Create a Game Save System for Single Player

[SharpeXB]

Problem: DCS like other flight sims lacks a way for the player to save and resume missions. This is unlike every other game type. All other games have a system to save the players progress at regular intervals through either a direct save / load feature or checkpoints. No other game type in the world makes the player repeat an hour or more of their progress if they quit and return to the game. Why this problem afflicts flight sims is hard to understand.

The effect of this flaw in the game can't be understated, it's a very profound limitation that greatly diminishes the popularity and approachability of this genre far more than the need for controllers or their complexity. It's almost certainly one of the main reasons flight sims are not popular games.

Flight sims, for whatever reason, have a terrible lack of single player content in the form of actual campaigns. Why? Probably because players don't use them. Why don't players use campaigns? Because they can't save their progress! It's a simple answer. And it's important to realize the average player only sits down at a game for maybe 20-30 minutes in a session. The game needs the ability to provide a more in depth experience while recognizing this fact.

 

Solution: Obviously the system used by many games of having checkpoints doesn't work with a flight sim, the gameplay style doesn't follow a script. But a direct save / load feature is possible. Civilian flight sims like X-Plane have this, making long flights playable. The game could also be set to just auto save progress every so often. It could even be up to the mission designer to decide how much challenge they want to give the player, too many saves can make objectives too easy. But that's up to the creator.

The DCS engine is already capable of this, in the replay mode you can actually take over the action where you left off. But it involves having to fast forward to that point and such a process doesn't give you credit for succeeding with a mission in a campaign. Without the ability to easily take on longer more realistic flights, DCS is reduced to an aircraft starting simulator rather than a game that has the capacity to give the player a richer experience.

 

This is an important feature that would greatly increase the accessibility and appeal of the game. It would also stimulate the creation of more single player content. Please consider it, thanks.

[OnlyforDCS]

This is a great idea and I second the motion! :thumbup:

[SharpeXB]

Here's an example for game appeal. Look at racing sims. Why are these so much more popular than flight sims? They are also complex sims and require extra controllers. But a race in these games I'll guess isn't an hour long road trip which you can't save. You can probably jump into the game and get a good experience with it in just a short session.

[MegOhm_SD]

Interesting. But when it comes to serious flight sim enthusiasts, sessions of 20-30 minutes seems short. Sessions are more like hours and varies greatly depending on the mission and mission style. I can see the need for saving progress in a SP campaign mission though.

[EagleEye]

Would also like such a functionality!:thumbup: I often hesitate to do long missions because I can not save the progress when I have to leave the PC.

Not sure if DCS engine is allready capable of it with that replay feature. We have seen that feature often broken and not very reliable. It may working better right now, don`t know for sure.

[grunf]

+1

 

When I learned that it's not possible to save the game I couldn't believe it. I play some other fairly complex games, and all of them have a save game possibility. Some of them produce half a gigabyte file, but it works.

[cichlidfan]

Anyone know of another flight sim with a save game feature? Think about it.

[Exorcet]

While I think it's a great idea, I don't think it's pivotal for making flight sims accessibility. It's not difficult to make quick missions, and online the large servers basically specialize in this area.

 

 

Here's an example for game appeal. Look at racing sims. Why are these so much more popular than flight sims? They are also complex sims and require extra controllers. But a race in these games I'll guess isn't an hour long road trip which you can't save. You can probably jump into the game and get a good experience with it in just a short session.

 

Race sims aren't necessarily quick ordeals. They can be even more time demanding than combat flight sims. Endurance races are over 2 hours long and can go as long as 24 hours. I think the longest race in history was 36 hours.

 

Jumping into a race sim and doing a 15 minute race isn't really any different from turning on DCS and using create fast mission.

[NineLine]

Here's an example for game appeal. Look at racing sims. Why are these so much more popular than flight sims? They are also complex sims and require extra controllers. But a race in these games I'll guess isn't an hour long road trip which you can't save. You can probably jump into the game and get a good experience with it in just a short session.

 

I am not sure I get the comparison here, sorry I might just be missing it. I have done a lot of racing over the years, and i would say its very similar to flight sims, I can jump in for a 5-10 lap shoot out, but I have also been in races that have taken a few hours... I know there are people that do even longer endurance races. I know some racing sims have a "auto-pilot" type option, but for the most part they are in the same boat... no save, just race till its done, or crash out ;)

[SharpeXB]

Anyone know of another flight sim with a save game feature? Think about it.

X-Plane allows you to save and load situations. And DCS is actually capable of "saving" the data in a replay track, it's just cumbersome to use.

Edited September 3, 2015 by SharpeXB

[SharpeXB]

Interesting. But when it comes to serious flight sim enthusiasts, sessions of 20-30 minutes seems short. Sessions are more like hours and varies greatly depending on the mission and mission style. I can see the need for saving progress in a SP campaign mission though.

Right. It's not that missions should be that short but your progress needs to be saved. A good system would be transparent to the player. It could be up to the mission design on how to incorporate it. Maybe it saves at time intervals or maybe at objectives or waypoints.

[SharpeXB]

Race sims aren't necessarily quick ordeals. They can be even more time demanding than combat flight sims. Endurance races are over 2 hours long and can go as long as 24 hours. I think the longest race in history was 36 hours.

I've never played racing sims so yeah I'm just guessing. Are you talking about Multiplayer or single player? I'll bet the game doesn't make you play SP for 2 hours straight without saving it?

[wilbur81]

Agreed

 

Good idea for SP. I'd second or third this.

[Blech]

Anyone know of another flight sim with a save game feature? Think about it.

 

 

Hi,

 

MS Flight

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

An unlimited save option would be great for every kind of training purposes.

If you fail or miss something, you can immediately load a initial situation again and again without wasting time for configuring switches / settings every time new.

At a certain level of knowledge you have the change to practice a longer/complex mission with its "1001" steps in one piece.

[SharpeXB]

And this feature wouldn't dumb down the game. In fact it would unleash the full sim potential. Imagine A-10 flights long enough to actually require Air to Air refueling. What about long range bomber escorts in the P-51 when WWII comes along? Or just realistic missions period.

Right now the SP potential of the game is in fact limited to short arcade style missions, like fly through the green hoops. Anything more complex isn't being developed because people don't buy enough of the planes or play long enough missions to justify creating anything more realistic.

[cichlidfan]

X-Plane allows you to save and load situations. And DCS is actually capable of "saving" the data in a replay track, it's just cumbersome to use.

 

A 'situation' is not the same thing as saving a game at any given moment. DCS tracks are so unreliable that the idea of using that system to save a game is just silly.

[cichlidfan]

Hi,

 

MS Flight

 

:megalol::megalol:

[SharpeXB]

A 'situation' is not the same thing as saving a game at any given moment. DCS tracks are so unreliable that the idea of using that system to save a game is just silly.

Sure but the point is that it seems possible. And the idea is not to make DCS like other flight sims but to make it like every other game in the world. Flight sims are suffering as a genre so I don't see the point in trying to maintain the status quo. It's time to think out of the box.

 

Every other entertainment media in the world has a "save system"

Books have bookmarks

Imagine a DVD movie that forced you to repeat the last two hours of a movie instead of resuming where you left off?

And no other game genre in the world lacks a save system. Just combat flight sims. Why?

It's time that flight sims get in touch with what customers need.

[NineLine]

Sure but the point is that it seems possible. And the idea is not to make DCS like other flight sims but to make it like every other game in the world. Flight sims are suffering as a genre so I don't see the point in trying to maintain the status quo. It's time to think out of the box.

 

Every other entertainment media in the world has a "save system"

Books have bookmarks

Imagine a DVD movie that forced you to repeat the last two hours of a movie instead of resuming where you left off?

And no other game genre in the world lacks a save system. Just combat flight sims. Why?

It's time that flight sims get in touch with what customers need.

 

Sorry, some of your comparisons are a little extreme... a book mark could be a torn piece of paper... developing a saved game feature might be a little tougher.

 

We demand as much realism in our sims as possible, but then we want to pause them mid fight in order to go watch the Simpsons or change a diaper :) I would love a save feature as well, things come up, but lets not get too off the wall with our examples...

[SharpeXB]

Sorry, some of your comparisons are a little extreme... a book mark could be a torn piece of paper...

Ok I'm reaching a bit far with that one... :music_whistling:

[Blech]

:megalol::megalol:

 

Hi,

 

:D My mistake - learned something

 

I used MS Flight as a short form for MS Flight Simulator / Flight Simulator X

 

MS Flight = MS Flight

MS Flight <> MS Flight Simulator / Flight Simulator X

[Exorcet]

I've never played racing sims so yeah I'm just guessing. Are you talking about Multiplayer or single player? I'll bet the game doesn't make you play SP for 2 hours straight without saving it?

 

Both. In fact even not very serious simulation like Gran Turismo has 24 hour single player races. You have to do it one sitting and can't save inbetween in some of the games.

 

And this feature wouldn't dumb down the game.

Agreed, if it's optional, then it takes away nothing from the simulation. Goes for any feature.

 

 

Right now the SP potential of the game is in fact limited to short arcade style missions, like fly through the green hoops. Anything more complex isn't being developed because people don't buy enough of the planes or play long enough missions to justify creating anything more realistic.

This I don't agree with. My missions can easily reach hours long. They are more limited by issue with AI rearming and map size than being able to save while in a mission.

[Scendore]

Anyone know of another flight sim with a save game feature? Think about it.

 

Yes Falcon 4.

[cichlidfan]

Yes Falcon 4.

 

Try for one where the company did not fold.

[SharpeXB]

This I don't agree with. My missions can easily reach hours long. They are more limited by issue with AI rearming and map size than being able to save while in a mission.

Sure but the fact people can't save their progress certainly limits the number that would otherwise like to play your missions.