Not happy about the state of the game, in some lights it comes shorter even from FSX

So I will start by saying that I played FSX (that was my first Sim), Prepar3D and tried XPLANE11.
I was really enthusiastic when Flight Simulator (not this one, the old “reboot” that was even less than a game, and was killed basically immediately after) and when I tried it I was disappointed by a great deal.

So I wanted to try this new try of FS2020 and subscribed for the Alpha and the Beta (which I didn’t got selected to, not that it matters however) and followed the development pretty closely.

The Idea was fantastic, I was expecting an FSX with an integrated and optimized TileProxy on steroids, then it came out and I was able to finally try it.

I was greeted with a Windows 8 style layout, I was never a fan of that layout style but more than willing to give a full pass of it under the idea of what was running behind it, hence I decided to do a flight route I know really well and selected a 300i which i know fairly (not a master but not a newbie either), picked my route and started the flight with not much ease.

So after I entered into the world I looked around and I was amazed, remapped some keys for my controller and there I found the first issue, I can’t search the function I want to map as typing it in would return nothing (even when I know the exact name so no, it’s not that I’m looking for something that does not exist), well that could and probably would be addressed easily so who cares.

So after the remapping i entered into the cabin and I immediately noticed I can hide the yoke, looked good since that usually was not a part of the base sim but only on aftermarket planes so I was happy to see it, hided it and decided to give a look around the cockpit.
There comes my first disappointment, a lot of instruments dials/switches were inoperative, well that left me a bit unhappy but still it’s something that 3rd party would probably address, so I was even willing to give a pass on those.

I decided to play with the weather and there it comes the first hard strike, I wanted to test the realism of the model by setting a huge wind coming in front of me and see if the plane can take off without using the engine, opened the panel and… you can’t do that, you simply can’t.
You can set the wind speed in a relatively narrow area but you can’t for example say 200 knots of wind in front of me, you could do that in FSX and surely in Prepar3D, moreover you can’t say the wind is fixed but it’s always varying and at best you can make it vary relatively fast, but still no stable wind and another slider that limits your range of operation.

Well I said, that’s a disappointment but I can change the airplane with a lighter one and test it anyways right? Well no, you can’t change the airplane once in session, you have to restart it, FSX and P3D can definetly do that.

Alright I did the test after a reload (note: it seems to work fine for the model) and after doing the takeoff I went normal and wanted to try to simulate a failure, surely you can do that while flying right? Well no, you can’t, you have to set it up before you load the session. P3D/FSX can do that.

Go back in lobby, check the failures and… there’s literally a tiny faction of possible failures, even less than FSX base game. It’s starting to become disappointing but hey at least I can fly around in a realistic manner while looking under me and seeing a good graphic.

Reloaded once more, took off, opened the map to look for a point (based on the airport char) for a SID and… nothing, the point is nowhere to be found. Weird, maybe it missed one, let’s look for another one and pretend to do another SID and nothing again, points to do IFR seems to be missing for the most part (i found none of those i was looking for), plus the map is really laughable, the FSX map on M allows you to toggle what to see, make a study, make a plan (sort of) all inside the game, in FS2020 it’s a little window that contains barely anything useful for IFR. Now I’m disappointed for real but still, let’s continue.

Went to the destination and looked for the STAR points and, now unsurprisingly, nothing to be found, but I was already expecting that, so I aligned using my eye and wanted to try the ILS, i don’t remember right there the frequency tho, so well that’s simple open the map like FSX or P3D hover over the airport and it tells the frequency data and if you zoom you see the NDR VOR LOC etc. right? Haha of course not, the map is a desert of most useful infos. I am now very disappointed.

Alright let’s boil off by doing some VFR with a friend while I teach him how to manouvre the airplane before we hop back to P3D for the IFR and the technical details, so let’s connect to each other and share the cockpit, surely we can do it… right…? No. No direct-IP-connect to join a session between us or on a private server, no shared cockpit (“it will come later” is the news I found on it), so now i am very much disappointed and even a bit upset.

14 years later than FSX, instead of improving on everything, all was bet on graphic and the other parts not only were ignored, they even were inferior to the same product of a version that is 14 years old, this to me seemed unthinkable considering how the abortion that was Flight Simulator (the free one that was dropped immediately) should have sent a really strong message: the people who will buy it, play it for years and even tens of years are not the ones that will do some travels around and pass to another game shortly after, they are those who will use it as a framework to have a full pilot experience, “as real as possible” to say, and you decided to corn out all of them not only by not developing things they are interested for, but even to downgrade them, so much so that a 14 years old product beats your shiny new one all around except for graphic.

I am very deluded, Microsoft, I was first disappointed but then it came back to my mind what you said: It will be released on XBOX.
And now that all was clear, I was fooled again into thinking you would understand what users of a certain sector wants.
You clearly didn’t when you released Vista, when you released Windows 8, 8.1, with the microsoft store for windows and with telemetry and ads on windows 10, and now it seems with FS2020.

I hope, -I really hope-, I’m wrong, but so far nothing seems to point otherwise to me.

So P3D, my old friend that runs on the codebase of FSX, a product that will soon be able to legally drink alcohol in most of the world, it seems we will continue together for a long, long while at this rate.

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You can change aircraft and airport on the fly, check here [HOW TO] Guides
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/c/guides/new-pilot-help-guides/167

PS: This is a new platform and it’s long term project, free update will be added 2-3 months average SIM and World update.

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So what would make someone want to pour more than a hundred euros on it for something that will (maybe) added in the future, considering the additional planes you get are of average quality at best, it still lacks even the basics to orientate and perform whatever flight that is not “look out and (try to) find references”, I don’t have the option to host my own server or simply directly connect to my friend, I don’t see many of the features P3D have (runway accelleratio/decelleration based on pendency? avatars that moves around airports? night vision simulation? VR? underwater floor? military features? helicopters? compatibility with old planes (not an FS2020 fault but still something to consider when you invest)? freedom on the conditions to simulate? do I really need to continue the list?)?

I really hope they will add everything and more as that would merge the two world that were splitted before between P3D and XPLANE, but as of now I can’t and won’t recommend to invest on it, rather divert that money to P3D that has every check apart some minor things and the graphic

I think that is what are you looking for.

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You can’t compare current state FSX to FS2020, you need to compare release day FSX to this and if you do that you will very quickly realize FSX was pure broken trash on release, it took months of patches and community self tweaks in game files and odd CMD optimizations to get the game somewhat playable.

MSFS2020 is a technical Marvel right now, it’s going to take time to fix everything and add content, just like it took time for FSX and Xplane to be where they are at right now.

I feel like I’m parroting the same bloody thing every day on these forums, it’s like people never seen a Sim on release day… Even combat Sims like IL sturmovik great battles was pure trash on release but now after all the map dlc and new features in patches game is the best ww2 combat flight sim

Patience people, we’re going to get there.

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Yes Schere, I did that test, you can see the meteo configs are crippled, on FSX/P3D you could even set a tornado with snow and rain with ice building on your airplane (not visual but simulated neverthless) that cripples your ability to move the government surfaces if you so wish, here you have like 5 options, limited in range of settings.
It can’t even be admitted in that fight.

Trixiel, I heard the same thing on the free Microsoft Flight, I wonder when they were added… Oh right, never, the project was shut down.
I hope this is not the case but still, the foundation of FSX (yes, even when it started) were more solid in relation to the time than those I can see here.
If they pull the cable, farewell multiplayer, farewell stunning ground, probably farewell marketplace content. Why would anyone even take a risk? I certainly would not nor suggest anyone I know to.

I understand your frustration, but you can’t compare a 15 year old game with a game that’s not even a week old yet.

I am having a blast, despite some of the issues. Give this bad boy a good solid 6 months and it’ll be incredible.

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In my opinion it feels like Asobo did not have average-flight-simmer-ish kind of feedback until late development (let’s say, late alpha or beta), so it kind of feels more like a game than a sim. And when they did they couldn’t add all the features we simmers are used to have, like changing the plane mid-session without going DevMode and stuff (they were focused on fixing bugs…?) This is my opinion based on my impressions so I could be wrong, but nonetheless I’m having fun and it will be very solid after a few months and when 3rd party developers join us. It’s still good imo.

It’s a day one sim, come back in 6 months if you want things to work like they may in fsx, I’m priviledged tobe a part of this ground breaking sim, I have spent a fortune and things don’t work. Not worried one iota because I know They will be fixed, end of story!

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I do sympathize with you. I guess we just have to accept that this is “bleeding edge technology". Sure it has plenty of potential and has certainly broken into new territory, hopefully the relationship between MS and Asobo remains cordial and strong and MS doesn’t drop it in a heap and do a runner, as I am afraid they have done in the past. My logic is that I am going to review it every couple of months and see where it is headed, before even thinking of jumping ship and saying good bye to my current simulator investment. I have a feeling that this is going to lead to exciting times ahead for our hobby, irrespective what sim you use.

I’m now more than convinced people are not understanding how to function this sim therefore they complain. You would know sims release “incomplete” and there will be many updates and 3rd party devs are all working on their products as we speak.

Its a completely new system, everyone must erase their memories of the old sim. Also with multiple sophisticated partnership. This is more complex but very simple to figure things out, if not ask for help instead of complaining. The baby was just born give it time to grow into adulthood.

I can imagine some people as parents: " honey I dont like this baby, it doesn’t walk, its always crying why won’t it speak and tell me what it wants? it doesn’t take care of itself i have to be around it most of the time. Oh and don’t get me started on its constant hunger and multiple diaper changes. Yea it looks cute and all but i didnt expect this disappointment. Thats it im going back to my nephew he can do most things this baby can’t!" The nephew is 12 years old.

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I can’t take off upside down in a hurricane. Game sucks. I shouldn’t have to go to a real map website like SkyVector I should be able to just click on a dot in game and have my ILS set and Freqs with one click so I can drink a Red Bull with the other. Game sucks. My planes won’t go dead and explode during flight. Game sucks. Brand new game should be perfect with every option known to man. Game sucks. LMAO.

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To me FS2020 was designed for the X Box console and not the PC. The graphics is very good … but the rest needs to be looked at. I think Microsoft forgot that all those years ago when they first released Flight Simulator it was purely for the PC and there are millions of PC simmers. We build systems that will kill any X Box and continue to do so. I want the aircraft to be in the middle of the screen when flying outside - Spot mode and not at the bottom where it dissapears when you descend and even make turns to the left or right. I know it is a new format but keep the basic interface roughly the same. It makes life a lot easier for those millions of PC Simmers who have grown old with Flight Simulators. In my opinion this will not be a success with the younger generation…they want shoot them ups and the like. :astonished: Lockheed Martin P3D and X-Plane have kept the format roughly the same and that is why it is still a huge money earner for them. Remove the blinckers Microsoft and look at the bigger picture. :disappointed:

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I honestly think complaint threads like these have a valid place, but what matters is how Microsoft and Asobo deal with the wishes of the sim community moving forward. I personally think (hope?) that they will address these issues like the camera menu, the IFR navigation, the autopilot setup, the multi-screen compatibility, and the issues with hardware simpit compatibility during the coming months.

They have put so much effort into accurately simulating the flight model and the weather, things that wouldn’t bother an X-box’er one way or an other, they just want it to look nice and feel fun. Having flown around in this sim now for a few days I will say that going back to X-Plane would be quite terrible, so I’m hoping FS2020 matures into a proper complex sim so I can keep using it :relaxed:

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You may be half right. Some people enjoy being testers, I for one don’t. This was my first and will be my last, it is just not for me. But I can understand that other guys enjoy it, and if we are really honest, the release version is still in a test phase, it was just released too early.

Yeah, totally agree, there are clear signs that this was pushed to release a good two or three months early. The release date caught everyone off guard, and the missing features seem at odds with the stated vision of the developers during the alpha and very brief beta phase.

Personally I’m happy to fly around in what we have for the time being. If the G1000 updates and the support for peripherals such as RealSimGears nav systems take too long to be implemented I might reinstall X-Plane, but to be honest everything else in this sim (scenery of course, weather, graphics, flight model, sounds) is just in another league in my opinion. Going back to X-Plane would be painful.

RV, there you go, proves my point. I am probably a good deal older than you, am retired, and possibly not as patient as I was or should be with technology. But yeh, for a lot of you this is like a technology adventure. As I posted earlier, we will probably owe you blokes a few beers in 12 months time :rofl: Enjoy the journey.

They did. It’s all here in subforums that you can’t see going back to the start of the year.

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Wait, you are telling I will get less patient with age? Oh dear :sweat_smile:

I think the only reason I’m willing to be patient for this game is because I find it so promising. They have got so much of the basics right, that I’d rather spend my energy on this than on an older sim which has reached the limits of its potential. Even with the navigation and AP bugs I feel so much more immersed in this sim than I’ve ever done in X-Plane :sunglasses:

Exactly RV…patience. A little joke.to lighten the mood.
Bill Gates dies and goes to heaven.
St Peter says …Bill as you have had a reasonably fair life you have the choice of going down to hell or staying in heaven.
So Bill thought for a sec, then said, any chance of having a look at both before I make my decision.
No probs says St Peter. So St Peter showed him a video of hell…people were having a ball, parties, dancing, beaches, sunshine etc etc.
Then St Peter showed Bill a video of Heaven…people were singing bible songs, walking around in white robes, banging drums, playing flutes, etc etc.
Bill thought for a minute and said… I"ll go down to hell.
A few days later Bill eventually gets hold of St Peter and ask’s…Hey St Peter what gives…hell is atrocious, fire, people screaming in agony, nothing to drink …what happened to the video you showed me?
Well Bill…that was our promo video…

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