Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
loss. However, you don't have to establish binary victory conditions; you can allow
for partial success by rating the accomplishments of a mission according to the
number of objectives achieved, the length of time it took, and the amount of dam-
age sustained by the aircraft, for instance. You can also assign bonus points for a
swift and safe return.
CIVILIAN FLIGHT SIMS
Civilian flight simulators such as the excellent
Microsoft Flight Simulator
(see
Figure
17.2
) seldom include any victory conditions unless they implement racing or tests
of flying ability. Many of them simply let the player fly and try different things
with the aircraft rather than present him with a specific mission to accomplish.
However, civilian flight sims can present a wide variety of challenges: flying at
night; flying in rain, fog, or strong winds; and using visual flight rules or instru-
ment flight rules. Landing smoothly and safely, particularly in adverse weather
conditions, is always the most dangerous moment in a flight and usually represents
the toughest challenge that a civilian flight simulator offers. Most provide an auto-
land function that simply returns the plane to the ground without the player's
having to perform the landing.
FIGURE 17.2
An instrument panel
in
Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2002.
This is
a game for people who
take piloting seriously.
