it came out and nobody cares to actually fix these handcrafted airports so they are actually usable without the taxi ribbon.
Exactly…EHAM as well and the list just goes on. How are you supposed to find your gate? It’s really ridiculous. I would pay extra for those airports but since they have been “handcrafted” by Asobo there is no payware add-ons for them. For most of them (I believe KLAX was handcrafted by Asobo but there’s payware for that)
Same poor taxiways in Denver. Madeira is also very poor. Compared to Aerosoft’s Madeira (that’s a 10 year old addon for FSX) is not even close.
Some others are a lot better, like Toncontin for example. LAX, Heathrow, SFO aren’t bad. Probably depends on the partner developer.
But there’s still no ground markings, no gate marks…nothing. It’s worthless if you use VATSIM. Even if you have the charts…I mean those airports (Heathrow, Frankfurt, JFK, Denver) are massive…
And the sad answer seems to be, you get what you pay for.
Asobo seems to take this approach, “Make iconic airports look pretty good from the ground or sky.”
None of their bundles really give you that bespoke, study level polish. But you do get a graphical upgrade and they do focus on the world’s most famous airports. For a LOT of folks, that is all they seek or need.
Asobo is consistent. And after flying vanilla planes at vanilla bespoke airports, you should have a sense of what to expect if you buy their other bundles.
Worth it? Depends. To me I like all the added content for pennies on the dollar. And if I want more detail, I know I have to pay a premium to a 3rd party for their hard work.
Problem is I bought it in August 2000. There hadn’t been any better versions back then. And they never delivered as advertised.
I would be really happy to pay for those airports, seriously. Anything from 10 to 30 bucks, but Asobo/MS advertising those airports as “handcrafted” stopped developers from actually making handcrafted airports. Or else how do you explain that these big airports we’re talking about do not have payware content? Come on, Heathrow, JFK, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam… there’s HUGE market for those airports. Much bigger than (for example) those small airfields that are available in the store.
EDDF, EHAM, and KDEN do have 3rd party custom airports available. And they are pretty good (yes, I own them despite owning the Premium Deluxe edition). KATL, KDFW, KORD, and KSFO could really use some love. EGLL will be coming out soon by the same developer who brought us EGKK.
Also, flightsim.to has some pretty good renditions of many popular airports that are all FREE.
I misspoke. EDDF has not been created by a 3rd party as payware or freeware.
You found an EHAM payware for MSFS? I am not talking about free mods here (as well as you I suppose, because you said you “own” them “despite owning” the premium deluxe). EGLL will be coming, that’s also true. But this is 1.5 years after the games release and some of the worlds biggest airports have not been done in a proper way with usable taxiways and gate mark that actually match the ground/parking charts.
And yes, I am well aware of flightsim.to. But as I said, I was talking about payware. BTW there’s a partial mod for EDDF on flightsim.to but that’s it.
Cannot find any custom payware EHAM.
I own the premium deluxe too and I also find disappointing to fly a crowded VATSIM event at EDDF. That’s why in this case I prefer to go with XP11. Here all airports, also default, have ground markings and parking numbers.
I like to taxi some but I mostly just shut it down on the runway now and sprint directly to my car.
Is it possible for users to modify the lights, like removing the ones in the middle of taxiways? Or how about changing a pattern from Left to Right? Or change taxiway IDs?
The cost per airport in the Premium Deluxe Version is 3€/$, now that is if we value planes and airport’s at the same price, so in reality you probably pay less than 2€/$ per airport included.
That leads to the next question, for that price, what payware airport’s do you get? Obviously none.
Are they better than default airport’s? Definitely! Are they better than a third party airport that you pay 20€/$ for? Obviously not.
So I definitely reckon it was fair value and it also didn’t hijack any market from third parties, so don’t see the issue here.
Had we paid 15-20 per airport, then there would be reason to be upset.
