| Hard Core Simulations: Live Long and Prosper!
by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson |
||||
|
On August 21st Ty Brewer, simulation editor at Gamesdomain, posted an editorial that stated, among other things, that since F22 Lightning in its various iterations has outsold Falcon 4, gamers have reason to worry about the development of serious military simulations. Ty's premise contains elements of truth, but I think he has neglected some vital factors. The Climate for Serious Sims The first factor he has neglected is the actual production climate for serious (as opposed to hardcore, just a semantical difference) simulations. I define "serious" simulations as those which realistically represent the weapons, platforms and environment of the actual world. "Realistic" does not entail that every individual system be represented, but that the challenges a player faces will be at a similar level to the challenge faced by an actual person in the real world environment. Inevitably, this includes workload and so systems must approximate the real thing. It also entails that the reactions of AI are similar in sophistication to the reactions of their real world counterparts. Actual production of serious simulations is alive and well, thank you very much! While from an economic standpoint this might seem a bit of a mystery, one must not neglect to take into account what I'll call the "amateur factor." What does "amateur" have to do with "serious" simulations, you ask? The word "amateur" is from the Latin "amati," meaning "lover of." Serious sim designers don't do what they do because it is economically rewarding; they do what they do for the love of the sport. Love being what it is, a crazed and intoxicated commitment based on factors that transcend reason, there will always be serious sim designers! Proof? You want proof that serious sims are alive and well? Let's take a gander at what is currently in production. The proof is in the pudding.
|
 MiG Alley Escort The Frying Pan to the Fire The next factor he has neglected is the migration to serious sims among sim players. Inevitably, a percentage of novice sim fans make their way to more serious simulations, and this migration seems to be increasing. I think there are at least two reasons. First, I would argue that the Internet itself is a major factor in the increasing percentage of sim fans who are moving from the shallow end to the deep end. Inevitably, novice sim fans are impressed by the knowledge level and credentials of the more serious crowd. And the arguments made by the serious crowd on the increased return in fun factor for the increased investment in time and energy are convincing. It simply is more fun to fly in a more challenging environment, and level of challenge is directly related to realism.
 Super Hornet Cockpit Second, I would argue that the move to more serious simulations is a function of accessibility in terms of hardware resources and standardization. The cost of a powerful computer system has dropped incredibly in the past year, thanks to improved technology and a small piece of silicon called the Celeron. Equally important, the emergence of WINDOWS as a standardized game platform has made game setup and compatability less an issue than it once was. Go to Gimme My Action Game!
|
|||
|
Copyright © 1997 - 2000 COMBATSIM.COM, INC. All Rights Reserved. Last Updated August 27th, 1999 |
||||