FPV Freerider well worth the wait for updates

[PsyBorg]

Seems like FPV Freerider has put out a new release for their quad sim. I just got the message and will be upgrading as soon as I get off the forums to try it. The video for the release looks like Itch.IO has put it outta the ball park in this one as it has all the things on a map I was hoping for.

To me Free rider has the best and most easiest physics to get tuned to what a quad really flys like not to mention the gfx are not all cartoony like the other sims. HOPEFULLY he has also addressed the only real issue I have with the program with the inclusion for the quad itself to feels more like it is 800 mm size when diving holes. I shall soon find out as I will be flying it in the next hour or so.

I also got a cable for my computer where I can now fly using my skyzones for even more realistic experience. Cant wait to rip the bando and see how well he has done. Anyway heres the teaser for it.

 

[LitterBug]

I downloaded, but have not gotten the energy up to fly. I am in full hibernation at the moment. zzzzzzzz......

I fully agree with PsyBorg, this sim is well worth the time and money! I especially need to work on my 3D skillz before getting my 3D enabled rig out in the real world.

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[rockyboy]

Sweeeet... I'll have to give this one a try and see if my old crappy computer can handle it. I was able to get the previous version running, but just barely.

Fingers crossed...

 

[sprzout]

I've gotta say that the sims have gotten a LOT better in recent times. Liftoff, my sim of choice, added in Betaflight tuning (which I have actually matched up to my drone settings in the real world, and it flies ALMOST identical), and they've put in a Freestyle mode to simulate freestyle events.

The graphics have gotten better, too, although there's still only so much that the graphics engines can do when simulating trees and tree branches; I've flown through a couple of trees with no ill effects while others swat my drone out of the sky like a bug. I might have to give Freerider another chance; the demo for Mac left me kinda yawning when I tried it out 6 months ago.

 

[PsyBorg]

Ok been rippin the snot outta this since I loaded it.

First impression is the video itself has been changed. Not sure how it will be on other video cards but I am willing to bet some of the optimization for cell phones has borked the pristine video on desktops. Its not bad as I used to run it on lower settings for speed when I had a lesser video card so I figured I would up it to max gfx to see if that cured the pixelation on the edges. It helped to a point but its still not perfect. I also think there was an aspect ratio change as the sides of the menus are missing in full screen. Over all there is a huge efficiency improvement as I can run full on GFX at way lower video card temps as well as lower north bridge heat up. (sorry non computer nerds)

As for the maps my tuning carried over but was not as tight a feel as I had trying to match my Aliens feel. I redid a few minor changes and it now more closely feels like I am flying Taz. The new maps are awesome and a blurb in the release notes caught my eye. Itch.IO has made the trees less forgiving. He is not lieing. Hitting gaps on trees require more precision. Some gaps I expected to be able to do so far have not been possible even on no camera tilt and babying the quad thru to see where the sweet spots are.

This brings me to one of my few complaints about Freerider. The perceived scale of the quad in relation to the environment scale. The occlusions around the quad as far as I can tell by feel and having crashed my real quad on gates a bajillion times seems to be more in line with an 600 to 800 mm quad size and not a 250. Yes it makes you more accurate, but it also hinders working on super tight lines. The only other complaint now that I have been working on super fast launches is two fold. First who the heck EVER launches off a bench with a rim around it that the quad can get caught on. Those seriously need to be removed. Second is the fact you can not tilt the quad a little without hitting the throttle and flipping the quad to simulate a flat ground stance for launching.

FOR THE NEW GUYS....... I see a lot of you gamer kiddies ripping the snot out of sims by tweaking the quad as a game for maximum capabilities. Yes you can go super fast and yes you can even make low end setting look fast with the wide screen warrior fakeage. You are missing the whole point to a sim if you do this. I added this is because I see so many of you complain you cant fly your quads like you can in the sim. DO NOT try and tune the sim for maximum performance like a video game (unless you are an extreme narcissist and so into yourself that looking good is all that matters) work on tuning the sim to feel more like your quad does out in the real world. This will help you in several ways. One if the sim feels like the real thing then you will actually gain skill from practicing on the sim. Second and more important is by learning how to tune the sim to match your quad you also learn how to tune your quad because you have seen first hand in a short time how different things effect a quad. While doing this you will undoubtedly cross what you may be doing wrong on your real quad and see the symptoms and fixes and also cross a way to make the real one fly better learning a new set up by accident.

Over all STILL the best sim in my book for learning how to fly/tune/race and freestyle a quad in a semi realistic setting and not in a cartoony video game like sim. Best of all no DRM and no nickle and dimeing you forever on every patch update and minor changes made to the sim like those other sims. They each have their pluses but with this release it has taken some of those other options off the table because of the additions Itch.Io has done.

I have been up again for half the night so I will take time and make a video of how well this flys and post my settings for you guys to mess with and really test your skills.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Good write up PsyBorg. Thank you.

 

[PsyBorg]

Ok. I will tell you right now.. these are seriously for the well coordinated. If you are new try all the settings and just drop the camera angle down to 20 degrees or even less you could even drop the throttle down to like 60 but I do not recommend it as quads don't have a way to do that other then limiting the upper travel range which is a really bad idea.

I know it will be hard as heck for very new people to get in the air with these (specially since I have disabled the in game expo). I run no expo at all in the program or in the radio except now I added a little throttle negative expo in my Taranis to adjust for extremely low flying to adjust for the perceived quad size to keep myself from tumbling every tiny hill.

If you fly these for a week or two in acro and only adjust the camera angle I can guarantee your skills will improve on your real quad by a lot.

I will post up some video later now the sun has gone down and I can film my tv as I do not have any video capture stuff set up on my computer. This will also stop people from saying it is sped up as I have a huge analog clock underneath the TV that will be ticking the entire time the video runs. Its loud.

Anyway hers the screen shot of what I use so have fun with it if you dare. See how the side of the settings page is clipped on the left.

 

[PsyBorg]

Ok took a while... 9+hours to try n figure out how to make a capture program work, get the footage, edit the video, and finally get it uploaded.

Could not for the life of me get the darn capture software to record sound. I filmed the runs on my camera as I was trying to figure things out that way I would at elast have something to show for the time and effort. Anyway I added that in for comparison as well as a way to get the sounds of the throttle changes and the clock in the background.

 

[rockyboy]

That's very very cool!!

 

[PsyBorg]

Ty sir. I will say. turning off the expo in freerider makes you be focused on what you do with your sticks. This is definitely a personal challenge for myself. Wonder what difference it will make on real flying come spring.