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The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

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Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#61

Post by agubelu »

Something I would have loved to see, especially in this era of AI, is improvements to the ATC system. But it seems we're stuck with the one from FS2020, which in turn is largely the same it was 20 years ago.

Not everyone can or wants to go to VATSIM for realistic ATC coverage, but the default one is just dreadful. Obvious phraseology mistakes, happily vectoring you towards terrain, asking you to descend 20k ft. in 2 minutes, and the only way to communicate with it is via a list of pre-determined options.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#62

Post by ehnto »

dybber wrote: post #58

My biggest issue with Flight Simulator 2020 doesn’t seem to be addressed. It contains tutorials on how to control the planes, but no storyline, no built in missions. If you are motivated by a narrative, this is not a game for you. It only does the simulation, but doesn’t really help people get into the game through a kind of narrative. I have no desire to learn all the details of an aircrafts controls. I might have t…

I think that is the whole sell of 2024? It is still a self guided story but, career mode you have to start as a student, earn your hours and licenses in order to take on bigger and more interesting jobs etc. Eventually you buy your own planes, which enables you to take on bigger jobs and so on.

So in theory from what I have seen, your story is that of a career pilot, with intro cutscenes and voice acting etc. This has all been shown already.

If you find it most fun to haul cargo, your story is that you will go get the licences, grind the smaller jobs. For more casual fun experience you might choose to specialise in agriculture jobs which are going to be more engaging/shorter.

The truth is though, it is a simulator, and flying takes fooreeever. You can't make casual flying and flight sim meet in the middle without throwing away 90% of the flying experience, which is level flight at altitude on your way to a destination.

This is why although I am an aviation fan, and a train fan, I don't play either sims. I have not got 2-8hrs to hurry up and wait.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#63

Post by abenga »

dybber wrote: post #58

My biggest issue with Flight Simulator 2020 doesn’t seem to be addressed. It contains tutorials on how to control the planes, but no storyline, no built in missions. If you are motivated by a narrative, this is not a game for you. It only does the simulation, but doesn’t really help people get into the game through a kind of narrative. I have no desire to learn all the details of an aircrafts controls. I might have t…

Is Microsoft Flight Simulator meant to be that kind of game?

> I have no desire to learn all the details of an aircrafts controls.

Then there are different games where this is not expected. I have always thought MFS is meant to be as close as possible to true flight, to such an extent it can be used to practice actual routes.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#64

Post by ehnto »

nottommo wrote: post #16
lttlrck wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2020 is astonishing in VR. I get the same melancholy I do on a real plane and can fly for hours sightseeing out the window. There is also a real sense of peril. It's quite the experience. I can't wait for 2024.

Why do you feel melancholy?

I get the same, it's more like a contented melancholy.

Not sad, just locked into the moment, with a certain understated freedom of mind.

You're not smiling or frowing, just existing, taking it in.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#65

Post by wolpoli »

knodi123 wrote: post #49
jinushaun wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would love a real world driving sim. I don’t really care for driving on race tracks, but real roads.

I've always said, a version of Grand Theft Auto, but with a real map of [your city], and with cops that enforce driving rules, would be a priceless tool for teaching young drivers. After I passed driver's ed, I still spent the next two years getting lost within a few miles of my house. But drop me in any alley in GTA5 and I can get to any other spot in a pretty short path (although I confess it often does involve dan…

Midtown Madness 1 & 2 are most similar to what you are looking for.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#66

Post by mulmen »

wk_end wrote: post #40
theYipster wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is on VR, has been for years, and yes, it’s pretty much a killer app (imho, the only killer app.)

VR FS2020 is so good that it made me get a pilot's license.

I’m very curious about this. How do you manipulate flight controls with the headset on? Do you go by feel or is there a matching representation in the virtual world?

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#67

Post by rldjbpin »

dybber wrote: post #58

My biggest issue with Flight Simulator 2020 doesn’t seem to be addressed. It contains tutorials on how to control the planes, but no storyline, no built in missions. If you are motivated by a narrative, this is not a game for you. It only does the simulation, but doesn’t really help people get into the game through a kind of narrative. I have no desire to learn all the details of an aircrafts controls. I might have t…

mfs 2020 seems to do what it says on the label - be a simulator.

the entire point of a simulator is to give you the sandbox to do whatever you want while having as near of a realistic experience as possible.

if they try to add these things to the mix, i assume it is to make it more accessible to game pass audience, who might not shell out the full price just to try it out.

for many who love to play this genre, especially content creators, instead of expecting the game to give a storyline, they make their own! like for me it would be trying the 787 in the air routes where the landing strips do not support large planes for a hypothetical scenario, for example.

it not quite the same, but your own creativity is what give games like minecraft so much longevity. on the other hand, once you finish a "career mode" (as proposed for mfs 2024), you may not be motivated to restart.

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#68

Post by dacryn »

knodi123 wrote: post #49
jinushaun wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would love a real world driving sim. I don’t really care for driving on race tracks, but real roads.

I've always said, a version of Grand Theft Auto, but with a real map of [your city], and with cops that enforce driving rules, would be a priceless tool for teaching young drivers. After I passed driver's ed, I still spent the next two years getting lost within a few miles of my house. But drop me in any alley in GTA5 and I can get to any other spot in a pretty short path (although I confess it often does involve dan…

it's one of those things I'd do as a millionaire.

Some people would buy boats, private planes, art, ... I would hire a team to replicate my child neighbourhood perfectly in a gran turismo or preferably GTA 5 engine lol. You'd get pretty far with a million USD in the modding community

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#69

Post by dacryn »

ehnto wrote: post #62
dybber wrote: post #58

My biggest issue with Flight Simulator 2020 doesn’t seem to be addressed. It contains tutorials on how to control the planes, but no storyline, no built in missions. If you are motivated by a narrative, this is not a game for you. It only does the simulation, but doesn’t really help people get into the game through a kind of narrative. I have no desire to learn all the details of an aircrafts controls. I might have t…

I think that is the whole sell of 2024? It is still a self guided story but, career mode you have to start as a student, earn your hours and licenses in order to take on bigger and more interesting jobs etc. Eventually you buy your own planes, which enables you to take on bigger jobs and so on. So in theory from what I have seen, your story is that of a career pilot, with intro cutscenes and voice acting etc. This ha…

jup, eurotruck simulator, but in the air, would be amazing

Re: The ambition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

#70

Post by jillesvangurp »

agubelu wrote: post #61

Something I would have loved to see, especially in this era of AI, is improvements to the ATC system. But it seems we're stuck with the one from FS2020, which in turn is largely the same it was 20 years ago. Not everyone can or wants to go to VATSIM for realistic ATC coverage, but the default one is just dreadful. Obvious phraseology mistakes, happily vectoring you towards terrain, asking you to descend 20k ft. in 2…

There are some third party companies working on LLM based ATC. It's a hard problem but that's mostly because there are a lot of rules and regional differences. Which is something that LLMs are actually good at making sense of. The new multi modal OSS models are only going to make this easier.

MS with their investment in OpenAI is actually well positioned to do something here as well. So, it's odd that they haven't.

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