Future of Falcon BMS

[Denco]

I’m very happy with Falcon BMS and its dynamic campaign and airports so I do wonder, what is the future of BMS? I personally would love to see those low poly models gone ( all of them ). Improved terrain with trees etc.

I’m also wondering why doesn’t benchmark sims create a new game called Falcon BMS 2 on kickstarter. I would definitely back it, hell I’d buy it again once it’s released

[Eagle-Eye]

Why go to BMS 2 when you already have BMS 4?

Suggest you look for 4.33 or Wish List or such things using the Search-function. That will give you a good indication of what is asked for by the community, and how (some of) the devs respond to it.

[Denco]

I did and nothing of noteworthy comes up, or I somehow fail to see it

But still I’m very interested of where this is going. If benchmark Sim takes it the retail road and makes a game worthy they can rival DCS, and in the process make all of us even more happy.

And if they are going to improve BMS I would very much like to know where they are headed.

[toonces]

Before this thread gets locked, which it will shortly, search for a document about the history of Falcon 4. I can’t remember what it’s called, it’s not “history” but something else.

How Falcon 4 evolved to BMS is a very convoluted, but interesting story. Once you have read the back story, you may understand why it’s not as simple as BMS just throwing up a version on Kickstarter. Not a bad idea, just not possible.

Since nobody is doing dynamic campaigns in sims anymore, I’d like to see BMS evolve away from being F-16-centric…break into that avionics and other hard-coded stuff and really give us a thorough study of another plane. But, I also realize how unlikely that is.

[Dee-Jay]

@Denco:

I did and nothing of noteworthy comes up, or I somehow fail to see it

But still I’m very interested of where this is going. If benchmark Sim takes it the retail road and makes a game worthy they can rival DCS, and in the process make all of us even more happy.

And if they are going to improve BMS I would very much like to know where they are headed.

BMS doesn’t communicate on future version feature. Only few info here and there, but no official statement.

The only thing I can tell you, is that BMS are not in competition with DCS and if you fly BMS, it is not (and it will never be) for its graphics compared to other commercial simulators.

But some improvements in the future? … Yes, possible.

[toonces]

Here ya go (the word I was looking for was “epopee”):

http://falcon-online.org/forum/index.php?topic=434.0

[Denco]

@Dee-Jay:

The only thing I can tell you, is that BMS are not in competition with DCS and if you fly BMS, it is not (and it will never be) for its graphics compared to other commercial simulators.

You are right about that and they should not be since they are both great sims.

@Dee-Jay:

But some improvements in the future? … Yes, possible.

I hope so.

[Lawndart]

In my opinion BMS is better then DCS. BMS as a simulator has no competition, could things be better probably but I have tried to play DCS and I can’t too arcade like for me

[Korbi]

Guys, just stop this BMS vs. DCS. It doesnt make any sense to compare to completely different headed Sims.

[Shadow]

@whitepony99:

In my opinion BMS is better then DCS. BMS as a simulator has no competition, could things be better probably but I have tried to play DCS and I can’t too arcade like for me

Well Simulate you padded seat over here and lets do some flying & dying !

:drink:

[stk2008]

Yep I agree about graphics I find the current graphics nice.

Its not about graphics for me its about gameplay hallways has been.

Eg

Jagged alliance 1.13 that has so many cool features weapons etc but graphics and game is old.

Cataclysm DDA well graphics are very low but damn I can’t get enough of it.

Then there’s falcon BMS graphics are very nice mostly but damn u show me another flight sim any where close to it great work BMS team love it thank u I’m so looking forward to 4.33

[EggsNFries]

I’m very happy with Falcon BMS and its dynamic campaign and airports so I do wonder, what is the future of BMS?

Since the BMS team doesn’t communicate in public, all what’s left for the community is wild a** guessing - and there had been plenty already. Just an example:
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?16553-Iff-you-could-have-one-thing-in-the-next-update-it-would-be&highlight=iff

About kickstarter: the rights for F4 have to be purchased in the first place before launching a kickstarter campaign. There is a recent thread about that https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?19207-Crowdfund-campaign-to-buy-the-rights-to-Falcon-4&highlight=source+code … but discussions ended quickly for obvious reasons.

[Denco]

@EggsNFries:

About kickstarter: the rights for F4 have to be purchased in the first place before launching a kickstarter campaign. There is a recent thread about that https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?19207-Crowdfund-campaign-to-buy-the-rights-to-Falcon-4&highlight=source+code … but discussions ended quickly for obvious reasons.

I wasn’t thinking on them creating a new game with the same code but create a new game with new code, and of course new name, that would work the same that Falcon BMS does. I would support them all the way.

[Mav-jp]

@Denco:

I wasn’t thinking on them creating a new game with the same code but create a new game with new code, and of course new name, that would work the same that Falcon BMS does. I would support them all the way.

forget about it , we are not a commercial company thus we dont have the ressources to pay the people that currently work on BMS.

Creating a new game from scratch would imply that most of our coders quit their current job to work full time on the new code which brings us back to € topic.

BMS is a success because we dont work for beeing paid and passion is our only dirver.

Let’s keep it like that.

[Scramble]

@Denco:

I wasn’t thinking on them creating a new game with the same code but create a new game with new code, and of course new name, that would work the same that Falcon BMS does. I would support them all the way.

I guess everyone is waiting for this thread to get locked up or moved, but I thought I’d try to make a minor contribution to putting this topic to rest. I have nothing to do with BMS development, but the only reasonable conclusion is this is not going to happen. So we just have to accept that’s how it is.

First of all, as Mav-jp writes and which has been very consistent communication, the team has no interest in following this route. Actually, they say they are strongly against it. And they are the only people you would want to do it, as you would want to get the next BMS experience brought to you by people who understand and love BMS. And I think the devs have heard every possible argument why they should reconsider.

Secondly, even if they had wanted to pursue such a venture, it really is not economically feasible. The U1-U6 installer post in the announcements subforum has a bit over 7,000 views. Multiply that with what you think such a product would cost, and that is a very rough estimate of income. Even if we all paid USD 100, that would be a rough estimate of USD 700 000. A developer for one year will easily cost USD 150 000, so you are talking 4-5 devs for one year. To redesign from scratch a product to be even better than the current Falcon BMS. Even if you start making assumptions about “but this is going to be so great everyone will buy it”, it is still a tough proposition. So you would have to do stuff such as what DCS is doing (more planes, developing military versions for air forces), which increases the complexity and dilutes the focus of the sim, which means you end up with something different from the BMS philosophy.

So the devs are not going to do it, and even if they did to it on a commercial basis the project would probably crash and burn due to the economies of such a project (from what I remember from Falcon 4.0 lore, that project was not exactly a financial success). So it is not going to happen. That is my analysis as an outsider. But who has time for thinking about “BMS 2” these days, when we are all eagerly waiting for 4.33. BMS is even better than Christmas; any day could be BMS day, and you know the present is going to be good; only hard packages under the BMS tree.

[Dee-Jay]

@Scramble:

4.33. BMS is even better than Christmas; any day could be BMS day

I love that way of thinking!

@Mav-jp:

BMS is a success because we dont work for beeing paid and passion is our only dirver.

Let’s keep it like that.

Amen.

[Cali]

@Dee-Jay:

The only thing I can tell you, is that BMS are not in competition with DCS and if you fly BMS, it is not (and it will never be) for its graphics compared to other commercial simulators.

I don’t think DCS forums think of it as you do, you mention BMS and the thread is closed/locked.

[Dee-Jay]

@Cali:

I don’t think DCS forums think of it as you do, you mention BMS and the thread is closed/locked.

Doesn’t change anything for us.

[neystratiou]

@Dee-Jay:

I love that way of thinking!

Amen.

+1 here.
Nikos.

[trudesea]

Sims like Falcon and DCS are a niche market and will never sell as much as a Halo, BF or even Arma. Heck, even with BMS being “free”, it doesn’t surpass the user numbers of say World of *. Most people play games to escape the real world and therefore will not get into a study sim.

With regards to improvements to BMS Falcon, I’m for immersion and realistic over graphics. I would however like to see a more complete damage model with visuals and realize that it’s one hitbox and a rewrite would be a full time job in itself. Looking out over my bullet ridden wing in the DCS A-10C and seeing a trail of fuel leaking just adds that extra level of realism.

Hats off to the devs, wish I had and CS degree vs an EE so I could possibly contribute I know it ain’t easy but the passion drives.