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A History of Military Flight Simulations on the PC
by Len "Viking 1" Hjalmarson Conclusion As hardware power continues to increase, so does the feature set and graphical splendor of combat simulations. The challenge for developers is no longer how to make games more beautiful or systems more realistic, but how to make the gamers’ experience more compelling. Innovation and creativity are alive and well: we will continue to see great new games. The quality of the simulation experience has been shaped by the marriage of hardware and software, and technologies now in their infancy will soon have greater impact. These include force feedback technology as well as VR headsets and multiple sound sources and channels. With regard to features, we are already seeing the inclusion of individual trees and infantry on the ground (both IL-2 Sturmovik and WarBirds III), and this trend will continue. IL-2 Sturmovik pushes the bar beyond anything seen to date in terrain and ground object detail, as well as ground activity, but as CPU and GPU horsepower increase, the levels of detail will also increase. |
Currently the number of combat flight simulations in development is relatively small, but production is cyclical, and the fan base continues to grow. Military flight simulations will always be around, and some of the personalities who have moved on to other areas will surprise us with new entries. These developers are generally devoted to military history and gaming, and the fascination endures. Let the bard have the final word:
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man HENRY V Act III, Scene 1. |
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This article is copyright ThrustMaster and Leonard Hjalmarson. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without permission. Back to A History of Military Flight Simulations Email MiGMan with your experiences or any information related to this sim. |
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