With 7 months now passed, almost 2000 posts under the su16 feedback within the forum, and the dramatic affect SU16 brought to 2020, I would like to present what I feel is a simple and streamlined solution to restoring 2020 to its prior high quality and level of graphical refinement.
This being to allow a legacy mode option in the 2020 simulator, in which:
2020 would continue to default to use the SU16 code base
The user must opt in to legacy mode and in doing so accepts any current or future issues or incompatibility.
This should have no effect on Asobo’s 2024 development, nor any future updates of 2020. It is a known good point in time, leveraging SU15’s code base.
In such a legacy mode, it removes all SU16 changes made graphically, including the removal of support for high resolution (512x512) aerials, any changes to what aerial map zoom levels are supported, any changes to the environment outside of map changes (more on that below) such as increased haze, and any / all TLOD or OLOD changes made in SU16.
Ideally but a secondary priority is the legacy mode should keep any fixes for sim or aircraft (eg the sim not shutting down when exiting issue fix) and the couple of fixes which comprise the 16.1 beta.
If required, this can keep the new and aligned to 2024 maps and we will trust that these may globally be restored to the prior 2020 standards over time as noted in last dev live stream in October.
Given the time elapsed since SU16, request is this is introduced under the current SU16.1 beta to be tested prior to wider release.
Should Asobo then look under SU17 to work with the community to bring the best of both worlds together from SU16 and SU15, I trust there is a large user base that would gladly do so.
Have heard alot about the infamous SU5. It was just before I caught the MSFS bug so I never knew what it was prior to it other than what i have seen in pictures and youtube. Repeatedly regressing a simulation and its experience I think is at heart of the issue here certainly. It was jaw dropping to my eyes until SU16, something you couldnt wait to experience. The withdrawals since have been very hard.
I dont know whom else I can speak for, but I used to fly AND love the moments of total immersion, now I fly HOPING to have just one moment like that.
And yes, 2024 and its less sharp and crisp, and more cartoon / gamified graphics have not since its release come anywhere close IMO. Nice lighting, nicer trees, and if you like walking around.. well hey look.. a rock.. The creative / artistic direction in 2024 was obviously from the start with a purely gaming focus, not similation or environmental realism like that with which 2020 got so very right.
Can’t speak here as to some 3rd party options I leverage to make 2024 better, but even with these if you fly 2024 then immediately 2020, even after the pain that su16 inflicted it really does still hit harder on the realism and immersion front!
The shared mapping data between MSFS (2020) and MSFS 2024 is By Design. As Jorg mentioned in an earlier developer livestream, the team is investigating a “best of both worlds” approach where they manually evaluate which dataset is used for different locations instead of using the newer data across the board.
