On the off hand chance that I have the spectacular year ahead that is at least somewhat possible, although it has eluded me thus far for fifty-two years (I keep waiting for my ship to come in, but all that ever comes is the tide), I've been kicking around the idea of possibly putting together a software development company that specializes in flight sims. And that's even if it's a money pit, because this is the USA and things like that are good tax write offs if you've got a good accountant, or so they keep telling me. And even if that isn't the case, I just want to.

Now, my lawyers still have a tough row to hoe to get around various and sundry impediments to legitimate free enterprise, but they seem to think they can do it, and one of them told me that "this is going to be a life changing event for you". And he's handled deals exactly like this before. So I might make some money in the coming year. Then again, maybe I'll stay humble. Who knows? I don't even really care, I've already got everything I want. But it could happen.

Anyway, should all this come about (and don't start sending me resumes yet), what would you all like to see in future flight sims? What sort of concepts would thrill you to the marrow in new titles? I need to hear what you guys would want if I were to get lucky and then start the development group.

Let's hear it!

Cheers!

Rick...

I want a study sim of the F-18. To include: Dynamic campaign, rich comms environment, dynamic deck/ship crew, a career mode where you progress from training to active combat status(real or imagined scenarios). I would also accept all of the above in a Vietnam era sim(take your pic of F-8, A-4, A-1 or any other single seater). There has never been a study carrier sim. Think F4.0 with 21st century graphics but on a boat.

A living war, but pulled off a lot better than most sims do now with just a map and random missions.
I enjoy good voice over briefings, I don't just want a good flight model, I want a virtual reality putting me in there.
Top notch graphics, but well optimized (see WoP) and destructible environments. Ground positions as well.
Co-op, campaign, campaign co-op, MP with a persistent war (practically an MM). Rather than a mission editor, I want a mission randomizer. An automatic mission editor, I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, I want to play the thing.

Specifically, I want a WWII sim that covers both fronts. I also want to to torpedo some friggin carriers! No one does that (I don't count mods) other than the Battlestations games, but they're RTS, not flight sims. I want to man other positions too. Wars aren't just fought in dogfights ya know. Bombing should be equally well done, and with 1st person crew positions. I want to walk around the B-17 to take my position at a gun, cockpit or bombsights.

Also, a modern warfare sim, as above, but I want to combine it with a naval sim. Again, Battlestations or Dangerous Waters, but I want the flight to be a sim.

I guess I just want it all, no big deal right? :P
Maybe I should try Aces High?

I want a Korean War combat flight sim. A Mig Alley II if you will. On the Blue side, fly the F-86, the B-29, Corsair, Mustang, all the major players. On the Red side, of course the MiGs. A dynamic campaign where you can act as the planner for the upcoming missions. Maybe you want to prioritize ground attacks on troop concentrations, bridges, other fixed installations. Maybe air dominance is the priority and you establish that. The heck with the 39th parallel line on some map, go after the enemy wherever he hides! I know it's not historically accurate, but this is my game, my way.

Simulation development is always about balance and I'd want that. Too much attention to detail and you end up with hours of boredom punctuated by minutes of sheer terror. Too little and it tips to the arcade style.

Graphics win. Period. They do. No matter what simmers say, if the terrain doesn't look great, if the aircraft models don't look great, if the bomb and missile explosions are not Hollywood quality, the majority will be let down.

Anyway, good luck! I'm standing by as consultant and highly paid adviser.

I want to see an ultra-high-fidelity aerial combat simulator called Lockheed P-38 versus Messerschmitt Me-109. Naturally, that'll never happen. The next best thing would be a reasonably realistic (and by that I mean something like Rise of Flight's level of fidelity) Second World War aerial combat simulator containing those two fighters. Realism of flight model and other motion physics is my highest priority, but I would also love to see true complex engine management as well. For whatever reason, those two have never gone together in any P.C. simulator in history.

Gotta agree with that. They are all great ideas, though. Korea would be great, Sabre's are just sexy. So was Viet Nam. I was near 2 F-4's laying Napalm one time back in 67. It made quite an impression.

Carrier Ops, though, offer the most challenge to the player, I think. It would be fun to have both Carriers and and runways, as well.

And we need a sim of the dilbert dunker in Cubi...Make it so!

You mean the one in the New Jollo Club down at the end of Magsaysay Drive? Will you be wanting a supply of baby ducks as well?

Cheers!

Rick...

Repeat after me.... Korea, Korea, Korea.
Did I mention Korea?
Mig Alley 2 would nothing short of awesome.

Now go out and round up those Rowan dudes will ya?
BTW have fun with that machine of yours, looks tasty.
In a geek lovers sort of way.

Only if the development time doesn't mean a loss of some actual sim features.

Count me in on this one.

Thank you! How has it been this long? I can't think of another more incredible simulation genre. It's been so long. And it's so needed.

ditto with carrier ops

I want to see a Jane's USAF-style survey sim of naval aviation to include Tomcats, A-model Hornets, SLUFs and Intruders. Same approachability mixed with realistic loadouts and better AI than we've had in the past. Put it in the Operation Desert Storm era of combat operations.

Failing that, I think a Korea flight sim would be the next best thing. Land-based and carrierborne operations both.

pfunk

A fully moddable sim with the campaign depth of F4 and the user friendliness of ThirdWire sims,
that doesn't focus solely on a single plane or campaign.

Basically a sandbox sim that allows to create virtually any scenario and campaign imaginable.

Going back to all the talk of the sims featuring carrier ops, I'd love to see one tracking Naval aviation from about 1947 onward during the cold war- start out flying F6F's or F8F's off old straight-deck Essex or Midway class carriers, then track the transition to jet propulsion flying FJ-1 and -2 Furies, F9F Panthers and Cougars, switch to angle-deck ships with steam catapults flying the F4D Skyray, F7U Cutlass or F11F Tiger, transition to the F-8 Crusader, and also toss in A-4's, A-3's, and F-4's for fun. Dynamic campaign scenarios from every decade or theater.

That, or a surface ship simulator that includes the old CGN's and DLGN's (as the Bainbridge and Truxton were first designated), that lets you explore the entire ship, include parts of the engine rooms. Play the Air Warfare Coordinator off the coast of Vietnam, directing CAP fighters and sanitizing returning strike packages to make sure no MiG's have sneaked into the middle of them. And if they have, engage with Talos and Terrier missiles. Also include a cold war scenario fighting the Red Banner Fleet in the GIUK gap.

F-35 sim against Iran would be nice with a dynamic campain
Euro-fighter sim
New F-14 sim

I don't care for super hardcore like F-4 a step or 2 below would be fine.

I'm going to keep track of these ideas. I'm anxious for another Korea sim and have a strong attachment to the F/A-18 as well, although I have a particular predilection for the Charlie models for personal reasons. Any Naval Aviation ideas are going to be easy sells to me. Some other good ideas out there as well. An F-35 sim would be a heavy duty title! The cold war would certainly feature some forgotten but great aircraft. I'll be keeping all the ideas and if it should ever come to the point where I actually proceed with this idea, they'll be carrying some weight with what gets done.

Thanks and keep the ideas coming.

Cheers!

Rick...

Only problem I see with the F-35 is the avionics and secure network systems. It would be all guess work.

F-15C MSIP II and beyond: Not a freaking pound for air to ground