I don't know for sure how an extra many of sceneries affect the FS but an interesting observation is that frame rates drop when you fly to a particular scenery area. Even though you are at a scenery base, such as an airport or an airforce base with many Ai military planes based at it, if you simply visually look away from that area, frame rates are instantly restored as if the scenery was not even there. I have noted too that on a cross country flight with no sceneries anywhere near, if some AI plane come within close proximity it sometimes will slow frame rates until it disappears or you turn away from visually looking at the AI plane.
I'm more inclined to believe that visual proximity is what triggers that particular slowness than having many added files available for use in FS.
Using that as a theory I would as a guess assume that even though sceneries are loaded on the FS scenery list that they are not called to action, say 100 or even 1000 miles away.
I do however believe that a loaded FS hangar, even though those planes are not activated slow down the beginning opening of the FS game so that they at least become available for selection. Then again I suppose if that is true, then the same can be said for the availability in the scenery storage department. But just as the readied planes are not actively running all at the same time, then all the sceneries are not way out of sight running in the sim.
Your same thoughts have also had me wondering before. I suppose the real answer to the question would be to ask what triggers sceneries into action. Is it proximity? or is it at the very startup of FS that simply holds too many files in the software program. I do not know the true answer, but I would bet any slowness in FS is mainly due to a FAT overloaded FS which as download files are added and installed tend to slow down the start up as well as affecting some when you go flying and especially when you a visually looking at a particular scenery. Surely with many files FS has to be working somewhat harder than a lightly loaded FS.
On my recent computer which had a fat install of FS the game was hesitant in opening file selections. On my new computer which has a very lightly loaded FS9, it is very fast in comparison. I have no dout that over it will become less fast as I load it up over time.
If a tree falls in the forrest with no one around, does it make a sound? .....Heck no!
Had to add that one here as it seemed to fit the ponder.
Interesting thread and question though Felix!
