Best Flight Simulator Out Now

[BigBadBaz]

Hi. I'm looking for a flight simulator that has very good game play and very good graphics. I don't care about age, just awesomeness. :D

I'm basically looking for a game I can play for hours on end while sitting back in my chair. Something to chill with.

What do you guys suggest?

[mbigna]

Are you looking for realism (real simulation) or something for fun? Are you looking for combat?

[BigBadBaz]

Doesn't need to be real, though I'd like something where I can use a yoke. I want something that I can just chill, fly around and yes shoot some other suckers out of the air.

I would also like a nice variety of jets/weapons so it doesn't get boring.

Multiplayer (LAN and WAN) would also be nice but single player is more important.

I saw Lock On: Modern Air Combat in this thread (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=450698&page=3) and it looks interesting, although I don't know what actual gameplay is like. (Those pictures are actually what made me decide to go for a flight sim.)

[BigBadBaz]

How's Flight Simulator X? I know there's no combat, but the scenarios seem like they may make up for it.

If you think it's worth it, I may just buy this for the best flight simulation, but another game for combat. What do you guys think?

[Mr.Guvernment]

Flight sim X is prob the best out right now and easy to get, it can be real hard on systems though in terms of FPS, it is very CPU intensive.

[BigBadBaz]

Flight sim X is prob the best out right now and easy to get, it can be real hard on systems though in terms of FPS, it is very CPU intensive.

Then I'll OC more. If that's not enough, then I'll get a new CPU and OC that. :D

Is there a good flight sim with combat?

[Danja]

Mr. Guvernment, how bad is FSX on the CPU? I have a gateway laptop with 8800m GTS and t8300... I decided not to upgrade the CPU until the summer so I can see if I keep my college scholarship and if the price of the X9000 drops to the 350ish range on ebay once Nehalem takes hold of the market. I just ordered FSX on ebay... I hope it runs!

BigBadz, I have Lock On and I can tell you about it. I'll do bullets so that I can avoid a huge run on paragraph.

1. The graphics on it are pretty good; the planes in the screenshot thread that you linked to are pretty accurate, but I don't think that he had the ground settings on full detail.

2. The game is a performance hog in some areas; your desktop card is more powerful in my laptop but I'd expect (with full detail) and average of around 40-50fps with dips down to the 20ish range when flying close to big cities.

3. The game is meant to be a combat simulator. The learning curve on it is pretty big; I've had it since July and I'm still learning new things all the time. I haven't had much time to play it due to college but it's not going to be your arcade flight simulator, or even previous generations of dedicated combat simulations such as Jane's Fighters Anthology. The flight models are very plane-specific and (supposedly) accurate, so each plane will have its own feel. The downside is that to make it so accurate, there are only 6 flyable planes (but plenty more that the AI uses), and it's pretty difficult to assimilate all of the information you need, though there are plenty of training missions to get you on your way. Be prepared to stall and spin out the first few times you try to fly, and then again during your first dogfight.

4: The game has a large modding community found at lockonfiles.com. Use it; there's good stuff.

5: Once you get the hang of it, it's a very fun game. Lots of opportunities for explosions and you definitely have to work for each kill; again, it's a simulator so it's going to be hard, but the gameplay is great.

6: It's not "you can use a yoke". It's "you must use a yoke" or some other non-keyboard input. Airplanes aren't flown with a keyboard and if you try to do so, you'll find out why. I use a joystick but a yoke should do. Keyboards are impossible to work with.

7: Once you've played for a week or two (if you get the game), go to lockon.co.uk and buy the $15 expansion pack, Lock On: Flaming Cliffs. You should play the original for a bit to understand why the expansion is worth the $15. The gameplay is very much improved, especially the AI. Even if you don't get the expansion pack, check lockonfiles.com for the latest patch for your version of Lock On. Patches are good.

8: I just checked on ebay, and there are super cheap copies of LOMAC for sale. I highly recommend you get those so you can justify the price of Flaming Cliffs. That's what I did; then again, I'm cheap.

9: I'd also check out IL 2 and Pacific Fighters if you don't mind WWII. Also, if you're like me and you have a thing for 90s graphics and highly modded but pretty realistic (and yet arcade-y at the same time) games, check out Jane's Fighters Anthology. I spent weeks on it over the course of several years; definitely a great buy. Be warned, the Vista compatibility is as expected for a game published in 1997.

10: If you're into choppers, the same company just published DCS: Black Shark. It's $50 right now, which I'm not willing to spend, but once used copies start floating around I'll be sure to grab it.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions.

Sorry for all the typos, for some reason only bullets 1-3 posted so I wrote up 4-9 pretty quickly.

[Hardin]

Steam has the complete IL2 collection for just $9.99 I believe. It's one of the best flight combat simulators out there.

[BigBadBaz]

OK, LOMAC has been ordered! $5.44 from ebay. Thanks guys. :beer:

I think I may still get FSX, but I think I'll wait to see what I think of LOMAC.

I'm not really interested in WWII flight sims, but if you have any other modern ones you'd recommend, my eas are still open.

What would you guys suggest for a yoke/joystick? I've never used one, and I'm kinda new to flight sims as well. (I actually played one once, I think it was called F-22 or something, but I played it with a keyboard).

I don't want to spend crazy amounts of money on a controller, but I'm willing to hear suggestions before I give a budget. What's the best of the best, and what do people generally get?

Thanks for all the help!!

[BigBadBaz]

I posted a new thread with the flight simulator controller question here: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=589701

Thanks again!

[Shelnutt2]

F22? Well I've owned two F-22 games, only one currently. F-22 Lightening II and F-22 Lightening III. Lightening 3 is what I currently still play Lightening 2 I could never get to work with Windows XP, and never though to try it with Wine at the time. Both games are by novalogic, lightening III is from the late 90s, and it's slightly arcady, but it has all the weather and physics of a 90s game. If it was remade today I'm sure it would be considered a "realism simulation".

Also there is Janes F/A-18, have that too and it's more realism especially with the mods.

With all this I use a Saitex X45 joystick + throttle.

[BigBadBaz]

I think it was Lighting 2. I enjoyed it for a time (maybe a week of playing about an hour at a time), but it got kind of boring. I think it might have just been a demo, but it was so long ago (and not even on my computer) that I don't remember anymore. I do remember it was tough with a keyboard, but after a while I managed.

How do you like the X45? Would you prefer a different controller? How is the X52 in comparison?

[Codeman05]

I've always enjoyed Aces High (www.hitechcreations.com), but you may not be interested as it is WWII aerial combat....very sick however...I've been playing that for close to 8 years...continously updated...excellent physics and attention to detail...just all around goodness.

FSX is another goody, only had it for a few weeks but have enjoyed it.

How the you like the X45? Would you prefer a different controller? How is the X52 in comparison?
I've had the X45 and the X52 pro... The X45 was a good stick, it finally cratered after about 6 years of abuse. The X52 has more features and overall I like it better, its just 3x what I paid for the X45 ;)

[Mr.Guvernment]

Mr. Guvernment, how bad is FSX on the CPU? I have a gateway laptop with 8800m GTS and t8300... I decided not to upgrade the CPU until the summer so I can see if I keep my college scholarship and if the price of the X9000 drops to the 350ish range on ebay once Nehalem takes hold of the market. I just ordered FSX on ebay... I hope it runs!.



people with quad cores and high end rigs get low FPS,. but people are saying that i7 shows a major increase in performance for FS X


my uncle had a e4500 and a 8800GTS 320MB card, he got alot of drops in FPS even running with details mediumish i recall, we then upgraded him to a q6600 @ 3.3Ghz and it did run better, but not that great MS has yet to release a proper service pack for it that is well optimized for multiple cores.

[BigBadBaz]

I've had the X45 and the X52 pro... The X45 was a good stick, it finally cratered after about 6 years of abuse. The X52 has more features and overall I like it better, its just 3x what I paid for the X45 ;)

I don't mind the money. I just got a bigger bonus than I was expecting. :santa:

You have the X52 pro or the X52? Do you know how much better the pro is? Would a beginner/casual player like me see a difference?

And Mr.Guvernment, I don't mind things which will be lore than my computer can currently handle. It gives me an excuse to upgrade. ;)

[Codeman05]

i have the x52 pro. i dont recall the differences now but i thought it was worth it at the time :)

i actually saw it at frys today for 130...which is a heck of a deal, i think i paid 190.

[Shelnutt2]

I found two reviews for you on the x52 and x52 pro. From the same website but different authors, but nonetheless you'll be able to see the differences.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/saitek_x52_joystick/

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/saitek_x52_pro_joystick/

[BigBadBaz]

Thanks Shelnutt2, those reviews made good reading. Since I'm new to this stuff, I didn't understand everything or what everything is used for, but it seems like either of the X52s will be a good choice.

Even though I don't really know if I'll see a difference between the 2, since I can get the pro for $135 I'm just going to go for that one.

Thanks ya'll for all the help!! :beer:

EDIT: Ordered!