The "Reality" Factor

[SamTDS]

gbapache wrote:
Okay, okay, okay, herewego. When you people learn to use a compass, a watch, a VFR chart and an E6b you will learn what flying is and is not. Quit crying
about ATC.

Got all of them except from the e6b. We just do our calculations manually without a flight computer.

[SevinSyn]

I used to have a watch with a bezel on it that was an E6B

Anymore I use the FMC for course corrections

But realistically though, this past month I've incurred four ground stops, a
cancellation, two repo flights, and a diversion because of weather. The
simulation fsx turns it into there's no consequence for flying into a severe
thunderstorm with icing and hail, and there's nothing to keep me from
going right through it. I think FSP is a good program to integrate alot of
realism changes to fsx into

[xwhitemousex]

Leftcoaster wrote:
These so-called reality discussions regarding FS (or any simulation worthy of the name) always strike me as being total red herrings. Realism should never be
dependent upon the program; it should be imposed by the player on their own actions. There is nothing preventing anybody from creating any of the events posed in
the OP and whether FsP awards or penalizes should be irrelevant. You want to hold a flight on the apron with the pax aboard, go ahead, your popularity will plummet
as it will with necessary diversions. All you need to do is to do it.

You can deliberately keep customers at the gate and can tweak your payload models to be far more accurate. When using something like a Martin 4-0-4 or Convair
240 on a bus stop route is is often essential to shed pax and cargo to meet MLW restrictions while carrying regulation required fuel on board. Presumably the same
restrictions apply to at least some current models. FsP does not care about such details but if you want realism then you should.

I always have at least one alternate planned or track the point of no return for oceanic crossings. I always have a flight plan even if sketched out on scrap paper. I will
generally fly the published approaches if available and plan ahead for those that are not. I always fuel plan to ensure that I have 45-minutes after diversion or holding
and I always adhere to published minimums. If your flights are "unrealistic" (whatever that might actually mean) it is because you have intentionally elected
to fly them
that way.

Too often when people demand "realism" they deliberately choose not to operate in a realistic manner and demand the the programmer do all the work
and make all
of the effort so they do not have to. If you choose to use FS unrealistically, it matters not at all how FsP reacts but exactly the same observation holds if you intend to
use the many tools provided by the simulator to mirror the real world.

By the way, it's O'Hare.

-C

A lot of those things you mention are not known to players who most likely are not commercial pilots or have that depth of knowledge when they first start playing FSX
or start flying in FSPassengers.

Personally I had no clue about altimeter penalties, permissions to exceed 250kts, penalties for forgetting my landing light while on the taxiway and whatnot.

I learned these things, primarily, through FSX.

[darrinward777]

It is a fine line on this issue. You have people who want to push the envelope and make it as real as it gets, but then you have the novice and every type in between . I
have seen so many complaints related to the realism as the software runs today. It comes down to the old saying " Can't please everyone" so I guess you have to put it in
the middle and attract as many customers you can. It would be cool perhaps if you had a single switch option that would turn off everything and make FSP a passenger
announcement operation only with no penalties and no rewards and that would please those who just want to feel that there is a crew on board. Add a second option
that put the difficulty level in the middle with penalties and rewards, and then one final option that would put the software in full " geek" mode. In that mode you could add
the features you have recommended.
All the while keeping the ability to turn certain features on or off in both the middle and advanced mode of operation. As it is now, FSP is in it's own category and has
made better pilots out of novice/ beginners. It teaches fundamental laws and rules of the sky without being intimidating. It has improved flight simulation for many of us.