What if there was a way to get flight instruction over a LAN? What if a friend could take you for a flight over their favorite spot in Kathmandu? How about acting as a crew member on one of Prepar3D's airliners?
That's all possible using Prepar3D's shared skies feature.
Prepar3D Multiplayer allows you to share control of a single aircraft. This is a great tool for giving or receiving instruction over a LAN.
Sharing the aircraft can also be a fun way to have a friend show you some beautiful scenery without you ever having to travel to their part of the world.
Note: As a participant in a Multiplayer session, you either host a session or join someone else's session. The host must enable the sharing option on the Additional Options tab of creating a session to allow other participants to share with players other than the host.
How to Share an Aircraft
The essential thing to know about sharing aircraft is that you can pass control of the aircraft back and forth between two participants in a Multiplayer session. An instructor can demonstrate a maneuver, and then hand control to a student to have them try the same maneuver. Or you can take turns showing each other scenery in your part of the world.
Note: The host can share his aircraft at any time but the host cannot join another player's shared aircraft. The host must enable other players to share aircraft with each other.
To allow players to share the host aircraft
- Open Multiplayer. You will be on the Multiplayer Login screen.
- Enter a User Name. This will be the name that player's will see you as when joining and hosting LAN Sessions.
- Click Sign In. (NOTE: This may take a few moments while the system broadcasts that you are now signed in and also searches for available games.)
- You will be in the Distributed Simulation Session Selection. From here click Host Session.
- Fill in the Basic Options tab and Additional Options tab (optional) on the Create Session screen. Be sure to check Players can share aircraft in Additional Options. Once this is done, click OK.
- Choose the Flight Options, and then click OK.
- You are now in the final game lobby. From here you can choose to fly now, wait for incoming players, or change your flight options before the session starts. By pressing Fly Now the session commences.
Players can also share their aircraft with each other when the host enables that option. When a player uses this option, the next player in the session to click the Join button is the one who will share that aircraft.
To allow players to share their aircraft with other players make sure your 'Share my aircraft' checkbox is checked in the in-game Flight Options.
There are two options that you can select when sharing:
- Disable sharing after session begins if no one has joined
This option prevents anyone from joining after you click Fly Now to start the session. - Enable shared voice communication
This option simulates an intercom system in the aircraft. The advantage of this option is that players do not need to press a button to talk to each other.
All players see a list of shared aircraft when they reach the Distributed Simulation Session Lobby (the last screen before the session starts). Unless the shared aircraft has been password-protected, any player can join one of them.
How to Join an Aircraft
You can join the host's aircraft if the host has made their aircraft available to join. You can also join another players aircraft if:
- The host has enabled sharing for all players.
- Another player has chosen to share their aircraft.
Note: The host can share his aircraft at any time but the host cannot join another player's shared aircraft.
To join a shared aircraft
- Start Multiplayer and sign in as normal.
- On the Distributed Simulation Session Selection screen, click the session you wish to join from the Choose a Session list box. Next, click the Join Session button to join.
- On the Choose Your Flight Options screen, click OK as most of the options will be overridden during a shared session.
- On the Distributed Simulation Session Lobby screen, click the player you wish to share from the Players list box. Next, click the Share Aircraft to join the highlighted player.
- Click Ready and wait till the server begins the session.
Transferring Aircraft Control
Once you start flying in a Multiplayer shared-aircraft session, you can transfer control of the aircraft back and forth with the other pilot.
The pilot in control is the only one who can fly the aircraft. However, the other pilot can still operate aircraft systems and radios.
To transfer aircraft control
- Press SHIFT+T.
The other pilot receives a message asking if they want to accept control of the aircraft.
To accept aircraft control
- Press SHIFT+T.
Voice Communication
If you have a Windows-compatible headset (or a microphone and speakers) and want to use voice communications while sharing an aircraft, you must select the voice communication option. A broadband Internet connection is required for voice communications.
The advantage to using the intercom is that players don't have to push a button to talk. This feature simulates a “hot” microphone that is always on.
This option is only available when you share an aircraft.
To enable voice communication
(broadband Internet connection required)
- On the Multiplayer screen, sign in using a Local Area Network.
- Host or join a session.
- Under Sharing, select the Enable shared voice communication check box.