OK, What's wrong with spawning where you want and using the sim as you wish?

Allow me to voice a counter-opinion:

I also want to voice my strongest objection to the idea that spawning wherever you want as being “arcade” or “game” centeric, which I feel is demeaning toward those of us who are not necessarily sticklers for absolute, down-to-the-rivets realism.  And so what if a particular user wants to treat it like a, (somehow lower-life-form), “arcade”?  Isn’t that the inalienable right of the person who bought the game?  What’s important is that he bought the game and wants to participate with the rest of us, at least IMHO.

Maybe he feels overwhelmed by the idea of flying?  Letting him ease into it could convert him into a hard-core simmer later on.  If you talk down to him and make him feel somehow inferior, he’s going to tell us to eat a rock, leave the community, and we may well have lost an important contributor.

Of course, you don’t spawn on a runway when participating in multi-player activities, but that’s not the only way to play.

When I run MSFS, (or X-Plane-11/12), I almost always spawn on the runway.
Why?

  • My most difficult part of flying the plane is NOT taxiing around, it’s maintaining my aircraft centered on the runway and leaving the runway straight-out without curving - mostly to the right.  So this is what I emphasize.

  • Likewise when landing, I like to practice a 3 nm or 10 nm approach on the runway heading, where I can practice hand-flying a smooth let-down and a landing down the center-line instead of drifting off to the left or right.  And spawning in mid-air is no more unrealistic than spawning on the runway.

  • Spawning in mid-air over a body of water and slewing downward is the ONLY way to take-off from something that isn’t an official sea-plane base.

  • I also disable multiplayer and ATC since I don’t need the chatter and distractions.

Sometimes when I am working on practicing a particular skill, I’ll set the realism settings to mask other aspects of flying - allowing me to concentrate full-time on the essential skill I want to practice.  (i.e. maintaining altitude, level flight, or other things like that.)

For example, if I’m practicing takeoffs and transitioning to level flight, I will often kill the simulation and return to the active runway once that is done.  Rinse and repeat until the skill is knocked ice-cold.  Is that realistic?  No.  Can it be an effective training and practice method?  Absolutely!

Please understand that one of the essential strengths of a flight simulator is that it allows you to tailor the simulation to your particular requirements - instead of having to concentrate on a multitude of things at once - which is something you CANNOT do IRL.

Additionally, (using the example of a 6 or 8 year old flying for the first time), throwing everything at them, all at once, is a recipe for failure, frustration, and disaster.  You need to learn to roll over onto your tummy before you learn to crawl, crawl before you walk, and you need to learn to walk before you learn to run, so an incremental approach to learning is not a bad thing.

In summary, just because person “X” doesn’t fly the way you do, does not make his efforts or contributions less than your own - and as a family oriented game, I strongly object to demeaning others, even if only by implication, because they don’t meet your standards of excellence.

Please, let’s all play nice in the sandbox together and let’s strive to appreciate and encourage the contributions each and every one of us makes.

OK?

19 Likes

Do as you wish. Since multiplayer is disabled anyway

6 Likes

I really don’t understand the whole argument over this at all.

On the one hand, you’ve every right to spawn wherever you like IMHO.

On the other, those who want realism can’t really complain when they have multiplayer turned on.

21 Likes

Perfectly said Jimrh1993, as I sometimes feel the same way. It’s a shame that there are people in this world who feel they need to demean others who simply want to have fun, in their own way! Life’s too short, enjoy the ride!

2 Likes

. . . But what about encouraging the new user instead of making him feel inferior?  And, (as I read it), this sounds unnecessarily dismissive - as if you’re saying “Go eat a rock and do whatever you darn well please. . .”, instead of acknowledging the fact that others may not have the skills you have.

In my case I have a rather severe Parkinson-like tremor and the simple act of controlling the aircraft represents a significant challenge for me - but I enjoy flying and flight simms are the only way I will ever be able to do it.  So, this somehow makes me less worthy than others because I don’t necessarily spawn cold-and-dark - or in a legitimate parking space?

I, as well as others, do what they can with the sim and they want to enjoy it too.

2 Likes

I too have parkinsons and dystonia. Thats why i am stuck in the sim rather than flying on my Piper Warrior. Dont take my comment the wrong way, im just saying that since you are offline. You can use the sim as you please without anyone disturbing you etc. I too fly offline 100%

3 Likes

Good point and I thank you for clarifying that.

I don’t have Parkinson’s, but my tremor is no less severe and annoying.  IMHO it’s like scrambled-eggs - you can scramble them this way or that way, but they’re still scrambled.

Thanks again.

1 Like

Yeah. And mine is degenerative… Anyway, i hope you get it controlled soon… Happy Sim Flying!

1 Like

I have known a number of good friends in the same boat - I will keep you in my prayers.

1 Like

Same here. I always fly-offline with AI active. I always spawn at the runway with the FP installed and populated in the MCDU.

If some how we had better tools (peripherals, or pull outs) for working all the knobs and buttons (during cold and dark), I would then start at the terminal. I find using the mouse tedious and not-real and it wrecks the realism for me. I “despise” the VS UP/DN knob in the TBM…

1 Like

I’m not trying to start an argument, I want to bring awareness to the idea that not everyone plays the same way, and those that constantly harp on the need to fly absolutely realistically - as if flying any other way is beneath their dignity, (which is a subtle jab to those that don’t), doesn’t help build community.  Instead it tends to alienate large segments of the player community, (and discourages them from participating in these forums), because they don’t want to, or maybe cannot, fly with the detailed realism that others do.

We should make it absolutely clear that all simmers are welcome and that their contribution to the game, however slight, is welcome and appreciated.

2 Likes

I am totally with you there.

One thing I appreciate about PMDG’s DC-6 is their “automatic co-pilot”, (flight crew), with a “swing-out” tablet that you can use to issue commands to the rest of the crew.

They will help you bring the plane up from cold-and-dark, go thorough all the checklists and call-outs, and help you manage a complex “analog” aircraft - which is something I may never be able to do by myself.  This allows me to enjoy the aircraft, and, (indeed), experience a degree of realism that I might not have been able to do before.

I would love to see - and would willingly buy - other aircraft that had this feature in the way PMDG presents it.

You can see their training videos here with examples of using the automated flight crew:

Update: This is the video where they introduce the tablet and the automated flight crew.

@Zeke12587:
Take a look at this aircraft and these videos if you want to try something bigger than a GA aircraft.  It would be a challenge, but very likely within your grasp.  If you try it, let me know what happens and how you like it.

2 Likes

I stick mostly to GA up to the diamond da62 :slight_smile:
I rarely fly airliners now, which i used to be since FS5.1 days… I just wanna see the world nice and slow now that the scenery is that good

1 Like

One of my favorites is the Diamond Katana, though the Idea A5, (which comes stock), is also a fun plane to fly if you want to visit water-based locations.

One of the things you can do with the A5 is drop the wheels while in the water and then drive up onto the beach.  The first time I tried that, I forgot to let the wheels down and got stuck in the sand.  I then had to use “slew mode” as a simulated version of Sea-Tow to drag myself off the beach so I could restart the engine, (getting stuck stopped it), drop the wheels and climb the beach to park.
:man_facepalming:

1 Like

Ah yes! Its the closest i can feel the ocean in my current condition. You see? You are enjoying the sim! Dont let them affect you

1 Like

This is often considered the “acceptable” solution if you don’t want to fly realistically.

Those complaining are trying to, and are tired of seeing planes magically appear just as they are landing, and by avoiding MP you can do what you like without upsetting anyone.

2 Likes

Here’s a flight I tool in the Crimea from Simforopol to Beregovoe, (on the coast), using the A5.

1 Like

I did some “buddy flying” using X-Plane/IVAO out of Ostafiavo (UUMO), and even parked it was distressing to have a Citation business jet spawn on top of you. . .

1 Like

As someone who leans more towards the realistic side, prefer to start cold and dark etc. I fully support what you are saying here. I do not care if you spawn in where ever you want even in Multiplayer, I can always just ignore those doing their own thing.

At the end of the day if we want our hobby to continue to grow, and attract fresh blood, we need to be understanding. That person goofing off and just having fun, could very well be your next serious simmer, or the could be the person that ends up motivating to building your favorite plane for the sim.

16 Likes

It is my own personal view that it is up to each individual how they want to engage with MSFS, including choosing where and how they spawn into the virtual world. Hence, I have no problems with those that spawn directly onto the runway, or anywhere else. It is your game- enjoy it how you wish :smiley: .

The options available within MSFS make it possible to choose a wide variety of playing styles and I am quite happy for the “open world” multiplayer environment to have pilots spawning in where they choose.

Just a reminder, from the forum’s Code of Conduct page Standard Operating Procedure:

One World, One Community - No matter how you play – regardless of console, experience level, or reason – we are one community of aviation lovers.

and

A Pilot is a Pilot - Treat everyone in the community with respect, and seek to have positive experiences with your fellow pilots.

12 Likes