I'm considering getting my first addons for FSX, but I'm not sure where to start. I'm mostly interested in overall environment improvements whilst I learn the basics before buying/finding new aircraft. What's best to start with? I'm not interested in the kind of photo scenery which looks off in the wrong conditions, and I live in Scotland. REX seems to be the only thing I know of that everyone thinks is essential. Anything to make traffic and ATC as realistic as possible would be great too.

So, any suggestions?

REX 2.0 will blow your mind on the graphics side and if you ever want to pay for a plane add-on, BUY PMDG 737NGX for $70, yes it costs more than FSX but your jaw will drop to the floor when you see the detail inside and outside of the plane. There is also a voice package addon that makes the PMDG addon even more realistic: FS2Crew: PMDG 737 NGX Special Bundle Pack: http://www.fs2crew.com/cart/products/FS2Crew%3A-PMDG-737-NGX-Special-Bundle-Pack.html

http://youtu.be/AFSsSbGJSBE watch this

If he's new to FSX, PMDG right away is not the best advice.

First, Rusty_M should make sure he has Microsoft's FSX Acceleration Pack. That's absolutely the first thing to do--upgrade FSX to FSX Acceleration. It's a prerequisite to a lot of add-ons.

Second, Rusty_M should think about improving scenery. He has enough horsepower for scenery add-ons. I recommend the GEX or Ground Environment X series: 1. North America (USA + Canada), 2. Europe, 3. Africa and the Middle East, 4. Atlantic and Pacific Tropics.
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=gexusacan

Third, consider the sceneries from ORBX FTX. Australia SP4 will give you all of Australia in one package, and they now have sceneries that cover part of the Pacific Northwest and part of southwestern Canada. ORBX is fantastic looking if you can stand acquiring only pieces and sections of places instead of entire countries. It will get expensive and at the present rate of introduction, years will go buy and you'll be on your next PC by the time the ORBX sceneries even cover half the USA. That's my only complaint about them.

Fourth, and REX 2.0, and REX Overdrive, of course, which is free if you have REX 2.0.

I should have mentioned that I got FSX gold, so Acceleration is already good to go.

Also, thank you both.

Real naughty plug;










http://www.a2asimulations.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=49

I'd say that the EZDoc Camera add-on and Accu-feel addons are also game-changers.

Rusty, if you found the cockpit effects in titles like IL2 highly immersive, you'll want to check out the above.^ These also breath new life into well worn freeware and stock aircraft

As far as planes go:

If you like:You should buy:

Modern Fighters: VRS F/A-18E Superbug, Milviz F-15E.

Classic Prop Aircraft including fighters, GA, and/or Big Iron: Pick anything from the A2A catalog that has an available Accusim expansion. I'd suggest the B-17, P-40, or B377. Others also rave about their Cub. Actually, people rave about their everything.

GA Prop planes: Carenado (insert what ever plane from their catalog you want here)

Airliners: PMDG 737 NGX (new school), Captainsim (old-school)

Helicopters: Wrong sim

A note on paying "more for an addon than I did for the sim" attitude that many take at first.

I once thought that way. Problem is,that mind set is treating the above planes like DLC. Once you fly something like the VRS superbug, or an Accusim plane, you'll realize that FSX is just an "operating system" for these titles. FSX is a hobby in-and-of itself.

You guys keep laying that PMDG stuff on Rusty. That's advanced stuff, and it's planes. He's asked about the environment. He'll get to the advanced planes soon enough. He may not even prefer big airliners anyway. Like most, if he prefers sight seeing (after installing the scenery add-ons I suggested) he'll want General Aviation Aircraft, low and slow. If that's what he decides, he'll need Carenado's planes not PMDG's. I recommend Carenado's "high definition" series, Rusty. You should have enough horsepower to run 'em.

http://www.carenado.com/CarSite/Portal/index.php

REX is a very good start, with REX Essentials coming out soon for free, it will even get better.

As you are interested in the environment, and assuming you want to fly in Europe mostly, get GEX Europe http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=gexeurope and UTX Europe http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=utxeurope.

The first one replaces the ground textures with better ones, the second places cities, villages, roads etc in the right place. If you like to fly in the mountains, I recommend buying FS Global X, which adds a worldwide new mesh to the simulator http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd70!40,4521729820,11130_1

If you aren`t nailed to Europe and love bush-flying, the ORBX stuff is your choice. Available is the North-West of the US and Canada, Aussie, and New Zealand. Much much better than GEX and UTX. Really brilliant stuff. http://fullterrain.com/

Great tips, folks!

As a soon-to-be FSX'er, I'm also scouting add-ons (plug away, Lewis!) so this thread is gold to me.

Does anybody have any recommendations for ATC/traffic improvements? VATSIM is a must-do, but what about when I don't want to go online?