Would you pay $500 for a flight sim?

[rainbird]

Eddie is not an ED official. That is his personal opinion right there, as he himself mentioned, so don't take it as word from ED.

 

Sure, I understand. Well. let me rephrase: UNTIL such a time as a commercial sim's campaign editor can mature into a realtime Dynamic Campaign, I feel Falcon 4.0/BMS is currently the greatest sim available and it is free. So no need to pay $500.

[arteedecco]

A real mission editor application with a solid UI that has a REALLY well-documented API. Maybe it would use LUA, which seems to be favored in the DCS series as well as in ARMA (though I believe ARMA III is going to Java [not JavaScript]), but maybe JavaScript could be used. Not just a scrapped together UI. For $500 this thing should be a full-fledged application.

 

ALL vehicles and systems modeled and available to play / command.

 

Completely customizable vehicle, munitions (I want to add markings on the sides of my bombs), avatar skin templates in PSD format. I want to be able to equip a HARM on my P-51 if I want to put in the effort, but the game should allow for me grabbing the HARM, the harm system, the HARM management display and dropping it into my P-51, or what have you (A-10).

 

The ability to easily select your weapons loadout within the limits of the aircraft capability BEFORE launch (a briefing section).

 

WAY better visual affects and AI on land vehicles. I should actually be able to visually identify targets without being totally dependent upon my TGP. NOTE: I run on older equipment so perhaps if I could run at peak game performance today, I might not have the same criticism).

 

Imagine blending ARMA II (or III) for ground / infantry, and A-10C & BS2 model for air.

 

Basically, if they left the graphics alone and just added content, expanded the mission editor to a real, solid application where triggers and logic are available via the UI (thinking the graphical UI part should include an Integrated Development Environment with debugger).

 

Here's the big part that would require quite a bit of new code: I'm not insinuating that I like this game, or endorse console gaming, but... when Dirt 2 first came out, I had the opportunity to play it on a cutting edge system with a huge display. The part I liked, that I'm adding to this wish-list is that it would create a movie of your races which you could review afterwards. I loved it and the algorithm used was actually pretty good. One of the things that keeps me coming back to IL2 (Pacific Fighters) is the built-in movie recording and playback and the easy mouselook camera operation. Just take one look at YouTube and you can see how much fun people have sharing their funniest moments, tips & tricks, exploits, awesome team play, and even failures. I know A-10C has this capability but it seems to be quite finicky and error prone with objects not showing up in the movie where they were while you were playing. I never had that problem in IL2 (obviously a much less-rich and intensive game, but hey! we're wishing here).

 

I'd like to be able to set up briefings, waypoints, and get recon photos before launching.

 

So, that's my 10 cents. Thoughts?

[Weta43]

I want to be able to equip a HARM on my P-51 if I want to put in the effort, but the game should allow for me grabbing the HARM, the harm system, the HARM management display and dropping it into my P-51, or what have you (A-10).

but then it's a fantasy game, not a sim... 8)

 

ALL vehicles and systems modeled and available to play / command.

Don't know about 'all' (not sure I can be bothered driving the fuel truck or transport carrying re-loads), but some would be nice, true...

 

Imagine blending ARMA II (or III) for ground / infantry, and A-10C & BS2 model for air.

Yep, would be great.

 

The ability to easily select your weapons loadout within the limits of the aircraft capability BEFORE launch (a briefing section).

...

I'd like to be able to set up briefings, waypoints, and get recon photos before launching.

You already can in the DCS ME...(at least whoever set up the mission can, and you can edit / re-setup existing missions if you want)

[arteedecco]

THanks for the reply Weta43!

 

but then it's a fantasy game, not a sim... 8)

Not really. A "SIM", simulates reality (RL). It is completely feasible in RL the HARM could be deemed crucial to the success of the A-10C mission and then flight tested and eventually fielded in combat. Doesn't matter if it seems likely, it is possible. "Fantasy" would be if I wanted to add a cartoon missile that shot fireballs out of it and cast spells as it flew to the target (lol). This SIM, grants us a sandbox, which is what I'm describing. I mean... P-51? Having a P-51 flying around in the A-10C environment is WAY more fantasy than equipping a HARM to an A-10C.

 

Don't know about 'all' (not sure I can be bothered driving the fuel truck or transport carrying re-loads), but some would be nice, true...

True indeed! I find driving the fuel truck in ARMA to be "neat" once... then I'm like... it's tank, helo, and cobra time!

 

You already can in the DCS ME...(at least whoever set up the mission can, and you can edit / re-setup existing missions if you want)

Yeah... ME for mission creator. Back to fantasy vs. hard-core sim that models RL... :music_whistling: But in RL you get to select your loadout before you step on a mission. I mean, heck.. you could do it all the way back to Falcon 3.0 (I think!?) for goodness sake.

[cichlidfan]

But in RL you get to select your loadout before you step on a mission.

 

I believe that in RL you get assigned a mission/aircraft/loadout.;)

[walker450]

Yes

[slug88]

You can select your loadout during the mission briefing by using the Mission Planner. You get to it by a round button beneath the briefing window.

[Weta43]

You can select your loadout during the mission briefing by using the Mission Planner. You get to it by a round button beneath the briefing window.

If you always use the ME button to access the missions, you don't need to go to mission planner.

[arteedecco]

You can select your loadout during the mission briefing by using the Mission Planner. You get to it by a round button beneath the briefing window.

 

Oh, gotcha, that's handy. True in MultiPlayer as well?