I’ve not really struggled coming up with a top 5 but putting them in an exact order is quite a task! Before I offer mine, has your top 5 changed over the last 4 years? For example, my nos. 3 and 4 would likely have been just outside the top 5 12 months ago, and I think no.5 would have been a position or two higher.
5 FlyTampa
4 Verticalsim
3 IniBuilds
2 Jo Erlend Sund
1 Pyreegue
Very close between those top two but Pyreegue’s fully modelled landsides and peripheral detail way beyond the perimeter fence just edge it for me.
Honourable mentions are Flightbeam, Drzewiecki and Orbx’s Indie devs. They miss out on my top 5 simply because all three have a habit of leaving a lot of the default satellite imagery in (something Verticalsim were guilty of until very recently). FlyTampa do this too but just about push my top 5 because they tackle the mega-hubs few devs want the headache of tackling!
NZA Sims, AUScene and Impulse would also be high up if it weren’t for the fact that their focus is on a very small area of the planet. I think RDPresets are aiming high but their optimisation needs work before they make my list.
So, would you agree with my choices? What does your top 5 look like?
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A very good ranking! All five developers are also in my top 10, only the order is slightly different for me.
I have expanded my list. I can recommend all of the following developers. Even if some developer studios have not always published at today’s level.
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Pyreegue
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Jo Erlend Sund
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Drzewiecki
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NZA Simulations
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Verticalsim
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Inibuilds
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Flytampa
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Flightbeam
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Paulo Ricardo
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MK Studios
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Northern Sky Studios
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Orbx
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Impulse Simulations
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Auscene
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RD Presets
My order was messed up by the forum formatting. I’ve just edited it.
MK I definitely missed; they’re an honourable mention with the potential to get into the top 3. Paulo Ricardo and Northern Sky are excellent, too, however like NZA, Impulse and AUScene, their scope is somewhat limited.
Maybe the order would be changed slightly if I asked what your top 5 individual airports are? That might give the smaller devs a chance — I think NZA’s Christchurch would deserve a place.
I like any developer that goes beyond the fence, and/or makes additional packs that compliment above all other criteria. Paulo Ricardo doesn’t even mention there’s an entire city reworked and enhanced with his relatively inexpensive airports. Oh, and there’s an oil platform, did I just see a tanker steam by while making a flight plan? And is that a cable car, and wait a minute… An he dies it right for this sim, maximum environment with minimum impact. Not an over detailed fps killer island in the middle of autogenworld
Top 5 for me on xbox are
1, Burning Blue Design (although some need tweaks)
2, I M Scenery
3, Creative Mesh
4, Pyreegue
5, //42 (not exactly airports but spectacular back country fields and areas for social and fun flying)