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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
First Flight
- Thread starter TuFun
- Start date
gray eagle
SOH-CM-2026
Why did you go for 2024 instead of 2020? Any appreciable difference between the two?Thanks, Killbilly. Nice to see roads that don't go through buildings like FSX/P3D.It took a while to get authenticated.
You know, sign in to Xbox.com, then sign out, then sign in again... weird.
Daube
SOH-CM-2026
Don't bring back the trauma !!Nice to see roads that don't go through buildings like FSX/P3D.
Back in the P3D/FSX days, I couldn't stand the generic ground textures with these non-sense roads starting from nowhere and leading to nowhere anymore, to the point that I had even stopped using the OrbX regional products...
Welcome to MSFS2024
Try the same flight at night as well ! The night lighting in MSFS and MSFS2024 is quite enjoyable. Don't worry if you get a black/very dark screen at first, it takes a few seconds for the light level to adjust.
Dawn and dusk flights over snowy areas is spectacular as well.
Daube
SOH-CM-2026
Not sure about the reasons behind TuFun's decision, but I have both sims and I can at least tell you that MSFS2024 offers quite some improvements for low&slow fliers. I also prefer the lighting for dusk and dawn in MSFS2024 compared to MSFS. For example, the city lights turn on well before it gets too dark. I could mitigate that issue in MSFS thanks to a mod called ARPC (essentially some shader mod if I'm not mistaken), but the result in MSFS2024 by default is even better for me.
That being said, the user interface in MSFS2024 still has its flaws and MSFS was easier to use for me in some aspects. But things are improving slowly, one Sim-Update at a time
TuFun
Riveter
Thanks, Daube. The last sim I have is P3Dv3, so I can still fly Milton's Howard 500 and MAAM's B-25, although it's rare these days.
As for my choice, MSFS 2024 is the latest version, and it was on sale! Maybe spark some interest back into simming.
Although there are some oddities here and there, I get to fly over my hometown for once and say, " Oh, there's the Walmart and Target stores.
5 corners, as we call it, 5 streets converging into an intersection.
As for my choice, MSFS 2024 is the latest version, and it was on sale! Maybe spark some interest back into simming.
Although there are some oddities here and there, I get to fly over my hometown for once and say, " Oh, there's the Walmart and Target stores.
5 corners, as we call it, 5 streets converging into an intersection.
Daube
SOH-CM-2026
We all went through this, don't worry
The house is just the first step. Then comes "all the places you enjoyed back in FS9/FSX/P3D days", just for the joy of rediscovering the places you thought you knew
For example, some of the very first places I visited were those of my favorite FSX missions (Talkeetna, Chelan Mun...) and sceneries (OrbX PNW, especially around Concrete and Darrington etc...).
The struggle to configure your controls is real. We all hate that interface. But the reward is worth it.
The house is just the first step. Then comes "all the places you enjoyed back in FS9/FSX/P3D days", just for the joy of rediscovering the places you thought you knew
For example, some of the very first places I visited were those of my favorite FSX missions (Talkeetna, Chelan Mun...) and sceneries (OrbX PNW, especially around Concrete and Darrington etc...).
The struggle to configure your controls is real. We all hate that interface. But the reward is worth it.
Sunny9850
SOH-CM-2024
For me, aside from the useless ATC, the biggest issue still with 2024, for the way I use the sim.
I tried honestly to come to grips with the controls within the sim, but despite some changes, made in one SU or another, I gave up and cleared all the defaults and use only external programs.
Because I like flying with FSE i need FSUIPC in any case, but lately I have been using Axis n Ohs or SpadNxt to configure the controls. They are just so much easier and consistent.
DennyA
SOH-CM-2023
Here's some tips grabbed from a post I did about migrating from 2020, but are applicable to a new install as well:
1) I would suggest buying it from the Xbox app/Microsoft store, rather than Steam. Steam just adds another app to the process and another possible point of failure. It's a little simpler to just keep the purchase in the Microsoft ecosystem. (Also, you can use Microsoft Rewards to earn point that can be converted to store credit... I get about $15 worth of free Marketplace stuff each month, since I also use an Xbox along with my PC.)
Also, note the different editions. You can find a full list of aircraft available in each edition by scrolling down on this page. Highly recommend at least Deluxe as there are some great planes in there (like the Grumman Albatross, perhaps the best FS2024 aircraft out there), but Premium adds some winners like the C-17 and Savage Norden. You can buy some of these separately, but it only takes buying one or two to cost as much as the higher-end editions. Also, buying Premium or Deluxe gets you a discount on future Microsoft-branded aircraft add-ons. The Aviator Edition probably isn't worth it unless there are must-have planes in there; MS is just now starting to update those planes to native MSF2024 format and some of them have issues.
2) Installation:
* To get it on the SSD drive:
* Install from the Xbox app. You can choose the drive during install.
3: In FS2024, your addons are in a Community folder. The default location is stupid with a non-human-readable folder name and a length filename path that can cause errors when unzipping some freeware add-ons. Follow the instructions below once it's installed to move your Community and sim support folders to a new folder of your choosing:
* Once installed, go to Marketplace/My Library and click the gear icon next to the Search box (NOT the one at the top). This will let you select a custom folder on the SSD for your Community and other folders. Also makes finding those much easier versus the terrible default file path naming.
4) You can buy add-ons from the in-sim Marketplace, or direct from developers or stores like Contrail, SimMarket, and OrbX. If you like to tweak files, note that Marketplace files are encrypted, while buying from third-party stores lets you modify config files, etc. more easily. Also, the devs get more of the cut when you buy direct. If you want to fly the career, though, note that you have to buy any add-on planes you want to use in Career from Marketplace.
5) The go-to place for downloading free add-ons is Flightsim.to ... I've accumulated over a terabyte of sceneries and airplanes.
6) If you anticipate having a lot of add-ons, download MSFS Addons Linker from Flightsim.to. It's freeware, and you can download your add-ons to specific folders and then just activate the planes you're using and the areas you're flying in, which reduces the chance of add-on conflicts and makes loading faster. I also highly recommend Windsailor, which is a browser designed just for Flightsim.to that will let you automatically extract add-ons to the folder of your choice, and it remembers where to download updated versions.
7) The vast majority of FS2020 add-ons are fine in FS2024. Newer 2020 add-ons such as the B-25 and Mosquito from Aeroplane Heaven are tested on both sims and work great. There are also some real gems for 2020 like the Got Friends Wilga and the Dornier Do-17 that's available from SimMarket that you won't want to miss.
8) Check here and on the official Microsoft MSFS forum for opinions before buying aircraft. There are some folks out there releasing some real crap. (MScenery, Scenery Design, Bredok 3D, etc.). There's also fantastic stuff from folks like FlyingIron, Aeroplane Heaven, IndiaFoxtEcho, etc.
I think that covers the biggest concerns for someone jumping in from a previous-generation sim. Any questions, just ask!