Reviews (by Bruce)

First, let me describe myself as somewhere between a casual simmer and a hard core simmer. I've been an FSX simmer since it's initial release. I have a decent system, have a reasonable amount of patience to read and follow directions or search out issues I'm unsure of on the web. I appreciate minute detail, but prefer being able to 'dial back' the realism occaisionally. (I use 4x-16x time ALOT) I purchased this "base pack" a few days ago and have mixed feelings on this add-on. On one hand, it's absolutely beautiful. The first impression I had was, wow, this is as real as it gets! But, after pouring through the 5 PDF manuals included, the level of detail quickly became overwhelming. The manuals give the impression that you are actually a commercial pilot with years of experience and understanding, no need to cater to the silly air simmer with clear step by step instructions. There is no "Quick Start Guide" or "Sample Flight - Cold and Dark to Touchdown" to put the provided hard core detailed information into pespective or context afterward. After searching the web, the closest I could find was an avid hard-core simmers "pre flight checklist" video on You Tube that's about 20mins long in 2 parts. He goes through the checklist exactly like a pair of real 767 pilots would for preflight... (He skipped the FMC, that would have taken him HOURS.) It was extremely well done, but not what I was looking for. btw - the available CS757 videos on the web help, but the CS767 is NOT the same. Warning, if your going to file a 6 hour flight plan in the CS767, be prepared to spend at least 3 hours in front of the computer to complete it. Anything more than 2x time and your A/C porpoises or yaws wildly until it stalls and crashes. Even at 2x, I get some noticable thrashing. Users have posted some fixes that require edits to the aircraft.cfg, but also note that this may have unwanted consequences when NOT in accelerated modes. No KLAX/ELLG flights for me in this bird! Another unpleasant surprise for me was the lack of a Speed-Tape or Altitude Tape incorporated into the ADI. This was a shock. You are dependant on the analog air speed, analog V/S and Analog Altitude gauges. Sheesh, the 6 year old default Boeings from MS are better. (I'm told almost all RW 767 A/C today do as well) Tech Support seems non existant, unless you are reporting a bona fide bug. Otherwise you are left to the "maybe this", "try that", "mine works fine" or even flames in the "Pilots Lounge" forum where only registered paying customers are allowed. (NO TECH SUPPORT disclaimer boldly stated on the forum headers) Don't expect any warm and friendly customer service, this product is for those smart enough not to require it. Frame rate was a pleasant surprise! The current release I purchased is the 1.4, and I get roughly the same frame rates with the CS767 as I do with any of the FSX Default A/C. I'm impressed with this! My Conclusion; I appreciate the level of detail and time Captain Sim put into this gorgeous product. The realism is outstanding, the sound is great, the 'feel' is awesome. I chose the CS767 because it was the only dedicated FSX creation, and it definitly shows in the great framerates. Although frustrated with documentation and the steep learning curve (I'm still climbing) I can see where some would see this as a good thing. Buyer Beware I guess. If I could, I'd probably go for a refund and try Level-D 767 which has been around longer and has alot of YouTube "tutorial's" available. Unfortunately, download purchases don't get refunds...