Simulator Games

[BeBMan]

Did you play them? I mean both air/space combat sims or other, like sub sims (though yeah, space combat a la "Wing Commander" is maybe not really a "simulation", but still...).


However, I played some of those games (seemingly) ages ago quite alot. I still remember playing Red Baron, Falcon, or Silent Service II or the mentioned Wing Commander series.

Surprisingly, this type of games seems to have almost died? There is this new Star Citizen game sure, but the whole variety that was there earlier seems to have been gone.

If you search for "simulation" these days, you either get flight sims that are 10+ years old, or free-to-pay online stuff. Or a bunch of games a la "The Sims", "Railroad Tycoon" or "Forklift Simulator 12.0" which is something completely different.

Why's that?

(that is a very important thread).

[Proteus_MST]

There actually is the Digital Combat Simulator series of Combat Flight Sims:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/

The company behind this also does professional military simulators ...
and some of their flight sims are extremly detailed (those which are marked as "study simulations".

For example the {url=https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/planes/warthog/]A-10C Warthog[/url] is so detailed that almost every button in the simulated cockpit is clickable and serves its function.
You can even start in a cold and dark cockpit and go through the official A-10C checklists in order topower up the plane (which may take 10 mins and more) ... and firing an AGM Maverick is a science by itself that you first have to learn
(and actually, you are advised to have a HOTAS system with as many buttons and slipers at hand as you can afford (maybe even Thrustmasters Warthof HOTAS), as the A-10C is a flying computer that can (in reality as in simulation) almost fully operated via the many buttons, switches and sliders on the HOTAS
(the A-10C isn't the only flight sim from DCS that has this degree of realism)

As for SciFi flying sims:
You mention Star Citizen, but fail to mention Elite: Dangerous?

Not nice, after all Elite: Dangerous has simulated the whole Milky Way as MMO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Dangerous

Actually Elite: Dangerous is the only game that ever gave me an impression of the unbelievable huge size of not only the Milky Way as a whole, but also already about the vicinity of our own sol system in its local arm.

For a slight impression look here (and yes, you can travel to every star you see there ... although it can take you weeks, depending on the distance (especially since your FTL drive only allowes you short hops before you have to refuel)).

Most of the stars also have planets and on most of them you can land (currently only on those without an atmosphere ... something that is going to change in the future)

As for simulations in general:
Dunno, IMHO there is a broad spectrum on Sims ... you have simulated trains (Train simulator 2019), simulated farming vehicles (Farming simulator 19), still have commercial flight simulators (X-Plane) and so on.

Looks to me like the spectrum of simulators has even grown more broadly compared to, for example, 20 years ago

[Broken_Erika]

I'm still waiting for a Sim-Simulator. (a simulated simulator) It's gonna be so realistic, you'll swear you were really playing a simulator.

[BeBMan]

Sim-Sim? It's the Matrix

For example the {url=https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/planes/warthog/]A-10C Warthog[/url] is so detailed that almost every button in the simulated cockpit is clickable and serves its function.
You can even start in a cold and dark cockpit and go through the official A-10C checklists in order topower up the plane (which may take 10 mins and more) ... and firing an AGM Maverick is a science by itself that you first have to learn

That's too much for me I liked to play simulation because generally I liked more complex games, but I don't want to spend ages to learn the basics. Some balance between realism and ...eh...comfort is best for me - I mean in the end I'm a player, not a pilot (tho many game allow to tone down the expert stuff via settings). These days it's also a question of time.

As for SciFi flying sims:
You mention Star Citizen, but fail to mention Elite: Dangerous?

Completely missed that, might check it out. Thx

[self biased]

man, if only they made a sim-nation kinda game. where you'd run a civilization throughout the eras of history, research tech, go to war, and develop culture.

[Broken_Erika]

man, if only they made a sim-nation kinda game. where you'd run a civilization throughout the eras of history, research tech, go to war, and develop culture.

Nah, that would never work as a game.

[rah]

Wouldn't matter. By the 5th iteration they'd probably ruin it.

[BeBMan]

Played Civ only up to pt 4. But I also played Sid Meier's Pirate simulator...

[ZEE]

I like Broken Erika

[Proteus_MST]

Sim-Sim? It's the Matrix

That's too much for me I liked to play simulation because generally I liked more complex games, but I don't want to spend ages to learn the basics. Some balance between realism and ...eh...comfort is best for me - I mean in the end I'm a player, not a pilot (tho many game allow to tone down the expert stuff via settings). These days it's also a question of time.

They also have more lightweight simulators where not every aspect is simulated and players don't need to have knowledge that would be sufficient to fly the real plane (with regards to the A-10C-Simulator I should btw. mention that the games producer actually went to a real A-10C-Simulator of the US-Mil, armed only with knowledge from the simulation his companby made and was able to successfully start the plane, fly a combat mission and successfully land at the airfield again )

I also forgot to mention something else:
War Thunder, a F2P MMO

It simulates tanks, warplanes and nowadays also small ships /Torpedo boats and DDs) from WW2 till the early postwar period
It has 3 difficulty levels ... while the simulation of hits in all 3 modes is ultra realistic (you don't have hitpoints of the tank, ship, plane, but rather damage their subsystems and crew ... also meaning that for tanks, you may hit a tank 100 times but not penetrate a single one and the enemy tank being still as fresh as new (as he doesn't lose any HP, which don't exist, as I mentioned)), the presentation of your environment is different in each one ... in the "easiest" (Arcade mode), you have allegiance signs over every tank/vehicle, meaning you know where the enemy is (and what side each tank is on) and you also have 3rd person view ... in the most difficult one (Simulator Mode) you are resticted to cockpit view and you don't actually know what side each vehicle is on ... meaning that you may well attack your own sides tanks and also will have to serch for enemy tanks (i.e. a good hiding position is worth gold)

[Grandpa Troll]

Wouldn't matter. By the 5th iteration they'd probably ruin it.

Now thats just hatin......(j/k)

[Grandpa Troll]

Played Civ only up to pt 4. But I also played Sid Meier's Pirate simulator...

This reminded me of trusting Sid's name to be associated with a great gaming experience...bought into Sid Meiers Railroad back in mid 2000's...had hoped for a better experience....

[Grandpa Troll]

This reminded me of trusting Sid's name to be associated with a great gaming experience...bought into Sid Meiers Railroad back in mid 2000's...had hoped for a better experience....

I was reading where Sid actually was involved with Railroad Tycoon...hmm....didnt get into this however did try out SM Railroad as previously mentioned..

[Broken_Erika]

Pffft, who plays simulator games, try a real game.

[Aeson]

I used to use Alexa, then I took an arrow to the knee.