Sunday, December 21, 2003
Console Flight-Sims Suck
Okay - here's the deal... All you game console programmers out there - aircraft can move in 3 axises! X, Y, AND Z!
I have been playing a really fun air combat game, "Ace Combat 4" for a while now. Even though the flight models are pretty simplistic, they got the most important things right :
1) A plane can roll 360 degrees.
2) A plane can pitch 360 degrees.
3) A plane can also yaw using its rudders on its Z axis.
I believe that the Ace Combat series, and Lethal Skies series are the only 2 console based video games to have a flight model even close to the real thing. Case in point -
I recently played 2 flight combat games that had high expectations for : Star Wars - Rogue Squadron III, and Secret Weapons Over Normandy. (Both are LucasArts games.) Now, I new full well that Rogue Squadron was an arcadey game, and didn't expect its flight models to be that realistic. However, I didn't expect the space crafts to fly like cars, and have the game constantly "right me" to whatever it felt my craft's position should be in. I consitantly hit motion boundaries (mostly having to do with roll) and it was infuriating when I was trying to track a target, and could no longer move in that direction because I guess the programmers felt that their target audience couldn't handle a fully 3D space to maneuver in. So, I gave up trying to play Rogue Squadron.
So, the creator of the old Star Wars space combat sim, X-Wing (which was incredible) comes out with "Secret Weapons over Normandy" a WWII air combat sim. I have always loved his games, and he has a great reputation for quality game design. I figure, finally, another quality combat sim for the PS2 is on the way! I rented the game today and guess what, it has the same stupid flight model limitations that Rogue Squadron has! The plane can only roll about 180 degrees. (90 to the left and 90 to right so that the horizon can only rotate from horizontal to vertical.) What is the deal!? For some reason, developers for the game consoles must think that console players can't handle a fully maneuverable aircraft or something. Why is it so hard to let an aircraft in the games roll a full 360 degrees? I have been playing flight sims for so long that I can't even begin to play these games because the plane doesn't react like it really should. The game is totally unplayable to me.
Please game developers, give your audience some credit! There are many of us out there that want to fly a plane in a game, not drive a car in the sky. The success of the Air Comat and Lethal Skies games are proof. Even though their flight models are pretty basic, they at least give the player a full range of motion in a true 3D environment.
I guess I'll go out and buy Lethal Skies II next. Maybe I'll trade Rogue Squadron in for it. ;-)
I have been playing a really fun air combat game, "Ace Combat 4" for a while now. Even though the flight models are pretty simplistic, they got the most important things right :
1) A plane can roll 360 degrees.
2) A plane can pitch 360 degrees.
3) A plane can also yaw using its rudders on its Z axis.
I believe that the Ace Combat series, and Lethal Skies series are the only 2 console based video games to have a flight model even close to the real thing. Case in point -
I recently played 2 flight combat games that had high expectations for : Star Wars - Rogue Squadron III, and Secret Weapons Over Normandy. (Both are LucasArts games.) Now, I new full well that Rogue Squadron was an arcadey game, and didn't expect its flight models to be that realistic. However, I didn't expect the space crafts to fly like cars, and have the game constantly "right me" to whatever it felt my craft's position should be in. I consitantly hit motion boundaries (mostly having to do with roll) and it was infuriating when I was trying to track a target, and could no longer move in that direction because I guess the programmers felt that their target audience couldn't handle a fully 3D space to maneuver in. So, I gave up trying to play Rogue Squadron.
So, the creator of the old Star Wars space combat sim, X-Wing (which was incredible) comes out with "Secret Weapons over Normandy" a WWII air combat sim. I have always loved his games, and he has a great reputation for quality game design. I figure, finally, another quality combat sim for the PS2 is on the way! I rented the game today and guess what, it has the same stupid flight model limitations that Rogue Squadron has! The plane can only roll about 180 degrees. (90 to the left and 90 to right so that the horizon can only rotate from horizontal to vertical.) What is the deal!? For some reason, developers for the game consoles must think that console players can't handle a fully maneuverable aircraft or something. Why is it so hard to let an aircraft in the games roll a full 360 degrees? I have been playing flight sims for so long that I can't even begin to play these games because the plane doesn't react like it really should. The game is totally unplayable to me.
Please game developers, give your audience some credit! There are many of us out there that want to fly a plane in a game, not drive a car in the sky. The success of the Air Comat and Lethal Skies games are proof. Even though their flight models are pretty basic, they at least give the player a full range of motion in a true 3D environment.
I guess I'll go out and buy Lethal Skies II next. Maybe I'll trade Rogue Squadron in for it. ;-)
