darkForge Games developing a new simulator

[SeanTK]

See this thread on Reddit regarding a new flight simulator in development:

http://www.reddit.com/r/flightsim/comments/2z2g1w/new_flight_sim_fs_world_are_you_interested/?sort=confidence

Looks like darkForge Games (composed of devs from Sony, MS, Blizzard, etc) is reaching out to the community in pre-development stages to gauge interest in a new realistic flightsim meant to compete with FSX, P3D, and X-Plane. It sounds like some sort of product will be developed regardless, and now it's a question of how it will be rolled-out to the public.

[txnetcop]

Sounds great but I think they will run into some of the same pitfalls that X-Plane, FSX, and P3d have. You gotta have a helluva system to get that kind of immersion.

[heywooood]

the idea of injecting a realistic flight simulator into a living virtual world is great...taking the idea and making it happen is the hard part.
..as MS and others have seen - trying to do that, and doing that are two different things

to answer the poll - I am always interested in new flight simulators, where do I sign

[ryanbatc]

Hmmm

could be good. But they're going with the pay to expand model... Kinda like Flight

[sonicsolutions]

Just did some digging around and I see the domain name for their website has expired. That can't be a good thing....

[Dumonceau]

Ok, so you get one plane and one area to start with at a price that is yet unknown.

You will be able to expand with planes and regions at 20-30$ a pop.

This will turn out to be more expensive than FSX or P3D and we don't even know about performance or minimum system requirements...

Johan

[Bjoern]

I'm not buying it. Not at all.

And seriously, visuals are supposed to be the most important thing in a flight simulator?
Ever heard of ATC or AI Traffic?

[SeanTK]

I think some are simplifying darkForge's statements a bit. I'm parsing their statements throughout the thread as follows:

1. They are in pre-development, with no pricing models or anything else set, but are exploring certain options (and are open to others).
2. They are placing an equal emphasis on realism and graphics, not one over the other.
3. Based on their past activities, they want to specifically make this a realsitic flight simulator, rather than something like MSFlight, though they may release with only a small section of terrain and limited aircraft at first.

All in all, nothing is set in stone as to how they will proceed.

[Naismith]

Didn't Aerosoft explore the possibility of a new simulator 2 or so years ago? But backed out when they realised the enormity of the project. I'm speculating of course as to their reasoning. FSX and X-Plane (and P3D) are where they are today because they are generational programs each version building upon the previous to some extent. To come in with a totally new product would surely take years of R&D and become vastly expensive for what is a small and possibly dwindling user base.

[dhasdell]

I'll believe it when I see it, like Jet Thunder.

[Mach3DS]

Come on guys...why didn't MS Flight takeoff? ( pun intended.) This community is used to the open and un regulated approach to developing third party addons. If someone has the vision they can achieve it. THAT is what has kept FS alive all these years. Without THAT, we'd all be doing something else because the low quality of the default aircraft with no possibility of upgrading them would have driven us away after a very short time. So I'm very leery of messing around with is delicate balance. Seems like it's what killed Flight... No one was interested in limited simulator pay as you go. I for one would never go for it when you've got something like P3D available with the entire world and pretty much any airport you want...if it doesn't exist you the player could build it yourself if you wanted to. The current setup is what makes this hobby successful. If they can make a sim that doesn't interfere with this balance then they'll have a winner...otherwise they'll have a one hit wonder...good luck to them though the screens look impressive enough.

Metaphorically, It would be like going to the man who was taught how to fish, who became extremely good at fishing, and telling him that you've got a new way to fish, but he now has to rely on SOMEONE ELSE to get his fish, and there's no possibility of going back to fishing on his own, as they will be collecting fishing rods during the final transaction.

[roger-wilco-66]

I agree 100% with the foreposter!