Hi CapnCrane,
You are mostly correct, but your conclusion — "Because a realistic simulator is boring and won't be successful among the general audience, the only way to make it marketable is by turning it into an arcade or strategy game" — is somewhat mistaken.
Going back to the origins of SSE and Nautis, SS2008 had a strong foundation in 2006 with QuestViewer and Newton Game Dynamics, but it was not at all suited to addressing hydrodynamic challenges due to limitations in the Newton Game engine. When the time came to develop a successor to SS2008, the idea of producing an SS2008 Pro version was considered. It became apparent that, despite the weaknesses of NGD, it would be relatively easy for the physics programmer to adapt it for a Pro version, somewhat following the trajectory of SS2006.
The simulation itself was certainly good enough to be upgraded into a true professional simulator, provided it incorporated features like wind, currents, shallow water effects, and possibly added mass considerations. Over time, it became clear that VStep could transform SS2008 Pro into a genuinely professional simulator, albeit with certain shortcuts in ship engineering areas (such as engines, rudder systems, and communications). These aspects could be added later, alongside improved attention to ship parameters, which were missing from SS2008 due to NGD's limitations.
SS2008 Pro was ultimately upgraded, reworked, and renamed Nautis after significant effort from the VStep team.
In essence, this first version of Nautis was SS2008 with realistic hydrodynamic parameterization.
There was still a challenge when creating a successor to SS2008: Ship Simulator Extremes (SSE). This was intended as a new game, still based on QuestViewer as the graphics and development environment but rebranded. The concept was to provide a successor to SS2008 without competing directly with Nautis. As a result, features such as wind, streams, and currents were excluded, and the on-screen bridge equipment was designed to be more game-like.
Additionally, a new sea model (PhysX) and RakNet were introduced, while QuestViewer and Newton Game Dynamics were retained. The user interface was modernized, and the hydrodynamic system was completely rewritten in C++ by the science programmer, addressing most of the significant ship maneuvering flaws present in SS2008. However, the game was developed concurrently with the highly professional Nautis, placing a significant workload on the VStep design and programming teams.
What I want to emphasize is that SSE is not "arcadish." Its ship maneuvering characteristics are much closer to the actual specifications of comparable vessels than many other simulators. Furthermore, these characteristics can be easily adjusted thanks to an excellent editor. Its limitations, however, are entirely my fault. I often lack accurate data about real-world maneuvering characteristics, and many so-called experts fail to identify major flaws. My own limited knowledge and occasional impatience also contribute to these shortcomings.
In conclusion, I believe realistic simulation games still have an audience, but no noteworthy example of such a game has been released since then. I think the primary obstacle is commercial viability, as seen with projects like Nautis Home.
