Converted to XP
Well XP12 is my fist real foray into the world of XP and I am very impressed. Scenery overall to my eye is very good indeed but it is the little things (well not so little really) that catch my attention. Like - undulating and sloping runways done to the point of realistic perfection. I find the general lighting particular for airports very impressive and realistic indeed. Build in ground handling (which can be augmented by payware addons - amazing) the attention to details is actually extraordinary. Airports come to life in a way I have not experienced before. Did I mention windsocks indicating real wind direction or trees swaying or blowing in the breeze - no more ugly 2D or 3D models here.
Overall the textures of all models seem very nice indeed ala PBR perhaps I do not know yet but I have not seen a single model that did not look good in XP12.
Now the big plus is the realism of flight or flying in the sim. It seems no more fudges in the XP world you have to use the VC and use the controls just like you would in a real aeroplane. That really gets you involved and working so that is very impressive.
Real time weather without the need for an external addon to do it is a bonus. Properly synching time to real world time is pretty well done too! Makes me think before I go off on a jaunt about the time of day or latitude!
Now the not so good.
Well it seems they have implemented their version of EA and or True Sky and so seeing the same issues for internal cockpit lighting (too dark) that are the bug bear of everybody in P3D and alas no FSL Spotlights to do a backdoor fix! The cloud above F200 is the same problem just cannot get that cirrus right!
As for models or aircraft of choice well yes it is limited if your going to use XP12 a lot of XP11 stuff has problems in XP12 (generally systems and systems logic) but there are also some very fine non payware aircraft (you would swear they were payware when you see some of them) about as well so good and bad both. At the moment I am missing a few oldies and goldies from the FSX-world but at the same time I have picked up a few that were never done for P3D or FSX either so swings and roundabouts.
Flight planning and quickly getting some sort of plan together is very clunky (Thank goodness of Navigraph) but I cannot find a simple in program way to get this done - not yet!
Again disappointed with the support or ugrading or patches for Xp11 stuff for XP12 - maybe it will come maybe it will not! For example I bought the FJS Boeing 727 because that one never made it across to P3D and what a superb model it is indeed BUT XP11 not XP12 so everything works but the electrical system so you cannot fly anywhere! Damn! On the other hand there is a brillaint Boeing 707 which is a freeware amateur production that gives any payware developer a run for their money.
Overall I am sticking with it I really like it, I like the realism, I like the scenery and I like the overall approach - Got a lot to learn about it though.
Proof of concept this is the Shensee B707 it is as nice inside and as correct systems wise as you could want:
