Simulation game
From Free net encyclopedia
A simulation game, or sim game, (also known as a game of status or mixed game) is a game that contains a mixture of skill, chance, and strategy to simulate an aspect of reality, such as a stock exchange. In computer games simulation games is a wide super-genre covering titles such as MS Flight Simulator, SimCity, Civilization and The Sims. Some simulation games are intended to simulate the real world; others are intended to simulate a fictional world; still others are designed to be able to do both.
Table-top and computer simulation games
Simulation games have been played with pencil and paper since time immemorial. Maps are drawn on paper and cardboard counters or metal figures represent the characters or military units. The players may all be on the same side, or they may be on two or more opposing sides. A referee decides what is done by characters who are not controlled by players, and resolves situations which are not covered by the rules. After the 1980's, simulation games have become increasingly popular on computers. Computers are inarguably superior to humans in creating simulations, and they have allowed simulation games to become more realistic than ever before. They do, however, have one great drawback: They do not have the creativity and flexibility of a human referee. Some people also prefer the face-to-face interaction of paper-and-pencil simulation games to computer games which are played over a network. A new type of simulation game known as computer-assisted gaming seeks to overcome the limitations of both computer and paper-and-pencil (or tabletop) games.
Genres of computer simulation games
- Vehicular simulators generally attempts a realistic representation of how to drive a certain specific or type of vehicle. Flight simulators and Racing games are typical examples.
- Role-playing games and skirmish war games are played on an individual scale; each player controls one or a few characters.
- Tactical war games and operational war games simulate small-scale battles, typically involving a few hundred or at most a few thousand soldiers, and are commonly real-time tactics or turn-based tactics games.
- Strategic war games simulate large-scale battles, campaigns, and entire wars. Grand strategy war games and nation-simulation games allow the players to control nations. Due to their scale they are commonly of the turn-based strategy type.
- In god games you are an entity with supernatural powers. It can be argued that god games are a border category within simulator games because it is unclear how to simulate being God.
- In life simulator games, which sometimes overlap god games, a virtual life, career, etc is simulated.
- Economic simulation games simulates aspects or tne entiretly of an economy or a business. A specialised sub-type is the city-building game genre.
- Real-time strategy games combines stylised aspects of wargaming with economic simulation games.
- Dating sims are meant to simulate a relationship or friendship.
- While relatively few in number, pet-raising simulations are becoming more widespread, especially with the release of the title Nintendogs, though earlier pet sims exist, such as the Nakayoshi Pet Advance series on Game Boy Advance.
See also
- Computer and video games
- Computer-assisted gaming
- Dating sim
- Game classification
- Computer and video game genres
- List of Sim games
- List of computer and video games by genre
- Nation-simulation game
- Simming
- Simulation
- Tabletop game
- Wargaming
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fr:Jeu de simulation ko:시뮬레이션 게임 ja:シミュレーションゲーム pl:Gra symulacyjna