Do You Enjoy Simulators?

[Zak757]

I think the title says enough. Do you like games that avoid being very "gamey" and attempt to closely simulate various aspects of reality? Games like Flight Simulator, the ArmA series, maybe the Forza franchise, Kerbal Space Program, Trainz 12 (yes, this is a thing on Steam right now) or other such things. I suppose dating or life sims technically count and I can't really strip down the definition.

I'm personally a nut for highly complex combat flight simulation and they've made arcade games like Ace Combat or HAWX feel completely dull to me. I love printing out a hundred page manual on how to fly a Ka-50 or an A-10 Warthog (DCS is my favorite) and study how the various systems work and how the pilot should operate them, and mastering them to the point where I can take them out on combat missions and succeed. Every little accomplishment is so rewarding because it makes me feel like I could have done that in the real thing. And as boring as it is to watch, manually starting up a cold jet on the ramp while you programming your countermeasure system and weapon profiles (right down to the minimum release altitude for your bombs) as you wait for take off clearance is so much more engaging than shooting four of your sixty missiles at some dumb mook who can't keep up with you due to not being the protagonist.

I'm a fan of ARMA too, more so than Battlefield or any spunkgargleweewee you care to name, although I fail at being infantry. Anyone else?

 

[Caiphus]

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the only true sim game that I've really gotten into. Did end up sinking around 20 hours into it. Got teased by my mates. Started wishing I could hide my played hours on Steam.

But anyway! Never reeeally got into flight simulators. I remember when I was thirteen or so, me and my best friend would play one and pretty much spend our whole afternoon trying to land WW2 aircraft without bits falling off. It was fun, but I don't think I'd really get into it on my own. But I can totally see why you would enjoy them, not that you need my approval, of course. Yeah!

 

[ProtosOmega]

Only if it starts with Goat

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

thus far only kerbal space program has really grabbed me, and it grabbed me fucking hard . That game is like crack for that specific niche that I fit in. That said, nothing else has really done it for me, not the sims, or the farm simulator or anything like it....

did enjoy the shit out of the rail simulator trailer though, sean bean narrated that amazingly.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

well only 2 have actually gotten my attention, Kerbal Space Program and THIS

http://store.steampowered.com/app/263280/

i must get both sometime down the line

 

[Lilani]

I don't really resent them in any way, however I don't really seek them out either. I had a version of Microsoft Flight Simulator once a long time ago and found it rather diverting. And I've been thinking of picking up Kerbal Space Program during the next round of Steam sales.

 

[Gankytim]

Euro Truck Sim 2 was pretty fun, it was really just a neat little driving game with internet radio for me.

I recall playing what Yahtzee would call a "Dad Game" years and years ago that was basically a German U-Boat sim that was fun as all fuck, can't recall the name though.

 

[raeior]

I recall playing what Yahtzee would call a "Dad Game" years and years ago that was basically a German U-Boat sim that was fun as all fuck, can't recall the name though.

Probably Aces of the Deep or Silent Hunter. Used to play the first one too, although I was very young at that time and sucked at it

Nowadays the only "real" simulation game I'm playing is Kerbal Space Program. In the past there were a lot of (especially german) economic simulations. Although I'm not sure if something like "The Patrician", "Mag" or "Oldtimer" would fit into the same category as something like KSP or ArmA.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

I do enjoy laughing at the YouTube videos of the really insane ones like Forklift Simulator or Street Sweeping Simulator, but beyond that, nah. Nothing I would play myself, and even the YouTube mocking videos get old after 20 minutes. Sometimes I wonder exactly who they're aimed for. I mean, Forklift Simulator? Who would play that other than someone that drives forklifts as a job? (and I doubt they're going to want to play a forklift simulator when they get home from work).

Some of the more interesting ones, such as Kerbal Space Program, which my friend plays, I can at least understand since it's infinitely more interesting. Perhaps even educational about a fascinating topic. But Forklift Simulator? Garbage Truck Simulator? Ski Region Simulator?

Lol.

 

[FPLOON]

I used to play Train Simulator... Still don't know much about trains, though...

Honestly, nowadays, if the simulator is not some "dating sim" or something along those lines, then I probably won't play it... by myself, I mean... (Although, I still get a good laugh at those Simulator [music] videos on YouTube... Those never get old for me...)

 

[Laughing Man]

Yeah love my Sims, GTR is a classic and a favourite as is the MS Flight Sim games, have lost many many hours in KSP in fact I have a project on the go to launch eight one man landers, all from one single massive launch module, in to the Jool system have them all land on the planets and moons there and then have them all return to Kerbin safely. I've also logged a stupid number of hours on Train Simulator but 90% of them where during my scenario creation days which I've pretty much stopped on.

A quick pic of project Envisage on it's way out of Kerbin atmos

 

[erbkaiser]

I have hundreds of hours logged for Euro Truck Simulator 2, so it's a safe bet to say "yes".

 

[purf]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/263280/

Euro Russian Truck Simulator?
The reason my I-16 is stalling again because back then planes didn't use to have fuel injection?
Stuff like that? Realistic simulations of technical stuffs?
Count me in!

Realistic simulations of mundane, no-brainer tasks like using a backback (hello, ARMA!)?
Not so much.

 

[Foolery]

I do. But no one's made very many of the genre I like. I enjoy diving sims. Endless Ocean. Endless Ocean: Blue World. Aquanaut's Holiday. These have more arcade elements, though. It's not very hardcore. The point is exploration. I'm one of those weird people who loves water levels in video games.

 

[BodomBeachChild]

I love sims. Flight sims are my favorite since I want to actually learn to fly and get a license. But almost any other sim works out. Farm Simulator isn't as bad as people think and some of the train ones are pretty spiffy.

 

[Denamic]

MSP is about as far into realism that I'm willing to delve. KSP strikes a golden balance between simulating actual science shit and crashing into planetoids.

 

[erbkaiser]

I do. But no one's made very many of the genre I like. I enjoy diving sims. Endless Ocean. Endless Ocean: Blue World. Aquanaut's Holiday. These have more arcade elements, though. It's not very hardcore. The point is exploration. I'm one of those weird people who loves water levels in video games.

Good games, I like them as well. Unfortunately the only diving Sim I know of for the PC, Depth Hunter [http://www.desura.com/games/depth-hunter], is hunting focused.

 

[duwenbasden]

Yes. All the SimCities. I sank over 3000 hours in SimCity 4.

SimFarm is another one I play the shit out of, and also Rollercoaster Tycoon.

KSP too.

I used to be a big Flight Sim player.

 

[Mullac]

Not at all. I've never found a simulator that has kept my interest for any reasonable amount of time, mostly because I don't have any interest in their subjects (such as car or flight sims). I thought I'd enjoy the Arma games a bit, but I didn't and instead found them to be really boring - maybe it's just my lack of patience.

I guess I just play games to 'escape reality' - I know that sounded really cheesy - so I won't bother playing a 'realistic' game unless it's really very mega awesome super fun...which none have been so far.