Regarding the web site itself, ‘guod’ wanted to thank the Daily News Contributors who spend their time collecting information on sims and the hardware / software it runs on. “In 2004, we added a permanent team of news contributors that has made the daily news one of the best on the Internet for simulation fans”.
Tom ’20mm’ Hayden summed it all up well. “I’d like to talk about something that really isn’t new, that has always been the basis for the creation and continuing development of our simulation hobby, and that’s the community we’re all a part of. Any community, any organization is only as good as the people involved in it make it.”
“It’s a global community, brought together in large part by the internet. Each and every day, people throughout the world are involved in developing and modifying simulations, making terrain sets, cockpits and panels, “skins”, weapon packs, sound packs, all kinds of tweaks and add-ons. Some of this is payware, but so much of this work is done for free and made available for anyone to download. It really is mind-boggling.”
“There are “how-to” guides, help with hardware and software, instructional videos, humorous videos, After Action Reports, screenshots, “I was there” stories and much more.”
“We are no longer in the golden age of simulations, but thanks to the efforts of thousands of people, the hobby continues to progress and evolve. It always interests me to see a member in one of our forums announce the release of a project he or she has been working on and all the excitement it generates.”
“We are a relatively small group — a niche of the gaming universe — and yet we have a passion, a fire for this hobby that is unmatched by any other. It is this passionate interest that drives people to work insane hours for little or nothing and to create everything produced in 2004.”
“No SimHQ year-end Review would be complete without a look back at the site itself. We made a lot of changes this year. Not without angst to be sure, but that is the very essence of change. It does not make human beings feel comfortable. I believe much of this change is clearly beneficial now, while some is still work in progress. That work will continue and we’ll be making periodic adjustments as we go forward in 2005.”
And now our picks for the best of 2004.
The SimHQ Best of 2004 Winners
Air Combat
Simulation: Pacific Fighters
Add-On / Mod: Firepower for CFS3
Land Combat
Simulation: America’s Army
Add-On / Mod: Call of Duty, United Offensive
Naval Combat
Simulation: N/A (this will change in 2005!)
Add-On / Mod: Subsim’s Silent Hunter II Pacific Aces
Motorsports
Simulation: Richard Burns Rally
Add-On / Mod: RH2004 Season
Technology
Best Hardware: Athlon 64 CPU
Best Software: http://hyperfighter.jinak.cz/
Best Non-Simulation Game: Half-Life 2
Best Technical Achievement: Rome: Total War
Best Simulation of the Year: Richard Burns Rally
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