General Question how does one contact martins?

[Urwumpe]

I have written other games nothing to speak of rpgs, action, a first person but enough to know I couldn't get this ready in a year. it would take meticulous attention to detail and I have the means in which to accomplish it. make no mistake if it was less than what orbiter is I would never put it out.

I asked about simulation games, because they are in many aspects different to others. The biggest problem is the lack of out-of-the-box solutions, as you have for many other kinds of games. While you can use existing graphics engines with medium effort for adapting them to the task (though they are usually optimized for FPS or strategy games), you usually won't have much joy simply extending the fidelity of a FPS style physics engine to spaceflight or even aircraft simulation standards.

In a FPS or RTS, the world in the simulation is rarely bigger than a few kilometers. The coordinate systems are simpler, you have not to bother with rotating frames of reference, as you have in Orbiter or a good flight sim. And most flight sims don't care about Newtonian gravity.

Same for the rendering. You think the orbiter rendering is easily done with some XNA standard solutions? Better take a look at the Open-Source Rendering clients for Orbiter, like DirectX 9.0, which is at least closer to XNA. A virtual cockpit is especially nasty there, because you have to cover a huge span of Z coordinates.

And then you also get the problems that the architecture of the XBox isn't really designed for the data flows that you have in Orbiter.

I would not see it as even close to easy, even if the source code would be public.

BTW: Which games have you published of them?

 

[Hielor]

Given that it wouldn't be an Xbox 360 "port" of Orbiter, but rather just a simulator that does many of the same things, I'm confused as to why you need anyone's permission. Assuming you aren't using assets like textures and meshes, the only things your game will have in common with Orbiter are the underlying equations, which are public knowledge.

So, just go write it.

The more important question is, though...why? Certainly an xbox controller is not more beneficial for flying than a joystick, and even if it were you could already use it on the computer. Unlike that iPad space sim which was something that people could take with them on the go, anyone who's going to have a joystick available for the Xbox will have a computer that can run Orbiter just fine. It certainly won't make any money on the Xbox, as it won't appeal to the console gaming crowd unless you make it an action game instead of a simulator.

So...what's the point?

 

[RisingFury]

I don't think a space sim is a bad idea for an xbox indie game. In fact, I guarentee any degree of success will make you loads of money.
It won't be Orbiter, it won't be pleasantly moddable, but it will be enjoyable in my opinion.

Who are you kidding? If it was the 2000's, yes. But not now.

Jane's USAF (1999):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJeUZKOezyg

Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters (2011):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU2wA4Tq6Sc


So don't get your hopes up.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Given that it wouldn't be an Xbox 360 "port" of Orbiter, but rather just a simulator that does many of the same things, I'm confused as to why you need anyone's permission. Assuming you aren't using assets like textures and meshes, the only things your game will have in common with Orbiter are the underlying equations, which are public knowledge.

So, just go write it.

The more important question is, though...why? Certainly an xbox controller is not more beneficial for flying than a joystick, and even if it were you could already use it on the computer. Unlike that iPad space sim which was something that people could take with them on the go, anyone who's going to have a joystick available for the Xbox will have a computer that can run Orbiter just fine. It certainly won't make any money on the Xbox, as it won't appeal to the console gaming crowd unless you make it an action game instead of a simulator.

So...what's the point?

It will make money on the xbox.

Thousands of downloads at $3 each, very simplistic:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/RC-AirSim/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550171

There are people looking for this sort of thing on the indie games. If you can make it almost professional (no ugly sprites), it will be a best-seller.

 

[Hielor]

It will make money on the xbox.

Many thousands of downloads at $3 each, very simplistic:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/RC-AirSim/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550171

That is vastly more interesting to the average user than a space simulator would be, and RC airplanes lend themselves very well to being controlled with an Xbox controller.

 

[Quick_Nick]

That is vastly more interesting to the average user than a space simulator would be, and RC airplanes lend themselves very well to being controlled with an Xbox controller.

You've got me there. A space sim would indeed be full of challenges. If someday someone can pull it off and make it user-friendly though, it will be highly successful. I don't think it's impossible, it will just require effort.

 

[Urwumpe]

Also technically speaking, the world of a RC sim is again not bigger then a cubic kilometer and can be represented with Galilean gravity, simple aerodynamics and even a non-rotating coordinate system.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Also technically speaking, the world of a RC sim is again not bigger then a cubic kilometer and can be represented with Galilean gravity, simple aerodynamics and even a non-rotating coordinate system.

I had that in mind as well. It was an answer to success of even simulators, not the ease of creating one.
There are already much better sims on the indie games, I just haven't tried them yet. (e.g. http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Flight-Adventure-2/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550993)

 

[Hielor]

I bet that's an action game, not a sim, but I'll try and remember to give it a try when I get home.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I bet that's an action game, not a sim, but I'll try and remember to give it a try when I get home.

"Experience the legendary P-51 Mustang™. Unlimited free flight. Six race tracks. Race against yourself using the racing ghost option or test your flying skills in an online multiplayer session with a friend. Produced under license from Boeing Management Company."

I'm not sure what I'm arguing anymore. I just hope DarkFact goes for it and makes something to be proud of. And otherwise, maybe I'll take a shot at it.

 

[orb]

O-F Staff Note:

Thread reopened. No off-topic posts were removed or moved this time, but please leave Xbox vs. PC arguments to the "Consoles vs PC gameing thread." (sic). Thank you.​

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