I also run a topic about Your Top Aircraft (you can find it here: Your Current TOP 10 Aircraft (Part 2)) and thought it would also be interesting to do similar for other content mods, enhancements and Addons.
I’ve since created a website to contain the current cumulative votes, which you can view here:
Please join in by listing your favourite Mods, Addons, Tools & Utilities - even if they have already been mentioned, as this will be valuable data to make the chart results more accurate.
However I do have some “rules and requirements”, so that the list is not too broad in scope. Namely:
There is no limit to the number of items you can mention. Go over 10 if you want or need!
Your choices should be along the lines of regional or global scenery improvements, utilities, simulation enhancements, and content that improves or expands the flying experience in some way. The main focus being: ADDING LIFE TO THE WORLD and ESSENTIAL SIM TOOLS
No single airports (larger city packs, or regional visual enhancements are allowed). Larger regional expansions are preferable which could encompass airports, such as the FranceVFR bundles and New Zealand Mount Cook Region etc.
No actual aircraft products (use the Your Top 10 Aircraft topic for those) but enhancements such as total conversions, sound packs and realism mods are allowed.
I reserve the right to exclude any items I feel don’t fit the concept of this chart but I’ll let you know if that happens.
So, what are the things you either couldn’t do without or have had the most engaging time flying with?
SkyPark/NeoFly – I want to put these on the same level as they are two different ways to achieve a similar feeling to me. Both have Pros and both have Cons, obviously. I have used and enjoyed both.
I like the features of Neofly but the interface puts me off using it to be honest. I see he’s working on improving that design, but the SkyPark GUI is so slick and feels like it’s totally integrated into the game that it makes it so much nicer to use, even though currently it’s actually quite simple in terms of “tasks”.
I like it though. Don’t use it often as I don’t have much flying time but when I just want to do an A to B stint it’s perfect.
Stuck in XBox land so no love VFR or traffic mods for me…
1: Seafront Global shipping both standard and the enhanced St Marteen(WOW!) area
Note: we’re not doing scenery, but with St Marteen’s scenery pack, holy ■■■■ that area looks good with GS too.
2: Bijan Studios Islands/boats update(I do a lot of seaplanes/island hopping hence
1&2)
3: So Co Birds! Don’t have all regions, and not perfect, but dang I love them anyway, even see them when I’m bobbing around in the ocean at Loggerhead Island. By gosh something’s ALIVE!
4: Airport ground textures
5: Bijan Seasons
Had a 5 minute love affair with static aircraft, and a month now I hate having bought it when I see my uninstalled list in manager…
Not sure in which order to rate them, all of them are great and a must-have for me:
Bijan’s seasons and “Islands and boats” (payware)
GAIST ships (freeware)
WE love VFR (freeware)
Aerosoft Simple Traffic (payware)
Arex airport vehicles (all regions), plus another one for road vehicles) (payware)
Andres 3D airport lights (freeware) (no more dark aprons in non custom airports when flying at night)
That’s six, not five, but all of them are five stars for me…
I think they are “must have” for VFR, and I also love them for Touching Cloud gliding competitions.
For the French Lovers, you should also have a look at the wonderful France VFR - France VFR Nord-Ouest (P). It’s not only more than 30 well designed airport but also a complete rework on coastlines and vegetations. (EDIT: that’s my number 6. )
Thanks for the list. No worries about 6. What I did on the other thread for anyone that couldn’t decide on an order was give each 3pts so total was still 15. I’ll do that here but put all 6 in.
I should add this information to the first post!!
EDIT: actually it’s 7 lol. 4 Seasons and Project lslands is 2 separate entries. I’ll put all 7, just for you hehe
FYI, you have Orbx listed as the dev for Antarctica, where it should be Aerosoft. On my list, those top 4 are pretty well rock solid, but there’s a dozen different things I could have counted at #5, including the other Orbx meshes, Seafront products, Mamu Designs freeware, the Africa products (Okavango Delta & Hippos), among many others. Also, looking to pick up REX AccuSeason, but haven’t done so yet. I’m sure it would have a shot of cracking this list too.
Great initiative! My list below. You can count the top 5 as tied for first place. For me they are honestly all significant improvements over the vanilla sim.
And THANK YOU LOTS to the freeware developers who allow us to inject some life into the virtual world of MSFS at no cost. You are incredible
Bijan 4 Seasons - Bijan Habashi
FS ATC Chatter - Stick and Rudder Studios
Zinertek Enhanced Airport Graphics - Zinertek
We Love VFR - PuffinFlight
Simple Traffic - AeroSoft
Airport Regional Environment X - LatinVFR
Powerlines and Solar Farms - mamu82
Global AI Ship Traffic - Henrik Nielsen et al.
World Navaids - FltsimFlyboy
Just discovered the Windturbines mod and will give that a spin… pun intended.
If I thought the best planes thread was depressing for xbox, with most of the top contenders not available, this thread surely tops that by a large margin. Not only is most of this not available but likely most of it never will be.
I know you didn’t want airports but I’m going to ignore your rules and just say that the best airport has to be Fly Tampa’s Las Vegas KLAS. The fact that it comes with so much of the city nicely modelled as well, it really sets the standard for how a first rate add-on should be presented, and it out does more expensive add-ons as well. Good during the day, but flying down The Strip at night is one of the best experiences available in the sim.
If you only buy one airport then buy this one! It even works reasonably well on xbox which is more than can be said of many others.
Sorry about adding to your depression. It’s a big shame for sure. I guess there is potential for some of these freeware developers to decide to band together and package up their stuff into bigger “logically themed” packs and sell for real money on Xbox and share the profits but I doubt it would happen! Money on the table for them.
Edit: I’ll add your chosen airport for 5pts though
)
The fact that it comes with so much of the city nicely modelled as well, it really sets the standard for how a first rate add-on should be presented, and it out does more expensive add-ons as well. Good during the day, but flying down The Strip at night is one of the best experiences available in the sim.