FSX Steam First Impression

[Willy]

Ok, just installed FSX Steam and did my first flight in a totally default installation. One word: WOW!! I cranked up everything I could find and did a local flight in a DC-3 (wanted something I was very familiar with). My original idea for this install was for our nightly online flights. I'm thinking I might just go ahead and do the CalClassics scenery and propliner AI in it now. Now to figure out to to get it to connect to FSHost....

[Ferry_vO]

Now to figure out to to get it to connect to FSHost....

Just download FsHost, extract to a folder and start the program. Enter you username, and for IP adress enter 'sim-outhouse.net' and once you see the session in the box below, press the connect button should do the trick.

[Tako_Kichi]

You need to run the FSHost Client program Willy. FSX cannot connect directly to the flight servers like FS2004 did so you have to start the FSHost Client to make the connection for you.

You can get it here: http://www.chocolatesoftware.com/fshost/?fshostclient.html

One nice thing about the client is that you can switch the plane that other online pilots are using. If you don't have their plane you can right-click on their name in the main window and pick any plane from your hanger to use instead. That way you don't have to see them in the default C172 if you are all flying four engined prop-liners for example.

[Tako_Kichi]

Just download FsHost, extract to a folder and start the program. Enter you username, and for IP adress enter 'sim-outhouse.net' and once you see the session in the box below, press the connect button should do the trick.

It's actually the FSHost Client he needs Ferry not the FSHost server pack.

[strikehawk]

That was my reaction also, the only drawback is the lack of recognizable servers, you know, like the one SOH has as well as a server like West Coast ATC. I'm getting older and I really don't want to start all over for online fun. I am one of the FSX Miramar crew but with a new grandchild in the house, yes this grandpa is the duty babysitter, as well as minor health issues it's not easy to meet up on our server.

Now having said that, I love the increase in frame rates and it seems that lots of unresolved issues that MS ignored have been fixed. As I have the older FSX Gold installed on my C drive I put my Steam install on a fresh external drive that has my other Steam games on it too and there is no clash between installs. My only problem is that some aircraft, Aerosoft in particular, will not recognize the Steam version but that's no biggie, the less I have installed the faster my aircraft menu loads. As I have put the birds I love to use my next project is putting in the military airfields and bush strips that I like to fly in and out of in the sim.

Hopefully I will see you online some time, my Steam name is firehawkordy and I always mark my flight # as 4072 and I also squawk that in my xponder. I'm usually smuggl... transporting objects and people on a no questions asked contract. I love to role play, makes the flights more fun for me and my buds if they are around.:very_drunk:

[Ferry_vO]

It's actually the FSHost Client he needs Ferry not the FSHost server pack.

True, I forgot to add Client. Haven't downloaded FsHost in a while.

[PRB]

Question about steam for those who have had FSX from the beginning. Remember the first impressions about FSX looking "cartoony"? Is this the case with the Steam version "out of the box"?

[Ferry_vO]

I don't think they've changed the look, Paul. To me it never looked cartoonish anyway, and there are plenty of mods to enhance the looks available.
Shade, FTX Global and Rex to name a few payware, but also plenty of freeware.

[Willy]

Already installed the FS Host Client beta for FSX Steam and it works great. I got right on the SOH MP server with no problems. Can't wait to try it out when someone's on there.

Now I'm trying to move some of my favorite aircraft into it from FS9. Got the FSX Wozza GB Z but it's jerky in X. Right now I'm working on the Milton's Harpoon WIP but I'm having texture issues with it at the moment. It looks like the textures are upside down, but when I restarted from scratch with them, flipped them then saved as DDS, no change. Most puzzling as I can view them in DXT/BMP and they look like they did when I saved them as DDS.

Back to work....

PS, the vehicle and boat traffic surprised the heck out of me. I ended up terrorizing I-40 and the Mississippi River around Memphis.

[PRB]

I don't think they've changed the look, Paul. To me it never looked cartoonish anyway, and there are plenty of mods to enhance the looks available.
Shade, FTX Global and Rex to name a few payware, but also plenty of freeware.

Rgr, I have a couple of those upgrades and I'm happy with how my FSX looks now. Was just curious. Next time I have to do an FSX reinstall, I think I will go with the Steamy one.

[Willy]

Paul, FSX Steam looks great to me, but then I haven't seen FSX all fixed up yet either. Did some flying around the Memphis area in my latest "discrete" air charter plane to get it ready for action Monday night. Here's a few screenshots

W

[PRB]

Nice Willy! It's funny, that's the first thing I think I did in FSX too - buzz the road traffic! Strange about the Wozza GB for FSX. That's the plane I flew in the last MacRoberton event, and it was a nice ride, if a serious hand full on landing, but I thought that was "a GB thing"... :)

[Willy]

Admittedly, I was in a non-default paint for the GB. One that I'd converted from FSX for FS9 to fly in the MacRobertson, so I just converted it back to X. It's also having a problem with zoom in spot view, so that could very well be related to the jerkiness.