Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Spacecraft
There are almost no simulations of real spacecraft—except for quasi-educational
ones about the space shuttles—because real spacecraft respond far too slowly and
move too deliberately to make for an interesting game. The majority of spacecraft
simulations, therefore, are science fiction, and they typically consist of either
fighter planes in space, such as the
Wing Commander
series, or capital ship (large
warship) simulations, such as the many
Star Trek
games. The fighter types are sim-
ple action games with only a few variables to manage: fuel, ammunition, damage,
shields, and rarely anything else. Capital ship simulations are more strategic, giving
the player control of a wide range of weapons and other equipment.
As a general rule, you can depict and simulate military equipment without obtain-
ing permission from their manufacturers. Because such machines are not sold
to the general public or generally exploited in the marketplace in any other way,
you may safely use their images in your games without worrying about who owns
the rights.
Automobiles are another story, however. If you are going to simulate an existing car
and use its real name and logo, you must have a license from the manufacturer.
The manufacturer might not be willing to let you show the car crumpled and burn-
ing by the side of the road either. This accounts for the large number of vehicle
simulations in which the cars can flip over in an accident but never get damaged—
they flip back upright a second or two later, as in
Beetle Adventure Racing!
Or, you
can do as
Interstate '76
did and use cars that look rather like existing vehicles and
have similar names but don't actually show the manufacturer's indicia.
The presentation layer of a vehicle simulator is chiefly concerned with creating the
visual and auditory appearance of being in the vehicle itself, so management activi-
ties are kept to a minimum. When there are different gameplay modes at all, they
usually offer the player a new perspective rather than a different set of challenges.
The major exception is serious racing games, which generally provide a variety of
camera angles while driving, but also a number of customization and tuning
modes for modifying the car in the workshop.
Interaction Model
The interaction model in a vehicle simulator is quite straightforward: The player's
vehicle is his avatar. The machine's controls are mapped onto the computer's input
