P3D: To be or not to be ?

[Paul K]

I'm thinking what a few months ago was unthinkable;- I might go back to FSX.

The main reason I moved to P3D was its better frame rates and general smoothness compared to FSX. Another incentive was that problems with installing FSX add-ons into P3D have been largely resolved either by newly released dual installers, or migrator tools such as the one provided by Orbx for its own products, and that of Flightsim Estonia, which deals with just about everything else.

Its not all rosy, however. Orbx's England has to go directly into P3D as the Orbx migrator tool only covers Oceania and the USA/Canada. Conversely, Orbx's Australia must remain in FSX as its the DVD version and only comes with an FSX installer. All well and good, but then building a database for Plan G introduces uncertainties - if I build it from FSX, will it include FTX England ? If I build it from P3D, will it include Australia and USA ? The solution is to install England into FSX as well as P3D and take the hit on hard drive space. But there are other scenery add-ons waiting to be reinstalled too, Pacific Island Sim being one of them, and so the Plan G database source again becomes an issue. Then of course there are the developers who provide no P3D support, such as A2A and Air Hauler, and those who positively forbid their products to be used with P3D, such as PMDG. The latter's MD-11 is waiting to go back on my computer and if I run into problems with it in P3D, who am I gonna call ?

I recently upgraded my video card and with Kosta's Nvidia Inspector and tweak guides to hand, I was curious to see what the effect all this had on FSX. The answer is that as far as I can tell, with all the scenery sliders set to maximum, the framerates are every bit as good as P3D. Using the stock F/A-18 at maximum throttle and very low level through the 'maximum-autogenned' valleys around PAKT, I'm getting a near constant 30fps, same as P3D. There is an occasional dip but they are few and far between and in any case only last a spit second.

So, the new video card, coupled with Kosta's expertise, has brought new life to the old sim, and I no longer feel the incentive to work round P3D's add-on compatibility problems, minor though they are. Totting up what I have spent on P3D, its not a huge amount. There are only three specific P3D-only items - the P3D Academic license itself, the Estonia Migrator ( about 11 or 12 Euros ) and the $5 P3D license for REX Essentials. I spend more than that a month on eccles cakes.

Ben, I believe you said you had returned to FSX because of 'usability' - does what I say resonate with you ? Ian...what do you think ? Any other P3D users sticking with P3D/ running both/ considering a return to FSX ? I'll be interested to hear all views.

[speedbird591]

Yes, I see exactly where you're coming from, Paul. But you've got many more add-ons than I have and I have a different philosophy about my simming. I did have a go in FSX the other day, for old times' sake and the performance was similar to P3D although the micro-stuttering in turns was still there and then I remembered how sensitive it is to changes and the endless tweaking and problem searching that you don't get in P3D. So I scurried back and left it alone. No, I'm not changing back unless P3D is closed to casual simmers in the future.

I've only got a handful of must-have aircraft and they all work admirably in P3D and I'm perfectly happy to 'restrict' myself to ORBX scenery areas. Basically my philosophy is that if it doesn't work in P3D I'll live without it as I've got more than enough to keep me happy until the end of my days

Of course you don't have to decide between them. You could have both and keep your Plan G flying for FSX and less formal flying for P3D. They're not mutually exclusive.

I can't really be bothered with FSX now and as soon as all the FTX scenery is dual install I'll probably put it all in P3D. Anything that doesn't want to work in P3D can go in the bin. 'Shape Up or Ship Out!' Is what I've told them.

Ian

[TSR2]

Hi Paul,

I still have both installed, but I still use FSX. P3D is a bit smoother, no doubt about it. I still install my addon scenery and traffic outside the FSX / P3D program files. I don't really pay much attention to whether or not something is supported in P3D or not, but its another point I suppose. The only thing I have in FSX that isn't in P3D is the QW757. So in some ways I have no overarching problem with P3D, I just have my FSX the way I like it and it works very well. I suppose in some ways at least I've got the option of which sim I want to use. I supposed, my time is limited in the sim, and much as I like playing about with configs etc having to do it twice would leave me no time to fly in it.

[tonymadge]

Never had this trouble with FS9