Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate This Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#3509797 - 02/02/12 11:46 PM A Short Review of Prepar3D  
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Sauron Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Sauron  Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Hotshot

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Quantum Superstate
The other day, The Lioness heard about Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D. She asked me if I'd like to have it. I said, "Sure, I'll give it a try!"

So she subscribed to it for me and said she'd keep it going in perpetuity if I liked it. She feels that $9.95 per month is well worth it, and noted, as did someone in the Civil Aviation forum, that we spend more on Netflix and I spend a lot more time flying than watching movies.

Well, I got it installed today. And here's my review:

If you care about realism, buy it right friggin' NOW!

It looks better than FSX, and the flight models actually make me feel like I'm flying an airplane rather than playing with a toy.

I can no longer pull the arrogant crap I got in the habit of doing in FSX. It will punish you if you do outlandish things.

This is what FSX should have been. It's worth every penny.

And since I registered as a developer, and have been wanting to create aircraft for FSX, The Lioness says she's going to buy 3D Studio Max for me to develop freeware for the Prepar3D community instead. I told her the price, she said it didn't matter as she feels I need my hobbies and knows that I love aviation. Is it any wonder that I love the woman?

In the meantime, I'm already at work in GMAX, and GMAX aircraft work fine in Prepar3D.

The CBFS Beaufighter and Ant's Tiger Moth never felt better than they do in Prepar3D. My FSGenesis landclass scenery works fine, as do all the freeware scenery items I had installed in FSX.

This is a massive improvement in my opinion.

Sauron's take: If you like civil aviation, get it. And jump right in with the rest of us who are developing for it. It's what I've always wanted in a civil flight sim. Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Rick... thumbsup


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3509802 - 02/02/12 11:51 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10,984
Master Offline
meh
Master  Offline
meh
Veteran

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10,984
Wish my wife would buy me 3dsm... she just frowns at me when I bring things like that up and says, "Why would you buy something that expensive just to do free stuff..."

#3509833 - 02/03/12 12:17 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,549
piper Offline
Veteran
piper  Offline
Veteran

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,549
Raleigh,NC
Without pictures, it didn't happen...

#3509882 - 02/03/12 12:56 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
- Ice Offline
Veteran
- Ice  Offline
Veteran

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
Philippines / North East UK
Wait for it Sauron... she's got her eye on a new bag/makeup kit/car. You're easily buttered up and distracted.


- Ice
#3509924 - 02/03/12 01:51 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 9,710
Legend Offline
Legsie is such a
Legend  Offline
Legsie is such a
Hotshot

Joined: May 2000
Posts: 9,710
Zutphen, NL / ShangHai, China
LOL Ice! That was my first thought as well.

Thanks for the review Sauron!


There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more inexplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
#3509939 - 02/03/12 02:14 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Sauron Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Sauron  Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Hotshot

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Quantum Superstate
Nah, she knows she can have whatever she wants, she doesn't need to butter me up, LOL! I don't think I've said "no" to the woman in all the years we've been married. She's spoiled, and I'm proud of myself for doing it. The nice thing is she spoils back, and makes enough money to do it with style!

Pics? OK. I've got the FSX Hornet here, modified with a correct HUD display and with flight dynamics that put it a lot closer to the real thing, and wearing a VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs skin. It was nice in FSX, a great improvement over the default Hornet. It's mind-boggling in Prepar3D. I feel like I'm really there.

So here I am enjoying this beast at NAS Lemoore. These are completely unaltered Prepar3D screenshots, other than converting to .jpg in PSP 8.1 so I could upload them. The "Upload Image into Post" button won't take a .bmp file.









I'm loving this. Lockheed Martin has done a fine job already and they're just getting started. They'll be issuing continuing updates and the updates so far have this thing leaping ahead. I won't be bothering with FSX anymore. It just doesn't have the great, immersive feel of this one. This is good enough for me to suspend my disbelief and feel like I'm there.

Cheers!

Rick... thumbsup


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
#3510014 - 02/03/12 05:13 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Sauron Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Sauron  Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Hotshot

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Quantum Superstate
For those with an interest, here's a few more completely unedited screenshots. The only change was conversion from .bmp to .jpg for forum use.



Filling in for BeachAV8R on the St. Thomas trip.



KA350 in St. Thomas, USVI.



Lockheed L-188 Electra over the San Joaquin Valley in California.

Cheers!

Rick... pilot


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
#3510022 - 02/03/12 05:28 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 10,560
Arthonon Online content
Veteran
Arthonon  Online Content
Veteran

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 10,560
California
That Reeve Aleutian should be in Alaska, not California. I grew up watching them fly around up there, and they used to have an office at Merrill Field, just a few miles from my house, and had a DC-3 parked out there.


Ken Cartwright

No single drop of rain feels it is responsible for the flood.

http://www.techflyer.net

#3510079 - 02/03/12 09:57 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 13,364
Freycinet Offline
Veteran
Freycinet  Offline
Veteran

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 13,364
Any good reviews out there of the sim? - it has gone totally under my radar.


My Il-2 CoD movie web site: www.flightsimvids.com
#3510095 - 02/03/12 10:47 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,524
Keithb77 Offline
Member
Keithb77  Offline
Member

Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,524
UK
For $10 its worth a shot, they will even refund your money if you dont like it...
Wonder if I can let subscriptions lapse and resume as I cycle through my addictions.

Sauron, how big is the download? Think its 20GB 'on-disk'.
Have LM updated the FSX Hornet as a showpiece for their product or are those 3rd-party fixes?

Cheers
Keith

#3510101 - 02/03/12 11:04 AM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Keithb77]  
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,896
bogusheadbox Offline
Opinionated Aussie Bloke
bogusheadbox  Offline
Opinionated Aussie Bloke
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,896
Originally Posted By: Keithb77
For $10 its worth a shot, they will even refund your money if you dont like it...


Crikeys, you don't see that everyday !


Fighterops...

The only TRUE Stealth crowd funded game.

Devs said there was stuff there, but you just couldn't see it.
#3510170 - 02/03/12 01:26 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Keithb77]  
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Sauron Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Sauron  Offline
Successor to Bill the Cat!
Hotshot

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,872
Quantum Superstate
I kind of figured the Reeve Aleutian Electra belonged in Alaska, Ken. Unfortunately for them, I prefer the weather in California, and those nice big runways at Lemoore, LOL!

Originally Posted By: Keithb77
For $10 its worth a shot, they will even refund your money if you dont like it...
Wonder if I can let subscriptions lapse and resume as I cycle through my addictions.

Sauron, how big is the download? Think its 20GB 'on-disk'.
Have LM updated the FSX Hornet as a showpiece for their product or are those 3rd-party fixes?

Cheers
Keith


It's 10.37 GB in three .zip files. I have the world's worst Internet connection outside of dial-up and it took me about 12 hours to download the whole thing. Lockheed Martin, as one might expect, has very good servers so it goes quite fast, even through my rural satellite connection, and I used a download utility that allows me to start and stop the download at will, so it wasn't too uncomfortable.

Anyone with a better connection than me, that's pretty much anyone who isn't on dial-up, should have no trouble. My satellite connection is just horrible, slow, and tempermental.

LM did not include the Hornet at all with Prepar3D. I took it out of FSX myself and installed it. The version I fly has the following mods:

Enrico B's HUD glass mod (gray smoke choice in the zip), file name "fa_18_hud_mods.zip"
Jivko Rusev's HUD mod, file name "NEW_Realistic_HUD_for_the_FSX_Hornet.zip"
USNVT's Hornet Mods and VFA-143 skins, file name "USNVT_FA-18.zip"

I believe I got all of those files at Simviation. If not, a quick Google search should find them. They greatly improve the default Hornet.

Yes, you can let your subscriptions lapse and resume as you cycle through your addictions. But you may find this is good enough so you don't want to let it lapse.

Give it a try Keith, you'll like it. You can subscribe like I did and cancel at any time, or you can go month by month with a non-recurring license. Or you can pay non-recurring for six months or a year. You could also buy the disc outright, but that's $499 and will only take you to version 2, which is coming eventually, and then you'll be into it for another $499. I like modeling airplanes, so I signed on as a developer and subscribed for $9.95 per month with automatic billing and it takes me right on through version 2 and beyond. It's a subscription I intend to keep forever.

Cheers!

Rick... thumbsup


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
#3510244 - 02/03/12 02:55 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,947
Dervish Offline
Hotshot
Dervish  Offline
Hotshot

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,947
I flew on that Reeve plane when I went from Anchorage to Shemya Island, now known as Eareckson AFB in 1973.

We were keeping an eye on Russian missiles for the Army Security Agency.

Last edited by Scylla; 02/03/12 02:57 PM.

FTX Global
#3510259 - 02/03/12 03:08 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 17,632
SkateZilla Offline
Skate Zilla Graphics
SkateZilla  Offline
Skate Zilla Graphics
Veteran

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 17,632
Virginia Beach, VA
Lockheed needs to come to an agreement with MS to just release it retail. a good chunk of their new subscriptions have been people moving from FSX, and the more people that move and write reviews, even more people move, the amount of users transitioning to Prepar3d from FSX grows exponentially with every user that transitions and writes a review.

the $10/Month or $500 Perm. License is because its not meant to be a Public release, it was meant to be a Private Business Program.


HAF922, Corsair RM850, ASRock Fata1ity 990FX Pro,
Modified Corsair H100, AMD FX8350 @ 5.31GHz, 16GB G.SKILL@DDR2133,
2x R7970 Lightnings, +1 HD7950 @ 1.1/6.0GHz, Creative XFi Fata1ity Platinum Champ.,
3x ASUS VS248HP + Hanns�G HZ201HPB + Acer AL2002 (5760x1080+1600x900+1680x1050), Oculus Rift CV
CH Fighterstick, Pro Throt., Pro Pedals, TM Warthog & MFDs, Fanatec CSR Wheel/Shifter, Elite Pedals
Intensity Pro 10-Bit, TrackIR 4 Pro, WD Black 1.5TB, WD Black 640GB, Samsung 850 500GB, My Book 4TB
#3510290 - 02/03/12 03:58 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,524
Keithb77 Offline
Member
Keithb77  Offline
Member

Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,524
UK
Thanks Rick.

I suspect that if it was sold as a game then the commercial training organisations that are the real $500 targets would be harder to convince?
10 GB will take me a while...better get started!
BTW the default vehicles are
Maule Orion
Piper J3 Cub
Mooney Bravo
Robinson R22
Beechcraft Baron 58
Beechcraft King Air 350
P-38 Lightening
Lockheed Constellation
Neptune Submersible

Note the last doesn't fly, and Lockheed can't spell Lightning smile
There are some sponsored free Lockheed downloads too (including an Electra (need a Buffalo skin for Ice Pilots!))
Cheers
Keith

#3510363 - 02/03/12 05:04 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,890
Warbirds Offline
Senior Member
Warbirds  Offline
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,890
I did not know it came with the Just Flight Connie. I do repaints of that and just completed a whole cockpit repaint. Looks like I will have to invest in it. Can anyone give more information on flight models and visuals compared to FSX?


"A time when America was great,,when the chrome was thick and the women were straight" - Micheal Savage

"If you really want to experience flight in this life then you have to strap a DC-3 to your ass." - Buffalo Joe McBryan President & Captain Buffalo Airways
#3510377 - 02/03/12 05:21 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R Offline
Lifer
BeachAV8R  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
Is the King Air 350 included a decent King Air..or just a port over from FSX (which had a terrible cockpit..)?



#3510404 - 02/03/12 05:42 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,183
Force10 Offline
I'm just a
Force10  Offline
I'm just a
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,183
CA
My first thought Sauron is that I'm more impressed with your wife than the sim. My wife is every simmer's worst nightmare. She hates technology for the most part, and gaming as a hobby is a complete waste of time. She's analog, I'm digital. She's an 8 track tape deck, I'm a shiny 160gb mp3 player. It's been a war that has spanned our 26 years of being together, and battles have been won and lost.

Oh, nice pics BTW! thumbsup


Asus Z87 Sabertooth motherboard
Windows 7 64 bit Home edition
Intel I5 4670K @ 4.4 ghz
16 gig 1866mhz Corsair Vengence Pro memory
EVGA GTX 970 Superclocked 4gb Video Card
Intel 510 series 120gb SSD (boot drive)
Samsung 840 1TB SSD
Onboard Realtek sound
______________________________________________________

Oddball from Kelly's Heroes: "If we're late, it's cause we're dead"



#3510540 - 02/03/12 08:07 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 17,632
SkateZilla Offline
Skate Zilla Graphics
SkateZilla  Offline
Skate Zilla Graphics
Veteran

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 17,632
Virginia Beach, VA
can i borrow your wife? so i can prove to other gamers that there are wives that support gaming/simming/hobbies.


HAF922, Corsair RM850, ASRock Fata1ity 990FX Pro,
Modified Corsair H100, AMD FX8350 @ 5.31GHz, 16GB G.SKILL@DDR2133,
2x R7970 Lightnings, +1 HD7950 @ 1.1/6.0GHz, Creative XFi Fata1ity Platinum Champ.,
3x ASUS VS248HP + Hanns�G HZ201HPB + Acer AL2002 (5760x1080+1600x900+1680x1050), Oculus Rift CV
CH Fighterstick, Pro Throt., Pro Pedals, TM Warthog & MFDs, Fanatec CSR Wheel/Shifter, Elite Pedals
Intensity Pro 10-Bit, TrackIR 4 Pro, WD Black 1.5TB, WD Black 640GB, Samsung 850 500GB, My Book 4TB
#3510557 - 02/03/12 08:23 PM Re: A Short Review of Prepar3D [Re: Sauron]  
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 22,854
Rick.50cal Offline
Lifer
Rick.50cal  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 22,854

Hang on a sec: better realism....but landing a Hornet with no flaps?!? I'm sure it can be done, say at a landing speed of maybe 200kts!!


Looks good Rick, nice to have a wife that appreciates you!


POLITICS, WAR, ECONOMY, CONTROVERSY! and other heated discussions and debates in the PWEC sub-forum at the bottom of this forum main page. See you there!
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  RacerGT 

Quick Search
Recent Articles
Support SimHQ

If you shop on Amazon use this Amazon link to support SimHQ
.
Social


Recent Topics
Carnival Cruise Ship Fire....... Again
by F4UDash4. 03/26/24 05:58 PM
Baltimore Bridge Collapse
by F4UDash4. 03/26/24 05:51 PM
The Oldest WWII Veterans
by F4UDash4. 03/24/24 09:21 PM
They got fired after this.
by Wigean. 03/20/24 08:19 PM
Grown ups joke time
by NoFlyBoy. 03/18/24 10:34 PM
Anyone Heard from Nimits?
by F4UDash4. 03/18/24 10:01 PM
RIP Gemini/Apollo astronaut Tom Stafford
by semmern. 03/18/24 02:14 PM
10 years after 3/8/2014
by NoFlyBoy. 03/17/24 10:25 AM
Copyright 1997-2016, SimHQ Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.0