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X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Great!

Written by EM from Chester

Jun 26, 2009

This flight simulator is excellent. To people who feel that it is only "flying dashboards", it's absolutely not. You can render the views to 3D Cockpit, Chase view, etc. From a distance (which all flight simulators are intended to be) the scenery is magnificent! You can set the graphics high or low depending on your computer's capabilities. I have set the water reflection to "Complete" (highest setting) and it looks absolutely real. Despite the limited aircraft selection that it comes with in the game, you can simply download hundreds of other planes on the internet. I am not one for downloading content, but it is on of the easiest processes I have done. The game comes with 6 disks, which is how to install the rest of the scenery from around the world, (it is not necessary to install all 6 CDs [60 GB] I have only installed two, and it is plenty). I would highly recommend buying a joystick or yoke to play the game with ease, at first I was playing with just the mouse but it is easy to adapt to. CH Products makes high quality josticks/yokes, I would recommend buying one of them if you have the cash. I currently own the CH Products "Fighterstick" and it works great! After a few hours of playing around with the system (including weather, views,joystick calibration, graphics settings, and an overall grip on the game) you will fall in love with the it in no time as I did!

94 of 97 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

X-Plane 9 & Pros & Cons

Written by CH from Elk Grove

Jun 16, 2009

X-plane has a pretty good sense of realism as far as flight dynamics go. There are plenty of planes, plugins, airports, terrain and more to download for free on their site. The game has cool weather options like download real weather in flight. The skill needed to play the game basically is low, but more professional pilots or enthusiasts will enjoy it.

However, there are many cons.
1-All airports other than the default location, have NO TERMINALS, JETWAYS, etc... you can download some but it still is not all that realistic.

2- Airplane textures are not as high quality for most as what they could be in relation to current technology in graphics.

3- Ground terrain is a continued pattern of the same image. Terrain differs in areas, but for a given area it is the same (ie. you see tons of baseball fields within a few blocks)

4- Graphic warnings, incomplete scenery or frame rate warnings occur all the time- even if you have a fast computer like it recommends. The sky turns and may stay gray if you do not use Clear Skies plugin or have a mega fast comp.

5- Last but not least- this really is annoying. One day the sim may work perfectly but the next time you load it, some how it tells you that a code, texture, frame rate, wing, tail.... was entered wrong. Results include- ( grid lines under aircraft, not loaded pylons or weapons, planes will not load.

92 of 114 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Excellent trainer

Written by MH from palatine

Apr 3, 2009

After logging about 250 hours in X-Plane 9, before even touching a real airplane, I developed an excellent starting sense of how to handle an aircraft. My flight instructor says I am breezing through all the lessons and getting things way before his other first time students. If you are a pilot, training to become a pilot, or want to get an idea how to handle a plane then this is an excellent program to get. My ONLY gripe about this program are the graphics and sound effects, they leave a lot to be desired compared to Microsoft FS but X-Plane is much more realistic and free flowing in terms of flight physics and aircraft handling.

106 of 109 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Awesome

Written by JB from Birmingham

Mar 28, 2009

When I first got this game it didn't set up right and it was absolutely horrible! Later after using it I began to love it. This is so much better the Microsoft's Simulators.
Has great graphics, works great and I love it!

41 of 48 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

So much better than others!

Written by JS from ZIONSVILLE

Feb 21, 2009

This is by far the best game I have ever played. I am going to be a pilot and this is a game for actual pilots, or people training to be a pilot. To say to everyone who can't figure it out, read the instruction manual, you can change view, fire weapons, shoot other planes, and even eject!

61 of 66 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Buy this game if you like flying dashboards!

Written by MA from Philadelphia

Feb 5, 2009

Warning! If you have been using Microsoft Flight Simulator and have switched to a Mac, buying this will be the worst mistake ever! Stop now, dust off FS and run it with bootcamp.
Here's why X-Plane 9 is a miserable failure of a software title:

Have you ever had to hand in a project or a report at work where the cover was really a great design but the content was missing some paragraphs, sentences and um.. illustrations? My guess is, probably not because you would most likely get fired or sent down to the basement with Milton and his Swingline.

When I bought this title, I expected great scenery, and stunning airplane models. What I got was FLYING DASHBOARDS!!! Half of the planes you can fly are just the dashboards, no windows, seats or common sense. I wrote the company and they said they're working on it and they didn't design the planes, end-users did! Honestly, if I wanted only half of the game, I should have only paid half the price. An abysmal attempt at software engineering by this organization.

70 of 136 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Best Simulator ever

Written by TG from Walnut Creek

Jan 23, 2009

I love Simulation games and sense i have gotten a mack computer i have been looking every where for one and then i found X Plane 9.

This simulator is one of the best that i have ever used before. It gives you a huge verity of planes to choose from not to mention all the placeless around the world you can fly at. The space simulations are especially fun.

I give X Plane 9 five stars,and recommend it to any one who enjoys flight simulators.

40 of 48 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Outstanding

Written by CK from Milan

Oct 22, 2008

This is a REAL flight sim that actually continuously calculates forces on the flight model unlike Microsoft "flight simulator" which has pre-programmed physics. As such, you better have some real piloting skills :). Graphics are okay, adequate I would say, but even so you better have some serious hardware to run this on moderately high settings. The most important thing is lots of video RAM, not necessarily what GPU you have (of course the newer/faster the better). I have an aluminum iMac 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo with 4GB of RAM and a Radeon 2600 HD Pro with 256 MB of video RAM and I would estimate an average of 40 fps. Severe weather such as heavy rain and snow will slow down graphics tremendously under certain conditions. The biggest hit to performance comes in heavy clouds. The only real downside to X-Plane is the fact that the largest screen size you can use without distorting the instrument panel is 1024x768, kind of small when you have a 20 inch or larger monitor. Otherwise a fantastic, fully featured, REAL flight simulator.

121 of 135 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

A serious flight simulator, made by a pilot for pilots

Written by FB from Cumming

Sep 25, 2008

This is a real flight simulator, it has a realistic flight model and superb graphics.

You can:
* Build your own plane, using real physics;
* Build your own scenery;
* Have the entire world in you computer;
* Practice your flight skills;
* Train IFR flight;
* Experience a bird strike;
* Use your favorite yoke/joystick/pedal
* See how a plane (or whatever you build) fly as it would in reality;
* Use it on a mac or a pc;
* Have a superb support (all emails that I sent was replied in a few hours);
* Get free online updates;
* Fly a simulator made by aviation lovers, just like you.

127 of 144 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

WOW

Written by LD from Pound Ridge

Sep 23, 2008

The best flight sim around. I am a real pilot and fly the real things. THIS IS WORTH 60 DOLLARS. GET IT. Amazing graphics and scery. Loads smoothly and perfictly. AMAZING. HAd x plane 8 and got this. It is so mouch better. GET IT

96 of 120 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Xplane is certified for pilot training/MicroSoft Flight sim is a game

Written by BJ from Porters Lake

Sep 7, 2008

Xplane is certified for pilot training/MicroSoft Flight sim is a game...
a fun game, had an older version,bought it again, it was buggy even with a $600 video card, uninstalled it and went back to xplane 8.

MsFlight sim is a better game, neat in the cockpit views and people on the runways and cars and shops and buildings...the helicopter models are a bit easy but not too bad.
Xplane is just a much more flight focused simulation, closer to flight training and maybe not as good a game.

But it's the best sim out there bar none.
ps the flight training license version is way more expensive- what's up with that.

76 of 90 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

X-Plane 9, better than FSX EVER WILL BE

Written by NS

Aug 2, 2008

The Aircraft models are very realistic because the simulator uses BLADE-ELEMENT THEORY. the planes that come with it and download off sites like x-plane.org are awesome. the simulator comes with 4 programs in one: Plane maker, Airfoil Maker, Briefer, and the simulator. i had Microsoft Flight Simulator X before. X-plane beats it in about everything but graphics. MSFS uses codes for its flight models but it is very innaccurate. MSFS is a really bad sim compared to X-plane. MSFS (ARCADE) VS X-PLANE (actual simulator). IF you install all 6 scenery disks, 78GB, it is awesome. tis sim is very fun and it beatS MSFS IN SAVING SPACE IN THE COMPUTER AND IN SPEED AND FUN. THE ADDONS ARE SOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN ANY FOR MSFS. THIS IS THE GREATEST SIM EVER CREATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

70 of 82 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of XPlane9

Written by RM from Gillette

Jul 22, 2008

XPlane 9 is for the most part, quite visually appealing. As far as true realism is concerned, Microsoft Flight Simulator FSX is a bit more accurate as far as its flight models and ground scenery modeled after real life. Some of the aircraft in XPlane do not have full interiors of the cockpits and looks of course very unrealistic while flying with only half a cockpit and seeing air where there should be doors and windows whereas FSX has gorgeous full interiors. XPlane has absolutely no buildings or hangars at any airports which is very disappointing. They look extremely lifeless with only the concrete there. However... right out of the box, XPlane has very beautiful terrain, although you will see skyscrapers in very rural areas and in fact anywhere XPlane thinks there should be houses or buildings. The flight models of the aircraft in Xplane too, are not quite as realistic as FSX's...not like a "real" aircraft behaves. But here's the thing for probably MOST folks. If you want to see incredible terrain without having to spend big bucks on FSX addon scenery to get it and don't mind a skyscraper or two (or three) in the farmlands, XPlane is a very nice simulator lacking in some areas while excelling in others. I have both but fly FSX as a rule and XPlane as an alternative.

87 of 158 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

For the serious pilot only.

Written by CH from West Hills

Jun 15, 2008

I personally love this flight simulator, but fans of Microsoft's Flight Simulator series might be put off. This is serious flying, about as real as it gets: all the instruments work, weather has effects on flying, and, in general, everything is simulated to a degree of reality not found elsewhere.

474 of 530 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Not worth it

Written by HF from SALISBURY

Jun 13, 2008

This game isn't worth it besides it practically takes up half my hard disk.

39 of 234 people found this useful

X-Plane 9 by Graphsim

Excellent Upgrade

Written by TS from Laconia

Jun 4, 2008

I have x plane 8 and recently bought x planes 9. Graphsim, great job. Everything is smoother, easier, and much more fun to use. If you have x planes 8 and are wondering if it is worth the sixty bucks to upgrade, the answer is a definite yes. The graphics are amazing and i recommend a immersive display like the Vuzix i Wear Av230. ENJOY

Simply Amazing

259 of 325 people found this useful