1999 is a landmark year for obvious reasons. First, it's the final year before the Millenium. But second, and more important for COMBATSIM.COM™, it's the year that both Andy Hollis and Paul Grace left Janes Combat Simulations.

The sooth sayers and prognosticators have been driven mad by lesser events. With these two stellar simulation producers moving on to other projects, who will carry the torch into the next Millenium? And with Gilman Louie no longer the head of Microprose, is hard core simulation gaming going the way of the Dodo?

Signs of the Times

I'm happy to say that E3 has quelled my fears that the end of the world was near. Hard core simulation gaming is alive and well, and I think the situation may actually be IMPROVING rather than deteriorating. Let me show you the signs of the times.

The best way to do this is to simply list the military simulation products at E3 that can be classified as hard-core. But just what IS "hard core" in the simulation universe?

I define "hard core" a simulation that realistically represents 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.

Naturally, this would entail in MOST cases that the actual systems are simulated. And it also entails that the reactions of AI are similar in sophistication to the reactions of their real world counterparts.

Team Alligator

From this perspective you can begin to see why I am so hopeful. How many simulations prior to 1998 actually modeled weather? In 1999 virtually every new simulation will do so, greatly increasing the level of challenge, in parallel to the real world of combat operations.

Furthermore, as hardware capabilities increase, we are seeing more sophisticated AI and more powerful physics engines. Inevitably, it is becoming easier and easier for simulation developers to model real world interactions.

Super Hornet

The most obvious area of growth involves the graphical environment per se. The simulation engines I saw at E3 this year are nothing short of stunning. Some prime examples of this are DI's Super Hornet, SIMIS Ka52 Team Alligator, Microprose B17 II and Janes F18. A graphics engine is critical for establishing a real world environment, effective use of perspective and line of sight parameters, and accuracy and ease of realistic situational awareness.

Voice Recognition and Voice Comms

Finally, a critical growth area is in voice communications. In the past six months at least three significant products have been released that allow real time voice communications while playing online games: Roger Wilco, Battlefield Communicator, and Thrustmaster's own proprietary software to name a few. Other companies are now incorporating real time voice into their simulation engines: Novalogic, iMagic and others.

My own wanderings at E3 placed this into perspective for me when I ran face to face with Game Commander. This voice recognition kit comes with a small headset and software that allows you to use voice commands in ANY WIN95/98 game.

I was pessimistic at first, but after seeing the software in action in Rainbow Six I became a believer. The ability to issue commands to a team mate, or swap weapons, or change views all by voice radically changes that game and will profoundly impact the way you play future releases. As this software gains an audience it may even impact the way that simulations are designed. (Watch for a special report soon.)

The "A" List

There are MANY candidates for the hard core crowd currently in development. For military flight simulation fans there is DI Super Hornet, Empire MiG Alley, Eidos Confirmed Kill, Janes F18, Janes A10, Microprose B17 II, Microprose Gunship III and M1TP III, EA Flight Combat, and DiD Typhoon.

Janes A10

But that's not all! Try iMagic Warbirds 3, IL2 Sturmovik, GT Interactive Ka52 Team Alligator, Microsoft Fighter Ace II, Psygnosis Panzer Elite, Psygnosis Nations: Fighter Command, SSI Silent Hunter II, SSI Fighting Steel, SSI Destroyer Command, SSI Flanker 2, and coming in 2000, Harpoon4. And this doesn't even consider the FPS, Mech, or Strategy arenas!

It doesn't seem to me that we are in great danger of becoming an obsolete fan club. Rather, I suspect that hard core gaming will be alive and well in the 21st century and that our ranks will continue to grow.

Harpoon4

With the abilities of our hardware continually expanding, what do you want to sim today?