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Simulated Future
by Nigel DoyleThis shock to my system had me thinking about what exactly is in store for the Flight Simulator community in the future. Software companies main gripe about serious flight or any other simulation product seems to be the actual cost of developing said game. Often a game is started and by the time it is finished the graphics look out dated, but the game AI routines may be the best around, will it sell? Difficult question.
To those people with a genuine interest in the subject matter, then yes, the game will most probably be a winner, but to others who mistakenly judge a book by its cover and rely on say, visual appeal then no, and herein lies one of the problems. To the dedicated hard-core gamers who have bought the game, this will be the best thing since sliced bread, but will the sales be enough for the software company to recuperate its development costs, Consider the game a financial success and thus continue development?
Another factor literally seems to be the fact that the game is of a serious nature and the majority of the gaming community are put off by the size of the manual and the time that is required to learn the game. Consequently, this has seen the trend where-by game designers simplify the operation or certain aspects of the game in order to please the general gamer and hopefully get more sales. This method of approach is fine, providing that the simpler game operation does not impede on the more serious side of the game, as seen in the flight modelling and AI of some recent releases.
Based on what has been mentioned in the proceeding paragraphs, I am now going to suggest something that is pure speculation on my behalf. It could however, be the way in which we will all buy and play games in the future. I am not a programmer or a software developer, Cobol and Pascal was, and still are my programming limits. I am just somebody who wants to see a great passion of mine developer further. I will therefore, not be delving into technical details, just offering ideas that can maybe be picked up on and developed further.
My simulations have always been played off-line as a "Single Player", it was I against whatever bad guys a particular game could throw at me. Until about a year ago I did not think much of On-line games, the cost of calls within the UK being the main problem. This has now changed with certain ISP's offering free calls for a relatively cheap flat monthly rate. I have now been lead into a whole new arena as far as simulation games go; actually playing against human players is an experience all unto itself.
Becoming a member of a well-organised squad with a good training structure adds even more excitement to a game, knowing that the other aircraft within a game are actually piloted by human players and not the AI.
The satisfaction and feel good factor of online gaming is certainly one to be experienced. This does not mean that I want to see stand alone games vanish, quite the contrary, I think that developing skills off line and commanding your own war is the basis of what owning a games computer is all about. Therefore the system that I am proposing will be able to be played on or off line with equal enjoyment.
This is just a method in which the software industry could tackle the problem of development time and cost, which seems to be hitting quite a number of the big players. Companies that until now have always delivered and set the next generation of simulator standards.
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