Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has introduced a host of visual enhancements, including a much greater diversity of biomes, which make vegetation more realistic and accurate around the world. But some of these changes have left some simmers scratching their heads. From oversized urban trees to misplaced bamboo forests, certain areas feel like they need a closer look from the developers.
Thankfully, Bijan Habashi, the creator of popular seasonal mods for MSFS 2020, has stepped in to address these quirks with a brand-new version designed specifically for MSFS 2024.
Having built a reputation for adding seasonal depth to MSFS 2020, Bijan has now turned his attention to the latest simulator, bringing his expertise to fine-tune the virtual flora and correct some inaccuracies.
One of the standout updates focuses on taming the oversized trees that have plagued urban areas in MSFS 2024. While large trees might look impressive from 30,000 feet, they tend to overshadow realism when seen up close. Bijan’s mod reduces the size of these trees, ensuring cityscapes feel more natural and realistic.
Besides this obvious adjustment to tree height in MSFS 2020, Bijan is also looking to introduce region-specific enhancements. For example, for the Southern Hemisphere, Bijan has corrected seasonal inaccuracies, ensuring that places like Australia, South Africa, and Brazil finally experience the correct seasons. But there’s more:
- Scandinavia: Birch forests in Norway have been updated to better reflect their real-world counterparts, with trees moved back from water edges for a more authentic appearance.
- Los Angeles: The sprawling metropolis now features a mix of native trees, including palms, Mexican palms, jacarandas, and cypress trees. The Angeles National Forest also benefits from added pine trees.
- Scotland: Pine trees have been removed from inappropriate coastal and hillside locations, replaced with more realistic plantation-style forests.
- Greenland and Iceland: Greenland now features more accurate, sparse vegetation, while Iceland has been almost entirely cleared of the trees that MSFS previously overpopulated.
Meanwhile, high-altitude regions like the Alps, Canary Islands, and Himalayas have seen their forests scaled back to reflect actual treelines.
New Ecosystems
Beyond fixes, Bijan has added a variety of ecosystems to enhance the simulator’s realism:
- Shunan Bamboo Forest (China): Spanning 46 square miles, this detailed addition includes millions of bamboo trees and covers an impressive 27 mountains and 500 peaks.
- The Black Forest (Germany): This iconic European forest has been recreated to add a distinctive biome to the region.
- Deserts: More palm and date trees now populate desert cities, bringing life to areas that previously felt neglected.
- Rainforests: Banana, coconut, and additional rainforest species have been added to improve diversity.
Seasonal improvements also include the introduction of vibrant Royal Poinciana trees in Hawaii and deciduous trees in the northeastern US, offering a more colorful representation of autumn.
In addition to large-scale changes, Bijan has implemented numerous smaller updates that enhance the overall experience:
- Removed misplaced or excessive vegetation, such as bamboo forests in Tokyo, leftover trees in Antarctica, and pine forests in Texas.
- Adjusted the color vibrancy of eucalyptus trees and added more color depth to green trees globally.
- Fixed seasonal behaviors, such as bamboo trees dropping leaves incorrectly in winter.
- Improved transitions between city and rural vegetation, ensuring better blending of biomes.
Many updates incoming
What sets Bijan’s work apart is his commitment to continuous improvement. The developer is very open to community feedback and ensures that his next updates will address real-world concerns. If you’ve noticed trees that feel out of place or an area that needs enhancement, Bijan encourages you to share your findings to help shape future updates.
Bijan’s Seasons Enhanced for Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available on simMarket for approximately $18.00 USD. If you own one of the developer’s previous products, you might be eligible for a free upgrade. Be sure to log in to your simMarket account to check for any available discounts!
