The upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator game appears to take the already-incredible FS2020 and integrate basically everything that was on my wishlist to build this more into a real world Earth-based photogrammetry+procgen Elite Dangerous, with all the career/mission types you can think of, passengers, cargo, and the ability to get out and walk around outside your aircraft.

If they pull this off as described, I could drop huuundreds of hours into this game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6riRXgRsCU

Microsoft Flight Simulator Development Update - Live from FlightSim Expo 2024

YouTube
@stroughtonsmith 🤞
Here’s to hoping it’ll run under the Game Porting Toolkit 2
@stroughtonsmith inb4 it’s a paid upgrade and they pull another FSX: Deluxe (at that point I’d just fork money to mod devs)
@haifisch it's a whole new game, so yeah, it'll be paid 😅
@stroughtonsmith I’ve loved the current version. My only issue is it overheats my PC!
@stroughtonsmith I was looking for a new expensive use of all my free time after I’d finished grad school
@stroughtonsmith I’m already dropping those kinds of hours just in the name of generating cinematic screen recordings for an upcoming YouTube channel — it started as a project to land big planes in stupid places or ridiculous weather, but it’s veering into a photography hobby, with impossible sunsets and inaccessible tourism
@stroughtonsmith ngl, I keep wasting time rewatching my own recordings because they’re so addictive

@stroughtonsmith

As far as I can tell, the amount of energy required to generate one “AI image” [sic] is about equivalent to 20 seconds of gaming on a mid-range rig(*).

So huuundreds of hours dropped on this would equate to thousands of AI images.

Something for some in the #pioutocracy to consider.

(* Derived from https://www.volts.wtf/p/wrapping-our-heads-around-ai-and)

Wrapping our heads around AI and climate

Alp Kucukelbir, co-author of a recent “Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap,” discusses the strengths and limits of AI in relation to climate, where it all might be headed, and how concerned we should be about the energy use of data centers.

Volts
@stroughtonsmith I’ve always loved FS. I wish they’d add an option to allow you to simulate sea level rise. I think it would be impactful to people to see the impact on familiar real world places they can freely explore.

@stroughtonsmith I replicate real flights in commercial aircraft almost daily, all around the world. I’m just over 5710 hours of flight time, not to mention loading time, configuring MSFS time, etc. Probably around 7000 hours now easily, with thousands of EUR invested in third party airports and aircraft.

This is not a healthy hobby, but so much fun!

@stroughtonsmith There is always VATSIM, which connects you to humans taking the role of Air Traffic Controllers and you fly real routes with weather, etc. Not sure if that is what you have in mind, however.
@stroughtonsmith And if modern big business air transport is too boring, what if they set it in something like a Porco Rossa style earth?