
The Peculiar Power of Plane Mechanic Simulator - smacktoward
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/08/the-flare-path-plane-mechanic-simulator-review/
======
bane
Reminds me in a way of my favorite sim game:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Summer_Car](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Summer_Car)

~~~
justtopost
Odd, reading that just made me want to go work on my project car. But irl. I
wonder how many people get into mechanics from these games, and how many
current mechanics fill their time virtually turning wrenches...

------
robohoe
I think we live in a golden age of $n simulators. There seems to be one for
everything, allowing people to escape their realities and become the truck
driver or farmer they’ve always wanted to. I wonder what the replay ability of
those is though.

And it all started from original flight and train Simulators. At least with
those simulators you can get various plugins to really expand the environment
and gameplay.

~~~
exDM69
There's more in it than you think, it's not just about escapism.

Driving a train usually needs an engineering degree in real life, it's about
managing the momentum of a thousand ton vehicle up and down hills.

Reversing a truck with a trailer takes a ton of practice.

Flying aircraft, especially over long distances requires a lot of knowledge
and skills in aviation and navigation.

Farming simulator may sound mundane, but it's about driving heavy vehicles,
managing economy and getting to understand farming.

There's a lot more to these games than meets the eye. I've thoroughly enjoyed
all of them. There's no way I'll ever be a train engineer, a pilot or a farmer
but I get a glimpse into what the job is like in an entertaining gaming
session.

~~~
p0llard
> Driving a train usually needs an engineering degree in real life

I'm dubious of this claim, but am happy to be proven wrong. I don't really see
how an engineering degree would be necessary, or even helpful at all for this;
I quite agree that it definitely requires a lot of skill, but an engineering
degree is an academic qualification which is really an assessment of intellect
as opposed to trained skill.

Building on that last claim, I would say that a significant minority, if not a
small majority, of _professional_ engineering jobs (in the traditional sense,
and excluding train drivers) do not actually require a degree in practice,
instead requiring only a certain aptitude and the ability to skill up as
necessary for the specific job.

~~~
exDM69
I guess I should have been more specific. In my country, train drivers still
have engineering degrees. Maybe not everywhere any more.

Back in steam engine days the job was more difficult, and needed higher
education than today.

And train simulators reflect this, operating a steam locomotive is really
difficult. Although the diesel electrics are hard, steam locos are a whole
different game. I still haven't been able to complete a route without running
into trouble with pressure, water levels, fire mass or fuel.

Train sims are fun, challenging and entertaining. If you're into slower paced
and more strategic gaming, give one of the train sims a go.

------
knolan
What I find interesting is that a lot of today’s games have become photography
simulators. Many include either a photo mode where you can edit the paused
game state or a live in game camera (in GTA V your character has a smartphone
with various apps and an instagram clone).

I’ve frequently had more fun with these features than with the actual game.

~~~
pjc50
The deadendthrills blog has some great examples of this. "No Man's Sky" is a
particularly good game to do this in, but I've also had fun in the Witcher.

It raises the question of whose "art" this is; photography is normally
considered to be the art of the artist, but game scenes themselves are the
product of artists. The art director will even have set up certain shots for
the player to see - and take screenshots of?

Various games (e.g. Zelda BOTW, World of Warcraft) have a "selfie" mode, which
can be hilarious.

------
75dvtwin
this is incredibly detailed.

how long does it take to develop a game like that, and what skills are needed
(and what tools are used)?

Is that even realistic for one person ?

I would like to play one for motorcycle parts mechanic (like a Norton or a
Triumph or a Honda Goldwing).

------
iancmceachern
This is awesome, the first game I've found myself wanting to play in years.

