Why Black Shark?

[mbolan]

I'd like to leverage off some comments that I made elsewhere to give my view of why Black Shark and to potentially open new thoughts to others.

 

IMHO, this sim is brilliant. It combines many complex features and places them in an evironment that offers serious learning opportunities to the user, creates the possibility of development of personal strategies to deal with complexity, offers memorable graphical eye candy, and creates access to a new world of enjoyment.

 

Flying the Ka is no easy task. Anyone who can do it well has learned much. Dropping in on a frigate with a skidding turn followed by a perfect descent and gentle flare out are seriously challenging and very rewarding for the pilot when done well. The feeling is of a pilot in control of a very complex instrument in a dynamic environment.

 

There are boundaries to the sim - there have to be otherwise the sim would be as complete as the real world and would no longer be a sim! Without such boundaries, the sim would be impossible to comprehend or learn.

 

I suggest to all flyers/users/rubbernecks that in the first instance they concentrate on what this sim offers - what we simmers can get out of it - how we can use its functionality for fun and for our own learning (for more on this see 'The Decisive Moment' by Lehrer that describes how simulators can be used to increase brain power and personal capacities).

 

It's always possible to point to missing elements or things that could be different (what no chaff, no target recognition, no blood, no oil in the road) etc. But all of these minor points miss the point - the sim is a computer representation of a reality that itself is flawed and is frozen in one moment in the infinite strand of time.

 

It's easy to call for perfection but we can too easily end up with absurdity (How come this Spitfire doesn't have missiles?).

 

Various ideas for improvement may, or may not, be useful. The problem really exists for the novice who starts to focus on what might be, rather than on what is. The Ka-50 exists, it has flaws, the enemy can outgun it - but that's the way it is. Failure to recognise these realities acts to prevent full enjoyment of the sim and stands in the way of personal learning.

 

The developers of this product should rightfully be proud. They have constructed a simulated reality that is second to none on the PC. They need ideas to improve on it along with encouragement to keep at it. It's a tremendous tribute to see a product in this high quality condition still at version 1.0. The testers and release team got it so right - if only Microsoft would learn from this!!

 

Constant complaints and minor carping won't encourage much except resignation and apathy. These are not outcomes that the sim community should want from developers of this quality.

 

Yes, development will drift onto the new pseudo reality of the A10 (I hope) and again it'll be a partial representation of the real world. By that time I will have had some very enjoyable and positive experiences for my modest investment of $80 and will have a product that I can return to at any time.

 

In addition my eyes will have been opened to more of my limitations and I will have been presented with the opportunity to overcome them.

 

Once a flyer has learned to control the Ka beast, they can relax more and start to get deeply into strategic and tactical problems like how to approach a defensive position. While they are doing this, they are exercising more of their brains than most people are going to use in much of their lives. They are going to learn to control their own responses and reactions (like controlling the 'hunting' of over/undershoot when trying to land on a small area) and gain other important insights into their own capacities.

 

That learning is invaluable and probably cannot be achieved any other way for most of us.

 

I encourage everyone, seek first to understand before trying to be understood. :thumbup:

Edited June 9, 2009 by mbolan

[nemises]

well said

[HellMutt]

Very well said.

I particularily agree with the part where you say that the developpers (and everyone involved with this product, like the Beta team, ...) should be proud of the final product. Few things are as rewarding as the feeling you get from a job well done. I hope that's what they're feeling, they have every right to, in my opinion.

[Guest nezumiamalek]

the high learning curve is simply a sign of how beautifully complex and good this game is, as long as they maintain their standards and continually improve I can't wait for every other followup and will continue to purchase them (can't wait for the co-pilot fix and the only thing this game is missing is a dynamic campaign!)

Edited June 8, 2009 by nezumiamalek

[Zakk]

After playing LOMAC it's pretty obvious to see where Black Shark came from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM0_oDkgQPM

[rrohde]

I encourage everyone, seek first to understand before trying to be understood. :thumbup:

 

... paraphrasing Steven R. Covey there, eh? ;)

[mbolan]

Well spotted rrohde...a man with plenty of good ideas.

 

And fair enough Zakk...I've ordered my copy...will review in the near future.

[ogiedogg]

Oooh, had to take a moment to wipe my tearing eyes.... Hahaha... Seriously, that has to be one of the best reviews I've ever read from the quick thank you to detailed from like Sim HQ(beloved by us all). I ask that the word to read this post be spread by us all and please by all means, ED must make this a STICKY... In closing I'd like to say Thank You for recognizing the community for our inteligence and devoetion to our hobby- love- obession with flight simulation........ Thank You again for this posting.....

[Chelco]

mbolan,

 

Great post. Thanks for the perspective.

 

Cheers,

[rrohde]

Well spotted rrohde...a man with plenty of good ideas.

 

Yes, I totally agree! Have 2 of his audio-books that I listen to in the car most of the time. :)