Do they even make flight sims anymore?!?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-15 04:22am

I'm beginning to think that the answer is no. I can't find anything except stuff like Jetfighter IV and Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator. In the bargain bins. This sucks. It looks like my favorite game genre is dying.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-02-15 04:37am

I think there's still a few out there. Jenat- lai will know.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-02-15 04:49am

IL-2 Sturmovik and its expansion packs are awesome flight sim games that are extremely deep and fun to play. Give them a try, they should be availible at bargain bin prices by now.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-15 04:51am

The trouble's finding them. I searched everywhere in town that sells software.

Edit: And I'm looking more along the lines of X-Wing: Alliance. My CD cracked.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2004-02-15 04:54am

Those would be Space Sims.

There's X2: The Threat, Universal Combat, Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos, Freespace 2, Starshatter, I've Found Her, and some others floating around.

It's not a very popular market, I'm afraid.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-15 04:59am

All right, fine, I want USAF back too.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-02-15 06:23am

Rogue 9 wrote:The trouble's finding them. I searched everywhere in town that sells software.

Edit: And I'm looking more along the lines of X-Wing: Alliance. My CD cracked.

Amazon is your friend:

IL-2

X-wing Alliance

Tie Fighter

Independence War II

All under $20.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-15 08:22am

Also give Starlancer a try. It has awesome graphics and gameplay.

Bill Door · Post by **Bill Door** » 2004-02-15 09:04am

If you want a space sim theres always Orbiter. Its freeware, but is pretty much windows only last time I checked.

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2004-02-15 04:39pm

An essay I wrote on the space sim market.

------

As you all probably know already, Microsoft has released the source code to Allegience. IIRC, Allegience was from 2000 - think Battlezone in Space. It was actually quite a good game from what I've heard, but it suffered from poor timing - the game was released during the height of the "space sims suck" movement, and suffered from poor sales.

Microsoft eventually discontinued its Gaming Zone servers, but private ones continued to run the game and distribute it in hopes of finding new fans - I've had the situation described to me by a longtime fan as "free warez", and similar to distribution of FreeSpace 2 on "abandonwarez" sites before Interplay pulled the plug on that by rereleasing the game. In fact, a lot of the things sound suspiciously like FS2 - a flagship space combat game released by a leading publisher, poor sales that eventually led to its demise, a small but devoted fan base that kept the game alive, and the release of the source code by the publisher.

Speaking of Freespace 2, plans for a re-release were recently announced by Interplay, but the rather exorbiant $50 asking price has left some people suspicious. I don't think this is some sort of EVIL PLOT by Interplay to screw over fans, though - most of the existing FS fans already know about the Source Code Project (a project to "modernize" the FS2 engine, as it were, and a rather successful one at that) and are unlikely to shell out fifty quid for the re-release. And anyway, $100,000 is less than chump change for a MegaCorp like Interplay - there's absolutely no chance of turning a meaningful profit from this (in fact, it's more likely to generate a loss, which if true would be pretty impressive considering Interplay's financial state).

No, it's more likely an attempt to win over new fans (as a promotion for a future Freespace 3? we'll see) who don't know you can buy 20 copies of FS2 for 20 dollars on eBay. The ones who've never played a computer game before (and yes, there are still those) or aren't familiar with PC gaming, and might be tempted to pick it up, not knowing it's five years old. Or are the FS fans saying it can't compete with modern space sims? (which is itself an oxymoron - there have been three space sims in the past three years, not counting Freelancer).

Coupled with X-2: The Threat, the release of the Allegience source code, rumors of a new Wing Commander game and even Derek Smart's Universal Super Desktop Commander 3000 Millenium Edition, it's a good time to be a space sim fan - I can't think of there being this many options in the genre since 1999. Hopefully the space sim slump is nearly finished - we're almost past the age of MMORPGs, and the only ones that'll matter are continuations of existing franchises (Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft, Everquest II, Ultima Online and Middle Earth Online). The whole multiplayer boom as a whole seems to be slowing down as well - there are few games like Counter-Strike on the horizon, and one of the biggest titles on the horizon, DooM III, is single-player focused.

With all the industry fads dying down, what will the publishers go for? How about space sims? This all could mark a resurgence similar to the RPG renaissance in the early '90s spawned by games like Diablo (and how many times has Freelancer, for instance, been compared with Diablo?). Things are most definitely looking up.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2004-02-15 05:01pm

IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles
http://www.il2sturmovik.com/

and

Lock On: Modern Air Combat
http://www.lo-mac.com/

With these two great games nobody needs any other flight sims for several years. But if space sims are your genre, then go download Babylon 5: I've Found Her from http://ifh.firstones.com/

It's freeware!

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2004-02-15 05:06pm

I'd like it if the Lock-On Demo, you know, worked. Apparently it won't behave unless I get Windows XP.

Lock-On and iTunes, I guess...ah well

Tasoth · Post by **Tasoth** » 2004-02-15 07:49pm

Echelon is such a nifty Scifi based flight sim. Grab your fighter and go slug it out with aliens using your plasma.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-16 01:44am

Amazon would be my friend if I had a credit card. Sadly, I deal only in cash.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-02-16 05:41am

Microsoft hasnt pulled out of Flight Simulators, and still makes MS Combat flight simulator, and there is a 2004 version of MS Flight Simulator .

I think the problem is the local stores not stocking what you want, not that the stuff doesnt exist.

Good luck hunting for them.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-16 07:18am

Rogue 9 wrote:Amazon would be my friend if I had a credit card. Sadly, I deal only in cash.

Get a debit card.

As for me, I just bought LO: MAC right now.

Solid Snake · Post by **Solid Snake** » 2004-02-16 04:40pm

I'm pissed that Microsoft never made another version of Space Simulator. I loved that game.

lukexcom · Post by **lukexcom** » 2004-02-26 02:19am

Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2004 is enjoying an even bigger community and following than ever. Some may say that the online community for that sim is growing exponentially. Of course, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you understand. This is the 400-lb gorilla of flight sims.

X-Plane, developed by one guy for the past decade, has a small but devoted following to it. It runs for around $100, but provides unmatched and unparalleled realism and flight model accuracy, is certified by the FAA for the Air Transport Pilot's license/Instrument rating training, and is used by many companies for help in developing aircraft, such as Cartercopter, Bell, and even Burt Rutan's Space Composites.

Lock On: Modern Air Combat is progressing very well these days, a nice, healthy community

Il-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles also have a great, large community.

Falcon 4.0, despite being over 5 years old, also has a very rabid, albeit small community. There are still many mods for it out there, and the brand new "SP4" mod, made by the freeware Falcon 4 Unified Team just went gold, and will give a brand new engine and rework of the entire core .exe code of the sim. It's one of the grandest endeavors made in the flight sim world.

Those are some of the titles available today. Of course, we are way past the golden age of flight sims, and are pretty much at a bottom of a deep hole now, but there may be light in the tunnel.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-26 04:47am

Microsoft Combat Flight simulator is great for realistic WW2 era air combat. The only drawback is medicore graphics.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-26 04:52am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Rogue 9 wrote:Amazon would be my friend if I had a credit card. Sadly, I deal only in cash.
Get a debit card.

Or ask your mommy.

Oddysseus · Post by **Oddysseus** » 2004-02-26 05:27am

evilcat4000 wrote:Microsoft Combat Flight simulator is great for realistic WW2 era air combat. The only drawback is medicore graphics.

Yeah, but a chance to fly a mustang or corsair...ah.