Yep, you can go grab a copy off the shelf. . .

I'll be running it tonight.

Circuit City lists 59.99 for the Deluxe version. . .10 bucks off other places.

S!

TX-EcoDragon
Black 1
TX-Squadron XO

As always...I preordered and it hasn't arrived. (sigh)Regards,TX-Rahman"BLACK 4"

Yeah, there is a reason I never pre-order. I had pre-ordered the Ace Expansion which came 6 days after I could have walked into gamestop and bought it. . .since then I don't bother.What's really silly is many people have had it for a week already since BestBuy stores were selling it even before the release date. I've been messing with it for about an hour and so far it looks like trash, and runs worse.  I've got high hopes that some tweaking might get me playable at 1024x768. Ugh. Worse than I expected in the fps hit department. I guess I need a new computer. . .too bad the magic 8 ball says there isn't one in my future.OK, back to the tweaking.S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

I haven't yet applied any of the tweaks, but here are some that I've found so far:http://www.fs2004.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92583http://www.fs2004.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92413 http://forums.flightsim.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=32&topic_id=7328&mesg_id=7328&page=2http://forums.flightsim.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=32&topic_id=6359&mesg_id=6359&page=2S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Yeah, when I was trying out the demo, my fps was really bad--even though I didn't see any seagulls to fly into.  The reviews I've read so far say that even with the best PCs on the market right now, you're not going to see frame rates above the teens with all the graphics sliders slid over to the right.  Supposedly, you can't even see it's true graphics potential anyway until DirectX 10 comes out with that new O.S.  Not sure if that will improve frame rate or not--I doubt it though--probably the opposite...I really like the potential it has, and plan to buy it tomorrow... but am disssapointed that my computer won't be able to handle it... Wish there was a way to network 2 or 3 computers together to help process everything faster.  Looking forward to trying out the missions though, and seeing if the scenery from where I grew up has had any improvement.TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

After much frustration at baaaaaaaaad frames I've managed to get semi-playable frame rates as long as I'm not flying near anything fancy, and there are clear skies.  I've tried the built in multiplayer using the GameSpy service. . so far I've had connection stability issues, and haven't quite had the chance to really see the MP in action. I did a little gliding with about 30 people at Edwards AFB, no voice, and hear some iffy transmissions by a guy acting as SFO tower. . .certainly not as smooth as vatsim just yet, the good news is the planes were smoother to form up on than in previous versions, so perhaps when the bugs get worked out, and I get a new machine, there could be some decent formation flying in MSFS at last.I'll be on tonight trying the MP again. . .I have a feeling it takes something like this to run at medium settings at 1280x res: http://cgi.ebay.com/QUAD-SLI-7950-2GB-VIDEO-RAM-GAMING-PC-AMD-AM2-5000_W0QQitemZ260040836605QQihZ016QQcategoryZ140076QQcmdZViewItem S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Is what Ya'll are talking about FS-X or something for IL2?TX-CudaMinister of Information

Yep, we're talking about Microsoft Flight Simulator 10...  I just picked up my DELUXE copy this afternoon at Fry's for $45--so, that was a nice surprise...TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

Damn. . that's the best bargain to be had!!S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Here's another good link for tweaking... http://www.fox-fam.com/wordpress/?page_id=41TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

OK. . . who wants to share the cockpit with me???????S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

I would Eco... if I could just get my frame rates up...  Let me know when you might be on.  I'd love to fly sail planes online... but so far I've just been flying offline, and have had no luck riding a thermal.The only thing I've tweaked so far that made a huge difference on my frame rates, was reducing the number of tree species.  Cutting cloud and tree texture sizes down by half didn't seem to have any effect, and neither did renaming "default.xml" in the autogen directory seem to make any difference for me...  I've tried some of the posted fsx.cfg configurations--but they sometimes make my frame rates worse!At my current settings I get 25fps easy with ultralight at Friday Harbor, but 15 in anything w/ a cockpit, or even in an ultralight in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park of all things... maybe those elephants eat up the frames...FSAutoStart helps give me about 5fps...TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

Steve, you shuld try the Sailplane missions. . .kinda silly things where you fly through hoops. . .but the scenery is nice, and the weather is set up so thermalling is a fairly easy affair.I haven't tried messing with weather yet to see how it effects thermals, I guess I should do that. Just tell me when you'll be on and I will be too!I'm gonna go back in and see why my ptt aint workin now!S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

I've tried the sail plane tutorial mission a few times... and even though I can see where the thermals are (very realistically ), when I fly into one and orbit in one (with as shallow a bank angle I can muster and at a speed around 50 KIAS), I continue to sink...  The next thing I know I'm pulling tumbleweed out of my teeth...  I dunno maybe I shoudn't release the tow rope until I'm much higher, but the instructor strongly suggests that it's impolite to NOT drop the rope once reaching 2,500 AGL, since that's all "we" paid for.I'll probably be on around 1900 PDT (2100 CDT) tonight...TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

Hmm. . .shallow maximizes the efficiency of the aircraft since you are at lower angle of attack, and as such lower induced drag, but it also causes you to leave the area of the thermal more rapidly. I guess if you've got a nice long swath of ridge lift that's useful. If it's a thermal, I don't think it much matters. I use 45 degree banks when the variometer really getts beeping in a thermal, I try to find the area that comprises the thermal and if it's a wide one then no biggie, I fly an oval track in it, if it's small I just constantly orbit over the highest lifting portion of the thermal aroudn 45 degrees of bank since not much need for efficiency then, then you want to stay as close to in one spot as possible.That's my take on it, I've never gotten close to landing out yet so I keep doing it!I'm on, it'd be fun to try to join a multiplayer session and hunt thermals in a gaggle!S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Porting Planes from fs9 to fsx, what works, what doesnt:http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?p=350809&sid=343b3d9fe90ba365a0335ce8c0948d4bI'm happy to report that my Long Island Classics Christen Eagle works just fine in FSX with the only exceptions being that I can't reset the G meter anymore, and there is no inclinometer graphic.S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Rah, I think it's time to get your money back on that pre-order!S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Cool tweak guide:http://members.cox.net/spambait/FSXTweakGuide.pdfS!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Ahhh, I'm just going to wait now Eco...should be in by next week at the latest.  I looked at Fry's yesterday but all they had was the standard edition...Regards,TX-Rahman"BLACK 4"

I think I just had the most fun I've ever had on MS FS, last night... flying the Austrian Alps soaring mission.  It's a timed race.  The first half I was doing well, but then I got into a major downdraft, to where I think the VSI needle got bent against the stop...  Judging from the terrain, I felt like I was sinking faster than free-fall.  (In less than a minute I had lost 5,000 feet). When I got out of that, I was so low, I thought I'd have to land... but found a small area of updraft that I struggled with for 1/2 hour till I had enough elevation to cross the valley to the downwind side, where I caught some nice updrafts and was able to continue the course.  In all, it took me 1:45 to complete the course--probably 15 minutes too slow.  The scenery is gorgeous, and the roar of the wind sounded so real as I raced between check points at 120 kts... Landing at a small airstrip at the bottom of a steep valley was gratifying.  It sure would be fun to try to do a similar course online--but I guess there's no way to do "missions" online.TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

I found a surprising improvment in over 15 FPS if I change the "Thermal Visualization" to "none" or "schematic" under the "weather" tab of display settings.  I guess the "natural" selection shows too many orbiting hawks/eagles for my system to handle--even though I've only ever glimped a couple ever--as distant black specks.  At least I have now figured out why my frame rates were so low in the middle of the African safari with the ultra-light... a bunch of thermals I wasn't even aware of--all set at "natural".TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

"I think the VSI needle got bent against the stop"I may be wrong on this, I believe the procedure for encountering a condition like severe vertical sheer is to turn back and figure a way around it. Atleast, thats what Eco tells me.Anyway. I have the delux edition, but I won;t be able to use it because... my system doesn;t meet the minimum spec. I hear people are saying fsX is better than seX, is this true?TX-Kingsnake

The minimum specs on the box are something absurd like 1Ghz CPU, and 256 of ram. MS is simple lying at that point. The newest DX10 nVidia cards were just released (though without Vista they aren't yet using DX10), check out how they, coupled with the highest end Intel chip deal with FSX. Not bad performance. . but man, it would cost a seriously big bit of cash to get the test machine in this review!http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTIxOCwxMywsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Best FSX tweak yet: http://news.com.com/2100-1010_3-6134749.htmlS!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

Thanks Eco... I think I'll go out and buy meself one after work today...Oh, that's right, I haven't won that dayum Texas State Lottery yet...TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

I've been on most nights flying FSX multiplay with many of the guys from TeamUSA, it's been fun, we've been doing some formation in the Christen Eagle and Spits the last two nights. . .pretty nicelly done models make MSFS formation pretty dang good! Also, we've determined that you can share any addon aircraft with another person so long as both people have the same addon installed.I hope to see more of you guys with  FSX online. . .please check in on TUSA coms also.S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

This is a rather late response Kingsnake, but you're right... usually it's a good idea to make a 180 when encountering sheer... However, the area I encountered the massive downdraft, was an area that was showing a thermal, and was on the upwind side of a steep ridge...  Sometimes when encountering a thermal, you'll initially experience a downdraft--kind of like the opposite effect of encountering a microburst... Anyway, this was a classic case of using wishful thinking (and MSFS thermal visualization "technology") to over-ride the "reality" of the situation, and before I realized there wasn't going to be an updraft and I should change my tactics, I couldn't make a 180, 'cause the I had sunk below the ridge behind me.(I have since then virtually beat the world record for that course--of course my thermal visualization technology was a key factor).Yes, fsX is better than seX...  You only have to pay $40 ONCE for the deluxe version... where as seX usually requires dinner and a movie each time (when you're ugly like me)... unless you decide to go for the "deluxe" version of seX... and that can be a lot more expensive--such as legalized prostitution... more commonly known as marriage... plus fsX has less bugs.TX-ScubaSteveWhite 4

LOL a super computer. Very funny Eco. Well Scubasteve maybe we need a poll for that question.  Hey I had the bright idea to reformat so I can play fsX with all of you, online! So... if someone would PM me with the TUSA ip and pass for TS I will install it. I will see you all in the virtual sky!TX-Kingsnake

PROWAR/Historia Public69.50.182.98:6768PW is yak9UIf I'm not on TX TS I will usually be there.S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO

My TrackIR will not work with fsX. You may want to see if yours is still supported. http://forum.naturalpoint.com/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0&C=2"Re: TrackIR 2 and New drivers       10/24/06 05:04 PM         Quick Reply      Thank you for your concerns and feedback regarding the compatibility of the TrackIR 2 with the recent alpha release. The software is not compatible with TrackIR 2 and we apologize for any misunderstanding which may have led you to believe otherwise. The support you observed was not fully functional. FS X required special development work to support the TrackIR, since the TrackIR 3.13 software is no longer under active development this means that FS X support will not be available in the TrackIR 3.13 software. To eliminate the possibility of further confusion, we have closed the previous thread as we feel that further discussion on the topic will not be constructive. Edited by NaturalPoint - Vincent (10/24/06 05:08 PM) "