Thanks for the good tips. I will certainly use FIX button to facilitate my descent rate.

I have been doing SIDs and STARs on all my flights since I bought CS aircraft and before that it was just stock planes in FS with ATC and GPS.
CS is highly realistic but in real world, the pilots do follow ATC and make changes on routes on the fly and for arrival/departures if they have to. The main problem I have with SID and STAR's is that the realism of ATC is missing. Choosing a departure still works but arrival is hit and miss. A lot of times I have ended up landing on a same runway where there is another aircraft coming from the opposite side. Kinda takes the fun out of perfect landing. Also, changing wind direction is doable cheat but still takes the fun out of realism. Realistic weather is more fun.

Another problem with SID/STAR approach is that navigraph data is also limited. I do most of my flying within US using navigraph data and roughly 20% of airports are missing. Some of these missing airports have wonderful departure/arrival scenery.  

As far as Radar Contact is concerned, if there is a way for me to figure out my landing runway even 200 miles from the destination airport using RC, so that I have enough time to program my FMC, that will convince me to buy it. Otherwise my stock ATC doesn't bother me as well when it comes to using my SID's and STAR's. I can just tune out of it.