The only thing keeping MSFS 2024 from being great for me

My preferred flying in MSFS is business jets doing IFR flights. I’m getting great graphic performance, and pretty much seamless flight planning, whether using the EFB, Flightplanner or SimBrief. Weather and textures have been pretty good for the most part.

The only thing left is the in-sim ATC. Before anyone suggests the alternatives such as BATC, Vatsim, etc, I’m aware of them and have used them, but for various reasons they don’t always work for my preferred flying.

I don’t mind the new voices in 2024 at all. What I really want is to get realistic ATC instructions for initial climb such as “climb and maintian 5000, expect FL12000 after 5 minutes” and then a somewhat realistic climb to cruise. After that, a realistic descent that isn’t a drop from 35k to 3k from inside 40 miles to the destination. 2020 had somewhat realistic climb and descent instructions that were at least workable.

If 2024 can get these issues with the in-sim ATC, it’ll be just about perfect for me. I’ve voted on virtually every ATC bug post, and a lot are showing as “logged” so I’m hopeful…for now.

I know you said to not suggest alternatives like BATC or VATSIM… but you didn’t mention SayIntentions, so…

… SayIntentions.

As a looooooong time VATSIM user and IR pilot, I can say SI is the best non-human ATC I have ever experienced. I have tried Xplane’s ATC and MSFS 2020’s ATC. They are both completely unusable. VATSIM is great, but the coverage is spotty and unpredictable unless it is an event.

SI uses AI and links in with SimBrief. You call up and get clearance (which is very realistic in terms of initial climb, squawk, departure freq), you can use the ramp controllers to remove jetway and push. Taxi instructions are very good. Handoffs and further climbs to cruise are very realistic. Descents have been great 95% of the time… sometimes you have to ask, but 95% of the time, you either get a descend via or get reasonable descents. Handoffs are great and are accurate based on real-world FIR boundaries. And even within the boundaries you get handed off to different center controllers just like in real life. Approaches are great, too. Either get vectors-to-final or sometimes get an approach via. The vectoring is very very good.

Anyway, I know you said you didn’t want things like BATC or VATSIM, but I honestly put SI in a different league. There simply isn’t anything else like it and there is nothing that even comes close to real-world ATC like SayIntentions. And they have a free trial so you can decide for yourself.

Good luck!

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You could get that ATC instruction (for the most part) in FS’24 if MS had not chosen to deploy it using Azure TTS and Natural Voice ™ for variety/accents, AND turned off the ability to fall back to the Local Language Locpak file and Windows voices.

One of our former Staff has a very good FAA compliant Phraseology Mod for FS’20 (he’s a PPL and went through the AIM finely to ensure correct language and phrasing/stating), and it works with both Offline ATC and Azure TTS. None of that works in an Online Only model now with Azure as configured in FS’24.

It’s ironic that most players wished for better voices and accents. Well, here we are, at the cost of cutting off potential mods that changed the story. Unfortunately, that’s a direct consequence of the FS’20 trailers which implied what is somewhat in FS’24 today was available back then. Customer demand was more for the variety than the accuracy.

I still get comments on my few videos using the mod where the very observant ask “Where the heck is that in ATC? I’ve never heard them say that!” :slightly_smiling_face:

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SayIntentions… 'nough said.

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I’ve been doing some research on SI, and it’s a pretty attractive option from what I’ve read and videos I’ve seen. The subscription is a thing, but not a deal killer for me personally.

I decided a week ago, that if the in-sim ATC isn’t MUCH improved by SU2, I’m going for SI.

Thanks for your response

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The in-sim ATC is never going to improve to a realistic level. It actually went backwards after 4 years.

So what is your preferred flying? I can’t see MSFS coming through with anything better than any 3rd party software out there now, sure it will probably improve a bit but it’s not going to get much better anytime soon. If you have already got the base BATC you may as well use that with no extra cost using the none premium voice packs.

I’ve ‘evolved’ quite a bit with ATC over the years. With FS20, I would use it to get in the air, but after I reached altitude, when it switched me to a new region I would switch to the new frequency to satisfy the logic but never actually check in. Then when I reached the destination, I’d just contact the tower directly for landing clearance. Sad, but that was at least acceptable for me.

I tried the FS24 ATC… once. After takeoff I was told to climb to FL180, then the moment I answered, I was told to climb to FS200. That repeated until I gave up at FL750 (I was flying the 737 not the space shuttle). It’s garbage and in my opinion is worse that FS20, and I didn’t think that was possible.

Unfortunately, when your choices are to use the awful in-house ATC or to use an external product, I guess external is it for now. Otherwise using in-house minimally seems to be your only option.

That’s great! You won’t regret it. I have pretty high standards for ATC and I was very very leery of the subscription price. But once I tried it, I was all in. And it’s much more than ATC (if you want to use them). Like ramp workers who will connect tug/jetway, a copilot that you can pass off comm responsibilities to, flight attendents who make PAs, different voices, different personalities for each person (funny FO and professional flight crew… or even your own personality/voice that you can design!)…

It’s simply an amazing piece of software. And it keeps getting better! The team is amazingly responsive on discord and their roadmap is very impressive. AI traffic (with ATC comms!) is coming soon… :slight_smile: So, in the end, I feel like I am getting great value for the money!

My preferred flying is in the CJ4 or Longitude. Due to work/life, I have an hour or so in the evening to fly. These jets are pretty quick to go thru the checklists, and be ready. I can do flights of around 400-500 miles in an hour, so not including startup and taxi, I get 20 minutes of climb, 20 of cruise and 20 of descent and landing.

BATC is decent, but still needs some time in the oven. Not only that, but I really like the flight planner from Working Title. It’s easy and fast. It’s also “mobile”. I can create a flight plan on my pc at work, or on my phone and it’s ready to go as soon as I’m on the sim. If BATC would create an API to work with MSFS, and reduce the reliance on Simbrief, they’d get a lot more sales IMO.

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My ‘Gameplay’ is RAF Experience flights.

RAF Cosford. 8 group AEF. Aircraft Experience Flights.

I take one passenger and do some simple aerobatics. IRIS Grob 115 Tutor. That is what they use today.

The aeroplane is cared and prepared by Ground Crew, so all I do is step in and fly.

I also fly the Aeroplane Heaven Mk 1 Spitfire from the same field.

I have put Radio Comms at quite a few Airfields that done have it in Original Equipment.

MSFS2020 is just a dream for me.
I won’t be buying MSFS2024, as there isn’t anything it offers above what I have.

It will be when MS and Asobo stop maintaining MSFS2020 when I upgrade.
Having said that, I can still fly in MS FSX ! :laughing:

The ATC in FSX used to be good enough. Not perfect, but fairly good. It also went hand in hand with awesome offline AI that one could modify endlessly. I hope msfs2024 gets to be that soon.

Took the plunge and signed up for SI 2 days ago. WOW, what an immersive experience. Complete game changer on the enjoyment meter. Thanks for the heads up!

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Great…

Now I have to follow through on my promise to myself to start doing IFR flying in my FSR500, and not just taking my Bonanza up for a VFR cruise.

The idea of learning IFR while having really good ATC has always intrigued me. It sounds like SayIntentions might be the ticket to that experience.

The current ATC sends me directly to my planned cruise altitude and never asks me to climb in steps.
It asks me to start my descent exactly when I have to start descending.

There are only 3 “big” for me problems

  1. If I want the copilot to talk to ATC the ATC loops at some point.
  2. After landing instead of deboarding my passengers it asks me to start boarding them - the game forgets that I boarded them already
  3. It answers my requests before “I” finish my sentence.

If you are not already doing so, why not start flying IFR procedures while VFR in VMC in the Bonanza? ATC comms in IFR can be a big distraction from actual flying complex procedures properly. Then layer in the ATC part on routes that you already know to built confidence and proficiency? Just a thought (or two). Cheers!

You are absolutely right. I’ve been what could best be described as ‘lazy.’
I have played around with creating flight plans and getting to know the G1000 and autopilot modes.

I need to get more ‘simulator’ minded and less ‘game’ minded, for sure. More ‘pilot’ and less sightseer (if you know what I mean.)

Both can work together too. This morning I flew KORD-KBWI in the 737 following IFR procedures in relatively good weather. When not busy doing something, I enjoy the sights! IFR routes and procedures make much more sense to me when I can see what they look like in good weather. Then when in IMC, I am more oriented and receptive to ATC (although I don’t use ATC in sim, as a personal preference which might change in the future with progress).

The other big part of IFR is weather, perhaps much bigger than ATC really. The reason I mention this is that there are good weather days to learn or practice ATC in the sim, depending upon your comfort level and progress. Think VFR on top, or IFR when the ceiling is comfortably high, and in calm, stable air (not convective, rough, stormy air). You get the idea, look out for those kind of live weather days!

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Thanks for the good advice.

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Say Intentions ATC handles the climb and descent instructions very well, and much more realistically than MSFS ever has. You can even choose to have the Co-Pilot handle all the comms.

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