[Technology] Brighton in the new Flight Simulator

[Dick Swiveller]

For reasons known only to Microsoft, they added the new Flight Sim 2020 which released yesterday at £60 into the Xbox Game Pass for PC which is £1 for the first month and £3.99 a month after that. After enduring a 90GB update (!), it just finished installing and of course, I took a plane from Shoreham and mooched around Brighton - including 3 of our homes. The way it works is it uses Bing Satellite images and applies a whole host of standard 3d models to simulate buildings. But some have been hand modelled and added. I'll leave you to guess which one was added manually!

I am not sure my PC is really up to it and certainly not playing with an Xbox Controller but I will have a few days fun flying around places I know before claiming my 100+GB back. But bearing in mind this level of detail is available anywhere in the world - it is an amazing feat. I guess 3D models of places like the Amex can be added by modders at a later date but detailed buildings aside, flying around satellite textured landscapes you know is quite fun.

 

[bobbab5]

Nice, they built the Amex but couldn't be arsed with Buckingham Palace
In the process of installing, at 31 gb of 91 so far, been downloading for around an hour.

 

[Juan Albion]

Nice, they built the Amex but couldn't be arsed with Buckingham Palace
In the process of installing, at 31 gb of 91 so far, been downloading for around an hour.

I think both the Amex and Buck House were built by AI and will need some work.

I downloaded it as soon as it was available. Then decided not to open it and to build a new high-spec PC instead. Will play when I've got everything perfect.

 

[bobbab5]

I have a 9900k and a 2080 ti, and 32gb ram so it SHOULD run ok ?

 

[Juan Albion]

I have a 9900k and a 2080 ti, and 32gb ram so it SHOULD run ok ?

Certainly should. The 2080ti should run anything, although from what I've seen, there isn't much drop off from ultra to the lower settings. I'm going with the 2080 super and a 10900k on triple 4k monitors. We'll see what happens.

 

[lizard]

I have a 9900k and a 2080 ti, and 32gb ram so it SHOULD run ok ?

You can always tweek the setting down a little if you're concerned.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Have you ever tried Google Earth VR? I think it seems very similar

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Doesn't the Goldstone site look so small when you see it from up there? Doesn't look nearly big enough to have once held a 30,000 (or so) capacity football stadium.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I have a 9900k and a 2080 ti, and 32gb ram so it SHOULD run ok ?

I have a 3 year old Core i5, 1050ti and 32GB and this was on medium so you will be fine. I don't normally play spec heavy games so my PC is fine for most stuff I throw at it. This is playable but a bit jerky. Only played for 10 minutes though so haven't tuned anything.

 

[trueblue]

Where are the Amex arches? Disappointing. Looks fun though.

 

[bobbab5]

You can always tweek the setting down a little if you're concerned.

Wasn't a serious comment, just couldn't find a good enough emoji to go with it.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Where are the Amex arches? Disappointing. Looks fun though.

Yep - as I said, there are very few hand modelled buildings or airports and the rest are best guesses by the program using built in building types/shapes. I was pleasantly surprised by The Amex but the i360 is horrible - basically a square part way up a column. And as mentioned, Buckingham Palace hasn't been modelled so looks like a generic building. But on the whole and from a decent altitude, it looks stunning. I might see if my PC can handle recording a video of a jaunt around Brighton tonight. It is very much a curiosity for me as I have zero interest in Flight Simulators normally. But for £1, I will have a good mooch around before losing interest. I just love the little touches of the buildings lighting up and traffic on the roads. I am a sucker for pretty and clever. (Especially in games!)

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Right. I am abysmal at this game. It took me 6 goes to take off from Shoreham and not crash after 2 minutes. But I finally managed a 15 minute jaunt around Brighton and cut it down to a 6 minute video. Excuse the abysmal flying and hissy fit from my PC after I change the time mid flight but enjoy a flight over the Racecourse, Amex, seafront and County Ground.

 

[Algernon]

Would the game let you crash into the i360?

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Would the game let you crash into the i360?

Having crashed many times, you just sort of bounce off things into the ground. But the width of the damn thing in game means it is very likely.

I should have kept the outtakes in the making of this video. After crashing first time, I picked another plane. I missed the fact it was an Airbus A320. Fun fact. They need a bigger runway than Shoreham. I left in embedded in someone's house after a leisurely jaunt off the end of the runway.

 

[Weststander]

I’m not into gaming at all.

But I love the final product of flight simulators.

Great graphics.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Great thread as it makes me realise I'm not the only geek on here.


I'm waiting a couple of months so I can find what the best specs will be and then I'll build the PC as I've heard building PC's is surprisingly ok and much cheaper than buying a custom built one. Plus I would like to get a control column and rudder pedals.

As for the game, yes, it looks absolutely amazing. I cannot wait for the third party content to come out which will of course improve the game immensely. Scenery packages, aircraft and of course airports and livery.

 

[Raphael Meade]

Very impressive to use the satellite imagery like that, will definitely give it a go when it comes to xbox!

 

[PTC Gull]

I am rather proud to say that the company I am part of, has provided MS FlightSim 2020 a major new feature of real time global traffic that would allow sim pilots to interact with real traffic around their aircraft.
I can provide details if you want to PM me.

 

[Grombleton]

This reminds me of a tweet I saw earlier about FS2020

[tweet]1296305262144364544[/tweet]

[tweet]1296305264870662144[/tweet]