Also mentioned in a recent Q&A that because of something they’re doing with their filtering of real world flights, in “some circumstances” (translates to pretty much all the time), it can filter out up to 80% of real world traffic data they get via FlightAware.
I still don’t 100% buy the explanation Seb gave on that Q&A though.
You think there is something nefarious afoot?
Yeah I have to turn AI air traffic down otherwise after 30ish min I get CTD.
Not nefarious. It was something about his tone and demeanor when he answered that question. It sounded more like an excuse for “we don’t know what the hell is happening” more than a definitive answer.
There’s something that doesn’t sit right with the claim that 80% of the planes are filtered out because they don’t have a destination filed.
Is it possible to file an IFR plan without a destination? And if so, how common is the practice?
The models are in low-poly LOD to conserve FPS. If you put highly accurate models and high resolution textures, your FPS is gonna sink like the Titanic. Even on the current low-poly models, if I set my offline traffic to 100. I was running at 15 fps in my RTX 2080 Ti and 9900K in the airports. You put the same high-poly models in there, and you’ll tank the FPS even more.
I don’t mind the low quality model if it helps to conserve fps. But at least make the traffic livery possible without despawning the other traffic that doesn’t have the livery.
I fly with live traffic nearly every evening and never had an instant CTD on the world screen.
I don’t think I have ever attempted it. Not sure you would get a clearance. Kind of defeats the purpose of filing a plan, IFR OR VFR.
I am not convinced, however, that FlightAware or any of the flight tracking available to the general public, is pulling directly from the ATC database. I expect there is likely a database crawler that is pulling “available” information and then trying to format that info into the app’s data form. If the data contains non standard characters or even an extra comma somewhere it can muddle the data import.
So, I am guessing this isn’t a case of a flight with no destination filed, as much as it is a flight datafile that was corrupted in translation to the app and the destination doesn’t make sense, so is dropped.
For instance, I send you a series of phone numbers.
Formatting is (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
Your database is going to import the numbers into three fields.
The DB importer is expecting to find the first three between the brackets.
It is expecting the next three to follow a space and end with a dash.
The last four should follow the dash.
Now what happens if one of the phone numbers contains a typo?
(xxx) xxxxxxx
The DB would import…
I don’t really understand why so many people want the MSFS team to take care of models and liveries. Sure they promised it but, …
there are freeware community driven mods comming relatively soon. They will very likely be doing it better and quicker than the devs. Don’t we want the devs to focus on different things instead? 
This is probably the one case where I believe a mod is better in its place. 
(edit: it’s very unlikely the devs get all models and liveries anyways, no matter what they promise)
Missed that promise…
Personally I do not understand the AI traffic desire. AI traffic is not based on anything other than a desire to have fictitious flights populating the sky.
Live Traffic I get. Real world flights coming and going in my airspace is immersive.
If I want to add more, fictitious traffic, I turn on Multiplayer and now I have other users actual flights alongside the real world.
So tell me again why I want to tank my framerates to have pretend traffic too?
In any case, that’s the reason he gave for 80% of flights being missing in the sim. Flights haven’t filed a destination. Which I agree would defeat the purpose of an IFR flight plan in the first place.
FlightAware data seems pretty complete. I’ve followed specific flights. Typically their full flight plan is available in FlightAware a day or so before the actual flight happens. And you can click on any random flight on the world map in FlightAware and look them up. Only a small percentage of those will show up in game. You just have to watch the Q&A video. I think it was the November one if I remember correctly. That’s exactly why he said they were filtered out. They had no destination on file, so they didn’t know what to do with the plane and filtered it out.
Seb was correct about the 80% of flights are missing number. I made a post to that effect a few months ago where I had counted flights in particular areas and compared them to FlightAware and FLightRadar24, and 80% were missing. It’s just that his explanation for the issue makes no sense to me at all.
I have use Live Traffic since game release without any problems at all.
Anyone else remember the big kerfuffle about liveries for flight simulator add-ons back in the mid '90’s?
As I recall, there were ‘cease and desist’ letters being sent far and wide even to individual freeware developers with threats of suing for trademark infringement before a degree of common sense was regained. Completely understand why Asobo steer clear of this murky area with ‘generic’ aircraft and paint schemes.
Anyone know what the legal position is on publishing repaints including company trademarks is these days? This is waay outside my area of expertise!
thanks willis…i have checked my settings almost 1000 times. 
thats why i have arrived to convert FAIB, TFS and AIG models to MSFS, and use PSXTseecontraffic. Just because there was no REAL ai traffic.
I LOVE MSFS, but we should recognize there is not REAL TRAFFIC, since there are not real models, real liveries and real behavior of the traffic.
it hurts…they are working on that. great!
Legally, no idea but if I take a picture of an airliner and post it on my instagram, just try to sue me… 
If i was to transfer that to a livery and attach it to simulated airplane, I would expect the same public domain would apply. If I was to start selling that livery… 'nother story.
I nearly fell off my chair this afternoon. I jumped into my Dragon Rapide at LGIR Iraklion and suddenly this huge Airbus lookalike spawned next to me!
First time I’ve seen any other aircraft in the sim.
The catch is that Microsoft is selling MSFS. They can’t use the likeliness of planes or airline liveries and their logos without licensing the rights to use them. And because of COVID, airlines are up to their necks in ■■■■ at the moment. They have much bigger issues to worry about than someone’s video game. Like willis stated above, it would likely cost them more in legal fees than any royalties they would receive. At a time when they’re hemorrhaging money, that poses a problem for Microsoft and Asobo. And using said liveries without licensing would get Microsobo sued.
Now community modders who aren’t selling their wares are free to include the likeness of whatever they want as “artistic expression”. We’ll be seeing mods for live traffic liveries shortly.
Certainly, it is curious how the image of a flight company, for example Iberia, can be so controlled as not to be made in a game. I mean, it should be turned around: every time we use a company livery on game we are advertising it for free. Do we also have to pay them?
The world upside down.
becuase of COVID, airlines should make the opposite: open their hands and make a present. If we can die, and not fly, let use please at least fly in a PC. The one who is able to be so usurer in COVID times, may not have many friends on future.
Try using a piece of non-licensed commercial music, photography or artwork in something you sell and make millions from and see how fast giving “free advertising” gets you sued. A video game is no different. That’s the way copyright laws work whether we like and / or agree with it or not. How you or I feel about it has no bearing on the reality of the situation and we can “what if” all we want. It doesn’t change anything.
Airlines are in the business of making money, not public goodwill. In good financial times, I’m sure most would be more than happy to license their liveries and logos for little to no cost, like they have in the past. But it requires a legal agreement in place. In times when they’re losing money and fighting legal battles left and right to remain in business, their lawyers have better things to do.
In good times, I will happily buy cookies from the girl scout knocking at my door. Even if I don’t like the ■■■■ cookies, I’d buy them to support the cause. But if my kitchen is on fire and I’m trying to put it out, that girl scout knocking at my door can ■■■■ right off if she thinks she’s a priority. This is no different.
I was particularly impressed by the redstone powered 737. 
MSFS doesn’t have to sell airline liveries: just give them away. If you earn nothing for it, you cannot profit.