NSR125-Kid-UK
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Joined: 03 May 2003
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 Posted: 18:03 - 01 Mar 2006  Post subject: Review - X-planes 8 - Flight Sim Fans See Inside |
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Flight Sims are getting horifically advanced these days, with every little function of every button and lever incorporated into the flight models of real world aircraft flying from real world airports, Microsoft have released several incredible versions of their Flight sim, that mirrors the real world Aircraft in the smallest detail.
But we're not here to talk about Microsoft Flightsim, we're here to talk about a less well known, but better (in my opinion) flight simulator - X-planes V8, developed by Laminar Research.
This is no game, it's a flight simulator - the only PC flight simulator to be approved by the Federal Aviation Authority. this simulator is so advanced, that as the website proudly boasts, it's used by aircraft manufacturers, space agencies, and pilots the world over - it's so goot that time spent on the software actually counts towards flight simulator experience when under controlled conditions.
So what else makes it so good?
the graphics for a start, as with many modern games, the graphics are totally amazing - more than enough to overwhelm even a 128mb card. Couple this with the fact that you can configure the game to run on multiple monitors, and you begin getting an idea of what the software's like.
What else? Well, then there's the aircraft. You get 29 beautifully detailed aircraft with the game, and several thousand are available to download for FREE. Flying thousands of different aircraft from thousands of airports, it's THAT good.
X planes 8 comes with what they call V7 software - based on sattelite photo information and laser land altimiter (i forget the real term), X planes successfully replicates the smallest details in the lay of the land, the world over, and that's not all. In addition, X planes includes real flight physics and terrain data, allowing you to fly across the surface of mars, and includes several specially designed aircraft just for this purpose.
So what aircraft can you fly?
Well, just about anything, anything at all. The game comes with the Boeing 767, several helicopters, the F22, the X35 and even the SR-71 and Space Shuttle! If it flies, microlight, airliner, fighter, airship, gyrocopter, cargo plane, you can download it and fly it in the game.
The game also includes utilities to design and create your own aircraft, and because of the way the simulator works - the flight model is calculated from the actual effect of each control on the aircraft, as opposed to being a generic flight model - if the aircraft lost a tailfin, you'd notice the difference, and the change in dynamics would be modelled down to the last detail - aircraft manufacturers have used the software to test their new aircraft before building a prototype!
So here's a quick screenshot, just to show you this beautiful game - but because my computer's a fairly basic system, the screenshot doesn't do the game justice. the graphics on max setting are absolutely incredible. If you've got the computing power (minimum 512gb ram, 8gb hard disc space, 16 meg graphics), I urge you to buy this software - it's incredible - and it's only £35! cheaper than flightsim!!
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T1z3R
World Chat Champion
Joined: 23 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 00:57 - 02 Mar 2006 Post subject: |
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i couldnt even be arsed reading your post (sorry) so what chance have i got with a flight sim 
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McGee
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NSR125-Kid-UK
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Joined: 03 May 2003
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McGee
O RLY?
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