[portej05]

This is a few weeks old now, but I can't remember or find any references to it on this forum

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21981

I've bought at least the last few editions (one of the reasons why I don't get so much FreeSpace time!) and even bought a new computer when I couldn't run the old one on my aging hardware (it was due for replacement anyway - 5 years old!)

FlightSim, we shall miss ye!

[Dilmah G]

Damn......

End of an Era

I grew up on those games. Flight Simulator 98 and Combat Flight Simulator, basic staple of my primary school existence. I think I actually felt my heart sink when I read that article. The memories I have of beating the last mission of the RAF Campaign on CFS1 on Ace (hardest difficulty, and probably one of the hardest missions in the whole game on Ace and the realistic flight model setting) at the age of 6. Something I doubt I can accomplish again at the age of 15. Being able to fly better than my dad (a huge feat at the time) on FS98 when I was 5. Then the huge graphics/ATC revolution I experienced when I ran FS2002 for the first time when I was 8. Me and FS go back a long time. IMO They should've kept going with the Combat Flight Simulator Series, maybe tried their hand at giving it some kind of immersive storyline, but that really wasn't what the whole franchise was about.

I'm gonna' miss those games

[Snail]

I played Flight Simulator 98 with me dad, but that's about it.

Still, I do have fond memories of the game.

[lostllama]

No...

It was such a staple franchise for us simmers. Got Flight Sim X myself.  I read mags like PC Pilot and Computer Pilot, which are usually about 90% full with Flight Sim related stuff. Flight Unlimited was another good franchise (anyone remember that?)

Flight sims aren't dead just yet though. X Plane is still going I think. And DCS Black Shark has recently been released. But still, this is...unexpected.

[Pred the Penguin]

Damn... That's sad.

I remember many long nights playing Flight Sim with my uncle. =/

[Mika]

I'm disappointed about the state of flight sims also, having been playing them since 1987. There is some hope left still, FreeFalcon 5 seems to be in beta-stage, and it seems to be available & free for everybody since it is done by modding community. It looks pretty interesting, and I can't wait to test all the aircraft they have modelled there.

Though the truth is that the flight simulators are simply not mainstream anymore and require far too much dedication to learn to appeal the casual players. On the other hand, I also find them the most rewarding type of games there are, not to mention there are absolutely brilliant people online. One simulator can be played for years, still providing enough variation to keep things interesting.

Mika

[IceFire]

IL-2 Sturmovik's various spin offs are still going strong.  Its an accessible sim with nearly 200 flyable types spanning pretty much all of World War II including quite a few battles that aren't taught in mainstream Western history.  Its quite good at being both a very complex historical simulation with an extremely complex flight model (frankly allot better than what the Flight Sim series offered) but its also quite capable of being fairly easy to pick up...after you get over the basics of flight.  There aren't many complex tasks to get used to like radar modes and different types of symbols on a RWR or that sort of thing...just a gunsight.

The team working on the successor is still going strong too at the moment.

[Nuclear1]

Flight Sim 98 was easily one of my favorite games as a kid.  I even just bought rudder pedals and a yoke control for Flight Sim X.

[tinfoil]

I used to play FS2002 for hours upon hours when I was younger. I'd even build a little "cabin" and "cockpit" around my computer for added realism. I'm going to miss it, it was a great franchise.

[Nuke]

well theres still xplane

[Dilmah G]

well theres still xplane

I only ever remember playing X-Plane once, when I was 10, and it absolutely blew my mind with it's sophistication. I've yet to go near it again.

[Titan]

damn, I grew up on those game too. still actually have the CFS1 case on my shelf, even though the disk is scratched to hell.

[Mobius]

I played Flight Simulator 98 only for a while but...geez...I played CFS 1 through 3 extensively.

[lostllama]

I have CFS 1 and 2 still. And FS 98, IIRC. Hopefully 3rd party support will continue, at least.

[Mobius]

Oh, I forgot to say that my copy of CFS2 was turned into shreds by my aunt's computer. Don't ask me how...

[Dilmah G]

Yeah, I played all three, CFS1+2 the most, torrented 3 last year because I couldn't find it on any shelves. While I liked the approach they had, I like the linear format of the earlier 2 games, and the mission editor in 2 was awesome. CFS1 was my "Uber Game" though. I have no idea how I mastered it at such a young age. Same goes for Freespace, I still can't accomplish some of the feats I did when I was younger.

[Mobius]

I stole CFS3. I went to a shop, took the game and then went out without paying it.

Oh well, this was supposed to be a secret...