My new toy - MS Flight Sim '98

[lord of the mark]

Picked it up for $5US, started playing last night.

First flight sim ive played. Im trying to fly the Cessna, am able to take off, can fly straight, still getting the hang of turning, no idea how to land.

The "instructor" is not terribly useful. Good thing I can crash planes with no consequences. The help feature is of limited use also. The keys dont seem to work as the help feature says. I suppose theres support on the net somewhere.


Never played a game that modeled something real this closely, I think.

[Verto]

So you are using a flight simulator to practice aircraft piloting abilities, and you show no knowledge of landing or any concern over that fact.

TERRORIST

[General Ludd]

I can't speak for that particular flight sim, but in my experience landing seems alot more daunting at first then it really is. It's really just a matter of lining up with the runway, slowing down, leveling out and touching the ground at as parallel an angle as possible and shuting off your engines and applying breaks.

[St Leo]

[Never mind. The CIA is already after me.]

[mrmitchell]

St Leo in versions after 2001 or if you dl'd a patch, they removed it.

[Dis]

I actually payed full price for this damn thing back in 98.

Mine didn't come with instructions.

But I never checked if there were instructions on the CD.

Do you have any instructions?

I couldn't find any documentation to actually tell me how to fly . Although I could figure most of the stuff out. But the radio and navigation are the most difficult things. It's kind of hard to fly thousands of miles by line of sight visual references

[Dis]

also with this game I was able to crash into the Hoover dam with the stunt plane. but that plane is highly manueverable. I doubt it would be that easy with the 707. So I think it's safe from Al Quida- for now.

Landing on a carrier is impossible. I'm convinced of this

[DrSpike]

I don't really understand the draw of these games, unless you want to learn in reality and it's a good basic trainer.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Dissident
I actually payed full price for this damn thing back in 98.

Mine didn't come with instructions.

But I never checked if there were instructions on the CD.

Do you have any instructions?

I couldn't find any documentation to actually tell me how to fly . Although I could figure most of the stuff out. But the radio and navigation are the most difficult things. It's kind of hard to fly thousands of miles by line of sight visual references

lets see, there are "lesson" flights. You can go as a passenger, and the "instructor" flies the flight plan. Or you can fly as a "student" and the instructor gives you such "helpful" feedback as "youre turning too far" or "raise your pitch". What he doesnt do is tell HOW to avoid rolling over too far when I turn - i still have to figure that out on my own.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I don't really understand the draw of these games, unless you want to learn in reality and it's a good basic trainer.

1. The vague feeling that im kinda sorta learning a real world skill - even if i never take RL flying lessons, I can now understand what pilots talk about, etc. I mean my cousin is an amateur pilot and now i can talk intelligently to him about his hobby - i have no friends or relations who, say, kill orcs in real life.

2. Suspension of disbelief - I mean aside from the interface itself, theres nothing particularly gamey - which makes it easier to get lost in the game, and therefore a better entertainment. Its alot easier to forget myself flying a plane - then say, trying to level up - trying to level up its hard to forget Im doing something totally artificial to distract myself.

3. Scenery. Its just like cool, taking off from Meigs field, flying over Lake Michigan, turning back to downtown Chicago, and seeing not only the Sears Tower and the Hancock building, but the Standard Oil tower as well.

[lord of the mark]

Maybe you have to have spent part of your life as "road warrior" traveling on business on a regular basis, to get it.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Dissident
also with this game I was able to crash into the Hoover dam with the stunt plane. but that plane is highly manueverable. I doubt it would be that easy with the 707. So I think it's safe from Al Quida- for now.

Landing on a carrier is impossible. I'm convinced of this

I seem to crash into random places - depends where my roll went to far and I lost control of the plane

I flew over midtown Manhattan and crashed, avoiding all the skyscrapers.

Whats really fun is when Ive just crashed, and the control tower (?) is still telling me "watch your altitude" - like d'oh

[Verto]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
i have no friends or relations who, say, kill orcs in real life.

I think it's about time you moved out from underneath that rock.

[St Leo]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
St Leo in versions after 2001 or if you dl'd a patch, they removed it.

I have '98. Couldn't find Manhattan. Didn't play very long.^-^

[lord of the mark]

For example Ive already learned why real pilots dont use a keyboard to control their planes