Originally Posted by jex

What you need to keep in mind is that Falcon cannot be like FS9. Try adding 5000 air and ground units all moving around the map and engaging each other and see your frame rates drop to nothing. If you want to take part in a war as a virtual pilot in probably the most realistic pit made for an F16, then you'll need to put up with the graphics. Falcon is not a 'looking around at things whilst I fly' sim, it's a "keep your wits about you and attack the enemy' sim

Agreed. I did fly FS9 for a while, as part of getting my pilots license (almost there!), but they really are very different beasts. The enjoyment in FS9 comes from doing things that would be challenging for you to pull off in the real world, such as touch and go landings in a C-130 in excessive crosswinds, as well as the relaxation and atmosphere that comes with it. It's also nice to be able to point and say 'Ooh! I can see a building that may or may not be my house from here'

While the FS9 experience can be had pretty easily offline, Falcon is, in comparison, pretty unenjoyable unless you're in a multiplayer game. The atmosphere is what counts, and all our pilots strive to keep it as realistic as possible. AF also creates an unparalleled sense of you actually being a tiny cog in the wheel of war. Little touches such as having flights of A-10s wheel past you, guns blazing, or being able to see explosions as the units on the ground fight it out. There's a great deal of depth here, so give it time, don't try and learn everything in one go, and get online or on TS as soon as possible.