OK, the day is here......the second service update for SP2 is now live and available for download.

Official download links for each language version are here at Phil Taylor's blogsite:

blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor...nload.aspx

Details on specifically what's changed in SP2 are here:
jonpatch.wordpress.com...n-fsx-sp2/

Is it worth it? Should you get it? Well........since it's also built into the Accelleration add-on, some of us have had it for a while and I think the best answer to that question is a cautious "yes". If your installation, system and experience is typical, you'll get improved performance. Of course, since this was also included in the "Accelleration" add-on, if you have Accelleration you don't need to download this (it won't install anyway since it checks).

However, some things do not change for the better, specifically backward-compatability with FS9 stuff. It's worse than it was due to reducing the number of draw calls to properly handle FS9-style transparency layers and other items. This reduction in "attention" to backward-compatability is where some of the performance increase comes from - can't get something for nothing. As discussed in other threads here, some planes will have non-transparent prop disks and dark or black windows. That's fixable, on a case-by-case basis as needed, in my own experience. And osme FS9 planes are still OK, just depends on details of how the author did the original work.

What I've painfully found out that *isn't* fixable is old FS9 scenery. Crashes FSX hard (crashes to desktop) when starting a flight in *any* area even remotely close to areas where I've installed some old FS9 scenery. Case in point is the JG300 Pigsty at KORS, which used to work, and now makes FSX exit to the desktop when the flight starts, even as far away as Seattle KSEA. Yes, I'm a grown man, and I wept when I finally confirmed this after troubleshooting it.

Many of the 'hardcore fans' have been urging the FSX team to drop backward-compatability for increased performance (without regard to those who enjoy that kind of backward-compatability) and it seems that the developers have taken them at their word. So......like it or not I guess we're at the dawn of another new era in the FS lifecycle (not the first time this has happened but, man, far more great legacy stuff than ever before that gets tossed).....

Here's an annoucement post at AvSim where some of the harshest critics hang out (as well as some knowledgable folks including ACES FSX program manager Phil Taylor himself) , so it's probably not going to be pretty to read or watch, but if you're hedging then maybe it's worth a look.....however, as they point out, you can uninstall it if it looks like a negative impact.

forums.avsim.net/dcboa...;mode=full

Some of this is a repeat of other stuff in recent posts but just to make clear, here's a bit more info on what kind of side-effects were noted with the installation of Accelleration (which included SP2 and is a pretty safe bet the same thing will happen with the freebie SP2-only patch).

First I'll say there WAS a notable performance gain, for me. Now here's the "But...."

Some planes weren't affected at all......thank god......the beloved Airhead Super Decathlon, which I treasure more than any other simulated thing, is still wonderful. Note that if you look at the lower part of the prop disc you'll see it isn't displaying the clouds behind the prop. I'm pretty sure it was doing that before and was already an "FSX thing".



On the other hand, some planes (in this case Milton's Aero Commander and the Super Connie) suddenly had transparent wheels and/or non-transparent prop discs..these are fixable items usually (by editing the texture files). Same with the Ju-52 as far as the windows go:






Fixed by manually editing the textures for props, windows, whatever as needed:





Here's how the JG300 Pigsty and other FS9 scenery looks like in FSX now - in short, it *doesn't*. That's my Windows desktop becuase FSX just dies when trying to start a flight there.



Not that it's quite an upside, but, it's here for what it's worth...there are some nice new scenery design tools available and to help deal and cope with this change I've been checking them out. Not that I'm much of a scenery designer. But, after disabling my Pigsty scenery so FSX wouldn't crash when I start a flight in the area, I did make a little trial "outpost" scenery at the dirt-strip airfield on the island adjacent to KORS.....not much but it's a start even if it's nowhere near as classy........

Thanks for the "heads up" Stoopy! If it wasn't for change, we would still be slippin' in 3 1/2 in floppies and using the keyboard to guide our pixel planes...lol

I agree fully!

'Zactly why I've been tearing into the texture issues and checking out the scenery situation. The future is actually pretty bright, but only as long as we know what we're stepping into....