TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

I have just installed Realflight G3. The box survived its trip accros the pacific from Illinois to Sydney Australia. I had a little trouble with the install untill I updated my Gforce4 MX440 video card driver.
It all works as advertised and I am still playing with all the functions. I miss the helicopters.
I will update my PC and video card to let me enable the highest graphics but it runs very well with a P4 1.6Mhz, 1Gb Ram and a Nvidia Gforce4 MX440.

I love G3


Regards

r1derbike

My GF also likes the "see the ground" option. I like to fly with zoom manual. Different strokes! Glad you like the sim. The more I use it, the more I like it.

Charles

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

You would be very hard to please if you didnt like G3. I admit I have not tried any of the others except the old Dave Brown (dos version), but this new G3 is excelent.
I have had all versions of realflight and this one is by far the best.

Regards

cfossa

My Feedback: (5)

Tom,

How much RAM on your GeForce4 MX440? I have a similar setup with a 64MB GeForce4 and have resisted the upgrade as I thought it would need a new graphics card.

Thanks,

Carl

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

G'Day Carl,

I have 64 Mb on the Nvidia card. I have used it for G2 since G2 was released with no problems. I would say it is just enough for G3. I will probably get a new PC soon. This one is a few years old now. I think the 1Gb of system ram makes XP run well. I do get some small "stutters" sometimes, not very often but I can live with that till I get a new PC.

I use the "Keep the ground in view" zoom setting. It look very realistic. I think much better than G2.

It will take me some time to get the models to fly exactly like my G2 models. Also any of the models I have created/modified, don't work in G3. You need to do them all over again, or at least I can't seem to make them work. You can't just copy them to the "planes" folder. Someone else may know how to do it.

Regards

SigMan

My Feedback: (21)

i hope the G3 is worth the upgrade from G2 i just sold my G2 on ebay[]

r1derbike

Most of the complaints I've seen about G3 point to the lack of system resources to run it properly. If you have a "fast" machine and decent video card, you may run it in all its glory. If you don't have the above, you will be destined to operate it with features disabled. This sim favors a high-end machine by virtue of its graphics you may enable. "Eye-candy" requires computing power, nothing surprising here!

Secondary gripes have been it doesn't 3D like AFP Pro, or Deluxe, or other sims, whatever that means. Perhaps it is harder to 3D without getting out-of-shape, (unlike other sims), but I've found the TOC Extra300 and 330 (in add-ons) to 3D buttery smooth, if somewhat harder to fly than other sims I've tried. Maybe that's the whole point...


Another personal observation; Many planes in G3 will tip-stall/snap much easier than other sims I've tried, which really forces you to fly smoothly, and if you don't, it teaches you how to fly-around the stall...another skill handy to have.

The 3D terrain is awesome...but again, needing computing power to run smoothly. I'm satisfied with the sim, and urge anyone not to make a snap decision on someone else's observations (mine included), but try it for yourself. I'm getting AFP Pro Deluxe to try as well. The problem is, G3 and AFP Pro Deluxe are so new, that users haven't had time to use both sims enough to compare strong and weak points by a huge cross-section of flyers.

Good Luck!

Charles

r1derbike

Oh! As a post-script; Users steeped in 3D gaming generally like G3, regular flyers (not gamers) generally like AFP or AFP Pro Deluxe. YMMV, batteries not included.

Charles

elky66

cfossa,
I had that the nvidia mx440 card.. its a 64mb... the sim worked, but without shadows or any high graphic settings..i ended up upgrading...
i don't know much about video cards like some of you, but i don't think mine was a gforce4. just a gforce.. maybe they are the same, but, i heard on a different websight from one of the sims developers that there are some problems with the some gforce4 cards... but they did say a patch would be out soon,, also patches for the "create your own color scheme" which the manaul states the sim has, and helicoptors...
anyway i've up graded to a nvidia fx5600 and i've now got shadows and most graphics setting are on high.. looks much better..
brandon

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

I am a hard core gamer and I find AFP a lot better than G2, we shall see what AFP pro + is like. I have seen G3.. its not a whole lot better than G2 in my opinion.. and it very well should be for what they are charging...

DP

cfossa

My Feedback: (5)

Tom and Brandon,

Thanks for the video card info. The GeForce4 MX400 w/64MB of RAM that I have runs G2 and AFP with all the bells and whistles. I guess I will have to decide if it is worth upgrading the sims(s) AND my video card. It sounds like my card will run G3 and AFP Deluxe, but w/o most of the new graphics features ....

Thanks,

Carl

Spacey

Carl just think about it! It's a good time and one provides good motivation for the other! LOL...you can always upgrade the card later. I'm sure the card you have now will run the sim just fine for the time being?

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

All of the discussion about G3 got to me and I could not wait any longer. I got mine today and the installation was trouble free. Everything is running great. I have the graphics maxed out and it is smooth and looks great. The stock planes are more twitchy than G2 but they can be calmed down by decreasing the control surface throws. I am using the interlink controller and I miss my expo!

With the graphics maxed out I am getting 80 FPS when the plane is setting still and averaging 150 FPS while flying, but I have a fast computer and a good video card. P4 3.4 GHz in RAID 0, 2GB of RAM and a 128 MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card.

I'll be glad when RF gets the G3 swap page set up so I can get some planes that have been tweaked by you pros.

Eric

dubd

How do you know how many FPS you are getting? Is there a setting in G3?

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

It is under gadgets. You can display it on the screen with the speed, altitude and such.

Eric

nedyob

My Feedback: (67)

I got my G3 last week and Im currenlt waiting for my PC to get up dated so hpoefuly G3 will run trouble free.
What is "FPS"
I guess I've waited over a month for Tower to stock G3 so waiting a few days won't matter.
NEDYOB

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

FPS=frames per second. It defines the smoothness of the graphics.

dubd

I am getting about 60FPS on average at 1600x1200x32.

My specs are:

Athlon 64 3500+
Geforce 6800 Ultra OC
1GB PC3200 RAM
SATA 200GB HD

r1derbike

I'm getting 70-80 average and around 50 low with my new 6800 GT @1280X1024...my monitor won't support refresh rates over 60 @1600X1200, and the flicker drives me crazy. A new monitor is on the list for next year...running 75Hz. refresh at the above resolution.

Charles

pache11

My Feedback: (6)

G3 a new controller that is not compatible with G2. The new controller is only slightly different then the old G2 usb controller, which was made obsolete so that a simple software upgrade could not be performed. Forced to pay more $$$ for a new controller and software, rather then offering a equitable upgrade to G3. Looks like AFP deluxe, here I come. Too bad Great Planes is screwing with their loyal customers this way. Kaypro, Apple, IBM and others learned their lessons the hard way. I guess Great Planes wants to learn in the same fashion.

dubd

I'm not sure what you meant by saying Apple screwed with their loyal customers...

lsnover

My Feedback: (19)

Riotgear, your over the heads of the uncleansed PC masses there bud.

Apple's fortunes are turning for sure. But they've never been real good about rewarding customer loyalty either. [&:]

Good computers though. I love messing with Garageband. Wisht there was a good RC simm for the G5.

Regards,
Lee Snover

pache11

My Feedback: (6)

Apple went from open architecture to closed architecture and closed the open development of hardware and development of their machines. IBM went from closed to open architecture and the PC world exploded. Apple later was bailed out by nemeses Microsoft and the world was a darker place. I am an Apple fan from the start. My first computer was an Apple II+ and built a few Hackintoshes later(mac boards in a PC case). Apple had the better hardware and software, but the closed architecture killed them and extent of their growth.

My rant here is not about Apple, a great company, but about the mismanagement of a R/C sim that doesn't respect customer loyalty and really screws over customers who have just bought G2 over the past few months. Nothing like paying double for an upgrade!!! Especially since alot of us loyal G2 members have recommended the new software to people starting in the hobby. A real release date and an explanation on how the upgrade price and rebates were going to be used would have kept quite a few new customers from buying G2, and waiting for the G3 release so they didn't have to pay for it twice.

My other rant is why make a new controller and software that is not compatible with the recent USB controller, and force existing customers to buy a new controller when they have just done so within the past few months. The small $$$ gains by making the existing hardware incompatible with the older, but still recent hardware, is lost by the customers who will move to other sims that treat their customers better and don't shaft them during upgrades. Reflex XTR was free and Aerofly deluxe will be about $90, both fair upgrade prices for existing users based on market price. I liked G2 and purchased all 5 expansions, but will no longer support a product that forces a full price upgrade for existing users. I don't consider a $25 merchandise credit a discount. More of an insult to our collective intelligence.

lsnover

My Feedback: (19)

Pache:

The reason for the new controller is simple, it's a "dongle", and it keeps people from making copies of the software. They don't want "old" G2 Customers getting new G3 software and merrily off and runnning. Self preservation pure and simple.

Regards,
Lee Snover

pache11

My Feedback: (6)

Of course the new controller is a dongle, and dongles can be just as easily defeated as serial numbers and registration techniques. Apples closed architecture was also a dongle, albeit a very large one. G2 already had a very effective scheme with it's serial number and registration process. A seperate usb dongle could and should have been used for previous users and compatible with the previous controllers. I.E. Reflex and Aerofly pro.