Hi everyone,
I’d like to suggest that France be the focus of an upcoming City Update in Microsoft Flight Simulator. While we’ve seen some improvements recently, there are still many major French cities missing or not up to the standard we see elsewhere in Europe. Here are some key points:
- Major cities like Toulouse are completely missing, and Nice, although recently added, could use a much higher level of detail.
- The Paris region is almost entirely absent : Paris itself is still of poor quality, with outdated photogrammetry, blurry textures, and many melted or inaccurate buildings.
- Other major cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Strasbourg, and Montpellier are either missing or lack any enhanced modeling, despite their importance for aviation and French heritage.
Current State of French Cities in MSFS
- City Update II: France brought improvements to Amiens, Angers, Nantes, Nîmes, and Reims, as well as Paris-Le Bourget Airport, but not to Paris itself or the wider Paris region.
- City Update VII: European Cities included Nice and Monaco, but Monaco’s quality is still very limited, and Nice while present could really benefit from more detail, especially along the Promenade des Anglais and the city’s iconic neighborhoods.
- Paris, despite being a world capital, is still criticized for low-quality photogrammetry and outdated textures, especially compared to other major European cities in the sim.
Community Feedback and Alternatives
- Some third-party developers have released Paris enhancement packs using Google photogrammetry, which look much better, but these are unofficial mods and can be demanding on system resources.
- The community regularly requests a proper update for Paris and other French cities, with high-resolution textures, detailed 3D landmarks, and better coverage for the entire Paris metropolitan area.
Concrete Proposal
I suggest the next City Update France should focus on:
- Paris and the Paris region: A complete overhaul of photogrammetry, with new 3D models for key landmarks and neighborhoods (La Défense, Saint-Denis, Versailles, etc.).
- Toulouse: As the home of Airbus and a major aviation hub, Toulouse deserves to be included.
- Nice: Improved detail, especially along the coast and in the surrounding areas.
- Other major cities: Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Strasbourg, Montpellier, and more.
This would greatly enhance the flying experience in France, showcase the country’s rich aviation and cultural heritage, and meet the strong demand from both French and international simmers.
Thank you to the MSFS team for considering this suggestion! Please feel free to add your thoughts or mention other French cities you’d like to see improved.
Happy flying!
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