New Combat Flight Sim

[PV]

Well, after watching that, I'm not at all enlightened as to how the game is to be played - there is no hint of an interface there,
it might as well be a movie. It's not even like one of those wretched console games with the player POV 100m behind the
plane's tail.

As to the whole matter of teenagers and consoles, I am rather inspired by the notion of regarding the flip side of that idea -
imagine well crafted historically-based console games, where the player can try to master the game while faced with the
accurately-modelled constraints of the historical situation, encountering the true technologies, logistics, politics, economics,
and geography for combat in any number of possible situations. The educational possibilities are endless. I watched
my son absorb considerable information while playing the original Sid Meyers Civilization, and several console versions
of Ghengis Khan's mongolian invasions. At the time, it seemed to me that with more elaborate and accurate historical detail,
this would be a great way of teaching history, as the kids soaked up a huge amount of complex data in order to acquire
mastery of the games. The limitation to their education was ultimately the simplifications built in to the games. They would
have happily learned far more subtle skills at diplomacy, agricultural management, etc, if such items had been modelled
in more detail.

[Zorro]

The big draw with BOB WOV is the quality of the sim, and the quality of the community supporting it. I have some nice video "games" but find them boring. They are just mind numming games which are placed at the moment in a box outside my home awaiting to be recycled.
A sim vs game are entirely two different mind sets when using them. I like Hovercraft (the only game on my computer) as it simulates racing in a Hover machine. A lot of pure fun, no big mental drain, just turn and burn and race. BOB WOV is entirely different. The graphics come secondary to the heart of the sim. The immersion and reality of the virtual world of flying a WW2 Spitfire in the Battle of Britain. What brings it to life is not only the very high quality and realism of the sim, but mature insightful intelligent community. In tandum with that the massive educational resources with regards to the Battle of Britain. Be it Ytube of dogfights, History TV, books , and anything pertaining to such.
For me the community ranks high in sharing and creating the historic virtual world of BOB WOV. If it was about "shooting" and graphics I would have been bored long ago. Thus the console games are just that, games. Want more meat and realism, the PC simulator still ranks high with me.
Maybe someday console games will become more realistic in terms of flight sims. Their are two camps, Gamers and Simmers. What is available for both have pro's and con's. I say there are large camps in both worlds. Look at FSX and the myrid of expensive add on's and free ware. That community is massive, but so is Xbox and the like. Personal taste.
Drinking a cup of coffiee inside my Spit, flashing her up and flying with an objective in mine. Wondering if I am coming back. Clicking switches, pulling levers, yanking and banking trying not to black out. Listening to others on the coms. Looking around with track ir and avoiding the hun's efforts to saddle me, is more than enough excitement for this thrill seeker. I love babying my airframe after she gets banged up in a fight and flying back to mother using all my skills hoping not to splat and break her in two on the gentle grass below. When stuck in the house during a snow storm, there is nothing like BOB WOV. Some honey in my tea and all the adventure the sim can muster for a relaxing afternoon of time travel into the world of the RAF. XBox cannot create that for me. It gets me hyper and frazeled. A personal prefrence as many quality games are made for it. Read a book, a fly a mission mirrioring what's been read. The fun part is coming here and reading and sharing such. X Box, boot em, shoot em, race em and paste em. Not slamming X Box, it's has it's place in fun things to do. Not my cup of tea, but they are selling millions but in conclusion, simming is more than pressing buttons and blowing stuff up.

[Rummy]

I think we should move beyond this notion that consoles can't do physics and will be shallow. My wiimote is ready for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epz_6Qep ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2G7JRAH ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uaJs0ZK ... re=related

It's just a matter of development moving that way. I could buy 3 playstations for the price of a decent PC. It's absurd that I should be made to buy 400 dollar video cards etc. Let me hook my usb gear up (face it they would develop drivers for consoles if there was a need) play in HD and I'd be happy. The discussion is rather moot since no doubt the market will drive the development.

Secretly, I'd always hoped A2A would be the first to develop for them.

[Geezer Gamer]

Bader, your comment on commercial viability is a good point. I make a good annual income and can afford to pay a reasonable price for my entertainment, whatever that might be. All my investment in BOB has been hardware. My total gross contribution to BOB is under $20. My investment in hardware and components since I started tracking this site is easily around $1,000 and has even spun off into purchase to play other sim's and buy other hardward like a racing wheel. Looking to buy a new machine in 2009, another $1,000

Not sure how you restructure the industry to support the richness that lives here. My fear is that if it is built wrong it will die out on its own