Looking to move from P3D and some questions . .

[expat]

System is Windows 10 Pro Intel i7 4770k @ 3.50 GHz / 16.0 GB RAM / GeForce 1070 Ti / 932GB HDD / 466 GB SSD / 932 GB SSD

Runs great in P3D4.5 with Orbx, AS, etc.

Should I get the CD standard or deluxe ie via Amazon?

What challenges should I expect to get it running?

Thanks
expat

 

[Brian_Gladden]

Your system is slightly hotter than mine (AMD though) I can run 2020 fine in less populous areas (Flying the Hudson VFR corridor turns it into a very slow sideshow) I got the standard 40th Anniversary edition (on Sale) and I'm pretty happy with it. I just wish it had come with the Baron and ATR's. I don't need any Scare Busses. I would recommend you get a dedicated SSD min 1 gig hard drive just for FS and maybe some more RAM. It's amazing how fast you can fill up a 1 gig drive.

 

[tiger1962]

Should I get the CD standard or deluxe ie via Amazon?

DO NOT BUY THE CD/DVD VERSION. It's out of date now and basically won't install. Download the latest (40th Anniversary) version from the Microsoft Store or the Steam Store.

 

[Priller]

System is Windows 10 Pro Intel i7 4770k @ 3.50 GHz / 16.0 GB RAM / GeForce 1070 Ti / 932GB HDD / 466 GB SSD / 932 GB SSD

Runs great in P3D4.5 with Orbx, AS, etc.

Should I get the CD standard or deluxe ie via Amazon?

What challenges should I expect to get it running?

Thanks
expat

@expat , @tiger1962 is right, don't buy the DVD version, it's a waste of money. Go either the microsoft store or Steam. I run steam myself.

Priller

 

[DennyA]

Though I would strongly suggest you just go ahead and go for FS2024 rather than FS2020. I understand and don't argue with the reason that some people here want to stay on 2020...

But if you're starting new anyway:
* The vast majority of FS2020 freeware and commercial add-ons work fine under FS2024 as of the latest update
* FS2024 runs more smoothly on most systems due to multithreading optimizations (I never fully eliminated stutters in 2020, never have them in 2024)
* You'll be able to access both older FS2020 stuff and the new 2024 stuff
* Better flight modeling on native 2024 planes
* More planes are included in the base sim
* Visuals are even better
* 2024 uses significantly less disk space by default, though you can download frequently used planes and scenery if you have Internet bandwidth restrictions
* A much longer run ahead of free enhancements down the road; these will start drying up for 2020

I'm guessing you were considering 2020 vs 2024 because you have an older system? But in my experience on everything from my high-end Core i9 to my anemic ROG Ally handheld, 2024 is more performant than 2020 due to its better optimization.

Obviously if you've made it this long on P3D, you're okay with not being cutting edge. But overall, there are very few reasons to start now on 2020 versus just starting with 2024.

(Again for those who've chosen to stay on 2020, I understand your reasons and I'm not criticizing the decision not to upgrade. Just sharing my opinion that expat will have a better experience if he goes directly to the new version. I think most of you understand what I'm coming for, but last time I mentioned 2024 advantages in the 2020 forum I got called mean names by at least one guy. )

 

[expat]

Do MS2020 and 2024 have AI? Carrier ops? Assume my faithful T-tools and other old sim utilities are useless.

 

[Priller]

Hi,

They do have some AI, but somewhat lacking. As for carrier ops: https://sim-outhouse.org/sohforums/threads/msfs-naval-carrier-aviation.158549/

And indeed, those utilities will not be of great use I'm afraid.

Priller

 

[Victory103]

In 2020, I can just about mimic a IRL mil flight by taking off, hitting the tanker, and then landing on a moving boat much like I did in the old days with VRS Tacpack. If you like this sort of flying, also recommend Airshow Assistant (payware) which adds formation flying and inflight refueling to the sim. I have hardly touched my P3Dv5 install lately.

 

[Daube]

System is Windows 10 Pro Intel i7 4770k @ 3.50 GHz / 16.0 GB RAM / GeForce 1070 Ti / 932GB HDD / 466 GB SSD / 932 GB SSD

Runs great in P3D4.5 with Orbx, AS, etc.

Should I get the CD standard or deluxe ie via Amazon?

What challenges should I expect to get it running?

Thanks
expat

As other members already said above, you must absolutely AVOID the DVD version of MSFS. It will make you install an outdated version (almost initial) of MSFS and you will then need to download ALL of the subsequent updates that happened over the years, which represent probably more than 100 GB of data...
I'd recommend you to buy the sim on Steam if you are already familiar with the Steam platform, else buy it on the MS store. These will install the latest version directly, and only the optional components will have to be downloaded after the initial install (world updates and such).

Concerning the performance, I have an i7 8700k with a GTX1070ti, and in 2D the sim runs very smooth at quite a high level of details.
I actually use it in VR, which forces me to lower the graphics quite a lot but still works.
So performance shouldn't be a concern. You will be pleasantly surprised on that aspect, at least.

 

[Daube]

Do MS2020 and 2024 have AI? Carrier ops? Assume my faithful T-tools and other old sim utilities are useless.

MSFS and MSFS2024 have AI, but I'm not sure if you can get anything as "precise" as the P3D AI packages, in freeware. You can definitely get the world populated by AI aircraft from real airlines with real routes, but I have not investigated this aspect that much yet, so I'll let the others give more details about the products that exists, in freeware or payware. Indeed your old tools are now useless (you might want to keep an eye on JoinFS, maybe... but the native multiplayer is already quite nice and very easy to use).

Carrier ops exists and are very nice, on par or better than in P3D. Some tools exist to interact with a carrier and command a few of its elements such as elevators and jet-blast doors, but I recon TacPack was offering much more options for this, especially when it comes to multplayer... Be aware that you'll have to install addons (freeware or payware) to get moving carriers around the world. By default, there are a few carriers here and there but they do not move, if I'm not mistaken...
Here is an example of freeware: https://flightsim.to/file/35879/moving-aircraft-carrier-with-lso-arresting-cables-and-catapults
And payware: https://miltechsimulations.com/products/supercarrier-pro-for-msfs

In addition to carrier ops, you also get a very nice aerial refuelling with a connecting basket/boom and flexible tube etc... by using the payware version of a tool called "Airshow Assistant" (which has a freeware version too, but that one doesn't contain the aerial refueling). You can call a tanker (several choices of models included), define its cruise speed, choose the difficulty level (easy = the basket will move by itself to reach your refueling probe, hard = no help), you can break the tube with the basket remaining attached on your probe, and you get audio and visual guidance as expected. I highly recommend it to you. I was frustated by the absence of this feature during my FSX and P3D years, and I'm very glad to finally enjoy it in MSFS without having to jump into DCS.

Finally, a bit of warning: I see you are not decided yet on choosing MSFS or MSFS2024.
I would recommend MSFS2024, but the thing is that not all of MSFS addons are compatible with MSFS2024 yet.
Still, I can't recommend you to spend money on MSFS now, it would't really be a wise choice...

 

[expat]

Thanks guys for all the terrifically useful advice. Am leaning toward 2024.
Some more basic things. I spend more time than flying, fiddling in P3D, adjusting aircraft specs, adding parking to airport scenery, overpainting others' repaints, etc. I take it by design MS2020 and 2024 are not as "adjustable" by the user. Also had the impression there was not much freeware but think that was in the early days of 2020.

 

[Brian_Gladden]

I use FSLTL from Fly By Wire for my AI traffic. It injects fairly accurate airline traffic and random ai that uses most of the planes in your community folder. Problem is if an airport has larger defined parking spots you will get a bunch of random airliners laying about as static scenery besides the stuff that flies and the GA stuff also uses the community folder so I have seen on my rig, Rob Richardson's Seafires parked like a Cessna alongside the AI Cessnas and Beech's

 

[Daube]

Thanks guys for all the terrifically useful advice. Am leaning toward 2024.
Some more basic things. I spend more time than flying, fiddling in P3D, adjusting aircraft specs, adding parking to airport scenery, overpainting others' repaints, etc. I take it by design MS2020 and 2024 are not as "adjustable" by the user. Also had the impression there was not much freeware but think that was in the early days of 2020.

The amount of freeware for MSFS in general is huge, especially in the airport area.
For aircraft, you have a few of them here at SOH already, and for scenery the main landmark is the website flightsim.to. They have a map on which all addons appear. You'll probably be quite pleased with the amount of excellent freewares all over the map. There are some paywares too, by the way. You'll need a user account, registration is 100% free.
https://map.flightsim.to/
(WARNING: when the map loads, wait a few seconds without clicking anything, until the addons finally appeared. If you try to move the map too soon, the addons won't appear at all )

I take it that all the tools you need to edit an airport or create your own scenery are easilly accessible, but I have never tried that myself. I've seen addons that add parking spaces over payware airports, and stuff like that, so it must be easy enough to do, especially for people like you who already have some knowledge from other sims.

Finally, in MSFS2024 (contrary to MSFS2020) you can just click anywhere on the map to select a starting spot and set your plane "on the ground, engine off", or "on the ground, engine on", or "airborne". So for us cold&dark lovers, the lack of "official" parking spots on an airport is not problematic in MSFS2024. In MSFS2020, you couldn't start on the ground out of a parking spot, this was a severe limitation that doesn't exist anymore in MSFS2024.