Reviving the sim industry or just putting it on life support

[Hogpen13 0]

We have all heard that LOMAC may be the last hope for the combat sim industry and if we don’t bring-in new people and increases sales to the hobby it may die.

 

Well, as I try to promote LOMAC within the A-10 community, and the general public, something has come-up with I would like your comments on. First let me tell you how I try to promote LOMAC and flight (combat) sims in general. I of course send screenshots and LOMAC A-10 videos to my units telling them they will be able to fly the Hog soon on their PC. I also pack-up the spare computer and take it to the Hill AFB Aviation Museum about once a month, set-up in front of one of the aircraft, and allow people to play a sim.

 

Naturally I have been getting a lot of questions on system requirements and this has raised a very important question in my mind. A lot of my friends and people I meet at the museum have “off the shelf” computers with limited upgrade capabilities. One of the big problems I see is a lot of the computers have small (32mb) PCI video cards and not the high-end AGP cards. Even if they upgrade to a 128mb PCI card they are still limited by the computers CPU.

 

If we are trying to get “new blood” into simming wouldn’t a USAF type sim with a good dynamic campaign, which would run on medium level systems, be better way to go? By making sims which require major computer upgrades and high-end everything kinda’ shooting ourselves in the foot? Are we trying to revive the sim industry or just putting it on life support by making sims which requires a top-of-the-line system and the knowledge of a computer geek just to run them.

 

I still take IAF and USAF to the museum because I can recommend them to people and be pretty sure they will work on the systems they have at home. What are you guys thoughts on the matter?

[+ext 52]

Dice -- I agree. How many times have we upgraded our computers or bought new ones. Now for most of us the word proceessors and basic use of the main programs, the PII would still do the job easily. How many of us have upgraded our computers with some excuse so that we could play the high end games. I know that I will upgrade my video card one last time. I will not keep upgrading my computer after that for games. This is what I see the industry has to look at . The need for realism with a high end computer vs a game that you could sell to more people that could play on their current computers. This is a fine line because the product has to please both sides. I am not the only one who has said thats it no more upgrades. I will play with what I have. Lets face it a $50 game plus upgrades makes that game worth.......?

[+Fates 63]

If we are trying to get “new blood” into simming wouldn’t a USAF type sim with a good dynamic campaign, which would run on medium level systems, be better way to go? By making sims which require major computer upgrades and high-end everything kinda’ shooting ourselves in the foot? Are we trying to revive the sim industry or just putting it on life support by making sims which requires a top-of-the-line system and the knowledge of a computer geek just to run them.

 

I disagree a little thier Dice.

 

I fail to see how we are shooting ourselves in the foot by making HIGH-END games. If the end goal is to get more people playing flight sims, then we have to look at how to acheive that goal. and we can do it in many ways.

 

1) There are many games that don't require High-End machines to run. IAF and USAF are good examples as well as JF-18 and Flanker 2.5. Nurse the new SIM PILOT into one of these based on the Computer that he has. Peak their interest with online play as well.

 

2) Invite them over to play on a High-End Machine to see what all the talk is about. Let them experience what life could be like.

 

3) look into the older games like Janes WWII and Janes USAF. Show them how mods over the years have made them better and better. CFS is another one that has several mods that improves the game as well as working well with older machines.

 

 

Eventually they will have to upgrade, lets say in 12 months. When they do, they may take their experience from these older games and plan more accordingly the next time they purchase a computer. What I'm really getting at is: I didn't learn math overnite. It took a great deal of time. I was hooked into flight sims a long time ago, but technology has changed and I changed with it to accomodate my hobby.

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One of the MISTAKES that I see the FLIGHT SIM industry making is real easy. Popularity walks a fine line between Hardcore Simmers and Hardcore Gammers. If the game is too realistic...then only the hardcore simmer will play it....ie Falcon 4. If the game is too arcade, then only the gamers will play it....ie F22 Lightning. I think this is why games like Janes USAF became so popular. Both factions played it and dealt with the games faults of being less sim like or less arcade like. Why? Because of it's entertainment value.

 

Let's all face it...the reason I buy anything to install in my computer is for its' entertainment value. Unfortunately everyone defines that term differently. I think both sides just need to understand that flight sims must contain a certain amount of enjoyment for everyone to be popular.

 

This brings us back to your original concerns. How do we get more Flight Sim Pilots? Well.....You increase a games entertainment value. You have to make games that balance the SIM and ARCADE functions. LOMAC seems to be doing this. They have chosen the RIGHT aircraft for their audience. They have limited certain things like "CLICKABLE COCKPITS". They have an excellent Multiplayer setup with IL-2....I think that will carry over to LOMAC. All their decisions, IMHO, have been choosen to attract both Simmers and Gamers. That will incerease it's "Entertainment Value", which will attract more PILOTS.

 

Add to that the pilots that are attracted from the lower end games that eventually upgrade to newer computers...and you have a whole new generation of Sim Pilots.