With all the talk about FLIGHT, and then the inevitable reviews, I started to wonder what the real definition is...IMO, a hardcore simmer is a simmer who either has been simming for long enough to know what they're doing, or one who has enough real-world experience to know what they're doing in the sim.How about you guys?

My answer would depend on what sort of simulation you are referring to!For example...its not overly difficult to learn how to competently fly a complex simulated aircraft, navigate, and interact with ATC during the process of takeoff-landing-going from point 'a' to point 'b'.Now compare that to certain other sims where you might be required to fly fast at very low altitudes...in the dark....no autopilot...and dump a selection of boomboom on various targets while avoiding becoming a target. Or engage in a dynamic shooting war environment against other hostile aircraft.Never mind other types of sims more oriented towards strategy.....i.e. Gary Grigsby's "War In The East"....or perhaps trying to keep your battalion from getting turned to mush in "Steel Beasts".......One fella's "hardcore" is another fella's walk in the park.....and all perfectly valid :(

Excellent points, Ted! I didn't even take into account the hardcore military flight simmers, which I know do exist. As I'm a flight Guy, the other Sims also skipped my mind.

Like Ted said... it all depends on the mission. Or does it?Is being 'hardcore' only about learning the aircraft and its systems? Is it learning about pilotage, reading SIDS/ STARS and being able to execute one all the way to the runway?Jackson... you said it's all about time; both in and out of the simulator. Totally valid observation, no doubt.Personally, I look at it like this. I like to do research to see how RW pilots do it. Look at other Aviation Forums, like Avcanada and BackcountryPilot.org. See how those guys land a 206 on a short strip. Watch YouTube videos to see how the guys and gals from MAF do it. Read books and articles about the planes and pilots; see what it's like from their viewpoint.Does that make me a 'hardcore' simmer? I dunno... my friends think I'm way into it, and they aren't!

My answer would depend on what sort of simulation you are referring to!For example...its not overly difficult to learn how to competently fly a complex simulated aircraft, navigate, and interact with ATC during the process of takeoff-landing-going from point 'a' to point 'b'.Now compare that to certain other sims where you might be required to fly fast at very low altitudes...in the dark....no autopilot...and dump a selection of boomboom on various targets while avoiding becoming a target. Or engage in a dynamic shooting war environment against other hostile aircraft.Never mind other types of sims more oriented towards strategy.....i.e. Gary Grigsby's "War In The East"....or perhaps trying to keep your battalion from getting turned to mush in "Steel Beasts".......One fella's "hardcore" is another fella's walk in the park.....and all perfectly valid

Best strategy I've ever played: Crusader Kings 2. It also helps I have a fascination with feudal Europe.

With all the talk about FLIGHT, and then the inevitable reviews, I started to wonder what the real definition is...IMO, a hardcore simmer is a simmer who either has been simming for long enough to know what they're doing, or one who has enough real-world experience to know what they're doing in the sim.How about you guys?

Hardcore?Someone who takes "real" flying seriously. It could also be someone who has a passion for flying. He loves it so much that he invests time and money to continue to learn and improve. That's what "real" simulators do for "real" pilots.This in no way degrades the passionate simmer. If it's a hobby and he simply just loves to learn and improve, they will probably spend a lot of money and time on their hobby.What can MS Flight do for the hardcore simmer? One can install it, try it, like it, or hate it! The one thing that should not be done is to impose or try to cajole others into feeling their feelings toward MS Flight. IMHO.

What can MS Flight do for the hardcore simmer? One can install it, try it, like it, or hate it! The one thing that should not be done is to impose or try to cajole others into feeling their feelings toward MS Flight. IMHO.

Excellent point, Flight is not some baby that needs to be incubated, it will have to learn to stand on it's own two feet just as FSX had to.Bryan,

I have only one definition or hardcore simmer: he (or she preferably) spend as much time as practicable into his/her hobby. It means his wife thing he's a nuts: he constantly upgrade the hardware, a platform for all the controllers, building a simpit.... Reading a lot of documentation (preferable the real world ones), mimic the operations of airplanes as close as possible (no VFR plane out of KSEA, KLAX....), as well the procedures (again, Cub would'n fly via a thick layer of clouds). He usually knows what is he doing, constantly evolving in some skills (rules of the sky, airmaship...), and if he knows aircraft pretty well, he would go for an emergency just to see, if all the QRH items was performed by the memory.Basically, we, hard-simmer (I prefer 'chair aviator' or 'chair captain') type looks little bit crazy for the non-aviation world.

It can be a number of things since we're a very diversified bunch.To keep it simple I suggest that a hardcore flightsimmer is someone that has flightsimming as a hobby, hence spends a significant amount of their spare time doing it.

I think a hardcore simmer is someone who can talk your ear off about flight simming, has more add-ons that he/she can keep track of, and will often deny him/herself sleep, food, friends, kids and spouses because of their love for the hobby.

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by flightluuvr

I have been a Mil simmer in the past, flying such wonders as the Falcon 4, AV8b (brilliant tactical game) SWOTL and Janes Flying Eagle. Awesome. I dabbled with military helo Sims for a while but to be frank I was never really satisfied until I came to Flight Simulator in the incarnation of FS5. I'm now a devoted FSX user and had installed it on day of release on my machine.Since then I have invested a lot of time and effort into getting a PC that does the job to my satisfaction, I have learnt how to build PC's from scratch, I happily mess about with cfg files and the dreaded fsx.xml file. I fly the "super sims" and the default baron 58 with as much joy as ever.I'm a VATSIM S3 controller and a member of VATSIM UK staff.I consider myself a hard core simmer, my wife will tell you I am obsessed and a sad individual. Do I care, not a jot.Wycliffe

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by morganbass

It can be a number of things since we're a very diversified bunch.To keep it simple I suggest that a hardcore flightsimmer is someone that has flightsimming as a hobby, hence spends a significant amount of their spare time doing it.

Roger that, also someone who peppers everyday speech with aviation related RT. I regularly ask work colleagues to staand by when they ask a question or I am on the phone.x1Wycliffe

A hardcore simmer, just like a hardcore bowler or a hardcore linedancer is probably a bit of a bore and not someone I would particularly want to be stuck in an elevator with :Loser:I prefer to consider myself the type who takes it seriously and is prepared to keep spending money on it but it's not the main focus of my life and I can go weeks without even thinking of it sometimes. As much as I love it when it's good there are often other things I would prefer to be doing instead. But when it is good of course, there is nothing else like it, on a computer at least and even though I've been 'flying' since my ZX Spectrum days I'm sure I will be doing the same when I'm an old man and I tremble to think what it may be like then!!

A hardcore flight simmer is a person who cant stop talking about aviation.My family thinks I am obsessed,crazy and nuts!!!!! They even try to take my computer a few weeks ago.For example I save my flight before I land. If I don't flare good enough, I try again until I get it right.Everything I do in the simulator needs to be realistic!!!!

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by beoingrocks

IN A NUT SHELL, ME!!!