Next TK flight sim?

[Luiz Carlos]

With the natural ageing of the Thirdwire series , and the release of next generation flight sims like SOW, KOTS and Jet Thunder, will we have new flight sim from TK with new engine and graphics?

Any comments from him about this?

[Jarhead1]

I wouldnt worry that much about it honestly, he just released WOI so I dont foresee another sim for about 2-3 yrs after he patches everything else up to that standard honestly. He was nice enough to keep making them and updating with patches, so I am not complaining about when he is gonna start work on another one. Besides, his team is small and it takes him a while to put everything together. So dont expect anything new for a good while yet.

[serverandenforcer]

Honestly, I don't think TK will venture way to much into the "modern" era of fighter jet simulation. Infact, I've been expecting him to pull up a Korean War era (WOK) or a Cuban Missile Crisis era (WOC). He might venture into the area with the Falklands incident and/or Panama back in the 80's, but I don't think he'll hit on DS, Somalia, Kosovo, or OIF. That's not what these sims are about (which took me a while for me to accept). They're about the end of an era in fighter combat where the pilot had to use more skill than technology to come back home alive. Today, it's like, and I'll quote Dave for this, "Push button, get banana." Not much fun there.

[SayethWhaaaa]

You don't like Banana's?

[Basher11]

This is what I think, if you ask me. TK's contribution to the Third Wire Series of games is not the eye-candy primarily. It is the innovation behind all that. The greatest and useful aspect of each game is that he makes everything so flexible. Those INI files are collectively a great arrangement without which we can get control of so many things and customize the game according to our likings.

 

The only thing I can think of to improve is the terrain and building objects in the game, but they are sort of minor. If only TK would migrate the terrain from Falcon 4 or from LOMAC I think that would change the game totally. LOMAC and Falcon 4 have the best terrain and buildings ever. TK's series has the best graphically stunned 3D aircrafts ever specialyl the moving parts and many many cockpits. Combing TK series with either Falcon 4 or LOMAC will definitely recreate a wonderful new game.

 

P.S. Each game in the history of flight sim for the last 13 years have some good things if you would care to pick them up. For instance,I laways dream about a mission editor as sophisticated as that you find in Jane's F/A-18. TheGCI link which you can place an ERW station somewhere and link them to a flight group so that when the ERW detects an incoming, it alerts the linked aircrafts to scramble for interception.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Basher11

[+suhsjake]

Its too early to perceive TK's next sim. I bet a new one will come in about 2-5 years.

[Basher11]

Its too early to perceive TK's next sim. I bet a new one will come in about 2-5 years.

5 years is really a LONG time dude!

[+Spectre_USA]

He has put out 6 sims in 8 years, so even 3 is a bit too long.

 

Of course, the original, SF:P1, took a bit of time, as it was building the base engine, but I only beta tested it for a few months, so don't know.

 

I am also fairly confident that this engine will be the base for any further releases, just expanded and improved upon. I do agree that the one area that needs

vast improvement is the terrains, but I've a feeling little more can be done with the current engine than is already seen in WoI.

 

Time will tell, but that is my theory of the future for TK's tribe.

[+suhsjake]

The Five year mark is if he builds a new engine. One man, a new engine takes a long time.

[kesegy]

i'd say two years tops.

 

anyway, here's what the man himself said about it:

 

"Thanks everyone for the input. However, I think I already told everyone that there are three things we won't do - 1) WWII game, 2) modern jet game, and 3) helo game.

 

Again, don't take it personally if you wanted one of those, its not that we don't want to do those, its just that we can't afford to do those in any competitive manner (since there are so much competition on those three areas). If we were to win lottery tomorrow and have $10 mil we have to lose, then sure, we'll jump at the opportunity to do one , but otherwise, we believe there are still plenty of grounds to cover in 60-80 era (and neighboring 50s and 90s) we're covering

 

And we're not doing strategic-level Cold War game anytime soon either, the focus of the series will remain tactical.

 

As for "expand his workforce so he can crank out more games/expansions in less time", er, we've done what, 8 titles the past 6 years? Thats more than 1 per year. Our current schedule is about 10 months per each release, and I think thats already very short as is... considering that back in last days of microprose (ie, 90s), they were spending 7+ years on a single game The only way we can cut time futher and release more often is if we elimiated beta testing (we schedule about 1 month) and post-release patch support (about 3 months, including time to do patches to all previous titles) - cutting those could possibly bring it down to 6 months cycle, but thats not what we want to do... and besides, I don't know how many people would actually spend $60 on our games per year, its difficult enough getting just $30 per year."

[Lexx_Luthor]

TK --- And we're not doing strategic-level Cold War game anytime soon either, the focus of the series will remain tactical.

 

That was for me.

 

But that's "ok" ... we are calling a bottom in strategic-level Cold War gaming, so we remain long term Bullish!

[Guest Bounder]

hey it happens when it happens, I think one of the main things we all like about TK's games He updates them, he wont abandon them on release. Plus the open aspect so they can be modded by the open public.

[Basher11]

Is this TK's full time job, or he is doing this part time?

[serverandenforcer]

From what I understand, his full time job is something with D.O.D. and this is his side job. But I could be wrong.

[Basher11]

DoD of Japan? Genius he is!

Edited April 17, 2008 by Basher11

[FastCargo]

No.

 

DOD as in the United States Department of Defense.

 

TK is a US citizen who lives and works just up the street (figuratively) in Austin, TX.

 

FastCargo

[MigHound]

I seem to recall reading somewhere there is a working title in progress, with cartoonish aircraft and terrain.

 

Wings Over Durka-DurkaStan.

[sparkomatic]

This is always worth another read:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=16431

 

 

 

Is this TK's full time job, or he is doing this part time?

[+Crusader]

good find Sparky

should be a must read for all, to get the idea about the whole TW series...

[+Tailspin]

good find Sparky

should be a must read for all, to get the idea about the whole TW series...

 

 

Amen to that! Its a concept that is TOTALLY lost on so many people. They seem to think that all TK has to do to make his sims work like they want them to is just type in a couple of lines of code.

[eraser_tr]

Definitely a good read. Also inspiring for modders who'd like to get into the industry.

 

It mentions a desire to expand beyond flight sims. I think a tank sim would be a great niche. The only thing out there is really steel beasts pro, which is uber expensive and difficult, meant for training tank operators. Aside from a few small WW2 tank combat games, there's really nothing. and certainly nothing that can be expanded upon like TK's flight sims.

 

Think of a tank game that could handle a WWI mark I british tank and an M1A1 Abrams (if without terribly complex systems) that we could build as many new vehicles as we wanted in high detail, new terrains and dynamic campaigns.

[+Major Lee]

2-5 years before another title? Hardly... TK has put out SF:P1, WOV, WOE, FF-Wright Brothers (with Birhle Engineering), FE, Fe-Exp, WOI, plus the sim for the USAF recruiting team, plus the graphic update for Birhle Engineering's D-Six test simulator... and he has patched all existing commercial sims to the latest standard all along the way, which is a continuous process... He puts out new titles in less than one year...

[Luiz Carlos]

It´s important to me to stay clear to all, this post was not started as a critic, but more as a compliment to TK and his effort.

My question about him doing next generation flight sim was because I feel we have few talented and passionated programmers like him capable to create really interesting flight sims.(not too arcadish ones,like Ace Combat)

I´m glad to see, this is an effort that probably will have future childs, if we support him in his work.

[kct]

It mentions a desire to expand beyond flight sims. I think a tank sim would be a great niche. The only thing out there is really steel beasts pro, which is uber expensive and difficult, meant for training tank operators. Aside from a few small WW2 tank combat games, there's really nothing. and certainly nothing that can be expanded upon like TK's flight sims.

 

Think of a tank game that could handle a WWI mark I british tank and an M1A1 Abrams (if without terribly complex systems) that we could build as many new vehicles as we wanted in high detail, new terrains and dynamic campaigns.

Wasn't the people behind that were coming up with all-new consumer tank game called Steel Beasts 2 or something? At least, that was what their site were saying.

Edited April 17, 2008 by kct

[TX3RN0BILL]

Heh, Steel Beasts, that was the same that was "married" to OFP (or was it VBS? ) by some army training IIRC... Never saw them work together but would have loved to see it work...

 

Anyways, I would LOVE to see a space sim by TK!!!