Microsoft Flight Simulator X

OVERVIEW

Flight Simulator X marks the tenth version of the popular line of simulators. It was officially released to the US market on October 17, 2006. According to Microsoft's Web site for the game, a standard edition (USD $29.99) features everything from navaids to GPS and airways. It also includes 18 planes, 28 detailed cities, and 40 highly detailed airports. The deluxe version (USD $49.99) features 24 types of aircraft, 38 highly detailed cities, and 45 highly detailed airports.

Flight Simulator X was officially unveiled at the 2006 international Consumer Electronics Show as a gaming showcase for Microsoft Windows Vista. Microsoft released screenshots as well as a list of frequently asked questions as a press release on Microsoft Flight Simulator Insider, as well as numerous flight simulator communities (see External links). This also included mission-based gameplay with mission specific aircraft as well as an upgraded rendering engine capable of increased detail.

Following the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May 2006, Microsoft published new screenshots, videos and an official trailer. The overall reaction by the community was quite positive,[citation needed] and the graphical quality of the simulator has greatly increased.

FEATURES

Standard vs. Deluxe Edition

Flight Simulator X was released in two editions, Standard and Deluxe. Deluxe Edition incorporates some additional features, including an on-disc Software Development Kit (SDK), three airplanes with the Garmin G1000 Flight Deck, and player Air Traffic Control.[1]

In addition, the Deluxe Edition features 24 aircraft compared to 18 in the Standard Edition, 45 high-detail airports compared to 40, 38 high-detail cities compared to 28, and 51 structured missions compared to 30+.

NEW FEATURES

The new features in Flight Simulator X include:

* Improved graphics including enhanced texture resolution, new Earth model facilitating polar flights, true road data, region-specific textures, 3D animals, star constellations, etc. Also, the scenery textures now line up with the automatically generated (Autogen) buildings. Maximum rendering-engine-supported scenery resolution of 7cm/pixel (not available with default scenery).
* Improved default airport functionality — appropriate dynamic vehicles, jetways etc. Now featured by default where they exist in reality.
* The built-in GPS support has been upgraded to include Garmin G1000 integrated glass cockpit, (select aircraft in the Deluxe version only).
* Improved ATC featuring certain non-FAA procedures where appropriate (for example, altimeter/QNH scale in European units) and numerous minor updates such as an improved progressive-taxi feature.
* Improved and new default aircraft including, for example, an Airbus A321. Default aircraft systems modeling is rather extensively improved, featuring, for example, APU, fire protection, passenger advisory sign switches etc.
* Improved weather system, including better visibility modeling.
* Revamped multiplayer functionality featuring Shared Skies, a feature allowing multiple users to share the same cockpit.
* Tower Controller, a feature in the Deluxe version allowing users to simulate local control at many airports worldwide during multiplayer gaming.
* Revamped sound system with support for 5.1 surround sound.
* Proprietary SimConnectAPI to allow FSUIPC-like access to Flight Simulator functions and variables.
* Mission engine allowing creation of dynamic missions with developer control of many simulation variables, sound file playback, AI aircraft traffic etc. in relation to what the user is doing — essentially an evolution over the APL and ABL adventure programming languages featured in previous versions of the software. Dozens of missions ship with the product, and a mission level editor is expected to be released on-line shortly after release of the main product.
* Most of the vintage aircraft that were a key theme in the previous version have been dropped, with the exception of the DC-3 and Piper J-3. Both aircraft are featured in the default missions that ship with the product.
* The maximum altitude in the game has been increased to 100,000,000 feet (30,000,000 m), as opposed to FS2004's 99,999 feet (30,480 m). FSX's maximum altitude is therefore approximately 2.39 times the diameter of the Earth at the equator.
* Camera shake in the virtual cockpit as the aircraft banks, accelerates, brakes, flies through turbulence etc.
* Realistic flexible wings in some commercial airplanes, the wings flex when the aircraft is going through turbulence, increasing rate of ascent or descending, major plane movements, flaps being fully extended, general vibrations to the plane, etc. An example of an aircraft with this wing movement is the Boeing 747-400.
* New water effect which has 3D waves with curled up object reflection according to the wave movements and with sunshine reflection.
* Aircraft can cast shadows on themselves.
* Red Bull Air Race World Series racing

AIRCRAFT

Aircraft
Airbus A321
Air Creation 582-SL Trike Ultralight
Beechcraft Baron 58
Beechcraft Baron 58 G1000
Beechcraft King Air 350
Bell 206B JetRanger
Boeing 737-800
Boeing 747-400
Bombardier CRJ-700
Bombardier Learjet LJ-45
Cessna 208-B Grand Caravan
Cessna 172S SkyhawkSP
Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP G1000
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane
de Havilland DHC-Dash 8-100
DG-808-S Competition Sailplane
Douglas DC-3
Extra EA-300-S
Grumman G-21-A Goose
Maule Orion M-7-260-C Super Rocket on skis
Maule Orion M-7-260-C Super Rocket
McDonnell Douglas MD-83
Mooney M-20-M Bravo
Mooney M-20-M Bravo G1000
Piper PA-28 Cherokee 180
Piper J-3C-65 Cub
Robinson R-22 Beta II

In some missions, extra AI aircraft are included but aren't really included in Free Flight. These aircraft include:

* TBM Avenger ghost planes of Flight 19 - from Lost in the Triangle
* Boeing 787-9 - from Paris Airshow Demonstration Flight, Loopy Larry & Jet Truck Drag Race
* Ekranoplan - from Aleutian Cargo Run & Tokyo Executive Transport
* Airbus A380-800 - from Paris Airshow Demonstration Flight, Loopy Larry & Jet Truck Drag Race
* Boeing 747-8 - from Loopy Larry & Jet Truck Drag Race
* Antonov AN-225 - from Paris Airshow Demonstration Flight, Loopy Larry & Jet Truck Drag Race
* Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde - from Loopy Larry & Jet Truck Drag Race (in British Airways livery)
* Two variations of UFOs - flying saucer and black triangular UFO on skids - both from Secret Shuttle
* Parked space shuttle - in Free Flight at Edwards Air Force Base
* Variations of military jets and helicopters - different types from Tutorial 1: First Take-off, Tutorial 11: Helicopter Maneuvers 1, Flour Power, Loopy Larry, Jet Truck Drag Race, Civil Air Patrol Search, Africa Relief and Catalina Day Spa
* Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - from Tutorial 1: First Take-off
* Boeing B-52H Stratofortress - from Tutorial 1: First Take-off

MISSIONS AND REWARDS

The inclusion of Missions adds a new facet to the simulation, adding task oriented goals, and encouraging users to fly worldwide, rather than just from their home field. Although a similar concept was available in previous versions, the new implementation of multipath & event oriented situations substantially extends the potential for user interaction.

Pilots earn Rewards for completing various missions, and reaching specific accomplishments throughout the game, (in 'Free Flight'). Some of the rewards exist as hidden "easter eggs" to be discovered by pilots. Some missions have multiple and hidden rewards, receipt being dependent on performing additional actions.

Some hidden rewards include:

* Earning a postcard for spotting an item of interest.
* Earning a badge for landing at a special airport i.e., highest, most remote, lowest.
* Earning a reward for completing a challenge not associated with a mission.
* Earning a trophy for landing a number of times or the number of airports landed at.

In each mission description, a map is included with it. It notes that they are for entertainment purposes. The maps and charts are supplied by Jeppesen.