Flight Simulator 2004 goes gold

[MadJeff 3]

I know, this is a combat sim sight and I don't usually cover civilian flight sims, but this one's big news. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 has gone gold! Here's the news release from Microsoft that came out last night:

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight for Windows has gone gold and is clear for takeoff. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight is scheduled to land on store shelves on July 29 in North America for an estimated retail price of $54.95 U.S. Virtual pilots will soon have the opportunity to relive history as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight takes them on a journey through the friendly skies.

 

Enthusiasts around the world will experience the history of aviation with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. As the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2003, A Century of Flight allows virtual pilots to feel what it's like to take the controls of nine historic aircraft -- the record-breakers, the workhorses and the innovators -- such as Charles Lindbergh's Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, the Douglas DC-3 and the world's first successful powered aircraft, the 1903 Wright Flyer. Engaging, interactive multimedia provides a wealth of historical information on the planes that shaped aviation history and the pilots who flew them. Informed and insightful articles help players discover all that Flight Simulator and its fleet of 24 aircraft has to offer. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight also introduces an updated, dynamic weather system, enhanced automatically generated (auto-gen) scenery and detailed visual effects, as well as 15 modern aircraft, including the Robinson R-22 Beta II helicopter.

In case you've been under a rock for the last few months and haven't read much on this new release, the Microsoft FS2004 website is here and is loaded with info on this great new addition to the FS heritage. It's been awhile since I bought a civilian sim (FUIII anyone??) but this one looks like it's worth the price of admission.

[SDirickson 0]

I have FS2k and FS2k2. I have to say, nothing out there better conveys the 'feeling' of flight, especially in the small general aircraft. The flight models aren't too great, compared to say X-Plane and Il-2, but the graphics are incredable.

 

That is my only gripe with the product. If they could only have realistic flight models for all aircraft.

[Aragorn Graf 0]

the only thing that make sense on this sim is the update and some classical planes... but saying "THE FIRST POWERED FLIGHT" is a joke...sincerily, it appear that the programmers of microsoft dont know nothing about world history...

 

sincerily, every day it pass microsft surprise more and more... even with this graphics, but i think that the CORRECT history is more necessary than having a "good grpahics"

 

 

the FIRST powered flight was made on 1906, the kitty hwak, was PLANER using a catapult, even existed wheels, the wright brothers never let any people to assist they flights BEFORE 1908, it is when they show the first photo of the suposed flight in 1903... but well, the only thing that wirght borthers do was iventing the planer....

 

sooooo the correct one is the 14º Bis of Santos Dumont, very well documented, and he won the prize of his time... haaa, the french scientist offered to everyone a prize who could beat the scpecifications... only santos dumont won and pariticipated on the show... the wirghts didn't even appeared... ah, the money wasn«t the problem, if they go and won the prize they will receive more money, sufficent to pay the debts and still have some more quantity to do somehting else...

[CowboyTodd41 134]

wtf :?

[MadJeff 3]

Aragorn has Wrights issues... :D

[Aragorn Graf 0]

i dont whant to start a war here... hehehe... but let me just made some "things" clear

well, i know that changing a american mind about Wirght's fly is impossible, so i accept the ideology...

 

but here are some links that may be for some interests for some people

hoo! btw santos dumont invented the Aileron(aile is "wings" in french... so aileron is "little wings") and the WristWatch( http://www.maria-brazil.org/santos.htm )

 

http://www.ncsu.edu/news/press_releases/03_05/143.htm --Documentary about a american that defend the Santos Dumont first powered, controlled and sutained flight ...

 

 

http://www.maria-brazil.org/sdumont.htm -- a little about the history

 

http://www.x-plane.org/users/lemonade/14bi...s_us.html#start -- here you can see what im talking about... and the "catapult" used by the Wirghts

 

http://www.discoverychannelenlinea.com/san.../feature1.shtml -- even with this links up there you dont belive me... what about the european discovery webpage? is in spanish... sooo use altavista translator hehehehe there is in portuguese too, but, i think the spanish is more viable to the americans....because is the second most useful lengauge in the world

 

 

http://www.brasilemb.org/brazil_usa_war.shtml --- a little about the hisotry of both countries brasil and EUA ... and in the end, the santos dumont flight

 

 

http://www.fab.mil.br/acms/clientes/maer/c...umont/index.htm --- from the brazilian air force... about santos dumont, in portuguese

 

and a little off-topic

http://www.fab.mil.br/acms/clientes/maer/c...usmao/index.htm --- the father of the aerostation... ook... the ballon crazy gauy hueuhehueuhe.....

[MadJeff 3]

Actually, I wouldn't even argue that you are wrong, I've ready all the facts and you are probably right, except for one fact. I feel pretty strongly that there were probably earlier flyers then Dumont, after all they've found working gliders in Egyptian tombs, so there's a pretty good chance someone flew them one time or another. Of course, powered flight is another thing, but who knows. I don't think too much about it when I fly Southwest or Alaska Air... :D

[Sledge 0]

Geeeeeez, some people just cant let it go. Technically, Nikola Tessla invented radio, but Marconi gets the credit. I dont feel a need to run around trying to correct everybody's misunderstanding of the history of those two men and their inventions. Why do some people have to come to a site they know is operated by, and mostly frequented by Americans, and try to stir people up with that kind of stuff? What the heck makes you tick? The Wrights get the credit! DEAL WITH IT! I could care less if they did'nt show up to some competition in France. Whats next? Do you try to knock Otto Lilienthal out of history too? How about Leonardo DaVinci? I suppose you don't believe Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon either, eh? There was'nt any publicity about Chuck Yeager's Mach breaking flight in 1947 until two years after the event, but as far as I know, the history of that flight is unchallenged. I happen to believe the Wrights did it just as history records. It was'nt that long ago, the records were'nt made on cave walls and animal hides, and conspiracy theorys manufactured to revise history are as bizarre as those who fabricate them. But, I really have no opinion on the subject. he he. - Sledge out.

[Aragorn Graf 0]

Geeeeeez,  some people just cant let it go.  Technically, Nikola Tessla invented radio, but Marconi gets the credit.  I dont feel a need to run around trying to correct everybody's misunderstanding of the history of those two men and their inventions. Why do some people have to come to a site they know is operated by, and mostly frequented by Americans, and try to stir people up with that kind of stuff?  What the heck makes you tick?  The Wrights get the credit!  DEAL WITH IT! I could care less if they did'nt show up to some competition in France.  Whats next? Do you try to knock Otto Lilienthal out of history too?  How about Leonardo DaVinci? I suppose you don't believe Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon either, eh? There was'nt any publicity about Chuck Yeager's Mach breaking flight in 1947 until two years after the event, but as far as I know, the history of that flight is unchallenged.  I happen to believe the Wrights did it just as history records.  It was'nt that long ago, the records were'nt made on cave walls and animal hides, and conspiracy theorys manufactured to revise history are as bizarre as those who fabricate them.  But, I really have no opinion on the subject. he he. -  Sledge out.

did i mention that i just whanted to say my opinion, that i dont whant to change any mind? sorry, if you couldn't understand that, i repeated... if not, im gonna repeat again

 

 

ohh..btw, MadJeff... thx, you have a good base and respected my point of view!

[MadJeff 3]

Well, let's try and salvage this thread, shall we? ;)

 

Anyone notice the actual release date was slated for July 29? Seems like a larger than normal lead time from gold to ship compared to most sims. I wonder if it's to give them some time to crank out a ton of product?

[Sledge 0]

Roger that MJ. Sorry if I got a little warmed up there. You certainly are entitled to your opinion Aragorn, and I respect that. I also think everyone is entitled to my opinion too! :D I for one intend to get the new offering from Micro$oft. Shoot, I have all the rest of their stuff, I might as well grab this one too! I think you're right MJ. I'll bet they're counting on all the addicts out there like me to buy LOTS OF PRODUCT! So buy them we will! I'll be happy to contribute to the tax base of Washington state now that they've given Boeing 3.2 billion dollars in tax breaks! I guess they hope to get that money from Micro$oft now! - Sledge out.

[Aragorn Graf 0]

this one... may be i will not buy, for one simple reason, my CPU can handle it :( ... im wondering if im gonna get 1.5 FPS on lomac!! if anyone test this wonderful civilian thing and run well, give me a call. hehehehehehe even the Fs2k2 get some freezes, mostly when im landing... and then generally i crash, because i lose the control when it freezes... hahahaha :shock:

i just hope that my cpu can generate in low details at least 15 FPS.

 

Oh...by the way i heard that microsft will launch a special pack for brazilians(the same case above ehehehe) because they received a lot of e-~mails questioning this little "missing" detail... I have readed on www.aerovirtual.com.br some time ago... it was a offical e-mail that come form microsoft... i just dont know if they are going to make the special pack, or just sended that mail to calm the storm...

 

i think that the most important for now is the release date

 

so here is my paleolitc CPU

Amd Athlon 700MHZ

128 RAM max. 512

HD 25 GB

Geforce Ti 4600

MOBO Via something-that-i-dont-know

[SDirickson 0]

Actually, MJ, I'lle probably wait a bit. I didn't snap up CFS3 and I'm very glad. That is one crap-tastic product. The MSF2x'ers have been pretty good though.

 

Seriously though, am I the only one who gets turned off by the flight models? It really bugs me. I never fly anything but the stock Cessna and Baron because I feel everything else is just too phony. At least the Baron and 172 they can't screw up too bad. Its funny, I get immense satisfaction out of picking a couple of rural strips and doing some simple VFR navigation to and from. Don't know why, it is just an fun experience to me.

[SDirickson 0]

Oh, everyone, about the Wright Brothers.

 

Two years of AFJROTC has instilled in me a profound <brainwashing>. What was it, a 12 second flight, went 120 ft, Kitty Hawk, NC.... and for the life of me I can't remember the date. 1903, and January? The 12th? Dunno, I seem to remember lots of 12's.

[MadJeff 3]

Seriously though, am I the only one who gets turned off by the flight models? It really bugs me. I never fly anything but the stock Cessna and Baron because I feel everything else is just too phony. At least the Baron and 172 they can't screw up too bad. Its funny, I get immense satisfaction out of picking a couple of rural strips and doing some simple VFR navigation to and from. Don't know why, it is just an fun experience to me.

 

I always felt the same way. I was a huge fan of Flight Unlimited 2 & 3, IMHO those were the best civvie flight models ever in a sim. I loved doing touch-n-go's in the 152, as that's one of the few planes I've actually flown in real life, so I have a good point of reference. It handled just like the real thing, plus the scenery was stunning (at the time). Plus in FUIII the scenery was in my neck of the woods, so I could fly over some familiar terrain.

[Sledge 0]

It is definitely annoying to know that you can make a toilet fly like a

Lear jet, an F-4, or a Lincoln Town Car. I love X-Plane for the "true to life" characteristics of the craft, but that scenery is hurt'n fer certain! I ordered the new photo-realistic scenery comin out for the southern California area. I cant remember what the name of the outfit is now but they're going to release more areas as time goes on. One thing I loved about USAF was the photo terrain used in the Las Vegas area! I fly over that area frequently, so it was great to see the same thing on the computer screen as I see out the windshield. Satellite scenery is definitely the best for the realism factor. - Sledge out.

[+howling1 0]

I bought FS2K Pro, but this one I'm gonna wait on reviews to see if they got it right, or released CFS3 w/o guns...

 

:roll:

[SDirickson 0]

Yeah, I loved the USAF terrain. Thought the Vietnam terrain was the best, I aughta go back and check it out again.

 

It is too bad that the creators of two competing sims can't collaborate and join the best parts of both. FS2x with X-Plane flight models... I wouldn't leave my house, ever.

[Guest]

Howling you are brilliant. Sdirickson is too. I hate CFS3 and if I wasn't so trusting I'd really prefer a refund. I'll never get it but guess what? I'll stick with my OS and Office 2000 pro and refuse to give MS any more money in the future. They really suck financially and for what I need my needs are met. And my goal will be to forward this info to everyone.

 

Upgrading is useless unless resistence is futile and you WILL be asimilated.

The Borg want you to upgrade, and when your system can't handle it they'll want you to buy new equipment. Help is on the way?

 

Jim