Game World #3 - The Modern Times is now open

[Sami]

The next major scenario at AirwaySim has been just opened. The restart of the Game World #3 starts in 1995 and takes the players all the way to year 2030.

The overall duration of this scenario is about 10.5 months with the standard 35 minute game day. General economic settings in this scenario follow the normal difficulty level and all airports and aircraft models are included. Alliances are available to be created from the first game day without any airline size/age restrictions.

This game world includes an all-new base airports feature allowing your airline to expand the business more than before. The new settings allow basing at up to 10 different airports with a greater number of aircraft based outside HQ than before. This change benefits both large and small airlines thanks to the new "base level" option allowing you to create also small bases for your regional operations. More details (and updated manual page) of this new feature will be posted during the coming days.

Please remember that the initial passenger demand and initial airport capacity (slots) are both very low at the beginning of the game world. Both will grow at a very rapid rate during the first few game years (to balance the start-up phase), and after that will change more slowly. Keep in mind that the demand levels may not grow all the time but there may be global recessions too that decrease the global air travel demand.

Of the prototype models (= aircraft that never made into production, or future models that have not flown yet) the new models like B777X are not yet included in the database, but work is in progress to add them also to this game world during the next few weeks so that they will be then available later in the game.

The scenario clock starts to tick, as usual, after 24 hours in order to give everyone a fair chance to join. Please remember that if you join later the start-up capital increases as the scenario progresses, so you'll have then no trouble in getting started.

Check out the game area and join the new scenario!

http://www.airwaysim.com/game/

[Infinity]

So, what is the aircraft limit for bases now?

[Sami]

More details (and updated manual page) of this new feature will be posted during the coming days.

The number of allowed a/c to be based outside your HQ is based on the game year. The maximum number will be 600 and it will start from 100 in year 1950. The growth rate is still under final tunings. (it won't be a fully linear growth all the way, the aim is to keep the rate slower at the early era .. the max number is reached around year 2010-2015)

This info will be directly visible on the base airports page (once unlocked).

[Curse]

Just until 2030, too bad. So no focus gameworld for me then, there is really no need for major changes then.

[LemonButt]

sami--since small bases are possible now, can you tweak the production line settings so the small aircraft don't all end up out of production after 6 months?  I have trips/travel planned and can't join the gameworld until sometime in June and would like to see what I can do opening many small bases with smaller aircraft, but the issue is they go out of production rapidly because very few players fly them.  Perhaps the settings could be tuned where very large/large/medium/small aircraft go out of production after 6/12/18/24 months of no orders?

Right now in GW2 (2008) there is only one small aircraft available new (not including the Pilatus PC-12 with 8 seats that just launched) and that is the BAe Jetstream 41 that a single airline has been keeping alive for decades now (Strasair--yes I've noticed ).  If you can keep the lines open longer for smaller aircraft, that gives late joiners a realistic chance to exploit the small base/small airline opportunities, otherwise we're all stuck with ATRs.

[pndsc]

You're not stuck with ATRs so long as you're willing to be flexible and go with russian aircraft - but it would be nice if the russian aircraft were balanced somewhat so they're not quite so terrible in comparison. Even with cheaper leasing costs their fuel and maintenance still rack up far more than an ATR series.

[LemonButt]

You're not stuck with ATRs so long as you're willing to be flexible and go with russian aircraft - but it would be nice if the russian aircraft were balanced somewhat so they're not quite so terrible in comparison. Even with cheaper leasing costs their fuel and maintenance still rack up far more than an ATR series.

The smallest Russian aircraft available is the 70 seater An-148, which is not a small aircraft.

[pndsc]

I was talking more about turboprop competitors to the ATR series like the AN-140, IL-114 or the chinese versions that crop up and die off pretty quickly.

[Sanabas]

I was talking more about turboprop competitors to the ATR series like the AN-140, IL-114 or the chinese versions that crop up and die off pretty quickly.

The AN-140 is excellent. The IL-114 is good, but clearly inferior to some of its competitors. But it's still a viable option, and may in fact be a better option if the objectively better planes have full production lines. Same as the MD-90 is worse than the a320s, but can be a better option when you've got no way to build up an a320 fleet.

[tcrlaf]

I like the Small/Med/Large hub idea...

As a small/tiny station guy myself, there is no need to account for much of the back office/ line support at a small station.

At a non-primary station of less than 30-40 flights, you don't need an HR office, for instance, especially as the computer age arrives.  One of the Sups authorizes the payroll, and sends it to the accountant in India with the click of a button, where it is compiled with all the other stations, and sent along by another click to the domestic payroll company, that prints the checks, along with a file sent to HQ telling them how much they need to put in the payroll account, and E-deposit.

Line maintenance will almost always be contract, with no stores, or support for the Maint. Dept needed. Cargo is handled by a single contractor or two for all carriers. You don't need an Environmental Affairs officer, or a Training mngr, caterers, etc. All of these are function that can be carried out via HQ, or by contract, and that is where economies of scale kick in.

Even at a "medium" station, a lot of the backoffice/backramp stuff is now directed to HQ, rather than done locally.

Related to this is the gates idea some have floated. IMO, this has been largely solved, in the modern era, by flexible gating. You can pay-per-use now in many remodeled/new airport terminals. At least in North America, you are limited more by ramp space, than gate availability. And even that can be solved by remote stands.