FTX Global EU promo video out!

[TheGrunt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vdC7jMjWMZA#!

What I can say? Wow :kilroy:

:applause:

[stiz]

i wish they'd turn off that super dark ENB profile so you could actually SEE the product ...

[TheGrunt]

Bump for this thread!

FTX Global product page is up with screenies. I really recommend you check those out to get the picture of the product:
http://fullterrain.com/product_ftxglobal.html

Realese according to John Venema is "hopefully in a week". Pricing for the package is explained in ORBX forums already in february and direct quote from there by John Venema:


When we release it will be the Basic Pack at AU$99.95 which will be a GEX-like addon to replace the default FSX textures for the whole planet. Difference is, we'll include a lot of landclass to make things looks better out of the box. The Basic Pack will not include any DLC addon content, but will include bug fixes.

The Plus Pack will cost another AU$99.95 and will be released some months later. Customers can upgrade to the Plus Pack at anytime they like. For those who don't want new content, the Plus Pack won't be essential. However if you want continually improved landclass, new upgraded airports, POI models, cityscapes and improved content, then the Plus Pack is like a subscription which gives you continual improvements to FTX Global for life (or as long as Orbx remains a company http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.png )

For whole world I find pricing really reasonable as this covers whole world and gives already at the start improved and fixed landclass. Also, you can invest in the basic package first, see how the developement goes and later on invest on the plus package. Great! And remember, because FTX Global is a GEX type of product, there are practically no troubles with any of your previous scenery addons, whether it is an airport, some ohther scenery area "on top of the FTX global" or landclass. FTX Global is a sure buy for me not just because of ORBX quality, but also for me ORBX commitment to Prepar3D is extremely important.

[mmann]

i wish they'd turn off that super dark ENB profile so you could actually SEE the product ...

Pretty smart; you can't critique what you can't see! :running:

[bstolle]

I've seen enough after exactly 14sec with agricultural fields located on 45deg slopes of mountains.....

[huub vink]

I've seen enough after exactly 14sec with agricultural fields located on 45deg slopes of mountains.....

Ha ha That's exactly what I thought..... but I only noticed it in second 42 :icon_lol: :icon_lol: :icon_lol:, it is the main reason why I never fly in your area.....

Nevertheless I have the feeling this will look much better/more natural than default FSX.

Cheers,
Huub

[Ferry_vO]

Nevertheless I have the feeling this will look much better/more natural than default FSX.


It's not that hard to look better than the bland, featureless desert that is stock FsX in most places... :kilroy:

[TheGrunt]

I've seen enough after exactly 14sec with agricultural fields located on 45deg slopes of mountains.....

That is a landclass problem, not textures. You will have that field in the default game too, only with poorer textures. At least first, ORBX isn't offering "full" landclass improvement. They have said that they aim at first to fix worst errors in original landclass, such as desert areas in Europe and so on. UTX works of course too, if you happen to have one, only shut of UTX night lighting, because you get ORBX lights with this. You can of couse use your other preferred landclass with the product, which ORBX people find a good alternative according what I've read.

Also that video is quite early promo video, so I don't know what kind of improvements they have succeeded doing after that time. Based on the screenshots I've seen on the product page and on the ORBX forums, improvement over default is huge beating GEX products hands down. Also GEX haven't managed to create proper texture sets for SE Asia, but looking at screenies, ORBX fares a lot better.

[huub vink]

It's not that hard to look better than the bland, featureless desert that is stock FsX in most places... :kilroy:

You're right, I forgotten how awful Europe actually looked in default FSX as I have replace most textures by with available freeware or payware ones.

Based on the Australian price I assume the European price will be something around € 70 for each package.

Grunt you are most probably right, but I won't spend € 140 based on this single promo and I honestly hate these common errors.

Cheers,
Huub

[TheGrunt]

Grunt you are most probably right, but I won't spend € 140 based on this single promo and I honestly hate these common errors.

Cheers,
Huub
If you already have a landclass, that corrects those use it and you can opt to buy just 70€ basic pack, which of course includes already their fixed LC version 1.0 whatever. I'm not trying to promote this product to you, but I'm really enthusiastic about this. I still remind that this is basically GEX alternative for whole world. There is improved landclass with it (which GEX doesn't have), but you can use your preferred LC with it. I'm interested in, straight away, of the future updates for airports, cities and landclass, and will surely buy the whole deal. It is still cheap IMO. I see it this way: for the basic price you get the whole world with ORBX quality tetures and autogen objects. I can't expect any better outside the ORBX regions at the moment and texture quality for me, who is mostly flying warbirds and GA low is important.

But I will post some screenies here when I get the product. I will also tell at that point completely objectively, if it for some reason sucks a** :running:

[bstolle]

I used to have quite a few ORBX textures installed some time ago, but since I'm only flying in Austria anymore, I re-installed FSX with only the fsgenesis mesh as the bare minimum and I was surprised how realistic the default FSX textures (at least in Austria) look like. Haven't installed any other scenery add on installed since.

[OleBoy]

Going based on the video, not much for the imagination. A colored blur. Must be an early beta? Shaders, as mentioned, far too dark.
Of course if I fly (which I don't) @ 10,000 ASL -<infinity> what's the point? They have a long ways to go before I would consider it.

[TheGrunt]

I used to have quite a few ORBX textures installed some time ago, but since I'm only flying in Austria anymore, I re-installed FSX with only the fsgenesis mesh as the bare minimum and I was surprised how realistic the default FSX textures (at least in Austria) look like. Haven't installed any other scenery add on installed since.
I use FS Genesis also, but the mesh itself doesn't do "it" for me. Outside any other addon scenery I use also Cloud9 or SceneryTech landclasses. Those improve especially Europe a lot. For example Germany starts to look like Germany from the air. FSGenesis improves terrain features, but doesn't remove any mistakes or improve default landclass.

I'm actually quite surprised that you criticised ORBX promo video, if you are still using default Europe LC.

And ORBX regions are far more than just texture sets. Every region includes custom mesh, custom landclass, both far more precise than any other alternative, custom and hand placed objects and cityscapes, new autogen objects and even autogen routines (new routines are from NZ regions and onwards I believe).

[TheGrunt]

Not much for the imagination. A colored blur. Must be an early beta? Shaders, as mentioned, far too dark.
Of course if I fly (which I don't) @ 10,000 ASL -<infinity> what's the point? They have a long ways to go before I would consider it.
Did you look at the screenshots behind the link which are without ENB mod? Shaders have nothing to do with FTX Global.

Geez... I bumped up my old thread and everybody seems to read just the first post </infinity>:isadizzy:<infinity>

And yes, if you are flying airliners or something high above, this probably is not worth the purchase. I just suspected that people here in SOH would be a bit enthusiastic about this, as many fly warbirds and GA planes pretty low. I know people at Avsim are enthusiastic and most there seem to be tubeliners </infinity>
:wiggle:<infinity>
</infinity>

[OleBoy]

Did you look at the screenshots behind the link which are without ENB mod? Shaders have nothing to do with FTX Global.

Geez... I bumped up my old thread and everybody seems to read just the first post </infinity>:isadizzy:<infinity>

And yes, if you are flying airliners or something high above, this probably is not worth the purchase. I just suspected that people here in SOH would be a bit enthusiastic about this, as many fly warbirds and GA planes pretty low. I know people at Avsim are enthusiastic and most there seem to be tubeliners </infinity>
:wiggle:<infinity>
</infinity>

Old thread it is. I read every post, but missed the links to the latest screen shots. Overall it does look considerably better in comparison to stock. Of course for the time being my only interests are the Western U.S. Time will tell how the story plays.

I also edited my above post in reflection.

[mmann]

The dangers of bumping an old thread!

Interesting that until the bump there was only one post besides the OP's.

[TheGrunt]

The dangers of bumping an old thread!

Interesting that until the bump there was only one post besides the OP's.

I am aware of the bottomless dark pit of the bumping a thread, but stupid me :banghead: It is a shame, that you have no possibility to edit thread title at least after a while. I am a part of one computer related forum, where all that is possible no matter after what date. It is very convinient and it effectively diminishes the amount of threads about the same subject, of course not totally. In that forum quite often thread creator, if still active, updates the title and in many cases the first post according the posts other may have created. That's why I have the habit that if I've especially created a thread about something, I post future developements to same thread.

I'm also a bit amazed that whole FTX Global gets quite little attention or interest here. I'd expected that in this forum we have a big bunch of ORBX scenery owners and people who are flying on ORBX regions regularly and have knowledge of their developements. After all, SOH is mostly focused on warbirds, vintage, GA and overall on flying on the altitudes that are mostly far below 35000ft and where scenery is really important. As I said, in Avsim, which in my opinion is more focused on airliners, there have been several quite popular threads about FTX Global during the last couple of months. That is quite opposite compared to what you would think cosidering focus of the forums. That is of course fine by me, I am just a bit surprised.

[Naismith]

I've seen enough after exactly 14sec with agricultural fields located on 45deg slopes of mountains.....
Good point.

[Francois]

Well, old thread or not, you ARE giving them free publicity... which is the best any developer can hope for :icon_lol:

(Edit: Oh darn, now I am too !)

[TheGrunt]

Good point.
If you guys use some landclass products which takes care of all, every single one of those errors, let me know. I'll purchase that immediately and use with my future FTX Global. Default is horrible, SceneryTech and Cloud9 improve that a lot, but even those aren't perfect in any way. Then there is OpenVFR, which is good but pricy for continents and resembles more of those landclasses that are related to smaller scenery products which do things correctly (like ORBX regions). But even OpenVFR has lot's of mistakes and it mostly shines at vector data (roads). But I'm talking about continent or at least large country level here. No single agricultural field on slopes. Rock starts at right level from sea altitude. You get my point.

I'm really interested, because I have been in the belief that those two that I mentioned are perhaps the best at least for their price. But apparently there are something better.

[TheGrunt]

Well, old thread or not, you ARE giving them free publicity... which is the best any developer can hope for :icon_lol:

(Edit: Oh darn, now I am too !)

And I love FSAddon Tongass Fjords. Merges beautifully with PNW and Pacific Fjords. I really need to try out your Dolomiti sceneries, too. Which one would you recommend for the first?

[UnknownGuest12]

Wonder if this new global scenery will replace all previous, meaning Europe, North America, New Zealand and so on....near 100...but if you buy "portions" at around 25-30...

Will it need a fresh install?

Looks very good on screen pictures and I just love Orbx...how about a picture of Lisbon? would like to see the difference....

regards

PS Ok know some of the answers reading one of the posts from Grunt