The Targetware series of online flight simulators are based upon a unique physics engine developed by Sickware, a privately held company located in San Francisco, California. Sickware operates as a virtual corporation comprised of an international development staff from three countries. It is owned by a group of active partners, headed up by Sylvan Clebsch, Sickware's CEO and principle author of the core program code. You may recognize Sylvan as the author of Roger Wilco, a voice-over-the-Internet application, one of his previous entrepreneurial projects.
What makes Targetware's online flight simulators different? Sure, like every other simulator developer, we believe our physics and flight modeling is the best. But what really sets us apart is the combination of a secure architecture with direct "hands-on" community participation.
Like Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator or Microprose's European Air War, Targetware encourages the player community to develop their own planes, skins, terrains and even flight models. However, these products and their user-developed enhancements have two major shortcomings: first, they are unable to provide a massively multi-player environment such as Warbirds or Aces High; and, second, the user modifications have no inherent security validation, allowing an unfair playing field through unauthorized and uncontrolled "hacking."
The Targetware flight simulators address both of these issues. Targetware players are able to set up their own servers, which can support 250 players or more. They can also design and develop new aircraft, 3-D models, and terrains, then submit them for quality validation and official certification by Targetware. These officially sanctioned (and digitally signed) planes can then be used on Targetware corporate servers, or on players' servers worldwide. Players are also able to certify (and digitally sign) their own personally designed aircraft, 3-D models and terrains for use on their servers and to share with others. At the same time, other players have the power to accept or reject these modifications, and maintain control over the environment they are providing. Sickware will continue to provide function and feature enhancements to the core engine, as well as new aircraft, terrains and other resources. However, the majority of new planes, flight models, cockpits, terrains, ground objects, personalized skins, etc., will be designed by the community at large. With an open approach to graphics, flight models, terrains and even servers, Targetware combines extensibility and customization with a high-fidelity simulator that insures that everyone is playing by the same rules.
Targetware is the "branding" identifier for the engine and the series of products that are being built under it. For example, the first of the series will be titled Target Korea and will feature the Mig 15bis versus the F86f-30 Sabre. Target Korea is currently undergoing closed beta testing and is expected to be simultaneously available in open beta for both Windows and Macintosh systems witin the next three months.
It is our intent to provide direct PC based DLL support for the Track IR GX product within the Targetware engine, to be fully operative as we launch into open beta. Toward that end, we are currently working with NaturalPoint to obtain a development toolkit and other technical assistance. We'd like to publicly thank Halstead York for setting up this Targetware discussion forum and we look forward to answering any questions players or NaturalPoint Track IR GX owners may have about the Targetware series of MMP (massive multi-player) on-line combat simulations.
Regards,
Doug
Welcome to Targetware!
Re: Welcome to Targetware!
Well Doug thats nice to hear and you now have me as a confirmed user or beta tester (hint hint) of your flightsims when they are released. Your attitude to Track Ir as a developer is to be commended and I hope you really push the envelope on all the other aspects for your online sims. Looking forward to tracking the virtual skies in one of your sims.