Initial Msfs 24 experience
Step 1- No issue redeeming code on ms store
Step 2-Install 11.79 gb. Began 1pm. ETA 13 min. Done 1:15
Step 3- first time load. Bottom progress bar began 1:16. Slow but making progress percentage wise. Half way at 1:18 Finished at 1:19. No stuck. Proceed normally.
(Hoping the initial load time isn’t a reflection of how long it’ll take going forward l; be it now or after a week or so once things calm down).
Step 4- controller setup and customize identity- no issue (also skipped as I didn’t care about an avatar)
Step 5- at 1:21pm. Loaded into main menu. Controller & UI took a minute to get used to. But fine.
Step 6- try out free flight. Chose kord and cirus jet. Clear weather day time. Loaded into the sim very fast. Plane was in one piece, no anomolies.
Questions:
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how do you access the menu bar? Clicking down on the left joystick doesn’t bring it up like before. Update: it’s left stick RB
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how do I see and use my 2020 addons? (Planes and airports)
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Is there a way to see more than 6 planes via 2 rows 2x3 across , on the choose plane menu. In 2020 it was much faster to find planes and could see more at once.
I see all the world and city updates in “my library” under “streamed”. I also see Premium deluxe items. But I don’t see any of my 2020 add ons. Maybe that’s cause marketplace isn’t available? But Jorg and others said that those items would be available but just not new products or purchases yet. I’ve read some others have begun seeing their 2020 items.
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Update: I was able to see it once I quit the game and restarted the console and the game.
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In addition, the loading time the second time was faster. Near 3min. Fs2020 was about 12
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Upon restart I was also prompted to download and install the msfs 2024 add on support. Which took about 10 minutes. Then third time launching the game, it was again, like 2nd time, about 2.5 to 3 minutes.
As far as cockpit to external view, the default Xbox controller worked fine. Just like in 2020. Tho brake is now Rb and X.
Career- I launched it to check it out briefly. I was able to choose my local airport. I wasn’t to excited about this mode, being forced to do certification and tests. But I’ll check it out more in depth. Maybe it’ll be easy , skip some stuff and have the blue guide lines. But yes it loaded initially but some discoloration in the career hangar. Upon processing to begin the career, only music was heard and the screen is black the first time. I quit the sim and tried again & I no more color issues in the hanger but still black screen when trying to proceed to initial flight. Note I waited about 3 minutes. I’ll try career again later. Fyi, for me, Career mode is slower to load than Free flight or Photography mode.
Notes-
- for the 737 max, I only see the Boeing business jet option. Why?
-I went to lunch and sim was on pause for 30 minutes or so. Came back and found it just as I left it.
- Minor stuttering when loading into a flight from the map.
-Graphics wise they are holding up for me. Looks good. Aerials look newer. Theres some road bridges that are modeled now. But there’s still missing or rather incorrect building types and heights of local skyscrapers. Tho on a positive note, while still autogen, a number of other buildings now appear and are of the correct shape that weren’t in 2020. At the least something placed in the correct spot on top of the imagery.
-Trees look cool as do the 3d rocks
-water effects look cool when prop or rotor blades are above it
- night time looks cool too
-Free Cam is cool. Easier to do than Drone.
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replay works
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efb loads but I don’t care about that
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loading into downtown Chicago is slow to load. I’ve had to re try a few times.
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as of 4:15pm central, finally got a Bandwidth is too slow warning. - my isp is 300mbps. So it’s not me.
I haven’t tried anything else out yet besides mentioned above.
-it’s cool to see accurate liveries at airports. Ie United at Ohare T1.
-FYI in Drone cam, when zooming back out to an airport, things don’t fully load.
Regarding my questions that were never answered pre launch; I can answer them myself now. Here it is just for fyi.
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Will photogrammetry expand to be west of KORD. - No; not as of yet but I hope.
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Will there be a way to change plane or livery once already in an airport without starting the loading over at main menu? No
That said, the loading times are very quick now compared to 2020, so it makes the reasoning for the above question somewhat voided. Within seconds vs 10 minutes.
