Flight Simulator over the decades

[Marc "Cole" W.]

25 years ago to 10 years ago ...

[Marc "Cole" W.]

( continued )

... till today ... ( last shot is a D3D10 design study )

[frankbergson]

To "Newbie" Cole:

I spent many hours (week,  months??) flying my FSII on my Atari 130xe back in the 1980's.  I find it hard to believe that the tension and sweat of trying to land under difficult conditons, and looking for the airport hopelessly lost was just as real to me then as the latest software. I remember being often late for dinner because I refused to leave the plane in the air, and felt the plane must be on the ground before turning off the computer.
The earlier versions shipped with much better manuals (an inch thick) and a complete set of charts for the few airports included. I still have the maps.

......"Newbie" Frank

[Marc "Cole" W.]

Hehe, I do remember and I do agree, Frank. I loved browsing those thick manuals ... and yes, I too felt more like flying in those days - perhaps graphics is so close to reality today that we expect it to look absolutely life-like and if it doesn't, it feels fake.
And 25 years ago, there was not landscape (to speak of), so flying was all one could concentrate upon

[Mace]

I started on the 2nd picture there, in 1985.  Only it was on an Apple //e, not an IBM PC, Atari, Commy, or Amiga.

I still have all of my manuals too, including one on flight physics which is still very useful.  I also bought some Scenery Disks and they came with simple airport charts.

I did some great flights in those days.  A lot of people today wonder how we could get immersed with graphics, sound, gauges, etc. that primitive...but as I am sure you know, it WAS immersive for whatever reason.

[boxcar]

Thanks Marc,

It never grows old, looking at the progress. Myself, a Timex Sinclair with it's load-by-cassette-tape" crude flight simulator was my first before Sublogic's FSII on my Apple IIe. Now, with that breathtaking FSX shot, it's like a dream come true after over 25 years.

Thanks, man.

~David~

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[harleyman]

That is an amazing venture to say the least.......

Thanks for that....