DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50955
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| Microsoft Flight - free download |
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Those who might be interested in flying simulators may not be aware that Microsoft have made the software free to download and play ...there is also a fairly low cost 'marketplace' if you want to buy add-ons or expand etc 
Check that your pc is up to spec first and be aware that the download is around 1.5gb 
http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/ 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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 1st Mar 2012 12:26 pm |
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B16 KJR
Member Since: 10 Jul 2006
Location: Rosyth, Fife
Posts: 3005
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With this sort of game do you need a seperate controller or do you just use the keybord and mouse ? This might be something that my Grandson would like. I take it this could simply be uninsalled if it was not suitable ?
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:06 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50955
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Yes you can use the keyboard and moose or you can select a joystick from the options ....uninstall is as easy as any other software 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:08 pm |
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B16 KJR
Member Since: 10 Jul 2006
Location: Rosyth, Fife
Posts: 3005
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Silly question, but what sort of joystick would be suitable ? Are they just a plug and play USB thingy ?
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:13 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50955
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Any of these would do ...there will still be some controls that require the keyboard as well as a joystick ...here are a selection of reasonably priced ones from amazon. What I would say though is let him have a play and gauge the level of interest before you fork out cash money
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&key...3ydptigl_b 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:23 pm |
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B16 KJR
Member Since: 10 Jul 2006
Location: Rosyth, Fife
Posts: 3005
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Thanks for that, I will download it and let him have a look. Don't mind buying a joystick, I would assume its a lot easier to play with one of them, rather than just using the keyboard. With 5 Grandkids no doubt it would be well used 
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:31 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50955
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I'm sure he will enjoy it 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 1st Mar 2012 1:48 pm |
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Hairy Dan
Member Since: 19 Jan 2011
Location: Co. Durham
Posts: 12319
  
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Good find I used to play this years ago, be interesting to see what it's like now, just waiting for the download. Cheers Ian
--------------------
Club N.E.R.D.S
Kielder 4x4 Safari
Discoless
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| 1st Mar 2012 6:00 pm |
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Bill Wright
Member Since: 03 Nov 2007
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 3254
 
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What Ian said. I'm on the end of a copper wire for broadband so speed is 230kBs (yes kBs). Two hours so far and not halfway. It'll be alright on the night I guess
Bill Wright Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D4 SDV6 SE Tech Kaikoura Stone MY15.
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| 1st Mar 2012 6:06 pm |
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wvlenthe
Member Since: 07 Jan 2009
Location: Arnhem
Posts: 1967
  
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Hairy Dan wrote:Good find I used to play this years ago, be interesting to see what it's like now, just waiting for the download.
Microsoft says it's all new but I see a lot of terminology from Flight Simulator in it.
Oh the hours I have spent on that... must be thousands... including live ATC on the Vatsim network.
Now I have wife&kids. Oh the hours I spend on them 
Nice to see there are more FS enthousiasts on here.
Regards,
Wiljo D3 V8 HSE Auto in Zermatt silver - driveway version gone but not forgotten, only the living room cupboard version remains
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| 1st Mar 2012 7:49 pm |
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Zapp79
Member Since: 25 Jan 2012
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 129
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MS Flight (the new one) is graphically just about as good as its predecessor (FSX) with the bonus that it will run better than FSX on comparable hardware.
Microsoft have adopted an interesting new business model for this release (a similar model will also be in place for the next version of Office) in the hope that it encourages greater takeup of the software and, in proportion, greater sales of additional downloadable content.
That said, there are plans for you to be able to 'earn' new content in various ways within MS Flight.
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| 1st Mar 2012 9:14 pm |
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DigitalJunior
Member Since: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 4399
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Excellent thanks - can now land and take-off from Water SOLD - 23my Range Rover Sport D300 Dynamic SE
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| 1st Mar 2012 10:37 pm |
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2DISCO3ORNOT
Member Since: 27 Apr 2009
Location: at sea
Posts: 1209
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Hi DG how does it compare to the freebie on Google Earth?
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| 2nd Mar 2012 5:28 am |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50955
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Oh it's considerably better than that tbh 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 2nd Mar 2012 9:24 am |
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TwelveSticks
Member Since: 16 Jan 2010
Location: Dublin
Posts: 798
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Can't speak for the new one, but the old MS Flight Sim was truly excellent - so much so that I effectively learned to fly using it to the extent that when I first got in a real light aircraft, it only took me four and a half hours to be given the go ahead to fly solo (the average at my flying school being around 11 hours).
Later on, I ended up getting a 'proper' yoke and rudder pedals for mine (both USB connected), which made the whole thing even more realistic. 2001 D2 GS (I must be mad!)
2005 D3 S 10-12 (gone and missed)
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| 2nd Mar 2012 11:28 am |
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