Best AI traffic solution?

[MDF86 123]

I'm sure there's no definitive answer to this, but what are people's favourite AI traffic solutions. I must say it's an area I've neglected and I'm weighing up the available options at the moment, but I'm keen to get some personal opinion on the various options.

 

I'm perfectly happy paying for a solution if the payware options are better than the free ones. Ideally I'm looking for up to date liveries and schedules as the primary requirement, and then the higher the FPS the better as the secondary consideration.

 

Thanks all

[Sunaru 12]

There's really only 3 big contenders for AI traffic:

Ultimate Traffic 360
+ comparatively FPS-friendly
+ decent models
+ manages traffic flow much better, less ridiculous chain of go-arounds
+ comes with an updater to keep schedules as recent as possible
- extremely hampered by its EU/Asia support and lack of military aviation if you're a globetrotter or an EU/Asia pilot
- reworked traffic management results in longer time frame before the AI starts to really "kick in" than the other 2 options

MyTraffic 5.4b Professional
+ schedules are based on historical data that supplements the real-world timetables known to MyTraffic at release
+ has very nice EU/Asia and military support out of the box
+ adds 24 detailed airports (1 mega-airport: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi)
- rather fps-intensive when traffic is ramped up above 25% as MyTraffic will then add fictional flights on top of its known schedules to fill gates
- pretty bad plane models that nearly break immersion when it comes to very complicated liveries
- real world data MyTraffic uses is nearly a year old

World of AI/United Traffic Team
+ VERY FPS friendly models (TFS and other low polygon, high quality models)
+ Manual installation of each and all airline packs allows you to fine-tune your AI world; airlines you don't want can be left out of your virtual world
+ Decent support for both airlines, and GA/Military
+ Airline companies are usually kept up to date (in the case of UTT)
+ Free!
- Manual installation means a lot of fiddling around, takes a while to get the entire world filled to a level that you would appreciate/like
- Irregular updating of airline company schedules means that while you could have Lufthansa Summer 2013, you could also still be stuck with JAL Winter 2009
- "Random" addition of new airline schedules leaves some "gaping" holes in the coverage; companies you'd deem self-explanatory are absent and companies you don't know are in

If I were to wager, I think the most popular option as the thread progresses will be to either use Ultimate Traffic and supplement it with WoAI/UTT packages, or just use WoAI/UTT on its own. I used to do the WoAI route in FS9 and I was extremely pleased about it. However, I'm using MyTraffic at the moment. Why? Because it works out of the box and covers everything. I felt that with all the fiddling around you already need to do to get FSX to work, I wanted AI to work just like that. MyTraffic is great for that; you buy it and bam, your entire world is staffed with companies you know and even ones you don't and are interesting new acquaintances. Plus, if you want your world to really fill up, MyTraffic can add more flights than you can imagine.

Then again, you could forfeit AI entirely and fly on VATSIM...

I hope this answer was thorough enough! ^_^

[elche 5]

There's really only 3 big contenders for AI traffic:

 

Ultimate Traffic 360

+ comparatively FPS-friendly

+ decent models

+ manages traffic flow much better, less ridiculous chain of go-arounds

+ comes with an updater to keep schedules as recent as possible

- extremely hampered by its EU/Asia support and lack of military aviation if you're a globetrotter or an EU/Asia pilot

- reworked traffic management results in longer time frame before the AI starts to really "kick in" than the other 2 options

 

MyTraffic 5.4b Professional

+ schedules are based on historical data that supplements the real-world timetables known to MyTraffic at release

+ has very nice EU/Asia and military support out of the box

+ adds 24 detailed airports (1 mega-airport: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi)

- rather fps-intensive when traffic is ramped up above 25% as MyTraffic will then add fictional flights on top of its known schedules to fill gates

- pretty bad plane models that nearly break immersion when it comes to very complicated liveries

- real world data MyTraffic uses is nearly a year old

 

World of AI/United Traffic Team

+ VERY FPS friendly models (TFS and other low polygon, high quality models)

+ Manual installation of each and all airline packs allows you to fine-tune your AI world; airlines you don't want can be left out of your virtual world

+ Decent support for both airlines, and GA/Military

+ Airline companies are usually kept up to date (in the case of UTT)

+ Free!

- Manual installation means a lot of fiddling around, takes a while to get the entire world filled to a level that you would appreciate/like

- Irregular updating of airline company schedules means that while you could have Lufthansa Summer 2013, you could also still be stuck with JAL Winter 2009

- "Random" addition of new airline schedules leaves some "gaping" holes in the coverage; companies you'd deem self-explanatory are absent and companies you don't know are in

 

If I were to wager, I think the most popular option as the thread progresses will be to either use Ultimate Traffic and supplement it with WoAI/UTT packages, or just use WoAI/UTT on its own. I used to do the WoAI route in FS9 and I was extremely pleased about it. However, I'm using MyTraffic at the moment. Why? Because it works out of the box and covers everything. I felt that with all the fiddling around you already need to do to get FSX to work, I wanted AI to work just like that. MyTraffic is great for that; you buy it and bam, your entire world is staffed with companies you know and even ones you don't and are interesting new acquaintances. Plus, if you want your world to really fill up, MyTraffic can add more flights than you can imagine.

 

Then again, you could forfeit AI entirely and fly on VATSIM...

 

I hope this answer was thorough enough! ^_^

WOW...

 

Thanks Mate! It definitely helped me out!

 

Cheers,

 

Diego

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

Dont forget to have a look at UT2 as well, its pretty good also.

[Sunaru 12]

Well, UT2 is just Traffic 360 + GA iirc. Something I did forget to add though was that they add little nifty things like a useable ATC tower and aviation enthusiasts at airports instead of reworked airports.

[FloG 148]

 

 

There's really only 3 big contenders for AI traffic:

Wow, that's the best overview over the available AI packages I've seen so far, although I would have at least mentioned UT2, because that's one of the most popular option (along with MTX and WOAI).

[dcgator29 37]

Traffic 360 is NOT related to Ultimate Traffic 2 (UT2)

[Sunaru 12]

Traffic 360 is NOT related to Ultimate Traffic 2 (UT2)

 

In that case, I apologize tremendously for omitting it.  :(

I tried to go for as detailed and accurate a summary as I could imagine. After all, it's best to give as much help as you can. Mind you, I didn't even know UT2 was out until you all corrected me. As a result, I don't know as much about UT2 -let alone have any experience with it- but after some reading all night, I think this is good enough to give you an idea of UT2:

 

Ultimate Traffic 2:

 

+ Co-operation with TFS, AI Aardvark and others, same as WoAI/UTT for better attempted balance between detail vs framerate hit

+ Decent representation of all kinds of companies in the database

+ Good General Aviation support

+ Allows for easy inclusion of VA schedules

+ Easy to take real-world schedules and fly them yourself by uploading them to FSX

+ AI flies routes using waypoints and not just point to point

- No military support

- Not all companies included have their livery -> replaced in-game with "Daedalus" liveries

- Lack of included AFCAD files means planes park all over the place rather than at correct terminals/gates

- AI traffic has been known to disappear from view randomly/periodically or be replaced out of the blue with another flight on the schedule

 

Again though, this isn't from personal experience or experience by someone I know, so I'd recommend anyone on AVSIM that uses UT2 to correct me on the parts that are wrong about this (or any of the AI packs for that matter). That said, it seems to represent the most uttered praises and complaints on the web.

 

Generally speaking, it seems you can't really go wrong with any of the AI packs though; there's certainly no "bad purchase" in the list anymore, it's just a question of what you're looking for more and which added schtick (think "useable ATC towers" or "reworked airports" or "flight board system") you prefer.

[MDF86 123]

Great, thank you so much, that's very helpful! I will have a think about all of the options!

 

Martin

[pilotter 252]

thinking of having UT2 and updating it with WOAI and UTT.

[Andydigital 93]

MyTraffic X 5.4 Pro schedules are not a year old at all, they are updated every time the product is updated and they are current at the time of release. Updates come usually every spring and autumn. Minor updates are free, major updates are charged but existing customers only pay about €12 for the major update. Each cycle is usually 18 months start to finish, so this time we had 5.4 as the major release for €12 then 6 months later 5.4a which was free, then 5.4b 6 months after that, again free. Normally the next update should be a major release but its going to be another free update instead i.e. 5.4c and its in beta testing now.

 

You certainly get more for your money with MTX than you do with any other traffic product. By the way MyTraffic updates more than 2000 default airports with parking and taxiways to make them work with AI traffic, you don't get anywhere near that with any other traffic program. MyTraffic X 5.4 Pro makes the world come alive not just the major hubs.

 

You can find out just about anything you want to know about the traffic programs available for FSX just by using the search function here at this forum. Your very question is asked almost on a weekly basis, so it wouldn't take you long to find relevant discussion just by browsing through the various pages here even without using the search function.

[xplanery 250]

I think UT2 updated with some more freeware liveries and models is the best AI traffic system, it gives me complete control over things and installing liveries, new airlines etc is very easy. Airlines also fly routes with waypoints, not just boring direct flights. The bad thing is that over the sea far enough from land traffic disappears, however it does reappear near land again. Also installing all those missing liveries for airlines takes some time, currently I still have about 100 left. I rather see UT2 as a tool to get the best possible AI, not as a complete traffic program. 

 

 

 

MyTraffic X 5.4 Pro schedules are not a year old at all, they are updated every time the product is updated and they are current at the time of release.

 

 

 

Depends from airline, I remember seeing some quite old stuff flying especially in less known areas, airlines that really haven't operated in many years and such. But that's of course understandable as Mytraffic has so huge amount of small not welll known airlines in it too.

 

 

I went with UT2 simply to get better control over airlines & better models. 

[captjames 19]

I've tried most AI options and the one that wins my heart every time is WOAI!!!!

[Sunaru 12]

MyTraffic X 5.4 Pro schedules are not a year old at all, they are updated every time the product is updated and they are current at the time of release. Updates come usually every spring and autumn. Minor updates are free, major updates are charged but existing customers only pay about €12 for the major update. 

[...]

By the way MyTraffic updates more than 2000 default airports with parking and taxiways to make them work with AI traffic, you don't get anywhere near that with any other traffic program. MyTraffic X 5.4 Pro makes the world come alive not just the major hubs.

 

Did not know that first part, good to know. Wish I could edit my original post to reflect that... Forgot to mention the second part, did already know that though.

 

You can find out just about anything you want to know about the traffic programs available for FSX just by using the search function here at this forum. Your very question is asked almost on a weekly basis, so it wouldn't take you long to find relevant discussion just by browsing through the various pages here even without using the search function.

Which is exactly why I tried to compile all I remembered from all the repeat threads into one (or two replies) without explicitly berating the OP for starting the same thread again in the hope to contain the question to this thread with a clear title for once.   :lol:

[FloG 148]

 

 

Ultimate Traffic 2:
+ Co-operation with TFS, AI Aardvark and others results in lowest FPS hit of all 3 commercial options, on par with WoAI/UTT

I would be very careful with such generalizing statements regarding the performance of AI addons. While it may be true on one machine, it may be completely different on another machin. I for one have had very bad performance with UT2, but only a very small FPS hit with MTX, and from what I've read here, this seems to be not only me, but a general thing. AI traffic performnce apparently depends very much on your personal system setup!