G2 and G3

[Plane_freak]

The Great Planes G3 flight sim is more than the G2 but is it worth it?
What does the G3 have that the G2 doesn't?
Are they compatible with older upgrades?

[Foamiesrfun]

The Great Planes G3 flight sim is more than the G2 but is it worth it?
What does the G3 have that the G2 doesn't?
Are they compatible with older upgrades?

Good luck,I just posted a question about all similators LOL.Trying to find a good one for what I want.

[elec3d]

i dont think g2 is available anymore, i just got g3 it has more detailed graphics you can hand launch gliders and slope soare its 3d able theres probably a lot more features im just getting into it. you
can use the g2 add ons.

[qban_flyer]

The Great Planes G3 flight sim is more than the G2 but is it worth it?
What does the G3 have that the G2 doesn't?
Are they compatible with older upgrades? I've had G-2 for almost two years now. No longer available since January or February of this year.

I bought G-3 based on the Great Planes blurb sheet on the R/C zines, only to quickly find out the 'minimum' requirements for it to be usable did not make it workable on my PC unlees I disabled many of its features. My old PC exceeded the 'minimum' requirements as per G-3 specifications.

Ended up buying a new 3.4 Gig P4, 2 GB of 533MHZ RAM with a 256 MB nVidia PCI-Express video display card in order to fly the planes with all the simulator's features enabled. Cost of the whole thing? $169.99 for G-3 and $1679 (monitor not included) for the DELL XPS PC. Was it worth it? According to my check-book it wasn't.

G-3 has many more features. Terrain is endless, tree leaves and branches can be made to sway in the breeze, flying through the clouds feels more real, especially if you are chasing a model, planes fall to pieces when crashed, etc., etc., etc.

Programing G-3 to use (or disable) the features the user may want is different than with G-2, it's a bit more complicated.
Don't get me wrong, G-3 is very nice, though if I had known about its true 'requirements' before I bought it I wouldn't have and would still have over $1800 in my bank.

My old 1.2 Gig P-3 with 256 MB of PC100 RAM and built in 64 MB Intel Graphics Gateway PC runs G-2 just dandy. Besides, G-2 if fine for the vast majority of users and it doesn't require a monster PC to run it. These days G-2 goes for as much as $150 on eBay.

BTW, the Add-Ons for G-2 are compatible with G-3.

I've also heard good things about the Ikarus F/S, though it requires a very specific set of parameters on the computer to run properly. Not my cup of tea!

Look for a good used G-2, you'll be glad you did, especially if you can get one CHEAP (under $100). Also, try and get the later version, the one where the throttle stick on the controller has ratchet action like our transmitters. The older version of G-2 did not. Ask the seller, he/she should know whether it is ratcheted or not.

L8R

[Plane_freak]

I have looked on Ebay a lot. I have found a couple that go for 75.00 but I need a new hard drive for my computer. 200gb only 80.00 at staples. That should handle the G3. I would by the G2 but I don't want to have to upgrade in 1 year. I still may stick with the G2 (a lot cheaper).

[qban_flyer]

I have looked on Ebay a lot. I have found a couple that go for 75.00 but I need a new hard drive for my computer. 200gb only 80.00 at staples. That should handle the G3. I would by the G2 but I don't want to have to upgrade in 1 year. I still may stick with the G2 (a lot cheaper).

My built in graphics display could not handle it. Hard drive was never a problem, 80GB is more than enough. The PC must have a dedicated Graphics Card with at least 128MB of memory for G-3 to function properly. CPU power should be over 1.5GHz, preferably 2.8 or higher.

I find myself using G-2 more than I do G-3, perhaps it's because of the familiarity I have with it, perhaps it is because it is easier to use than G-3, though I've been using G-3 since February.

[qban_flyer]

I have looked on Ebay a lot. I have found a couple that go for 75.00 but I need a new hard drive for my computer. 200gb only 80.00 at staples. That should handle the G3. I would by the G2 but I don't want to have to upgrade in 1 year. I still may stick with the G2 (a lot cheaper).

If I had only read post # 11 on the link below, I would have saved myself big bucks.

Matter of fact, the entire thread is an eye opener in regards to G-3. Go with G-2!

http://12.156.2.54/forums/showthread.php?t=9216

[elec3d]

when i first got g3 i installed it on a friends computer p4 2.8, 512 meg ram
nvidia 4200 ti graphics card, the systems about 2 years old ,it ran well
on this setup, default settings strait out the box.

personly i wouldnt buy a new computer just to run g3.

g2 is good g3 is better.

[qban_flyer]

when i first got g3 i installed it on a friends computer p4 2.8, 512 meg ram
nvidia 4200 ti graphics card, the systems about 2 years old ,it ran well
on this setup, default settings strait out the box.

personly i wouldnt buy a new computer just to run g3.

g2 is good g3 is better.
Agreed. G-3 is a better simulator, and a PC with a 2.8Gig P4 CPU, dedicated graphics card like the 4200 and having 512MB of RAM will run G-3 on default mode. Begin to add the bells and whistles G-3 provides and it will begin to slow it down.

My Gateway had the misfortune of being a three year old PC with a 1.2Gig CPU, 512MB of total RAM of which 64 were dedicate to the Intel M/B built in 'graphics'.

It was NO GO with G-3 and the Gateway. I now use G-2 on the Gateway & G-3 on the DELL XPS. I'm happy with both, though I would be happier with the money I would have saved had I gotten rid of G-3 and not bought the XPS. A PC I did not need at the moment.

The key with G-3 is to have a PC with a dedicated decent graphics card, the more onboard memory on that card the better.