I agree with you that the world needs more custom landmarks and local vegetation system. I have seen many freeware airports, but most of them (not all) look very similar. For example, I see the same pine trees and places where they don’t belong. The trees are dark green trees and bushes in places where the vegetation is green as grass. The user base can localize the vegetation, but they need much more varied mix of objects of the natural world.
Now, to attract new users I would suggest to make the sim more adventurous. Many of us want to travel to places that are magical and unknown like Africa, Asia, Antartica, etc. We want to fly to land on airstrips that are dusty or muddy in a tropical rainforest or the savannah. Where we have to look out for animals or people on the airstrip, where we have to deal with terrain and clouds… But when we finally landed there should something to see. Custom houses, safari jeeps, angry villagers, a crashed airplane on the side of the runway. Anything to make the experience exciting. I even tried to launch a virtual airline bases on this ( https://safariva.com/ ), but its hard to find interesting places to fly to, particularly in Africa, Asia and South America. Microsoft has to realize that new users can learn about about flying (aerodynamics), but also about topography, geography and different cultures. So its not about entertainment, but it also has educational value. Its striking that there’s so little documentation for learning to fly. Teach new users pilot skills and don’t make it too easy so they can actually learn something. Offer lessons with a virtual instructor to teach about the basics of flying.
For me, I think there should be something like a campaign or missions to keep people playing MSFS.
1 Like
I guess the question here is, why do people play MSFS in the first place? Why do you need to “keep” people playing MSFS? It’s not a subscription game like a P2P MMORPG. As long as they keep selling the game, I’m sure they’re happy without having the need to “keep” them playing.
My point here is, people are different, people play MSFS for different reasons, some like the free open world VFR low flying, some like the IFR airline long haul flights. Others like to practice and learn.
While having campaign or mission could be a good thing for “some” people. It doesn’t really guarantee that people will come to MSFS. And even if they do come for the campaign or mission, once that’s done, what will happen? They’d probably leave.
Then there’s people like me, who just likes going from one airport to another using Airbus, I want to learn the system, I want to learn how to fly like an airline pilot. Even if there’s a campaign or mission, it doesn’t matter to me, I probably end up removing them from the content manager because it’s something that hogs storage space for a content that I’ll never going to use and I end up doing my own thing anyway. The same reason why I bought the premium deluxe version, only to end up removing the premium aircraft off from my content manager because I’ll never use them.
Yes on the one hand hand we have the people who love to fly the Airbus or Boeing airliners from one hub to the other. But I actually noticed on this forum that many discovered that bush flying is a lot of world now that the sim world looks more real. So please, don’t underestimate this group. To be honest, I like both the airliners but I got involved with bush flying since MSFS was launched. But when I fly airliners and did all the procedures when taking-off I love to look outside the window and enjoy the landscape on the ground whioe cruising or see some the airport surroundings on final approach.
Exactly my point, so many people flying the sim for many different reasons, it’s difficult to pin point that this is exactly what the community wants.
Also, forum shouldn’t be used for benchmark to see what most people enjoy. Sure, Bush Flying might be most popular flying mode that most people enjoy discussing in the forum. But that doesn’t mean that covers most people flying the sim. There’s a silent majority that people don’t post into forum that’s impossible to determine what kind of flying hat they like to do.
I have my own reason and my own thing for using MSFS, other people have their own reason and their own thing for using MSFS. And another people have their own reason and their own thing using MSFS. There’s so many different reasons and different tastes coming from everyone that’s it’s just impossible to know what people like and dislike.
Find real-world stuff to inspire you to explore… I was on the fence about getting the Okavango add-on, and watched a bunch of YouTube videos on MackAir flights using Caravans to fly into the same area, then was able to easily recreate that in game… then that inspired me to look into what real operators are flying in other areas of Africa, like Tanzania and ran across Coastal air - also running Caravans into ‘safari areas’, but the terrain and weather are totally different… both operators have route maps to give you ideas for flights, etc
and just keep going from there… find something that catches your imagination online and do it in the sim.
3 Likes
Neofly, FS Economy or Air Hauler 2 may fit the bill.
I discovered Mackair in Botswana as well, I even recreated a flight schedule for this airline: https://safariva.com/
Thanks for your tip about coastal air, sounds pretty cool.
1 Like
That only works if the first impression of the game is good enough.
If a new player is “bored” by the first impression than this player won’t invest the time to dig through 3rd party solutions.
I added MSFS ICAO codes to their maps ( where available ), if that helps 
3 Likes
True, I accept that some people need to be spoon fed their entertainment. All we can do is try to encourage them to be more proactive. Tangentially, some people seem to refuse to use the Search button at the top right, and find it quicker to post a question that has been answered ten times before.
I wouldn’t say that people need to be spoon fed. If you look at other simulator games like farming, train or truck simulators than you will see that these games are giving you a reason to do stuff.
It became kind of a standard to have “purpose systems” in your game. For some reason flight simulators are constantly staying away from it.
Right, so you are thinking more along the lines of some people don’t like sandbox games, and need a little direction?
I get that. I get bored of some of those very quickly. Sandbox survival games are the worst, for me. I can watch someone play them on YT, but couldn’t play them myself as I just don’t see the point in playing something that typically doesn’t respect your time.
But back on topic, if anyone finds themselves struggling to fire up MSFS, and can’t find the motivation to do so, those external tools can let you build something outside of the sim. If someone enjoyed playing management sims, they might find FSE or Air Hauler 2 right up their alley.
1 Like
As much as I understand the reason for the black screen I too have been a little disappointed on occasion with it.
If nothing else it feels a little abrupt and empty
It might be nice at least to have some text listing the failures and their consequence…
Well, FSX and earlier had a ton of career missions and lessons, but yeah - I’d love to see a full PPL, CPL, IFR, ATP training series added as the sim improves. Also more plane/role specific training seaplane, bush flying, helo etc and environmental flying - ie winter flying, mountain flying etc
Basically look at the Sportys or King training videos and make lessons based off those
I remember some of the FS2004/FSX missions being pretty fun, and others being really cheesy - it was kind of a mixed bag
Oh, better default cameras. New players don’t know that the default VC view is way too low in pretty much all sims. Some of the 3rd party planes get it right, but you should always see a bit of the top of the glare shield / nose / cowling, or you’re too low in the seat.
Default is like the height of an 8 y/o sitting in the pilots seat, and when you rotate or flare - you lose sight of the runway - which makes learning how to fly the sim that much harder.
I have my numpad totally dedicated to seat height / position controls - but this would be really tough to tune on the XBox. or for a new player to even know it’s wrong.
For the first time I have actually seen someone say what I’ve been feeling since I got the game - that it feels like its a virtual world FIRST and then they added planes to it. To me it feels primarily like a world sim & a weather sim but with a flight game stuck on top.
Dont get me wrong it is a truly astounding achievement this 1:1 Earth they have created. I absolutely love it. But it will take some years to settle in and “feel” like a simulator.
None of this affects the fun Im having. As for attracting new people - it desperately needs what FSX has - lessons. Many will treat this as a game but some will want to learn more and with FSX the lessons are so good. I hope such a thing can be implemented in MSFS too. Along with coughcough replay, [S] & [A] view mode keys etc.
: points above to the suggestions for COMBAT :
: other strange ideas :
-
Marvel Tie-in. QuinnJet, Blackbird etc.
-
MS Golf Add-On - Single or Multi-player ( enable access to nearby Golf Courses via the Ground Services menu )
-
MSFS Adventures: Personal Hangar, Ground activities, missions, collectable items to decorate hangar. Multi-player Social Activities for hangar and adventure locations.
-
Dovetail Games: WORLD FISHING Add-On
-
A PRO version for Flight Schools & Instructors etc. All your flight time/activities are filed with Accredited Schools and the FAA under your ‘MyFAA’ Account.
2 Likes
making the simulator more personal would go a long way.
If the sim would save the exact state of your last flight…the aircraft, weather, time of day, airport and parking spot, and so on - automatically. Maybe add the option to ‘Resume’ as opposed to ‘Create’ a flight.
If we could easily create and personalize a GA airstrip and hangar - or a corporate hangar space etc…complete with company name and logo possibly - IE: American Truck Simulator
and then populate the ramp with 3 or 4 of our favorite aircraft in the liveries we most often select…or have the option to select liveries after the planes and airfield have spawned.
Having a jobs board in the hangar would be nice too. Some of this stuff was done in MS Flight and it was helpful to be able to decide after the aircraft had spawned what kind of flight you could do.
The ‘hundred dollar hamburger’ or sight-seeing with a passenger, or a small freight delivery with a deadline, or to skip that and just fly point to point as usual.
A rating system that automatically evaluates your flying skills - every takeoff, flight maneuver, landing and so on - just like the log book but with an extra click that tells you in detail about each flight. Kind of like the ‘Landing Challenge’ does but for every flight.
3 Likes
