Flight Simulators
I read in this week's (well, last week's, the new issue is out today, come to think of it) Micro Mart that Microsoft (spit spit, etc) are stopping work on Flight Simulator. I've never played it*, so the news doesn't affect me either way, but it did get me wondering, what are the graphics like now. I mean, years ago (early nineties, I think) when I was still an Atari ST user (with my 128 and +D still seeing much use, I never abandoned the Speccy!), I remember staring in amazement at a PC running a Flight Simulator (don't know if it was the Microsoft one or not) with amazing ground graphics of a riverside city. No doubt nowadays those graphics would look laughable, even to me, but then they were staggering.
So I was wondering, what do the graphics look like, on any flight simulator, say of Great Britain? I'd love to fly over London, Liverpool, Edinburgh etc in a (virtual) plane, and see the cities, the buildings, the landmarks, etc. How well is Great Britain represented in a flight sim, and how does it look?
* I've never really played any flight simulator, as I'm not a fan. The one exception is the brilliant Pilot Wings 64 (N64), which I love, but that isn't a simulator in a sense as it doesn't have all of the controls of a real plane, but on the plus side the simplified controls are easy to use, you get to fly a hang-glider, a jetpac and a gyrocopter, and even use a parachute, and it has great ground scenery. I'd really recommend anyone to try it, as it's more of an experience than a game.
So I was wondering, what do the graphics look like, on any flight simulator, say of Great Britain? I'd love to fly over London, Liverpool, Edinburgh etc in a (virtual) plane, and see the cities, the buildings, the landmarks, etc. How well is Great Britain represented in a flight sim, and how does it look?
* I've never really played any flight simulator, as I'm not a fan. The one exception is the brilliant Pilot Wings 64 (N64), which I love, but that isn't a simulator in a sense as it doesn't have all of the controls of a real plane, but on the plus side the simplified controls are easy to use, you get to fly a hang-glider, a jetpac and a gyrocopter, and even use a parachute, and it has great ground scenery. I'd really recommend anyone to try it, as it's more of an experience than a game.
Post edited by ewgf on
Comments
I'm a fairly big flight sim fan....Microsoft Flightsim X is one of the few games that currently push PC hardware to its limits....
Here is a nice video comparing the real landing to the flight sim landing...
Failing that, there's always FlightGear.
Since learning to fly for real, I've not used any of the Flight Sim games much though (except as IFR training aids). Once you've tasted flight for real, you sort of lose the enthusiasm for doing it on a PC...
Actually - remember Miegs Field in Chicago - the original startup scenario for MSFS? Before that idiot Mayor Daley ripped it up, I flew in there. It seemed a bit strange because the frame rate didn't drop to a slide show when you turned final and downtown Chicago came into view :-)
You know I've never been a fan of Flight sims or the like, always found them a bit boring and/or pointless.
But I must admit this is actually quite impressive.
Not sure which flight sim it was, but around about the time of 911 there was uproar because you could recreate the terrorists path into the world trade center with it.
I think me and my friend may have tried it just out of curiousity?
I remember watching the events of 9/11 in a Compaq conference room when I worked there surrounded by my colleagues and saying 'This is going to make a great movie'
...I was in the bad books for a loooong time.
...........and landing...........
.............
................
........and while in the air too
:(
But it's true (well, except the bit about the movie being "good"). It'll probably be made into a half-rate "this is a true story" movie some years from now.
In any case, you must have been keen, I was living in Houston at the time and I hadn't even left for work when the first tower fell...far too early in the morning, 9 o'clock should only come once a day!
Aye....shift was 6 till 2.30 :(
I like that photo btw Winston...makes me quite jealous.
That was Microsoft Flight Simulator again; although in the scenario in question you're meant to be doing a fly past of the landmarks in the city rather than crashing into them, although everyone does it. It was certainly one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind at the time too.
when bin laden takes over the world they'll make a film of it then. you'll be recognised as a seer and be rewarded with two women and a cooked ham every month.
I must say I'm quite enjoying it as I'm not really a flight sim enthusiast, but this game sits on the fence between accuracy and make believe quite well enough for me.
Bytes:Chuntey - Spectrum tech blog.
When Bin Laden takes over the world surely ham will be outlawed :D
It's got invisible hills & everything :grin:
Seriously tho I'm trying to get into Orbiter at the moment & I don't mean this:
It's a really good freeware space flight sim, a bit like Elite but about a thousand times more complicated. Sure as hell the closest I'll ever get to being an astronaut :sad:
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