While many rely on developers like Dovetail Games, Laminar Research or Lockheed Martin to deliver a proper flightsimulator in the future, there are several individuals who want to build something on their own terms. Former USAF computer tech and passionate flightsimmer Stephen Borick initiated the process of researching, planning and developing a new simulator with the founding of the Next Generation Flight Simulator SIM-Posium [Website offline] (a portmanteau word which consists of simulator and symposium). So far, they even managed to get a demo of the graphic engine Unigine Sim which you can download for free – read the interview with Stephen now!

- Anzeige -


Hi Stephen, thanks for joining us!

My pleasure.

Could you explain, in just a few sentences, what is the SIM-Posium?

Hummm, that’s pretty hard to do, but I’ll give it a go. The next generation flight simulator SIM-Posium is pretty much what its name implies. Its purpose was and is to provide a gathering place for flight simulator enthusiasts to discuss the future evolution of flight simulation for the consumer as well as the possibilities of creating a next generation flight simulator. The hope is, enthusiasts from all walks of life would join this discussion and from among them we would find the talent/skills to actually build something on our own terms, rather than relying on “BIG BUSINESS” to dictate the future for us.

 NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 15

 

What kind of tasks are you doing in the Posium?

I am what you would consider the host of the SIM-Posium. It was a “Fields of Dream” proposition in that by building the website, “people would come…”. In addition, I’d have to say that I wear many managerial hats in that I want to keep the flow of the NGFS SIM-Posium moving towards the goals intended for “Brainstorming” a next generation flight simulator.

 

 „I would like to see the development of flight catch up once again.“

 

When did you come to the point where you said to yourself: It’s time to push development of a new flight simulator forward, together with the community, and without relying on companies in the gaming industry (such as Dovetail Games, Laminar Research)?

Dovetail Games and Laminar Research, as well as Lockheed Martin have all created flight simulators based upon proprietary coding that in reality are decades old. There have been some improvements over the years, but in nearly every case its basis is old technologies. One only needs to look at some of the software being developed today for entertainment purposes to readily see that things have progressed way beyond these older technologies.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 09

I can remember the days when we used to admire the consoles for their levels of graphics: they were far more immersive than what we were seeing in our flight simulators. Eventually the flight sim developers caught up to the same level of immersion through better graphics.

Much hasn’t changed in the way of development for flight simulator over the past several years and the gaming engines available today have far surpassed the level of immersion that we are currently getting in the flight simulators that are available to the public. I would like to see the development of flight catch up once again.

 

Developing a simulator is a very ambitious project; some might argue it is impossible that a few from inside the community can do it on their own. How do you feel about this?

Absolutely, building a flight simulator is no easy task, but is it impossible for a community to do it? I don’t believe that it is. There are examples of very small teams doing extraordinary things. For instances, Outerra and No Man’s Sky. To be frank, the smaller the team, the longer the development time, but the hope is as things progress others with the skills necessary to succeed will want to join in the effort.

One of the key words behind the SIM-Posium is CrowdSourcing. I maintain that among the flight simulator community there are many skilled individuals who, when given the opportunity, could contribute significantly to the efforts necessary for success. That is one of the purposes of the NGFS SIM-Posium: to gather the talent necessary for success.

 

 „The potential end user must say: I want that!“

 

What was your first step after making the decision of developing a new simulator?

First, it must be made clear that a decision to develop a new flight simulator has yet to be made. The NGFS SIM-Posium is the catalyst behind that decision making process. Many things have to happen and happen successful before the decision to actually go forward and create the company and teams necessary to develop a next generation flight simulator.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 03

Two key components are the gathering of the necessary skills to, at the very minimum; create a working demo that shows off the capabilities of a modern 3D engine that has a Wow-factor that entices the potential end users to say to themselves, “…whoa… I want that!”. If we are successful in accomplishing that task, hopefully it will draw the attention of other talents to join in the effort, which makes continuing the project a bit more feasible.

Then, comes funding or a willingness for a dedicated team to work for future remuneration. When all that comes together, among other things, then you can make the decision to move forward and develop a new flight simulator.

 

One of the most important things for simulation software is, probably, the graphic engine. You evaluated several engines already on the market. Could you tell us which engines we’re tested?

Much of the evaluation process was basic research of the current 3D engines available for licensing. Any candidate had to have the capabilities to actually be used as a tool for the creation of a next generation flight simulator. That priority quickly eliminated the likes of Unity 3D, Unreal, CryEngine and others.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 12

Yes, those engines have the capabilities of creating some very realistic worlds as well as the ability to incorporate the physics required, but they were not capable of creating an entire, spherical world upon which to base a flight simulator.

Graphically, nearly every 3D engine that we looked at was on Par with each other. There currently is only one engine available for licensing that has the tools necessary for the creation of a worldwide flight simulator and that is Unigine Sim.

 

 „We simply need to ask!“

 

How difficult were negotiations with Unigine at the beginning? I mean, basically there is one guy who wants to develop a new kind of software from scratch out of nowhere – not very convincing after all…

Actually it was an easy process. The folks at Unigine Sim are easy to work with and open to ideas. I pitched the concept of the NGFS SIM-Posium to Unigine’s sales rep and they were happy to oblige. I think the key to getting our foot in the door is rather simple.

Unigine is focused on continuing development not just as a game engine but also as a dedicated simulation engine. If you do a search on Google for Unigine, you’ll find their gaming site. If you do a search on Unigine Sim you’ll find their simulation site. Although I believe that the two are actually one in the same, the extended functionalities for simulation are far clearer on Unigine Sim.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 06

Another key for getting our foot in the door is: I asked. That’s not meant to be a brag, but more so as a call to action to others that we simply need to ask. After all, the answer was going to go one of two ways. It’s the same principal that I’m applying to the reasoning behind the NGFS SIM-Posium, I’m asking the community if they want to be involved in the creation of a community driven flight simulator based upon what they want rather than just getting what is handed to them by the big producers

 

Do you already have some features which will be definitely included in the new sim or are you still in the research period?

We’re very much still in the research period. As stated before, the sole purpose of the NGFS SIM-Posium is to discuss the desires of the community to include the functionality of a future flight simulator.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 07

That’s where the community members come in, by using the NGFS SIM-Posium forum as a gathering place to discuss what they want to see in a next generation flight simulator. If and when a team is formed to create a new simulator it’s functions and features will be based upon those discussions.

With that being said, modularity and expandability with a well thought out SDK made available to both 3rd party vendors as well as the general public seems to be three features that are paramount for the long term success of any new flight simulator.

 

„Anything can be accomplished by those who set out to do it.“

 

Do you rather think renowned developers will be needed?

I don’t think renowned developers are necessary for success, although if anyone of that nature is willing to come on board we wouldn’t say no.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 16

I’m going to go back to the example of No Man’s Sky. It’s originator consisted of 4 virtually unknown developers who pooled their talents towards the development of what looks to be a fantastic piece of software. It was by showing others what they were capable of achieving that provided them with the necessary tools for what will be more than likely, a phenomenal success and the next bar to reach for other developers. On the other hand you have Star Citizens, with the funding necessary to attract all the talent that they deemed necessary for success.

The point is: anything can be accomplished by those who set out to do it.

 

Did you already contact some designers who have lots of experience in the flightsim business?

At this point, the answer to that question is no, not directly, although the NGFS SIM-Posium is open to anyone and everyone. When we are at a point where we have something substantial to show, I think many designers who have lots of experience in the flightsim business will be contacting us as and vice versa.

 

 „The NGFS SIM-Posium is a place to gather all thoughs under one roof.“

 

What is the goal you want to reach until the end of the year 2015?

The primary goal is the gathering of people, people who are interested in the future of flight simulation. Throughout all the many forums over the years, people have been discussing the need for a new flight simulator.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 17

The NGFS SIM-Posium is a place to gather those thoughts under one roof, so to speak, so that they can be organized into a formable plan that will hopefully lead to the successful build of a next generation flight simulator based upon the needs, wants, and desires of the community.

 

Now tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your flightsim background? When did you start simming and what kind of software did you use over the years?

My background in flight simulation is very similar to many others. I’ve been a flight simmer for years starting with SubLogics release way, way back and have had just about every flight simulator released, at one time or another on my PCs. I was always looking for the next step towards reality as I love flying (I’m retired AWACS computer tech).

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 08

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about flight simulation is the ability to visit places around the globe that I will more than likely never see in my life time. The more realistic, the better. That’s why I want to see a next generation flight simulator based upon modern technologies and modern 3D engines as such a simulator will provide the next substantial step in “As Real As It Gets”.

 

„Quite literally I’m just a guy with a dream.“

 

From your job background: Do you already have experience in managing large projects or programming software?

I am no programmer and what managing skills I have are those I’ve gleaned over the years I’ve served in the USAF as well as a company called Electronic Data Systems. Quite literally I’m just a guy with a dream, an idea that I very much would like to see become a reality.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 05

Truth is, if we as a community don’t get behind something like the NGFS SIM-Posium and work together to achieve the development of a next generation flight simulator, we’re most likely not going to see one anytime soon in the future.

I believe strongly that the flight simulator community comes complete with all the skills necessary for success. It’s just a matter of deciding if we’re satisfied with what we’ve got or what is coming down the pike from the likes of Dovetail Games or if we want something on our own terms to include the features that we may have only dreamed about.

 

 „Make a commitment to yourself – get involved!“

 

What is your call to the community? What should every single person of us do so the dream of your Next Generation Flightsim will be fulfilled in the future?

Wow… that’s a question and a half. The NGFS SIM-Posium has been live for a little over two months and during that time we’ve seen a trickle of activity to include some very talented individuals joining us as well as a couple of approaches from individuals and team who are interested in collaborating together towards a common goal.

Those who have shown a genuine interest in the creation of a next generation flight simulator are dedicated to seeing things progress, even to the point of expanding their individual knowledge in using the tools to create such a simulator.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 10

We have one programmer who has joined us who has worked with the Unigine 3D engine in the past who is now rededicating himself to a previous goal that he had set personally for himself. 

He knows the potential and wants to be involved in any way that he can to see a next generation flight simulator. Every single person who hears about what we’re trying to accomplish over at the NGFS SIM-Posium will either love the idea or hate the idea, such is the nature of the beast.

But, if they love the idea and want to see the fruition of a simulator based upon their input, then they need to make a commitment to themselves to allow a little time in their busy lives to get involved.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 14

Whether it is by posting an idea or getting involved in a conversation about any aspect of the design, or just dropping in and posting a few thoughts on a regular basis. By doing these simple things then a community can be formed with the momentum that comes from being passionate about an idea.

One thing that is significantly important, is the understanding that this isn’t my Next Generation Flightsim, but more so it is the dream that it is everyone’s Next Generation Flight Simulator, designed and built by a community dedicated to flight simulation.

 

„Invite others to come and join!“

 

Still, I feel the SIM-Posium is pretty unpopular in the community yet. How can we spread the word?

That’s another good question, particularly after the experience I had on one popular forum. It seems that experience was based upon the expressions of skepticism which led to criticism or pessimism of just a handful of individuals towards the idea of the NGFS SIM-Posium which germinated to a far more grandiose discussion than one would ever thought possible regarding the idea as well as the ideals behind the NGFS SIM-Posium.

Even so, the two SIM-Posium threads on that forum garnished several thousand hits before the threads were locked. What this number of hits showed me is that there is a segment of the flight simulation community who are interested in the forward progress of flight simulation as it pertains to an increased level of immersion as well as enjoyment.

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 04

What that experience also showed me was that people really don’t have a safe haven where they can actually discuss their ideas without being pelted unmercifully for expressing their thoughts. The NGFS SIM-Posium is a place where those who are interested in the continued progression of flight simulation can come and discuss the possibilities without fear of being ridiculed. 

The NGFS SIM-Posium is a safe haven where ideas and expression of those thoughts are welcomed and respected. We, have in place safeguards that will help to ensure that atmosphere. So how does the NGFS SIM-Posium become popular, it’s simply a matter of those who read this interview taking the time to visit the SIM-Posium [Website offline], post their thoughts regarding flight simulation, becoming a part of the community that is dedicated to the future of flight simulation, making suggestions that will improve the SIM-Posium, and overall getting involved [Forum offline] in the movement that will eventually lead to success. 

 

„Fingers crossed.“

 

And then… tell others about their experiences over at the NGFS SIM-Posium, inviting others to come and join them. Everybody knows somebody and that somebody will know someone else. Some of those who visit the SIM-Posium will be like me, a layman with the hope of seeing something new developed and the feeling that comes from being involved in something special.

Others will have talents / skills that could be utilized towards the successful development of a well thought out demo, that could easily lead to a successful funding campaign. 

NGFS SIM-Posium Interview Picture 02

And those who contribute their time and talents, if they wish, can become candidates for future positions of leadership as well as skilled developers within an organization designed by them for them.

Yeah, it’s pretty dreamy. But it’s one that can catch the minds of thousands of others. Fingers crossed.


We would like to thank Stephen Borick for this very interesting interview. Now it’s your turn: Check out their website [Website offline] and make sure you sign up in their forum [Forum offline] to take part in the discussion.

The pictures are taken from the NGFS page [Website offline] and show the Port Angeles Demo of Unigine Sim which you can download free-of-charge here [Forum offline] (after making at least five posts in the forum).


Interview: Frank Kuhn (on the behalf of flusinews.de)

You got an opinion on this? – Jump to the comments!

 

1 2
Autor

Hallo, ich bin Frank und schreibe seit 2011 für flusinews.de. Damals war unsere Website ein kleines Hobbyprojekt, heute eine wichtige Stimme in der Flugsimulator-Szene – auch wenn wir immer noch in unserer Freizeit schreiben. Auf flusinews.de kümmere ich mich um alles, was irgendwie mit Inhalten zu tun hat. Am liebsten schreibe ich ausführliche Hintergrundberichte über Themen, welche die Szene bewegen.

Bisher 8 Kommentare

  1. Meiner Meinung nach eine sehr interessante Idee, die eigentlich schon seit ein paar Jahren überfällig ist. Es ist korrekt, dass es in der Szene sehr viele Leute gibt, die sich ihren eigenen Flusi seit Jahren selber aufpeppen. Nicht viele stellen ihre Werke der Community zu Verfügung, sei es weil sie selbst nicht überzeugt von ihrer Arbeit sind, weil sie nicht die Möglichkeit für eigene Uploads haben, weil sie copyrightgeschütztes Material verwendet haben oder warum auch immer. Wichtig ist aber, dass es viel mehr Wissen über die Technik oder auch Designarbeiten in der Community gibt, als man sich vorstellen mag.

    Ich selber kenne innerhalb der Deutschen Flusi-Szene einige Leute, die über solch ein reichhaltiges Wissen verfügen, dass ich nicht selten einfach sprachlos bin. Ein Grund warum dieses wissen oft nicht geteilt wird – oder nicht in dem Umfang geteilt wird wie man es sich wünschen würde – ist der Umstand das alle einschlägigen Webseiten stets auf Englisch sind.

    Klar, Englisch ist DIE Weltsprache und die jungen Leute von heute haben in der Schule soviel Englischunterricht, dass das für sie kein Problem darstellt. Hinzu kommen die neuen Medien und Kontakte in aller Welt, die die Sprachkenntnisse auch noch fördern.

    Wenn man aber bedenkt, dass das Durchschnittalter in der Deutschen Flusi-Szene bei über 50 Jahren liegt, kann man sehen, aus welcher Zeit das Gro der Flusianer stammt (mich eingeschlossen). Damals war der Englischunterricht an den Schulen noch nicht soweit wie heute und internationale Kontakte hatte man wenn überhaupt nur über den Job oder durch Zufall.

    Um also das Wissen für so ein Projekt zu bündeln, müsste es Webseiten/Foren in mehreren Sprachen geben. ORBX hat es bereits mit seinem Forum vorgemacht und profitiert davon gut.

    • Klar, nicht jeder kann gut Englisch sprechen/schreiben/verstehen.
      Aber wenn es wie in diesem Fall um ein multinationales Entwicklerteam gehen soll, scheint mir diese Anforderung unabdingbar.

      Im deutschen Teil des Orbx-Forum diskutieren ja deutsche Nutzer miteinander, der Rest bleibt außen vor. Somit würden im NGFS SIM-Posium verschiedene Nutzergruppen untereinander diskutieren, man hätte viele kleine, aber nicht eine große Debatte. Das halte ich nicht für produktiv und sehr hinderlich. In diesem Fall müssen sich alle in einer Sprache austauschen, anders geht es nicht. Und Englisch ist da nun einmal das Mittel der Wahl.

      Da würde mir höchstens das Prinzip eines Übersetzers einfallen, was dann aber auch mit viel Aufwand verbunden wäre.

      • Hallo Frank, nicht so ganz.

        Bei ORBX gibt es auch einige die Deutsch sprechen wie z. Holger Sandmann, Thomas Zipfel, Wolter und natürlich Friedhelm, der den deutschen Teil betreut. Darüber hinaus schauen auch andere Entwickler und JV mittels Übersetzungs-Tool regelmäßig in die verschiedenen Sprachbereiche hinein.
        Ich denke auch im SIM-Posium wird es über kurz oder lang engagierte Leute geben, die gute Vorschläge, Ideen oder Wissenbeiträge ins Englische übersetzen können – und das sicher nicht nur aus dem Deutschen.

        Auf der Webseite von SIM-Possium ist ja auch bereits ein Übersetzer integriert, nur leider im Forum noch nicht.

  2. Das ist eine sehr gute Idee! Vielleicht läßt sich da in Kombination mit FlightGear eine Basis schaffen?

    • Hallo Norbert,
      das halt ich für fraglich – FlightGear basiert ja ebenfalls auf altem Code. Wenn, dann müssten die FlightGear Entwickler sich bereit erklären, etwas neues zu entwickeln…

Anmerkung dazu? Schreibe hier einen Kommentar.

Diese Website verwendet Akismet, um Spam zu reduzieren. Erfahre mehr darüber, wie deine Kommentardaten verarbeitet werden.

Tagesaktuelle Nachrichten zur Flugsimulation findest du derzeit im Flusiboard.
close