Medellinexpat

In case anyone has forgotten, the day MSFS 2020 was released, there was absolutely NO user guide or manual of any kind. We had to search YouTube for any kind of help we could get. The release of MSFS 2020 was HUGE, and I think most of us expected some bugs, but certainly nothing like we waltzed into. So many settings, so much tweaking, and what turned out for many was so little control of the aircraft. We were given "promises" of scenery that was way beyond anything in any other flight sim. However, we were not told at that time that we would need to have a computer that would make NASA jealous! Yes, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it makes a point. We were a bit mislead. To achieve the results we wanted....and expected...would require a video card that would cost more than our original PC!! On top of that, good luck finding one of those video cards. I have often wondered if MSFS 2020 and its graphics capability and the requirements to reach those graphics has helped create the shortage of the video cards we need. 
I have used X-Plane since X-Plane 9, and I will continue to use X-Plane 11. I fly the C-172 almost exclusively, since I am a licensed pilot and that is the plane I usually fly. I found the setup of X-Plane to be very easy, and my settings do not change after every update. I can't say the same for MSFS 2020. Not everyone has the same experiences, since we all don't have the exact same PC and setup. I can only relate what MY experiences have been with MSFS 2020. I like the stability of X-Plane. There are no surprises. I get frame rates in the area of 35-50fps consistently. All I can say is if X-Plane comes up with graphics close to what MSFS 2020 has out of the box, then I will delete MSFS 2020 from my PC. 

I guess the flight simulation community’s heart beats differently. We perhaps view such planes differently? The MD-11 has definitely something iconic about it and is definitely on my list of icons, headed by the DC-/C-47...
I never actually set foot on the -11, I only flew in the predecessor DC10-30 that NWA used on some transatlantic routes. The aircraft is known to be a handful, it has had a number of accidents, it lands fast...
In the sim, it was one of the best experiences I had with the fsx version by PMDG. I must have flown over 2 thousand sim hours on it, which is a lot for me. I am really looking forward to this, and would love it in the Lufthansa Cargo clothing to go with my beloved copy of Northbound Lady. 
 
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RJAA Narita is very good, but yes there is a very bad (you could call it a anti-MSFS) feeling in that we can do the same thing but for free. That is bad for the business, you need quality in the simulator and no matter how good the Global Airport tools are, they are still not a complete reproduction of the airport...  this is damaging the simulator on many levels.

Ten bucks more than XPlane itself - believe I'll just struggle along.

MS2020 is rapidly turning into an airport simulator rather than a flightsim. I bought the cheapest version with low expectations on it. Maybe in a year or so it might have potential. 

You are right about having airports that form route networks, or at least provide some interesting alternatives in routes to fly. Looking at some of the airports under development or recently released for MSFS there’s a lot of niche stuff coming out. This for Xplane seems a worthwhile buy.
 
Having said that I do wonder if developers really think about their release dates as carefully as they might. This appeared just as Steam, and to a less extent the Org store are having sales. That means you’re competing against 50% off items. There’s always a temptation to buy those items when they appear.
 
This is well priced and I will pick it up. Your comment about the disappearing runway lighting is interesting. How did they achieve that? It’s not something I’ve noticed in other sceneries.