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I tried to make a game client for jdno's ATC [2]. My client was deficient, as I tried to treat the movement as a fixed interval, by only submitting flight plans that moved in cartesian directions. Only by cheating, modifying the simulator, could my greedy algorithm land any planes [3]. I suspect I was supposed to continuously model and poll the future positions of airplanes when developing a flight plan.
I suspect that I won't have much competition on the leaderboard, despite the asterisk, as jdno eventually archived the project [4]. Originally, the project was self-publication while looking for work. The Rust Foundation hired him a little while afterward.
[0] https://jdno.dev/auto-traffic-control/
[1] https://auto-traffic-control.com/
[2] https://github.com/Nzen/hircine-anise-okkoz
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czsSjy1Uqyk 1.5 minutes
[4] https://github.com/jdno/auto-traffic-control/commit/b5972dfb...
[1] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/planes-control/id1015114550
Edit: playable version - https://archive.org/details/zx_Heathrow_International_Air_Tr...
There's a 3D POV game on Android, Unmatched Air Traffic Control that's quite good
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vector3d.u...
https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-air-traffic-contr...
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2289650/Mini_Airways__ATC...
Gameplay from 2011:
That was one of my most played games of all time. SO PERFECT for the iPhone and on the go play.
- The big stats table on the top left completely obscures a good portion of the map, making it harder than necessary. A togglable or semi-transparent option would be nice.
-The possibility of zooming or moving around could be nice
Yesterday’s 50-mile line of planes coming to Oshkosh is something to behold: https://youtu.be/9IHbO0tzpMc
About the game (sorry, sim) itself: it was really fun once I realized that I have to drag the airplanes to the runway threshold matching their color. You can draw a straight line from the plane to the runway, and it will land even if it has to do an instant ~360° turn directly before touching down, which is a liiiitle bit unrealistic :) Also, while landing the planes just float with constant speed right until the end of the runway and then taxi away. A nicer animation would be if they would touch down somewhere in the middle of the runway and then decelerate gradually before taxiing away. Same in reverse for take-offs.
When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules1, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.
I had some aircraft pop in from off-screen and just run into another one that just took off.
Edit: I would also add some “crash margin” around the border of the screen. A plane coming from the top right corner and crashing into a plane leaving just to the right of the top right corner is frustrating.
But I'm not sure it could (or that I'd want) it to supress gestures like back and close application
3D POV
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vector3d.u...
In it you’re an ATC. There’s like 10 stages (airports), with several levels in each stage in increasing difficulty. There are different capabilities to add to the airport (such as de-icing, defogging, upgraded terminals, upgraded fuel pumps, layover spaces, additional runways etc). Different types of planes had different patience levels (for example, Concordes needed quick service) etc. Very sophisticated. It was fun.
About 5 years ago a slightly watered down version of it was available on Android. I think it’s gone now. Even as an adult I found it engaging. It may look childish in the screenshots but it’s really fun.
It’s the only game I have bought online. They sent me the CD from Portland Oregon to my home on the opposite side of the Earth.
It looks like the true leader right now is 90 landings in 7:29.
Really fun, thank you!
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Just two little niggles:
- I feel like I should be able to fly over a runway without crashing in a landing/taking-off airplane. The vertical separation would allow for that.
- It would be nice to have an (optional?) zoom-out level, to have a bit more space for routing.
But a lovely little game, thanks again.
Video here so you can copy my sweet strats: https://youtu.be/7f1WgnAqckk
I'd love to watch a professional SC: Brood War player give this a try.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Traffic_Controller_(series...
https://www.sonicpowered.co.jp/world/nsw/rjgg/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1348390/I_am_an_Air_Traff...
I'd love to see a modern take on Airport Tycoon where you layout runways and terminals etc.
I also fondly remember an airline management simulator while in college. I started playing with IdleFlightManager on iOS but it was just insanely easy so I lost interest quickly. The software I used while in college had you manually set fares and fare pool size in addition to buying aircraft, dealing with maintenance expenses, and choosing routes.
I really love ATC games and the "draw it by hand" aspect makes this kinda funny. Maybe I need to try with a real mouse, kinda slow on a trackpad. For a more serious entrant in this genre (with speeds, altitudes and radio navigation), check out Endless ATC on Steam.
I landed some 40 flights and made it near the top of the leaderboard.
The scoreboard is taking too much screen space and occluding the planes, would be better to have scores at the top or bottom.
However I notice people have realized they can set their own score with an HTTP request (I mean, it's Hacker News), maybe put in some sort of mitigation?
That said I love this as is and will definitely be playing & sharing it.
Fire emoji - nice touch
Yellow planes always get rerouted this way.
Put red in this circle to stay out of the way.
Thank you for sharing and thank you maker for makign!
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I cannot distinguish the two reds/browns/greens or whatever hehe.
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I'm also unsure why I feel that way as it sounds like a nightmare
Give me a relaxing game. (I'm getting old.)
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Having said that, I think there are tons of interesting ways to build on the idea. :)
I played a few runs and every crash happened on the edge of the screen where I couldn’t route the planes or I was dragging the tab as I dragged the flight path (iOS, Safari). That’s the only time the view moves and I can see outside the initial border.
Anyway, really cool game!
I've spoke to other people who've had the same experience, maybe just a coincidence but could be why people avoid it?
At airports with towers, the controllers can allow landings in either direction. That they usually don't is more of a function of existing traffic.
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The predictable congestion gets a bit tedious and makes the game impossibly difficult quite quickly. It guarantees needing to keep readjusting almost every plane, otherwise a crash happens while trying to select the correct plane to move. It's a great mechanic earlier on and as a tutorial, because collisions happen rarely, but knowing that so many planes spawning or taking off on a calculated crash path when it's already chaotic seems to actually take skill out of the game as it progresses.
Planes that land should turn gray as it's confusing vs. planes taking off (especially consecutive takeoffs).
Volume slider rather than just on/off.
Drawing paths to the landing area should be more forgiving. If there's a short section of weird path at the end, it messes up timing for the planes landing and causes crashes.
I played a few more rounds today. Fun!
But, seriously, I know I am an ass throwing any shade on a very cool game—I suppose I'm more or less putting the idea out there that, hey, as everyone around here gets older, do you find these "stress games" less fun than you used to?
(I suppose even Nethack might seem like a chore these days, but I haven't fired up an old game in some time now.)