FSX SP1: Beta2 posted
Another step towards a final SP1!
We hope Beta2 verifies we have fixed what needs to be fixed.
Then we can take a final build end of next week, and start our 2 week final test pass.
Thanks for your patience!
Comments
Anonymous
April 14, 2007
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April 14, 2007
Saito, we understand you dont like the program. Now please stop with the repetitive comments.Anonymous
April 14, 2007
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April 14, 2007
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April 14, 2007
Nice, Phil. Thanks for the update. Continued success with testing. Regards, Jim KarnAnonymous
April 14, 2007
Me, and a good chunck of the sim market. You left that part out. Don't worry Phil, you still have a small band of merry supporters. The ones that like playing with tweaks more than they like flying.Anonymous
April 14, 2007
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April 14, 2007
Out of respect for those that enjoy FSX, there will no longer be any more comments from me. It is getting repetitive. I've said most of what I've had to say.Anonymous
April 14, 2007
A new Flight Simulator is something I look forward to every two or three years and I, for one, am glad that the bar was raised in terms of hardware requirements this time around. FSX looked good on my old system that I bought three years ago with sliders set down for performance. I bought a $200 midrange card 6600GT a year or so ago and FSX was playable and looked better than fs2004. Now, on my shiny new system (also with a midrange card - 7900GS) it's spectacular and once again, the sliders aren't maxed out. I'm sure I'll upgrade my video card again at some point when DirectX 10 is midrange, and it'll look even better (provided FSX supports it). I'm sure some people just want to max everything out and expect it to be smooth sailing on an older system, and if they did that with the same systems on other current games, they would have the same experience. The fact that you tweaking FSX to get better performance and load times with SP1 is something to be applauded.Anonymous
April 14, 2007
Well here is a response to all the cynics (and I say that will all due respect) that don’t believe FSX can run smoothly in its present state. First let me say I have been enjoying Flight Simulator 1.0, which was way back in 1982. Now I realize some (maybe most) of you might not have been born yet in 1982, but I can tell you that in the past 25 years, Microsoft, Bruce Artwick and the rest of the talented people who have giving birth and nurtured FS to the series it has become, fully realize that a program like FSX is designed and released for “today’s” PC’s. While I can’t remember the first setup I used to play the early version of Flight Simulator was, but my most recent PC (which my 12 year old “inherited”) before I spent the money and now fully enjoy FSX, was an AMD Athlon 1.2 with 1GB RAM and a 512mb AGP video card. It looked good, but ran real SLOW!! I was only getting maybe on a good day, 10 to maybe 19fps. So I recently bought an Intel Dual Core E6600 with 4GB Ram and a GeForce8800gtx. Now…looks great and runs great!! Now before everyone starts screaming, yes, I am lucky to be able to save some money and get the best today had to offer. For just about $3000, which includes a great 22” LCD, I am able to use FSX like it was intended. Beautiful physics, great scenery, everything smooth (no, not “maxed” out) but steady frames at 35-45 consistently. No stuttering, nothing like a 2/3 year old system. With a Service Pack 1 coming soon, things will only get better. If you haven’t seen any screenshots for DX10 yet, which will be here someday, trust me, and then things will be unbelievable! While I am not asking you to stop whining about how terrible the product is, just know the history of Flight Simulator, and remember where “we” came from and look at where we are today. You will be amazed and enjoy it even more. While it is a great “game”, it is a pretty realistic views of real life flying, and yes you need the “latest” to really enjoy it. I know it is not a real life multi-million dollar simulator like the “real” pilots use, but this awfully close folks. Enjoy the flights.Anonymous
April 14, 2007
Thanks Phil. A question about SP1 and HT. I understand you're providing dual core support but there were issues with HT. Does your team suggest that users with a dual core and HT (such as the Intel 840EE processor) DISABLE the HT function in the bios? Regards, BobbyAnonymous
April 14, 2007
There always seems to be progress... and anything that get s blogged here at the moment is being passed onto all the FS forums around the place. I am sure that people are being informed so it is excellent to see SP1 is not far away.. Top job to your team PhilAnonymous
April 15, 2007
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April 15, 2007
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April 15, 2007
There is no need to disable HT, we detect physical vs logical cores and do the right thing.Anonymous
April 15, 2007
Thank you very much; I appreciate your teams work and look forward to the Service Pack. BobbyAnonymous
April 15, 2007
I have been keeping an eye on this blog and threads as I am hoping to get a new PC soon and wish to run FSX on it. Phil, thanks very much for the open and honest information you have been giving, I am very pleased to hear that SP1 seems to be nearly ready, sounds like my new machine should hopefully work ok. My 2c worth on the whole performance issue:
- I think FPS can be important. I remember many (too many!) years ago running the SGI flight simulator and being astonished how much better fine control could be at 60fps than 30fps when I got a chance to try it on a better workstation. The collision checking on that sim only bothered with the centre of the plane so one of my favorite pastimes was banking a 747 with one wing embedded in the ground ;-) Difficult at 30fps but much easier at 60...
- It is straightforward to overload functionality and quality on a product so it runs too slowly on current hardware. I hope the development team accept that they might have got the image quality vs. performance balance slightly wrong with FSX. Look forward to running FSX with SP1 and hope you continue the good work with future versions as well. Cheers
Anonymous
April 16, 2007
Thanks for the update Phil. Keep up the great work. I enjoy playing FSX as is, and look foward to any perfomance boost.Anonymous
April 16, 2007
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April 16, 2007
Saito48 Just an FYI I'm one of those "small band of merry supporters" who really likes FSX. Is it perect? No. Is there ANY software out ther this is perfect? Again no. This is a good program and it will get better, so if you don't like it quit your whining and move on to something else.Anonymous
April 16, 2007
Thanks for keeping us posted Phil. Appreciate the openess and hard work you guys are showing.Anonymous
April 16, 2007
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April 16, 2007
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April 16, 2007
I am running an AMD X2 with the cores ramped up from 2200 to 2450 however, this doesn't make much difference, the GPU is doing most of the work with the CPU cores humming at little above 20% capacity. While i can get good frames (around 40) with low settings, increasing sliders has a big effect on how the GPU performs . I would like to see the CPU cores working harder!.Anonymous
April 17, 2007
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April 17, 2007
Do you have in project to upgrade FSX for SLI & Crossfire ?Anonymous
April 17, 2007
ooOOoo: interesting observation. One of my cores is running at 100%... Have you disabled any CPU gouging option along the way? (If so, I'd like to do the same!)Anonymous
April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
Saito48, when you say your done posting, then are promptly back doing it again a few days later with the same drivel, you have no credibility once so ever. No one made you post except your own inflated sense of self importance. You have no facts to support your arguments. In fact sales figures, fan sites, and your continued bitter , desperate posts to the contrary tend to point to the total inaccuracy of your statements. I am sure as soon as you read this, you'll be back, probably with more of the same prattle, along with some speech as to your right to defend yourself. Problem is, no one will change their minds in your favor when you continue to behave like a six year old. I for one am completely done reading anything with your name attached. Grow up. PS Don't bother logging in under a different name to reply in support of yourself. It's an old trick, and rarely fools anyone.Anonymous
April 18, 2007
Have another drink Moe. Your blabbering makes no sense at all.Anonymous
April 18, 2007
Thank you for keeping us updated. Looking forward to the patch, allthough this software runs pretty good on my system as is. It will be interesting to see what happens after the patch. @Saito Hmmm, I don't seem to think he's been dinking. Seems pretty literate to me. I understood him perfectly. Apparently you did not. Congrats, I think you just proved his point. LOLAnonymous
April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
Some of you folks are posting about personalities, their faults and defaults "according to the world of Garp". I'm posting about the quality of software, customer satisfaction, and so on. I'd rather hear about that, than having to sidestep weirdos that don't have anything really of value to contribute.Anonymous
April 18, 2007
@ lyn Your right. lol, look at that, he just hangs out making personal attacks and trying to intimidate PT_Taylor. Then tries to justify it by making the same repeated statements over and over like repeating it makes it true. It's a shame. These guys work so hard to bring us this flight sim, then they work even harder to fix it in the ways we ask them to, then some kid comes along and spams up the blog with constant attacks on anyone that posts anything not in agreement with what he says. It's no wonder most of the developers havn't been posting much about what's goin on if this is what they have to deal with. If he really wanted to make comments on the quality of the software, then one post would have been sufficient, but I think your right lyn. just some kid with problems. ignore him sounds like good advice.Anonymous
April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
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April 18, 2007
Man. I think this blog has transformated into a forum. ;-) @jpdpilot182 I agree with you in every point. I only have one point to add. M$/ACES has done it absolutely right in my opinion to go to the community. I´m glad to have the chance to communicate with the devs directly. There are not many companies on the Game Market where you get the chance as Home User to do this (perhaps only Ascaron with Dark Star One for example or Blizzard Entertainment with WoW). Microsoft at last have opened their curtain for us and I think we should thank them for that with constructive improvent comments and not with whining wish-wash. Don´t get me wrong. Criticism is absolutely right. And I didn´t meant to trivialize the Problems that we actually have with FSX, but Constructivity is the key for getting most of the problems done.Anonymous
April 18, 2007
Man. I think this blog has transformated into a forum. ;-) @jpdpilot182 I agree with you in every point. I only have one point to add. M$/ACES has done it absolutely right in my opinion to go to the community. I´m glad to have the chance to communicate with the devs directly. There are not many companies on the Game Market where you get the chance as Home User to do this (perhaps only Ascaron with Dark Star One for example or Blizzard Entertainment with WoW). Microsoft at last have opened their curtain for us and I think we should thank them for that with constructive improvent comments and not with whining wish-wash. Don´t get me wrong. Criticism is absolutely right. And I didn´t meant to trivialize the Problems that we actually have with FSX, but Constructivity is the key for getting most of the problems done.Anonymous
April 19, 2007
Good news........ I am encouraged...... Last night, I spent an hour or so researching the net for anything I could find that would give me any hope because I am in agreement with everyone that this sim coulda woulda shoulda be awesome. But my gripe is far from awesome at this time as I am sure its now apparent to everyone. However....... UNTIL...............I came across this program called FSAutoStart and then the DOS days came back to me remembering that shutting down every unnecessary background service, idle processe or any programs running for nothing that resources will be freed up. And we are all aware of resources FSX needs despite one core on your cpu having a nap while FSX runs. So , the results........(even Lyn Talbot will want to read on) First my specs......results at the end (Hint: I'm pleased) AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5200+ eVGA 7950 GT KO 512 GDDR3 2 gigs 533mhz Dual Channel ram First, the FSX.CFG file. I did very little there. Only thing I changed was.... TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=400 FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.50
Next, the video card..... Highest quality setting Anisotropic filtering set to MAX settings Anti-aliasing set to MAX settings
Next, the FSX game settings....... [GRAPHICS] Target Frame Rate: 36 Full Screen Resolution: 1280 x 1024 x 32 Filtering: none (I let the vdeo card driver handle that) Anti-aliasing: unchecked (I let the video card driver handle that) Global texture resolution: Very High Lens Flare: unchecked Light Bloom: unchecked Advanced Animations: unchecked [AIRCRAFT] Global settings: Very Low (and it still looks great) High Resolution 3-D virtual cockpit: checked Aircraft casts shadows on grnd: unchecked Aircraft casts shadows on itself: unchecked Aircraft Landing lights on grnd: checked [SCENERY] Level of Detail Radius: Large (MAX) Mesh Complexity: 100 (MAX) Mesh Resolution: 1m (MAX) Texture Resolution: 7cm (MAX) Water Effects: Low 2.x Land detail Textures: checked Scenery Complexity: Extremely Dense (MAX) Autogen Density: Extremely Dense (MAX) Ground Scenery Shadows: unchecked Special Effects Detail: Medium [WEATHER] Global Settings: Ultra High Cloud Draw Distance: 60mi (Lowest setting) Rate of Weather change: Low Cloud Detail: Select Detailed clouds w/ MAXimum coverage [TRAFFIC] EVERYTHING OFF
Drum roll please....... the results................ I am pleased. No matter where I fly, whether over land, water, and/or cities.... I get 25-35 rock solid FPS (with just about every setting on max including video card settings) ALL SERVICES, PROCESSES AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ALL ANTI-VIRUS. ADWARE & SPYWARE KILLERS RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND MUST ABSOLUTELY BE SHUTOFF/DISABLED !!!!!!! (FSAutoStart will help alot in doing this for you. Google it, you'll find ithe program) Given these results with the modest hardware I have, I am quite pleased. But I will be even more pleased when that second core on the CPU is put to good use. .....and no, I am not a nice person, nor will I ever be a nice person. I am a complete jerk and its all about me. NOW, does that make some of you.... (I don't know what to call you) .....happy that I said that?
Anonymous
April 19, 2007
Well thanks for sharing your experiences Saito. I don´t know if you have an Account at Avsim (probably you have one ;-)). I would suggest that you post it there too. The URL is http://forums.avsim.net There are many Flight Sim Enthusiasts there who share their experiences in this forum.Anonymous
April 19, 2007
I am happy with FSX, yes I have upgraded CPU and GPU, but I have done that with every iteration of flightsim. Like many I have been unhappy with some of the performance characteristics of X and I am glad that the SP is going to address these, and I am hanging out for them. Also threads on forums like Simviation have been vital in getting my system running well and I know that Phil from time to time has added content to those discussions. In fact I should say it is those threads which have kept many people with FSX who might otherwise have reverted to 9. Contributors like NickN and others have taught me more about my computer than I ever knew. My request though is please don't stop with the first Service Pack. I am sure that SP1 will be a great boost, but let's have a series of SPs which not only help turn X into the outstanding sim that it can be, but also be a great testing ground for the next version. I for one don't care too much about Adrenaline or Train sim - I am a long, long-term customer for flight simulator and I would hope that you would want to keep me, and thousands of others like me.Anonymous
April 20, 2007
Is SP1 released yet? Do any of you have the SP1 beta file to pass around to the rest of us? You know, to the paying customer that has already paid and is currently feeling ripped off? You would think thats the least Aces could do for those that have already paid for the product. After all, Phil taylor and his merry band of screwups have our money, so why shouldn't we get it? We payed for it. All of us have already BOUGHT THE BETA. We all have been BETA TESTERS since its release, and now that they have our money, its a "too bad so sad" attitude over at ACES....JUST WAIT !!!! BE PATIENT!!!! What a bunch of horse poop. (goto the AVSIM forumns and read the insanity there. Want to see angry customers with the desire to stone the ACES company with FSX dvds? forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=121&topic_id=388851) (remind me never to buy anything ever again from these people releasing bestas as final products on STORE SHELVES !!!)Anonymous
April 20, 2007
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April 20, 2007
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April 20, 2007
By the way, Phi... Great product! I've enjoyed every hour I've played since it's release....and I'm looking forward to many more to come after the release of SP1. Best Regards, BryanAnonymous
April 20, 2007
By the way, Phil... Great product! I've enjoyed every hour I've played since it's release....and I'm looking forward to many more to come after the release of SP1. Best Regards, BryanAnonymous
April 20, 2007
I WANT DX10 Update PLEAAAASSSSEEEEE...i have 2 DX10 cards, can't wait to play FSX in DX10 mode......maybe you can post dx10 public alpha or beta tomorrowAnonymous
April 20, 2007
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April 20, 2007
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April 20, 2007
And if one follows the thread, Saito, it is clear that you do not read, or respond to the posts of others. Your jump in as if nobody else has commented. Particularly those posts that tell you that there is a large number of people enjoying X and getting a great experience. Some people may be fools, but it is wise not to open your mouth and prove it.Anonymous
April 20, 2007
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April 21, 2007
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April 22, 2007
Goood news Phil! Atleast I am happy! I run fsx great under great settings and it looks great to! ( http://www.flightsimworld.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=112393 ) Images I can get 30 fps on most places with bloom on and I did notice a HUGE difrrence when I clocked my E6600 to 3.4 ghz I got a 10 fps boost and way faster loading speeds reducing blurries! current specs: || Core 2 Duo E6600 @3.4 ghz || Nvidia 8800GTS @ Core 600 Mem 900 || Kingston 1024MB DDRII ram || Asus P5B deluxe mobo|| Arctic freezer 7 pro|| And yes I do love Hawaiian Airlines because they have style Can't wait for the SP1 guys, but Aces already did it for me :DAnonymous
April 22, 2007
Getting towards the end of the month Phil... I gather you should have good news soon ?Anonymous
April 22, 2007
Phil EXCELLENT NEWS. I am sure all dedicated Flight simmers will be appreciative on the SP1 release. Please don't think that the likes of "Saito48" represents the true simmers of this world because he is not. I am always thankful for guys out there that are always willing to assist and help others even if the request seems a very simple task. The easiest way to deal with moaners such as this guy is to simply ignore them, they soon give up and go away. We really don't need negative comments such has been posted. Wings737Anonymous
April 23, 2007
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April 24, 2007
C'mon Phil, how's progress? On schedule? End of the last week of April. or the first week of May. Hint, hint, please.Anonymous
April 24, 2007
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April 24, 2007
For amusement: Question of the day? How many of you are anxious for my vacation to end?Anonymous
April 24, 2007
smartradio, Ever try with settings completely off? With everything shutoff in FSX, I get anywhere from 75-135 fps. The effect that the smoothness gives, there is a really neat 3D feel to it. Try it, the 3D effect with that kind of smoothness is pretty cool. Panning around goes almost as fast as turning your real-life pumpkin. Unfortunatly, the scenery........well, its non-existant. Makes VFR flying very difficult to almost impossible with those settings. But to get the really cool 3D effect, lowest settings possible is worth experiencing, but after awhile the total lack of scenery becomes too much of a compromise. Ok, Ok, OK, I'm outta here. Until FSX is fixed, its online poker for me. Later today, its outside in the sun reading pilot training manuals for my flight instructor license. After dinner, its 2 hours of real-world flying. Phil, what are you doing today?Anonymous
April 24, 2007
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April 24, 2007
Your expertise on the subject, including links even, is normally associated with someone thats had first hand experience.Anonymous
April 24, 2007
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April 24, 2007
Hello, I'm impressed with the potential of the new FSX however, I'm disappointed that I spent $1800 on a new computer and still cannot experience what it brings new to the table. Hopefully the new SP1 will fix the issues I have. This is my Hardware: AM2 5000+ 2GB DDR800 Two 250GB SATA2, running Raid0 8800GTX 768MB I can handle any game on the market with sliders set to full, however with fsx I can barely get past medium settings without getting more than 10FPS!! Granted, I have a dual monitor setup running it 2056X1??? Resolution however, switching to single monitor only yields another 2 FPS. Looking forward to SP1!Anonymous
April 25, 2007
Great info on the updates. Can't wait....can we expect any updates for SLI configurations? I'm sure the multicore support helps tremendously as well as having a DX10 card w/Vista.Anonymous
April 25, 2007
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April 25, 2007
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April 25, 2007
I appreciate your frustration, we are working to get SP1 right and thats why it is taking so long. I can only say that we hope SP1 increases your enjoyment of FSX.