Da Rock,
I guess I look at the HX or simulation in PC car racing....
Nascar and the new release of Nascar2 and all the way up to Nascar 2003 season.......
There was always a jump in performance But you always neede a faster processor to deal with the new game graphics and fixes....
Like NHL 2001-2007 each year the new game had more realistic figures and replays and more demand on the Graphic carn/processor....\

That has been my experience with this stuff so far.....
Even with the suseccion of the Realflight......
Each new release required a better more powerfull processor to take full advantage of what the sim can offer.....

No direspect to you, as you are one of the last boyscouts and a very optomistic one at that....
I am unfortionately not this, and can be quite pessamistic.... I wish I could see things in you mannor....it is rare these days!!!

Justin

Of course, the 4 Expansion Packs do. So half the new airplanes and fields will be available.

Yeah, I am an optimist and always smiling HOWEVER............

When I saw the graphics improvements AND the performance improvements that actually happened, it made me wonder. I'm retired from the mainframe computer industry and got a fair amount of experience in software development. And I'm basing my guess on that.

I'm guessing for that to have happened, it wasn't from a major effort by the codies working for that developer. Major rewrites don't usually happen as quickly as that new release appeared following the previous. I'm guessing a coder stumbled on an easily retrofitted technique. And it'll be all over the industry in short order. I figure it's already being discussed in cubes as we speak/type.

We can dream can't we............

BTW, good coders very often make their code more efficient simply because it's easier to work with. And if you look at the production of product from Knife Edge, it's obvious they have maybe the best coders of the lot. Or maybe it is only that they have programmers that actually work when they're at work.

I just recieved myTower hobbies Tower Talk magazine through DEC....
IT has a ADD in ther efor the New G4


It states the G4 IS, IS compatable with all 4 expansion packs!
So either it is not right now but soon will be or it is compatable now....
Either way, I will get the new G4 when it comes out.....

I just do not see anything mentioned about engines and sounds???
If it is the same stuff? I honestly, will NOT buy it!!!
Because I think that the current G3.5 is realistic engough already...
I will not buy it if it wreally has not improved much.....
Looks like same old aircraft as well>>>except the float stff...



JMHO.
Justin

[/quote]

BTW, good coders very often make their code more efficient simply because it's easier to work with. And if you look at the production of product from Knife Edge, it's obvious they have maybe the best coders of the lot. Or maybe it is only that they have programmers that actually work when they're at work.
[/quote]

Your a good guy da rock!!
Funny!!!

Justin

do i have to buy the any of the expantion packs to play the sim?

No


What you get in the box is the sim and the controller. And they work from the git go, no extras required. They ain't ARFs ! (or would that be, They ain't ARSs?)

cool, so what expantion pack is the best of all four?

I just got an email from tech support at Great Planes and they said that the G2 add ons will work with G4. I wonder if they have it figured out or if he doesn't really know?

It sound like the tech support person who typed the email didn't read what RF/GP says in their press release. They stated rather clearly:

That's my thought exactally. I did order G4 from Tower, so when I get it, I'll try it and let everyone know.

so is it time for me to switch from my AFPD to realflight G4??? I had the older G2 and suddenly in six months came out with the G3 and wouldnt do much for inexpensive upgrade at the time so I left it and went with AFPD and it was like night and day difference.plus you can download planes at no added cost.It's a great system but the G4 has caught my eye and I am thinking of selling my system and getting all new stuff including the tx.I am using my G2 controller with aerofly .no issues .just want something newer and better physics ..

anyone switched and happy??or should I just stay with aerofly.be honest .all opininated opinons welcomed lol.

From the Realflight website:

If you purchased G3 or G3.5 on or after May 1, 2007, choose one of the following rebates:

$100 Merchandise Certificate OR $50 Cash (option a)

If you request Option A, you must provide a dated cash register receipt showing that you bought your RealFlight
G3 or G3.5 on or after May 1, 2007. If you do not have the receipt, you must request Option B. If you request
Option A and do not provide the dated cash register receipt, you will automatically receive Option B.

If you purchased G3 or G3.5 before May 1, 2007, or do not have a dated cash register receipt showing purchase on or after
May 1, 2007, choose one of the following rebates:

$75 Merchandise Certificate OR $30 Cash (option b)


http://www.realflight.com/promos/rf-g4-rebate-form.pdf

Rob

Hay Guys,
I talked to Real Flight today, and I asked them some pointed questions about the new G4 soft ware.

One...you will need to re-install all four Expansion Packs when you install G4...but the down time to install will be faster then with G3.5.

Two...none of the first five Add Ons will work with G4...Bummer.

Three...Tower is just taking pre-orders on G4, with G4 due in this month (I ordered G4 and I do have all four Expansion Packs).

The new Tx is supose to be better then the cheap unit that was sold for G3.5.

G4 will work with all Tx's that G3 and G3.5 worked with.

Soft Landings always,
Bobby of Maui

So since the expansion packs don't work with G4 means I won't be buying it. That is good for my airplane fleet though.

Hay BBOwne,
The Expansion packs do work with G4. All four Expansion Packs will have to be re-installed into G4...and when you up load the Expansion Packs into G4, you will have a choice to load them into G3.5 or G4.

It's the five first Add Ons that do not work as yet with the new soft ware. I was told that they may be able to get the first five Add Ons to work with G4, but as now, they will not.

Soft Landings always,
Bobby of Maui

I was just browsing the KnifeEdge site and saw a post where some of the guys are comparing screen rates. Some of these guys have dual cores and all have 3D video cards with plenty of memory no one is getting decent Frames per Second "FPS" - screen rates. Everyone sets the screen and graphic settings to the highest possible and loads the same plane - (in this case a heli) and the same flying field as well as the same position on the flying field ... for comparison. So far the sampling is : 8 FPS, 11.5 FPS, 12.1 FPS, 5.5 FPS, 21.6 FPS, 12.1 FPS and 5.3 FPS. I'm guessing that you'd have to reduce the graphics considerably to get screen rates capable of flying with. Kind of defeats the purpose of upgrading ... <?>

I have a new computer with a dual core processpor and have no problems at all with the G4.

I would guess that the "no one is getting decent Frames per Second " had not tried both kinds of flying fields. I get lower, lots lower, FPS on one type of flying field than the other. But on the other hand, I'm getting extremely good rates with one type. My bad rates come in about twice what those numbers are you listed. And the good come in way above good rates.

I just upgraded today. Bought the G4 from K/C Hobby (Archdale, NC) at the WSRC Swap Meet for an appreciably better price than Tower's price (and Tower won't have them until middle December). And sold my G3. (good swap meet)

And from what I've seen so far, the upgrade was a very good move. I like to fly my Ultimate in the Alpine Valley. And this Ultimate flies pretty much like my RW one.

Time to go see how other things have changed. And look at painting up an Ultimate to match my WM 46 size.

You might want to re-read what I wrote ... this was a COMPARISON, with one specific field, one specific craft (a heli) and all settings set to the highest possible! With that configuration frame rates were not flyable. Essentially indicating that no matter what system you have you cannot utilize the graphics qaulities of the graphics card in your system or the program itself. So, with all of the great improvements in the graphics unless you have a $5000 gaming system your not going to see very much improvement ... Me, I'm not a computer gamer, I fly RC ...

It's interesting that a lot of people are complimenting KnifeEdge on how well the planes fly, complimenting them on the improved physics ... and KnifeEdge is telling them that there have been no changes in the physics. So, how can planes fly better if nothing's changed? I think it's the old psychological factor - you paid $200 for this so your brain tells you it's got to be better - even though it's not!

I agree that the upgrade was a good one - or will be a good one once the bugs are worked out and the ground handling is updated to reflect what they've done on the water. I suspect that we'll see that in G4.5 ... I figure that we'll also see a new physics engine coming along pretty soon as well. Which will require another major change and this time none of the Expansion Packs will be supported, resulting in having to replace all of you Expansion Packs and downloaded models ... as well as that new Ultimate paint job. My guess is it'll happen just before the Christmas buying season ...

>>>G2 controller with aerofly .no issues .just want something newer and better physics .. >>>

Cloudancer03, question for you..... do you mean you just installed the AFPD software and plugged your G2 controller in the the USB port, and bingo.... works great? I thought AFPD had to have "their special cord" to make it work....??

Also, does anyone know how long this rebate will be offered?

Thanks loads,

Ernie

So you are basically saying that when the worst field and aircraft are selected, and all graphic options are set to maximum, there are people who get unflyable fps. Yeah? And the conclusion from that is that it's worthless to buy G4.

It would be excellent advice if you'd mention what specific field and heli to avoid. That way the people who wanted to buy G4 for those particular two will know that they may need to turn down some graphics in order to use G4.

johndou,
From what I've seen so far, the upgrade was a very good move. I like to fly my Ultimate in the Alpine Valley and in the past got a bit of background blurring which is now gone. And I particularly enjoy the Ultimate in this version almost exactly as I did in the last version. With the distraction of the older version gone, it's very enjoyable to fly now, whereas before it was nice enough. It's always nice to have something you like to do improved even slightly. As for paying $200 for the thing, I believe I mentioned the price I paid was appreciably better than Tower's. And with the rebate, the price beats the dickens out of $200. I've not noticed anything different about the flight physics. Where did you read that I did.

da Rock, where did you purchase from...? And with the 100 rebate, brought your cost for the G4 down to 100 bucks?

Thanks,

Ernie

Where did I purchase? Post #44 above:
The rebates are complex: one situation gives $100 or $50 OR another situation gives $75 or $30.

I paid less than $200 to begin with. The price at the WSRC Swap Meet was $185. K/C Hobby is a good, very good LHS. The best bunch of knowledgable people you'll ever run into. And I lived in MSP, ATL, CLT, MIA and they all had excellent LHSs that were bigger but not better.

So I paid $185, and can get $100, $75, $50, or $30. Lets say I take the $100. And since I sold my G3 at the same swap meet we could take that amount off too. So my cost is worst case, $85. And truth is, I figure as quickly as most of the complete, in the box G3s sold at the swap meet, I have some justification in saying that I paid ALMOST NOTHING for an excellent G4. And after using it, I'd be happy to have paid full retail. But then I love this hobby. And am taken to being happy with almost everything about it. I even enjoy doing autopsies of crashes. You can't find a better way to learn how to build than that, right?