Best flight simulator for PC ?

[Dave H]

I'm after something that has cold-war bombers as well as newer aircraft.

I'm running Vista so can you advise the best one please?

Cheers

 

[Darren S]

That era is completely overlooked, Dave. Although the likes of IL-2 '46 touch upon the period directly after WW2, if you're hoping for a game that would include the likes of B-52s, B-36 Peacemaker or B-58 Hustler - then I'm not aware of any, tbh.

Same with the Korean War theatre - very little touches that either.

D.

 

[dajones]

if you just want the planes then FSX and go to simviation.com and download them very easy to add on, copy and paste iirc
there could be mods for the microsoft war sims (cant remember the name ) allowing you to have them planes and fight

 

[Darren S]

Dave - as dajones says, FSX is perhaps the most note-worthy of recent sims. It's pretty cheap too, though it's purely a civilian flight sim out of the box....

http://www.thehut.com/games/platforms/pc/flight-simulator-x-gold-edition/9994409.html

D.

 

[dajones]

Ill put this in here. Anyone got FSX working with windows 8? Im issues with error messages. Got x-plane working great but theres not that many freeware planes and scenery I want.

 

[McGherkin]

Works fine for me.

 

[dajones]

Strange even the Microsoft flight downloaded via games for windows live doesnt work either

 

[McGherkin]

Dunno, can't help unfortunately.

OP, if you can afford it the IRIS Vulcan is properly, properly awesome.

 

[Longy]

Download and reinstall games for windows live software again? I had an issue with dirt 3 not running on windows 8 because it installed the older windows games live.

 

[dajones]

Got the latest as gta4 from steam wont run without it

 

[Darren S]

Download and reinstall games for windows live software again? I had an issue with dirt 3 not running on windows 8 because it installed the older windows games live.

Good shout that. I've had the same issue before - along with Ubisoft and their uPlay front end. Uninstalling the game and manually installing the latest front-end seems to solve the issue(s).

Shame that none of them are a patch on Steam however.

​D.

 

[dajones]

Got it working. The problem was windows 8.1 rolled back to windows 8 now

 

[Carlv8415]

Worse thing was when Microsoft discontinued their own flight simulator. That game was a classic

 

[l33th3tr33]

Worse thing was when Microsoft discontinued their own flight simulator. That game was a classic

They discontinued it because it's s**t iirc.

 

[Carlv8415]

They discontinued it because it's s**t iirc.

Nah I use to really enjoy it. It had entertainment value

 

[l33th3tr33]

Nah I use to really enjoy it. It had entertainment value

I've never got into it to be honest, never had the time or interest in buying all the controllers. Considering what you can get for it, it's obviously a very popular game still, unless it's been replaced with something else?

 

[Carlv8415]

I was never a serious play but use up play for a laugh. Do back flips in jumbo jets, that thought of stuff

 

[scott.p]

I remember playing lots of flight simulator 95 back when I was younger, along with combat flight simulator. I also enjoyed playing crimson skies (was silly but fun)

 

[Carlv8415]

Combat flight simulator was the don. Use to put it on veteran and play air battles agains 10 planes, use to get destroyed

 

[Darren S]

Pumped hours into Dynamix's Aces of The Pacific. It was my first ever PC game back in November 1992.

D.

 

[Longy]

I had EF2000 was awesome - the manual was like a novel though!

 

[Darren S]

DCS World is free to play via Steam. Proper heavyweight game though - definitely not for beginners anyway!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/223750/

​D.

 

[timuss]

Ive just started playing War Thunder its pretty cool actually, you can play it very easily as its very arcadey.

 

[Darren S]

I had EF2000 was awesome - the manual was like a novel though!

That's when a game was a true 'investment' in your time and skill though! Such games are so few are far between these days 1- and pretty much non-existent on the console. Sure you can fluke 8 headshots on the run in a COD game - but it takes true ability and skill to launch, fly, carry out the objective and then return to base on games such as EF2000, and of course - the later titles in the Falcon series.

Speaking of which, when was the last time you saw a game contents box, like this? I might try and get it running for the lols - it is from 1994 after all.....

Such a shame that items like this are a thing of the past, imo. Pretty much everything going online/store based - the heavyweight simulations of old will never be repeated. The sense of occasion, the reading, the learning - the bettering yourself and out performing your mates - the later sometimes generating a fair bit of rivalry in a fun sort of way. For most gamers these days - its a few coloured buttons, a pad and a 29 minute time-slot while the missus is watching some soap. At times I don't think we've taken a step back. I think we're turning neanderthal.

​D.

 

[McGherkin]

Not everyone plays arcade games

I love getting stuck into a good 60 page manual for one aircraft!

Plus I play Orbiter, nuff said. That is NOT arcade lol.

 

[dajones]

DCS World is free to play via Steam. Proper heavyweight game though - definitely not for beginners anyway!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/223750/

​D.

Just downloaded that. I haven't looked yet but I'm guessing all the extra planes are pay ware?

 

[Silent_Scone]

DCS World is free to play via Steam. Proper heavyweight game though - definitely not for beginners anyway!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/223750/

​D.

Free! Always worth a dabble...

 

[dajones]

Finding fsx better for variety of planes but rather the dynamics of xplane 10.