FSP is so frustrating

[Jetsgo]

Myrm, the solution seems to be just to disable penalties. I think there are 12, so you have alot of choices and you can really fine-
tune, as Brad said, FsP to however you need it. I also have a few disabled. Disabling them all, although, will make it really unrealistic
(which is of course your call on how you implement realizm into Fs9) so pick the few you need the most.

If you don't know how to do this, we'd be glad to help, and welcome to FsP and the Forums.

Goodluck!

[ILikePlanes]

I found that I was constantly penalized for doing things that are acceptable in reality

which ones?

[spilfred]

Maybe the problem is not in program, but in the system between the chair and the panel.

rsrs

[Myrm]

Hi Omarza

I was flying a British Airways Boeing 747-400 the first time I had this problem, and a BA B737-300 the second time.

There appear to be some people who simply can't accept that the FSP program may have been at fault. At first I thought it was me so I
checked, double checked, and even tripled checked so that I could make sure I was right before pointing the finger at FSP.

Somebody mentioned that you shouldn't be rewarded for every good flight you do. Yes you should!! After all, you are trying to rise up in
the ranks, and they way to do this is to accumulate flying hours, and points!! Therefore points should be awarded for every flight.

Yes, disabling various options may prevent you from losing points, but they won't help you get better points when a good flight is flown.
My point in the beginning was not so much about the penalty points (though I still think they are way too heavy), but the tight fisted
measure of reward points one is given for a good flight.

For those of you who say, "Ah, yes but in real life!"; come on guys, this is not real life, it's a game. Some people seem not to be able
to realise where simulation ends, and real life begins.

I would like to thank those who have added to constructive advice on here, it has been most helpful, and has caused me to toy with the
idea of reinstalling and having another go of this game

[omarza]

I think it would be great if we could get a more descriptive message around the failure that occurred as that will enable those getting a failure and
not calling it a way to double check. For instance I do believe failures occur that doesnt trigger properly OR a failure might occur in an area where
the aircraft panel doesnt address that particular area maybe. I try to fly with the higest possible realism and check everything continuesly during
flight and I know for a fact that I was penalized for not calling an emergency while everything was 100% in the aircraft... as I mentioned I even
wrote down every single gauge value on some flights to ensure I can double check afterward and got penalized for not calling an emergency.

However the only aircraft I found I got this problem were on my Dash 7... but due to report not pointing out what the emergency was I can not give
feedback to Dan ot even try to fix the aircraft gauges etc depending where the problem lies. A bit more info would help/assist to actually pinpoint
where the problem is... and those thinking it lies between the chair and pc (interface) think again as it is definately not. My preflight on the DF
B727 for instance takes about 45min to ensure everything is fine and double checked and I fly with the same precision... cross checking every
instrument etc according to ref manuals etc and look for abnormalties. I dont fly aircraft I dont have decent manuals for as well due to realism
etc.. and hate getting penalized for failures that did not exist.

Please understand i'm not pointing a finger at FsP for being wrong as it might the Aircraft in FS9 BUT can not check atm where the problem is and why
due to incomplete penalty messages. I therefore believe that people like Myrm complaining they got penalized for not calling emergencies when none
took place are correct and dont just point to the interface between chair and computer like so many tend to do too easilly when something unexplained
happens. FS9 is a complex simulator, FSUIPC is a complex interface to FS9, Addon aircraft is complex in themselfes and then FsP probably triggers via
FSUIPC... in short the problem can be anywhere and different versions etc for every one of those pieces exists... making it difficult for everything
always to run smooth... in other words saying you never got it doesnt mean the problem doesnt exist... keep that in mind.

I would rather try to fix the problem than disabling a penalty... as with every disable the realism behind FsP gets less. Once again not saying FsP
is at fault... but would like to know where I should start to look if a problem exists... and that will be possible IF I for instance had a bit more
info around say failures that occured etc. FsP is a great program and I enjoy every second of it and know Dan probably has alot of other things on
his mind to do etc and therefore i'm patient and work around it where possible BUT would like people to be aware of this problem that do exist... so
one day we might get a way to solve it... and solving it might not even be Dan's job... it might be ours IF we can get that extra bit of info... as I
think the problem actually lies outside FsP... not in FsP.

[DanSteph]

Hello,

I understand your frustration, howewer often it's just a matter to have correct information about how using the stuff.

About "False" or "Correct emergency" the idea is that if the FSP Copilot say there is a problem you can be 100%
sure that you have to declare an emergency. This is the case of most failure that can occure. (gear flaps etc etc)
Now there are some failure that are silent because FsP want that you check yourself the panel, this is the case
of oil temperature increasing and/or fuel leak for example. On some aircraft it appear that their author have done also
some failure system, it's important to be sure to disable them so you get only FsP failure has FsP can't detect their
sytem. anyway there is one rules here that will save your day:

If you are NOT sure if it's an FsP or another add-on failure RIGHT click on the mini display select option
and check "Display failure warning icon" an icon will appear on the mini display if it show a green "OK"
DON'T declare an emergency, the problem don't come from FsP, if it turn YELLOW DECLARE an emergency
you have a FSP failure. Use this feature onyl when you are not sure as it reduce a bit your bonus point
for handling the emergency.

Now about points: The game is made so you have to perform well to be promoted, it is tuned so average
user can succeed and have fun during a good amount of hours. If I change the bonus points it would destroy
the challenge, in one perfect flight you would have so huge points that any errors you make even bad would not
count anymore as you can get your point back in one or two flights. This would allow someone to make three looping
in a 747, shake their passengers with +5G and still get promoted the next flight if it is good.
This would defeat completely the purpose of FsP, it would be as changing Chess rules so you win when you move
your first piece. No challenges, no fun when you win. The stress induced by FsP that watch any error you made and smash you with
negative point is one important feature of FsP, in real life you HAVE this stress as it's your life that is in the "game"
and this stress CHANGE your way of thinking and flying. In real life many crash would simply not happened if the pilot
was sitting comfortably in a chair at home with a telecommand instead of being in the seat of an aircraft that had problem.
This is called "humain factor" Pilot crashed in a mountain because he was late for arrival and forgot some check on map,
or he was so stress due to a failure that he simply forgot to make the basic flight check. Humain factor.

Now you can get an average of 200 point for a perfect flight, this is not exceptionnal you are supposed to be 100%
accurate each flight, this is not so difficult and your progression would be regular.
Now of course you can get -3000 points if you perform badly BUT if you handle correctly an emergency you can
have as much as 3000 points bonus points. that's fair. In one case you performed really bad in the other really nicely.
As said before if I give you 1000 points for each perfect flight without changing the penalty points you would be able
each two flight to make an horrible flight without any problems. FsP would then reward you with promotion for
being an horrible pilot. FsP would become a "smash your passengers" game and not a "try to be a perfect pilot as
in real life"

This is NOT so difficult, some user sent me database with their pilot C9 in difficult mode three weeks after
the release of FsP.

Now if you really can't sustain the system FsP offer several option to help you: first don't use the "instant record"
you can then disable your last horrible flight and keep your points, second don't use the promotion system
you will be able to fly any aircraft immediately. Of course you may love to use the difficult system but in this case you must
accept the rules as in chess. An FsP that would get you rank C9 with half of flights being horrible would not be fair
challenging and fun.

About the rare case when you really get "false" penalty, if the aircraft crash du to an invisible item in scenario sorry
I really cannot do anything here, blame the author of the scenario, discard your flight and don't fly anymore at this place
or discard the scenario. This never happened to me anyway it should remain rare, if it happen too often discard the scenario
the author probably worked so bad that it may not worth the pain.
For the "didn't landed at correct place" most often it's because people made an error while typing destination
but in some rare case it's because there is another small airport very close and as FsP use the Fs9 GPS to
detect the closer airport it may detect the other one. The workaround for that is to check the maps to see before the flight
if there is two airport at your destination, if you still want to land there, bring the GPS at destination and watch the closest
airport.


Hope it explain a bit ?

Dan



Post Edited ( 09-04-05 14:38 )

[Myrm]

Hi Dan

I would like to thank you for your comprehensive reply to my original moan.

I will take into account all that you have said and give it another go.

However, I would like to ask for one piece of advice;

I use the default FS2004 glidescope to guide my rate of descent on approach. However, if I do this I get told that I have landed too hard and therefore get points deducted. At what rate should I be descending (I fly airliners (737-300, 747-400, 757, 777, Concorde)? How can I get the default glidescope to guide me in on a descent rate that will keep FSP happy?

Thanks again.



Post Edited ( 09-04-05 14:57 )

[DanSteph]

this is not a glideslope problem but a flar problem, usually I cut down my throttle when I pass the
entry of pist than As told my instructor I start to "refuse" the ground while pitching at about 50 ft or
a bit lower. I usually do less than 150 ft/m at each flight with a bit of concentration on heavy.

The glideslope is right you should follow it for descent but it should not be used for touchdown...
it is mean to guide you on the entry of the pist with a good descent rate so you're able to flare nicelly.

Hope it help ?

Dan



Post Edited ( 09-04-05 16:04 )

[Myrm]

Thank you Dan.

Yes that helps very much.

[SWAFO]

ILikePlanes wrote:

I found that I was constantly penalized for doing things that are acceptable in reality

which ones?

I currently have the light penalty disabled (because with SWA we'll use the Landing lights up to FL180, not FL100 as FSP has set...
Although this isn't totally unrealistic... some airlines will use their LL's only below FL100). Also, I've got the reverse thrust below 60KTS
penalty disabled (previously mentioned the reason for this), as well as the (buggy) crash detection system of FS9. I find that with these
three items disabled, it's much more real for me.