X-Plane 12 released and first impressions
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  1. #1

    X-Plane 12 released and first impressions

    X-Plane 12 Early Access has been released and can be found here: https://www.x-plane.com/

    You have the choice to download/install the demo version first, so you can test it on your hardware! Default area is KPDX

    What are your first impressions (mine is still downloading!):
    One day without laughter, is one day without living.
    One day without Flight Simming, is one day lost living.

  2. #2
    Installed the demo, it works but comparisons with MSFS are unavoidable...the scenery is just a joke.
    As are the clouds but probably that will get fixed.
    The F4 is OK, flies better than it looks, the F14 is better.
    All the Xplane 11 aircraft I tried worked reasonably well, some dataref complaints and I expect there will be detail issues.
    Will I get it? If my Orbx TrueEarth scenery works then probably, if not then not...

  3. #3
    Bought it and gave it a quick spin at lunchtime. Definitely improved, and the ground handling's not as wonky as older versions. (May have been fixed with XP11; I didn't spend much time with that one.) Wow, the autogen buildings are just hideous, though. Scenery doesn't look bad from a landscape perspective, but the buildings feel like Maxis SimCopter days...

    Looks like Ortho4XP is still going to be a must for areas you fly around in a lot.

  4. #4
    Comparing vanilla X-Plane 11 to Beta X-Plane 12, my impression is that X Plane 12 is a good incremental upgrade. Very similar in experience to me when I went from FS2002 to FS2004. There are a lot of environmental improvements, such as tress and clouds. The lighting is different, but I almost prefer to 'softer' lighting that 11 has rather than the 'harsher' lighting of 12. The auto gen is nothing to write home about. It will be fun to see how it matures.

    Performance wise, 12 runs about as well as 11 with Enhanced Skyscapes. I never got in to Ortho. I don't have the time or desire to spend the time setting it up, and I don't want to dedicate the drive space to the scenery. Honestly one of my big gripes with MSFS (and Xplane to a lesser extent) is the shear kaiju size of the game. But that's a rant for another thread....

    Now MSFS versus X Plane 12? Visuals wise, no competition, MSFS wins right out of the box. But anyone who tracked the development of X-Plane 12 should know that. Laminar Research stated very clearly that visuals were not a priority for development. The stock aircraft are ok. They are stock aircraft. I'm looking forward to REP being available for the stock 172 and other 3rd party aircraft or other addons being updated to X-Plane 12 (I'm looking at you Thranda, HiFi Simulations and Just Flight).

  5. #5
    Tried the demo, ended up buying it. There's just something about the handling in X Plane that keeps me coming back. There scenery is still meh, but the flying...

  6. #6
    I agree the scenery is not u to par with that other flight simulator, but Laminar made it very clear during development that their is more on the flight model than scenery. They just don't have the financial resources Microsoft has.

    I have been messing with the joystick file and profiles. Joystick fil is now matching XP11, but I certainly lost a lot of bindings in the profiles. Would not be an issue if you only have a yoke, but I have a lot of peripherals, switches and buttons that need to be re-mapped.

    Guess I am in for quit a bit of work on that.

    But I do like how the default planes fly, and also just added the FF B757 and Zibo. Have yet to make my 1st flight in those tube liners.

    Overall, I am not unhappy with this Early Access release.
    One day without laughter, is one day without living.
    One day without Flight Simming, is one day lost living.

  7. #7
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    I really like XP-12. Please do not compare it with MSFS as they are two different animals. XP concentrates on flight dynamics where MSFS does a great job on streaming graphics.
    It is a beta and better graphics are on the way. I do believe that orbx southern England does work.
    Here are a couple of screenies.

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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by manfredc3 View Post
    I agree the scenery is not u to par with that other flight simulator, but Laminar made it very clear during development that their is more on the flight model than scenery. They just don't have the financial resources Microsoft has.

    I have been messing with the joystick file and profiles. Joystick fil is now matching XP11, but I certainly lost a lot of bindings in the profiles. Would not be an issue if you only have a yoke, but I have a lot of peripherals, switches and buttons that need to be re-mapped.

    Guess I am in for quit a bit of work on that.

    But I do like how the default planes fly, and also just added the FF B757 and Zibo. Have yet to make my 1st flight in those tube liners.

    Overall, I am not unhappy with this Early Access release.
    UPDATE!!
    I finally managed to move my preferences and controller profiles over from XP11 to XP 12. Only had to redo a small amount of bindings, saving me a LOT of time.
    I have been flying the Zibo as well as the B757 in XP 12 for a while now and must confess that I enjoy the XP 12 Early Access so much, that I have not loaded up XP 11 since.

    Slowly but steady my most favorite add-ons/Plugins are being updated to be compatible with XP12. With that in mind I see no reason to load XP11 and will most likely be deleting that from my system sooner than later.
    Now LR, if you could only improve performance for multi Monitor setup's.....
    One day without laughter, is one day without living.
    One day without Flight Simming, is one day lost living.

  9. #9
    SOH-CM-2021 BendyFlyer's Avatar
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    Converted to XP

    Well XP12 is my fist real foray into the world of XP and I am very impressed. Scenery overall to my eye is very good indeed but it is the little things (well not so little really) that catch my attention. Like - undulating and sloping runways done to the point of realistic perfection. I find the general lighting particular for airports very impressive and realistic indeed. Build in ground handling (which can be augmented by payware addons - amazing) the attention to details is actually extraordinary. Airports come to life in a way I have not experienced before. Did I mention windsocks indicating real wind direction or trees swaying or blowing in the breeze - no more ugly 2D or 3D models here.

    Overall the textures of all models seem very nice indeed ala PBR perhaps I do not know yet but I have not seen a single model that did not look good in XP12.

    Now the big plus is the realism of flight or flying in the sim. It seems no more fudges in the XP world you have to use the VC and use the controls just like you would in a real aeroplane. That really gets you involved and working so that is very impressive.

    Real time weather without the need for an external addon to do it is a bonus. Properly synching time to real world time is pretty well done too! Makes me think before I go off on a jaunt about the time of day or latitude!

    Now the not so good.

    Well it seems they have implemented their version of EA and or True Sky and so seeing the same issues for internal cockpit lighting (too dark) that are the bug bear of everybody in P3D and alas no FSL Spotlights to do a backdoor fix! The cloud above F200 is the same problem just cannot get that cirrus right!

    As for models or aircraft of choice well yes it is limited if your going to use XP12 a lot of XP11 stuff has problems in XP12 (generally systems and systems logic) but there are also some very fine non payware aircraft (you would swear they were payware when you see some of them) about as well so good and bad both. At the moment I am missing a few oldies and goldies from the FSX-world but at the same time I have picked up a few that were never done for P3D or FSX either so swings and roundabouts.

    Flight planning and quickly getting some sort of plan together is very clunky (Thank goodness of Navigraph) but I cannot find a simple in program way to get this done - not yet!


    Again disappointed with the support or ugrading or patches for Xp11 stuff for XP12 - maybe it will come maybe it will not! For example I bought the FJS Boeing 727 because that one never made it across to P3D and what a superb model it is indeed BUT XP11 not XP12 so everything works but the electrical system so you cannot fly anywhere! Damn! On the other hand there is a brillaint Boeing 707 which is a freeware amateur production that gives any payware developer a run for their money.

    Overall I am sticking with it I really like it, I like the realism, I like the scenery and I like the overall approach - Got a lot to learn about it though.

    Proof of concept this is the Shensee B707 it is as nice inside and as correct systems wise as you could want:




  10. #10
    SOH-CM-2021 BendyFlyer's Avatar
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    Quick Scenery Screenshot

    This is at Auckland NZAA - straight out of the box - nothing wrong with this at all. The look and feel is very nice indeed. Moving jetways etc etcAs for ATC realism - well that is a given here as well. Now I have to think about what I am doing, where I am going before ATC jumps on you for not doing what your supposed to - like your on the wrong taxiway! The general ATC chatter and voices are also well done too - still exploring this aspect. Ground services without GSX now that is something special too and all standard (like flashing beacons on the moving tugs etc etc - impressed! There is a payware addon to flash it up a bit if one so desires. Now I have not needed a single addon to make any of this work, FSUIPC, GSX, AS etc etc, and that is impressive.




  11. #11
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    better and better

    I was one of the first to get the beta and continue to get almost weekly updates. The sim is almost where it should be to compete with MSFS. The airports and general scenery is MUCH improved, especially with the ambient lighting. XP12 has finally got the weather mostly right, clouds are 95% better. Some great aircraft being released, both payware and freeware. The Senshee 707 has been mentioned and has been upgraded to V3. It's really close to payware now. There is a great Bonanza freeware that gives you choices of steam guage, G1000, tip tanks and some great paints. Don't forget the zibo 737-800. Many prefer it over the PMDG brand, plus it's 100% cheaper (free).

    XP12 continues to grow and remember, it's only been out a very few months and has no where to go but up. Come over to www.x-plane.org and take a look around.

  12. #12
    SOH-CM-2021 BendyFlyer's Avatar
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    I can but agree. Every flight every place is a new surprise.

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