With FSX starting to die after a long and amazing run, as payware devs are walking away from it in favor of P3D and X-Plane 11, it got me thinking what is the best sim to upgrade to? I know P3D is very similar to FSX, but X-Plane has better graphics. Then again it has very few freeware planes available, while, if I got it correctly, all the FSX freeware can go to P3D as well. I don't buy payware because I don't have the money to buy a laptop/PC that can run it at a frame rate, but still that might change soon, and updating to the current trend isn't bad. So, what is your opinion? P3D or X-Plane 11?

OA940 wrote:

With FSX starting to die after a long and amazing run, as payware devs are walking away from it in favor of P3D and X-Plane 11, it got me thinking what is the best sim to upgrade to? I know P3D is very similar to FSX, but X-Plane has better graphics. Then again it has very few freeware planes available, while, if I got it correctly, all the FSX freeware can go to P3D as well. I don't buy payware because I don't have the money to buy a laptop/PC that can run it at a frame rate, but still that might change soon, and updating to the current trend isn't bad. So, what is your opinion? P3D or X-Plane 11?

P3D graphics are leaps and bounds above FSX, especially V3.4 and V4. You have to have a pretty strong computer setup to run P3D. I can't speak for X-plane.

Andre3K wrote:

P3D graphics are leaps and bounds above FSX, especially V3.4 and V4. You have to have a pretty strong computer setup to run P3D. I can't speak for X-plane.

What are some of the comparisons of P3D V4 and FSX? Does P3D import the default ATC program, with speech included? I'm waiting on Ultimate Traffic Live and AES to see how it turns out in P3D.

I think Lockheed Martin P3D would be better, since it's a supported software for Redbird simulators.

After years of FSX and a little P3D, I've been sold on XPlane 11. When it come to physics regarding weather, turbulence, and stalls, it's significantly better in my opinion. Scenery also seems to look a little better, and as you mentioned there is a growing number of addon aircraft available (I haven't noticed any major drops in performance using them). Even the stock aircraft have very well modeled flight decks and the systems are very realistic, and the sounds are much more immersive.

That being said, there are some drawbacks. For one, the ATC is pretty much unusable. The developers have mentioned they're working on that, but I haven't gotten my hopes up.

Also, there is no multiplayer and no "missions", if that's your thing. Once in a while I'll still hop on FSX for that. If you ever plan on using VATSIM, you're stuck with FSX or P3D for that.

Just my 2 cents.

X-Plane is the best in my opinion. While it may not have the number of addons that FSX did, there are very many freeware planes, liveries, and airports. Look at http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/ (X-Plane.org) to get an idea of what's available. The VATSIM experience on X-Plane has also been improved greatly with the Bluebell Aircraft addon for xsquawkbox.

X-Plane's greatest advantage is that the software is all brand new, while FSX/P3D still use some code that's been around since 2006 which can only take them so far. Look at both of them before making your decision. X-Plane is the best for me, but many people see something very valuable in P3D that I don't, and vice-versa.

phatfarmlines wrote:

Andre3K wrote:

P3D graphics are leaps and bounds above FSX, especially V3.4 and V4. You have to have a pretty strong computer setup to run P3D. I can't speak for X-plane.

What are some of the comparisons of P3D V4 and FSX? Does P3D import the default ATC program, with speech included? I'm waiting on Ultimate Traffic Live and AES to see how it turns out in P3D.

No idea about the ATC because Microsoft based ATC sucks so i haven't used it yet.

The only bad thing about P3D V4 is that right now there are alot of incompatibilities due to it's 64 bit nature.
Now as for should you go with that or X-Plane, well look on this forum at the people desperate to convert you to X-Plane. I think that speaks volumes about which sim is in desperate need of "users".

So i'm not going to sit here and try and shove P3D down your throat like it's the END ALL BE ALL. I say just use the one that does the things that you want, has the programs and add-ons you want and has the support structure that works for you.

Flight Gear (freeware!) is pretty good and can be configured. Limited landscape but nice flying behavior. The academic sim.
x-plane is pretty good to simulate anything flying up to ejection seats and birds. A lot of add ons can be used to modify it. The pilot sim.
Don't know prear3d. Seems to be the updated grandgrandgrandson of the classic MSFS and Sublogic FS.(new code). The mission planning sim.

It is also worth checking out FSW which is based on the old FSX code:

http://www.mutleyshangar.com/reviews/je ... bs-fsw.htm

alberchico wrote:

It is also worth checking out FSW which is based on the old FSX code:

http://www.mutleyshangar.com/reviews/je ... bs-fsw.htm

I've read anecdotes that sim developers are unhappy with how Dovetail Games is "forcing" developers to sell their products through the Dovetail Steam store.

Try GEOFS.

From what I've seen of XPlane, it seems to still lack in the payware aircraft addon department as it is missing things such as the excellent PMDG products. Another issue I have with it is the textures on the terrain seem a bit cartoony or unrealistically bright compared to P3D. One thing I will give credit to XPlane is the capability to have runways that have slope. I'm not sure P3D can do this. I myself still use FSX as it gets the job done decently well and for cheaper.

767333ER wrote:

From what I've seen of XPlane, it seems to still lack in the payware aircraft addon department as it is missing things such as the excellent PMDG products. Another issue I have with it is the textures on the terrain seem a bit cartoony or unrealistically bright compared to P3D. One thing I will give credit to XPlane is the capability to have runways that have slope. I'm not sure P3D can do this. I myself still use FSX as it gets the job done decently well and for cheaper.

Even if X-Plane doesn't have PMDG (apart from DC-6) it does have quite a lot of rather excellent products, and most of them cost only 50% of what PMDG's stuff does nowadays, I can never justify paying 134 dollars for a virtual 747. I think PMDG is highly overhyped anyway, the way they force their existing FSX customers to pay more than full price of the original product for simple upgrade to P3D is appalling.

I would gladly switch to X Plane if I weren't so heavily invested in FSX addons, some of which remain compatible with P3D V4.

Is there any nice "eastern block" sim? I seem to remember some professional DOSAAF L-39 PC-sim back then that was simple but elegant.

pvjin wrote:

I can never justify paying 134 dollars for a virtual 747. I think PMDG is highly overhyped anyway, the way they force their existing FSX customers to pay more than full price of the original product for simple upgrade to P3D is appalling.

There are torrents for those developers that have gotten ridiculous.

Andre3K wrote:

There are torrents for those developers that have gotten ridiculous.

I know, right! Why buy something when you can steal it.

Maybe it is because I work in the software industry, but your comment is, well I am not going to say it. I'm just glad that our clients do not have you same frame of thought.

Andre3K wrote:

There are torrents for those developers that have gotten ridiculous.

Yep, I don't do it myself but I can totally understand why some people would do it. No way I'm going to ever buy a single PMDG product again since they decided not to give me a fair upgrade price from FSX to P3D. If it takes them only a little bit of work to upgrade their product, then why should I pay the full price again?

csturdiv wrote:

Maybe it is because I work in the software industry, but your comment is, well I am not going to say it. I'm just glad that our clients do not have you same frame of thought.

As a small scale developer myself I would totally expect clients to pirate my product if I treated them like crap just because there are no competing products for them to choose from.

pvjin wrote:

Andre3K wrote:

There are torrents for those developers that have gotten ridiculous.

Yep, I don't do it myself but I can totally understand why some people would do it. No way I'm going to ever buy a single PMDG product again since they decided not to give me a fair upgrade price from FSX to P3D. If it takes them only a little bit of work to upgrade their product, then why should I pay the full price again?

It is a whole new sim/version and not a simple upgrade of a package from version 1.0 to 1.1, going from FSX to P3D is like going from version 1.0 to version 2.0 and would require a new license. As a small scale developer you may not know that though.

csturdiv wrote:

It is a whole new sim/version and not a simple upgrade of a package from version 1.0 to 1.1, going from FSX to P3D is like going from version 1.0 to version 2.0 and would require a new license. As a small scale developer you may not know that though.

Really? As far as I know devs no matter how big don't need to pay for any kind of a license to create stuff for either FSX or P3D. I don't know about that "Boeing officially licensed product" tag though, but it can't be too expensive as I've seen some truly crappy addons with it, and nobody really forces you to have it.

When it comes to actual work there's little required between FSX and P3D V1/2/3, even with complex addon aircraft most stuff works without any modifications. The V4 of course requires a bit more work as it's 64 bit so 32 bit code won't work, but even that isn't enough to justify lack of upgrade discount.

Aerosoft updated their A320, a rather complex simulation, for P3D v1/2/3 without any extra charge, and for V4 with a very fair discount. FSLabs offers FSX users a big discount for the P3D version, Level D and Qualitywings also both offer updated versions free of charge. There's no reason but greed behind PMDG*s decision.

pvjin wrote:

csturdiv wrote:

I know, right! Why buy something when you can steal it.

Maybe it is because I work in the software industry, but your comment is, well I am not going to say it. I'm just glad that our clients do not have you same frame of thought.

There's no reason but greed behind PMDG*s decision.

pvjin said it in a nutshell.

And as for the other comment I'll say i'd bet that 95% of people who have access to a computer has accessed or downloaded something they didn't pay for. So you can sit high and mighty all you want, i'd even bet you have a song or movie or SOMETHING that you got on the house. Don't act like a saint just because you "work for a software company".

I am not high and mighty. End of discussion, guess I am not an entitled person who expects, no, demands stuff just to be given to them.

I love Xplane 11 and the 737 and the Md are quite nice the add ons specially those for scenery make it a 100% better experience if you have a powerful PC.... I love using the 737 and make flight plans for really long sectors around the world, or make short hops like SFO to SAN or LAX and the extra Airports have incredible detail...

CaptnSnow71 wrote:

If you ever plan on using VATSIM, you're stuck with FSX or P3D for that.

Just my 2 cents.

I have been using Vatsim and X-Plane on a Mac since 2006. Needless to say Vatsim and Ivao and Pilot Edge all work with X-Plane on All platforms.

My opinion is that they are both good, but it depends on what planes you prefer to fly and obviously then there’s also the money… P3D is more expensive but there’s also a wider array of planes. I would say that XP11 (with addons) is the better choice if you prefer GA or small propeller planes.

I'll take X Plane 11 a bit more seriously when its ATC stops vectoring me into a mountain on a PHNL-PHOG flight.

FS9 was the peak of the flight sim world as far as I'm concerned. If I still had time to use it I would.