Microsoft Flight Simulator...

[steve58]

Well this article explains one of the anomalies, and probably lots more.  Apparently Microsoft's Bing Map used data from OpenStreetMap, a Wikipedia-like map site that anyone can use to create and edit maps.

[Pete Dero]

As with every previous version of MSFS, there have been some quirks at release.  Here's how the Washington Monument is being displayed:



More in this article:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/20/21376978/microsoft-flight-simulator-glitches-maps-bugs

Wonder if it's left like that as intentional.  Meaning you'll have to get a 3rd party addon for spot on dc graffics and landmarks.  The 3rd party addon ecosystem is already ramping up with products. 

https://orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/198113-first-products-announced-for-microsoft-flight-simulator/

To support the new platform, we will be releasing several products available at, or shortly after, launch. During the launch window, new products will be available for purchase at competitive pricing levels, ranging from US$7.99 to US$19.99 through both OrbxDirect and the Microsoft FlightSim Marketplace.

We are also happy to confirm that current owners of Orbx the products running on FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane and Aerofly FS 2 that are launched for Microsoft Flight Simulator will receive a 40% discount on those respective products.


Orbx has packaged together hundreds of iconic London buildings and landmarks for you.
Take flight over the city of London in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and enjoy the true British experience with this must-have pack of London's most famous and treasured landmarks.
We have reproduced hundreds of key buildings and landmarks for you to enjoy as you immerse yourself in flight over the River Thames.

[hellfish6]

^ Reddit FS community is saying that London pack is pretty awful and a clear money grab. Haven't tried it myself, though.

[IICptMillerII]

I tried to download it after getting the Microsoft game pass. Short story is it did not work.

It just refuses to even download, let alone install. It also will not install the xbox app either. I then went to check and see if I was missing a Windows update, and that is broken too. Gives me some error saying that the update can't be installed, try again later, and here is a code you can google. So it looks like I won't be flying around anytime soon. Too bad really, I was looking forward to a nice chillout game. Hope others are having better luck at actually installing and playing the game than I am!

[Grim.Reaper]

That's too bad....I have the GamePass version and everything has gone fine so far...although have limited time playing so far.

[Jarhead0331]

That's too bad....I have the GamePass version and everything has gone fine so far...although have limited time playing so far.

Same here...sounds like a windows or system error, not a MSFS issue. That certainly doesn't make it any less annoying I'm sure... :pullhair:

[IICptMillerII]

Yup its some kind of Microsoft issue. I tried checking for an update and that failed, and then I got a few other errors as well. Running the troubleshooter didn't do anything. So it looks like some kind of general Microsoft issue. Not really sure what to do about it, but I'm kinda hoping that it'll be resolved during this coming week. Could be an issue on Microsofts end.

[Yskonyn]

Miller, is your Win10 install an upgrade from 7 or 8.1 by any chance?
I had similar issues you mentioned after upgrading and the net has countless of cases tracing back to the root cause of upgrading a previous windows version.
I bit the bullit and wiped clean and started with a fresh Win 10 install. Never a problem since.

[IICptMillerII]

Miller, is your Win10 install an upgrade from 7 or 8.1 by any chance?
I had similar issues you mentioned after upgrading and the net has countless of cases tracing back to the root cause of upgrading a previous windows version.
I bit the bullit and wiped clean and started with a fresh Win 10 install. Never a problem since.

It was originally an update from Windows 7, but I've done a fresh Windows install since that update. I appreciate the advise though. I've tried the troubleshooter and running a few command prompt commands. One of them was the sfc/scannow command that found corrupted files and claims to have fixed them, but I still get the 0x80080005 error code when I try checking for Windows updates, and I still cannot download anything from the Microsoft store. *sigh* gotta love Windows...

[RyanE]

Useful

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/how-to-graphics-settings-and-performance-guide-8-18-2020/132407

Interesting

https://youtu.be/2Rl_onmgoV8?t=2996

Patch coming August 27 focused on performance and install issues.

[Toonces]

That must be frustrating as heck, Cpt.

[IICptMillerII]

I'm hoping there might be a hotfix or something sometime this week. Who knows, could be part of the patch RyanE mentioned. It's only a dollar (so far) and a few days, so while it is quite frustrating its nothing to burn the town down over.

Anyways, how is everyone else enjoying it? From what I've seen, it looks really fantastic. The only thing that seems like a con to me is that there are only 20-30 aircraft modeled, and most of them are small. I always prefer the larger airliners to fly in these kinds of games, so I'm hoping we see more of those added in the near future.

Also, there is a fantastic YouTuber who primarily does Ace Combat/DCS mashups called Nassault. He did a video on MSFS that came out today and it really is quite beautiful.

Here is a link to it:

[Pete Dero]

Anyways, how is everyone else enjoying it? From what I've seen, it looks really fantastic. The only thing that seems like a con to me is that there are only 20-30 aircraft modeled, and most of them are small.

I don't have it so this isn't my view, but the opinion of a real life A320 pilot I watched Saturday (latest video : P3D v5 FSLabs A320 + a bit of FS2020 | Circuits in an A320) on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/katiepilot/about) :

FS2020 is a great game with excellent graphics but in it's current state it isn't a real simulator.   If you are looking for that wait until some payware airplanes are released and watch how they perform in this new environment.

I must admit that it isn't really fair to compare P3D with a $139,95 addon (FSLabs A320X) to a standard aircraft (A320 neo) in FS2020.

[RyanE]

I really can't believe that people expected FS20 to be the equivalent of XP11 or P3D or FSX right out of the box.  Those games had over 10 years of development in the bag.  IIRC, FS and XP had pretty limited stables of native aircraft on launch.  In fact, FSX on Steam has about 30 aircraft included.  And the FSX non-Steam and Steam versions are somewhat incompatible and have split the market.

Keep in mind that FS20 has been out for FOUR days.  My son and I have been flying it every day for several hours.  In fact, he's a pilot and went out and flew his C172 then came back and flew it in FS20.  He said its the closest he has ever felt to flying on his PC.  Now he has a full Honeycomb-based cockpit set up, so its really not fair. 

His standard is XP.  And for anyone to even consider complaining about FS20 compared to XP is either not being honest or has not thought it all the way through.  I spend, on average, 1-2 hours a week helping him tune his i7-9XXX, 1660 Super system to squeeze fps out of XP.  The Vulcan-based XP 11.5 (non-beta) was only released very recently and has improved it somewhat, but he still gets about 35-37 fps maximum over loaded cities and in clouds.  And its somewhat unstable.  Austin continues to promise all kinds of optimization and upgrades on the roadmap, but it'll take years.  And compared to FS20, it looks like crap.  Because FS20 has his main airplane, he said he'll most likely switch to FS20 as his standard.  btw, he has always thought the 172 in XP was way too responsive to roll input.

So my verdict:  I probably won't ever again fly another civilian flight sim.  There are performance issues and a bunch of small anomalies in the scenery.  But no other sim has made me forget reality as I'm playing it.  It is only the start of it development and it already exceeds XP and FSX in the "feel of flight" category.  I have never play P3D, so that might be closer.  But my son stated that P3D can only complete with FSX in very specific locations where 3rd party development has created very good airports.

[IICptMillerII]

Well after battling both Microsoft and my desktop all day (as well as having a big scare over lost data when Microsoft decided to start booting from the other drive I have) I have finally managed to get up and running. Currently MSFS is downloading, so I likely will not get a chance to play it till tomorrow sometime, but I'm finally on the right track!

As to the discussion concerning the level of sim it provides, to an absolute novice with absolutely no real life time behind a joystick in a real cockpit, it looks like it gets all of the basics. I know the team developing the game has said that they plan on making this a platform that they continue to support and develop for years to come. To me, as long as they deliver, that is more than enough to justify the price of admission. I'm not overly thrilled by the current offering (like I said I would like more large aircraft) but knowing that more will be added and the sim will be further fleshed out as time goes on, I'm not worried. I also don't hold it against the devs for approaching the sim this way. Complex systems like this are hard to develop. Better to start small but solid and build from there.

Looking forward to actually getting a chance to fly around!