Fundamentals of Vehicle Simulation Design

Core Mechanics

Designing a vehicle simulation is primarily a matter of research and compromise. Unless your game is a just-for-fun simulation such as Super Mario Kart or Beetle Adventure Racing!, vehicle simulation is the most technologically oriented of games, so the core mechanics of the game are almost entirely about physics. Much of the entertainment value of accurate simulation games comes from the feeling of controlling a real machine instead of meeting strategic challenges or taking part in a story. To provide that value, you will need to research your vehicles thoroughly.

If you’re designing a military vehicle, you can probably find much of what you need from Jane’s Information Group, publishers of such volumes as Jane’s All the World’s ...