Like most PC users, I’ve gone through the CTD hell over the past few days. Coming from a reasonably stable VR system for the past few months, it was like being thrown in some early Alpha test group without a choice. So I updated with the patch to fix update 5 today. No difference really. Gave up and did a reinstall and miraculously I now have a functioning sim, well sort of, its kind of circa 2014 FSX with Orbx level graphics and terrible LOD and things popping in to view as you fly, but at least somewhat stable.
So one thing I have noticed pretty much from the Sep release last year is that the online part of this sim has been actually OK, people tended to follow some level of order. Sure the odd plane spawns on the runway in front of you or someone takes off on the same runway and you end up in a game of chicken. But all in all, not totally terrible. Not VatSim, but certainly not bad enough to disable online.
So has anyone joined in at a major airport and just watched whats been going on since the Xbox release ? My goodness, its complete chaos !!
People buzzing runways in A320’s, trying to fly upside down in a 747, purposefully crashing (not that it causes an actual crash) in to you. Planes aiming at skyscrappers (ABSOLUTELY NOT COOL) What a mess !! I have opted to turn off online and just use XP for Vatsim as this sim is far from stable for a multitude of reasons for any serious flying.
Is this just a ‘new toy’ thing for some of the console gamers or is it the way it’s going to be long haul ?
I’m pretty cool and patient, I work for as an Electronics engineer for a robots company so I’m used to the trials and tribulations of software engineers spoiling my day, but I’m not quite as tolerant of the same with my hobbies. This experience over the past few days has been ironic, annoying and at times somewhat amusing. Maybe it will turn out well, I’m hoping sol. If not, XP is always there I guess.
this was a major issue back in FSX, and led to the creation of lots of private servers to avoid this sort of thing. Even better because FSX had a built in ATC tower mode so you could watch traffic from the tower, and have a radar screen, too.
I was surprised when MSFS was released without a viable multiplayer/ATC system to the level FSX had.
I don’t know what the current state of private multiplayer servers is for MSFS. They were actually really good. I loved Boston ATC, which eventually merged with VATSIM (now BVATC). I flew that a lot, especially the Cape Air Virtual Airline. There were some WWII Bomber groups, too, that were fun (91st Bomber Group was a good one).
Your description sounds exactly like what I would expect from a bunch of new players (and newbies to flight simulation) trying the game for the first time. I imagine a lot of people on PC did the same a year ago. The good news is most of the people who enjoy that sort of thing will get bored and move on to something else quickly.
To be quite honest though, I can’t understand why anybody wants to fly with other people if you’re not doing something like VATSIM or talking on mics with people you actually know. And the idea of quitting the sim if you can’t use anonymous silent randos for traffic… just baffling to me.
Good question. I don’t believe I have a solve for your question, but related to it, here is a topic you might want to check out to see if you agree with:
No you are totally correct. No reason to be baffled. I just previously left it as default with online enabled and it never caused a problem, so I run with it. Sometimes I use Vatsim, usually on XP with the Zibo mod because its mature and stable and that’s what you want it on Vatsim.
I tend to do more VFR in MSFS for obvious reasons and sure I can set to ‘real’ traffic, but I found actual users were more realistic than aircraft landing and disappearing in to thin air. It was more the barnstorming since Tuesday that I found amusing with the update but the three steps back breaking a lot of things to accommodate Xbox I found annoying. No update should create this much grief for a large user base. Thats unacceptable.
Time will tell which direction this will go, game or sim. I can only imagine what will occur when they introduce military fighters.
Most of the stuff that people are having problems with right now really have nothing to do with accommodating Xbox, that’s just a knee-jerk easy thing to blame. A lot of the things that are causing frustration post SU5 would actually frustrate console players (who are likely to be less well-versed in aviation fundamentals) even more. Most of them also have nothing to do with making the game more “game-like” or more “sim-like”… in terms of sim depth SU5 actually added a bit of complexity, and some of the things people are upset about actually make the sim more “hardcore” because they removed unrealistic player aids (like percentages on tooltips).
I’ve been involved on projects where the same code base is used for different target hardware. What happened is what I expected to happen to be honest. I’m not blaming Xbox. These guys are in business and are going to follow the money and whatever the market demand is. The growing pains are bad at first, but it will settle. In the long haul having a common code base clearly makes sense. I didn’t see anything that made this product anything more ‘sim; like’. I see the opposite. I never used tool tips before, so wouldn’t have noticed that change, but I am having to now now because I can’t read the writing on controls anymore in VR. I could on Monday ! Maybe what they originally released was too much for current hardware, we can all use rose tinted glasses and say its was pretty, but forgetting about the horrendous frame rates even on cutting edge H/W. That problem has gone for sure, but not in the way they were calling it. Never any mention about downgrading the graphics or LOD changes, but realistically it was foolish for us to expect anything else.
You can’t have your cake and eat it. To get more frames something has to be given up. Apart from the panel graphics being harder to read in some planes, the experience in VR is smoother. But at what cost ? Its really no better than XP in VR now, in fact its visually inferior on the panels, airport signage etc. But I’m sure VR players on a PC are the last place Asobo/MS are really focusing much attention.
Personally, I’ve never considered live multiplayer traffic more than a fun free fly, and I enjoy it for this. Watching others do silly things (or doing them occasionally yourself ) can be entertaining and enjoyable. In the end, the more people using FS the better, no mater how serious they take it or what they do.
When it comes to more realistic flights, such as on VATSIM/PilotsEdge, I use Live/AI traffic only. This keeps things orderly, yet also still realistically busy.
For the really serious stuff, such as practicing real life sim profiles and procedures before I have a proficiency check, I don’t use any traffic at all. (Granted this is still conducted in P3D at the moment). Out of interest, all the RL sims I’ve used don’t have any random traffic available, only the ability inject singular aircraft for training specific scenarios, such as TCAS RAs or a late go around due to an occupied runway. Therefore nothing is really lost by removing them entirely.
If you change from a “live multiplayer traffic only” mindset, to choosing it based on your expectations for the upcoming flight, I find it’s much more enjoyable.
Yeah, people flying around buzzing towers and performing acrobatics at major airports is exactly why I’ve also never considered flying with multiplayer. I’m with @Norman999933 on this one. The only good options are to fly VATSIM or PilotEdge, or just use the live traffic.
Personally I love the live traffic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from perfect as some airlines just sit on the runway for what feels like hours or you get a spawn in/go around because of traffic . Give the live traffic a try sometime though. Most flights are very believable with it.
Sounds like an airforce Proud 95 video.
If I am honest, I went loonking for this, just to see if it was happening. I gave up after 30miuntes and went back to my normal flying.
I recall when the title was announced, it was highlighted that two game worlds / servers were to exist, one for casual flyers, and another for those who wish to follow stricter procures / flight rules etc.
It’s almost like they released a version for consoles and now the virtual skies are full of casual gamers who couldn’t care less about the simulation aspect
It definitely needs a filter on multiplayer to exclude XBox users.
To me this is another indication that it’s solely about money (of course - it is a business) and not about making the best simulator.
Yes, and possibly. If nothing else it’s going to make the Friday group flights interesting.
Ultimately pointless, and unworkable. How do you stop someone from joining the “serious” server who just wants to fly “casual”, and annoy others? Here I am thinking of those group flights I mention above. We’ve seen the odd person, another Twitch streamer no less, invade a stream with a 747, and try to obstruct every chance they get, including photo ops for the host streamer. It will only get worse.
Right now your only options are to disable MP entirely, or create a private group. There is no rando filtering at all.
Again, if you don’t like multiplayer traffic, simply choose Live or AI. Sure they both have they’re individual issues, but if realistic, orderly traffic is what you seek, then options do already exist.
) can be entertaining and enjoyable. In the end, the more people using FS the better, no mater how serious they take it or what they do.
. Give the live traffic a try sometime though. Most flights are very believable with it.
