Text sim
Encyclopedia
Text Sim refers to a type of computer
or video game that focuses on using a text based element to simulate some aspect of the real world. Text sims typically focus on creating as detailed a simulation of their object as possible, and therefore, other traditional game elements are often set aside in pursuit of creating an accurate simulation experience for the user. This pursuit of accurate simulation often comes at the expense of some or most audio or graphical elements. Numerous examples of soundless and graphic-light text sims exist.
The best selling text sim of all time is the Championship Manager
/Football Manager
series, published by Sports Interactive
games, sold in America as Worldwide Soccer Manager. This soccer text simulation is an advanced version of a text sim with a 2D graphical sim engine for soccer games.
There are several genres of text sims. The most popular may be the sports text sim. In addition to the above mentioned Football Manager, there are several text-based sim games in baseball
, football
, basketball
, hockey
, even wrestling
. This genre is typically heavy is stats, and some games have been compared to spreadsheets with all of their detail to simulating the true environment of the sport. One of the flagship products of the sports text sim is Front Office Football
, which is renowned for creating a very accurate experience as a general manager of a professional football team while also retaining a heavy statistical engine.
Another genre of text sims is the tycoon genre. Although early entrants in the tycoon genre were graphically based, such as Railroad Tycoon
and later Roller Coaster Tycoon, a large number of tycoon clones arose. The tycoon genre focuses on an economic simulation of one or more commercial elements. Many recent budget tycoon games have more in common with text sims than the original games, often retaining graphics merely as an interface to appeal to the general audience. Examples of these games include Coffee Tycoon
, where a player runs a coffee shop franchise; Hollywood Mogul
, where the player creates and runs a movie studio; and Starship Tycoon where the player manages a merchant spaceship plying the trade routes in the future. One of the earliest text sims was a simplistic economics-based game, called Lemonade Stand
, where the player takes on the role of a child managing his lemonade stand.
A third text sim genre is the political simulation. Political enterprises such as elections lend themselves well to the statistics-oriented text sim gaming. These text sims often focus on elections, although a few chose instead to focus on the running on a country. Due to the nature of this genre, it often relies on a graphical interface, typically a map. However, the game information is delivered in a text-based format. Examples of this genre include The Political Machine
and Power Politics, where the player tries to win an election for the American Presidency.
Yet another text sim genre is the real world simulation. These text sims try to manage a real world situation of some sort in a text based engine. Often this genre will try to use statistics to figure out some element of life. A recent example of this genre is Kudos
, where a player simulates the life of a young person in their early twenties trying to decide what to do with life.
Tycoon/Business Sims:
Political Sims:
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
or video game that focuses on using a text based element to simulate some aspect of the real world. Text sims typically focus on creating as detailed a simulation of their object as possible, and therefore, other traditional game elements are often set aside in pursuit of creating an accurate simulation experience for the user. This pursuit of accurate simulation often comes at the expense of some or most audio or graphical elements. Numerous examples of soundless and graphic-light text sims exist.
The best selling text sim of all time is the Championship Manager
Championship Manager
Championship Manager was the very first game in the popular Championship Manager series of association football management simulation games. The game was originally released on the Amiga and Atari ST in September, 1992 and then ported to the PC/DOS platform soon after...
/Football Manager
Football Manager
Football Manager is a series of football management simulation games developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game began its life in 1992 as Championship Manager; however, following the break-up of their partnership with original publishers Eidos Interactive, Sports Interactive...
series, published by Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive Limited is a computer games development company currently based in Old Street, Central London and owned by the Japanese software and video game company Sega. It is the developer of the popular games Football Manager, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager and Championship Manager Quiz, and...
games, sold in America as Worldwide Soccer Manager. This soccer text simulation is an advanced version of a text sim with a 2D graphical sim engine for soccer games.
There are several genres of text sims. The most popular may be the sports text sim. In addition to the above mentioned Football Manager, there are several text-based sim games in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, even wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. This genre is typically heavy is stats, and some games have been compared to spreadsheets with all of their detail to simulating the true environment of the sport. One of the flagship products of the sports text sim is Front Office Football
Front Office Football
Front Office Football is a sports management game which places you at the helm of an NFL football team. Designed by Jim Gindin, as part of his one man company, Solecismic Software, it has had six sequels: Front Office Football 2, Front Office Football 2001, Front Office Football 2002, Front Office...
, which is renowned for creating a very accurate experience as a general manager of a professional football team while also retaining a heavy statistical engine.
Another genre of text sims is the tycoon genre. Although early entrants in the tycoon genre were graphically based, such as Railroad Tycoon
Railroad Tycoon
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a business simulation game. There are five versions; the original Railroad Tycoon , Railroad Tycoon Deluxe , Railroad Tycoon II , Railroad Tycoon 3 , and Sid Meier's Railroads! .Railroad Tycoon was written by game designer Sid Meier and published by MicroProse and...
and later Roller Coaster Tycoon, a large number of tycoon clones arose. The tycoon genre focuses on an economic simulation of one or more commercial elements. Many recent budget tycoon games have more in common with text sims than the original games, often retaining graphics merely as an interface to appeal to the general audience. Examples of these games include Coffee Tycoon
Coffee Tycoon
Coffee Tycoon is a business simulation game developed by Jamopolis Interactive, published by Reflexive Arcade, and released in 2005. The game involves managing a coffee business by buying new stores, recipes & advertisements.- External links :* * *...
, where a player runs a coffee shop franchise; Hollywood Mogul
Hollywood Mogul
Hollywood Mogul is a computer game released in 1997 that allows players to take charge of a movie studio. It was conceived, designed and published solely by Carey DeVuono. An economic simulation game, players can choose movie plots to use for a movie, set production budgets and select the talent as...
, where the player creates and runs a movie studio; and Starship Tycoon where the player manages a merchant spaceship plying the trade routes in the future. One of the earliest text sims was a simplistic economics-based game, called Lemonade Stand
Lemonade Stand
Lemonade Stand is a basic economics game created in 1973 by Bob Jamison of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Charlie Kellner ported the game to the Apple II platform in February 1979...
, where the player takes on the role of a child managing his lemonade stand.
A third text sim genre is the political simulation. Political enterprises such as elections lend themselves well to the statistics-oriented text sim gaming. These text sims often focus on elections, although a few chose instead to focus on the running on a country. Due to the nature of this genre, it often relies on a graphical interface, typically a map. However, the game information is delivered in a text-based format. Examples of this genre include The Political Machine
The Political Machine
The Political Machine is a government simulation game from Stardock, in which the player leads a campaign to elect the President of the United States...
and Power Politics, where the player tries to win an election for the American Presidency.
Yet another text sim genre is the real world simulation. These text sims try to manage a real world situation of some sort in a text based engine. Often this genre will try to use statistics to figure out some element of life. A recent example of this genre is Kudos
Kudos (computer game)
Kudos is a video game developed by British-based Positech Games . Its gameplay is very similar to games like The Sims...
, where a player simulates the life of a young person in their early twenties trying to decide what to do with life.
Popular Text Sims
Sports Sims:- Bowl Bound College Football
- Baseball MogulBaseball MogulBaseball Mogul is a series of career baseball management computer games created by game designer Clay Dreslough. The product was first published in 1997. The thirteenth and latest installment, Baseball Mogul 2012, was released March 18, 2011. A proprietary database, included with the game, permits...
- Deeproute
- Diamond Mind Baseball
- Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball
- Draft Day Sports: College Basketball
- Eastside Hockey Manager seriesEastside Hockey Manager seriesEastside Hockey Manager, commonly known as EHM or NHL EHM is a video game series about managing an ice hockey team. The series started out as a popular freeware game and later evolved into the commercial NHL Eastside Hockey Manager games developed by Sports Interactive and published by...
- Extreme WarfareExtreme WarfareExtreme Warfare is a series of professional wrestling management text simulators created by British programmer Adam Ryland for the PC since 1995.- Classic Extreme Warfare :...
- Fastbreak Basketball
- Fastbreak College Basketball
- Football ManagerFootball ManagerFootball Manager is a series of football management simulation games developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game began its life in 1992 as Championship Manager; however, following the break-up of their partnership with original publishers Eidos Interactive, Sports Interactive...
- Football MogulFootball MogulFootball Mogul is a sports simulation game that allows a player to play the owner, head coach or general manager of an NFL franchise. The most recent version, Football Mogul 2011, was released on August 8, 2010....
- Footy Fanatic
- Front Office FootballFront Office FootballFront Office Football is a sports management game which places you at the helm of an NFL football team. Designed by Jim Gindin, as part of his one man company, Solecismic Software, it has had six sequels: Front Office Football 2, Front Office Football 2001, Front Office Football 2002, Front Office...
- HattrickHattrickHattrick is an online, browser-based, football management game developed in Sweden. Currently the game contains 128 different countries, each with its own league pyramid, and 51 different language versions...
- Hooves of Thunder
- Inside the Park Baseball
- Jump Shot Basketball
- QuarterPole Plus
- QOOTY
- Out of the Park Baseball
- Professional Football Simulator
- PureSim
- Sick as a Parrot
- Front Office Football: The College Years
- Title Bout Championship Boxing
- Total College Basketball
- Total Extreme Wrestling
- Total Pro Basketball
- Total Pro Football
- Total Pro Golf
- Tournament Dreams College Basketball
Tycoon/Business Sims:
- Chart Wars 3
- Coffee TycoonCoffee TycoonCoffee Tycoon is a business simulation game developed by Jamopolis Interactive, published by Reflexive Arcade, and released in 2005. The game involves managing a coffee business by buying new stores, recipes & advertisements.- External links :* * *...
- Hollywood MogulHollywood MogulHollywood Mogul is a computer game released in 1997 that allows players to take charge of a movie studio. It was conceived, designed and published solely by Carey DeVuono. An economic simulation game, players can choose movie plots to use for a movie, set production budgets and select the talent as...
- Lemonade StandLemonade StandLemonade Stand is a basic economics game created in 1973 by Bob Jamison of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Charlie Kellner ported the game to the Apple II platform in February 1979...
- Lemonade TycoonLemonade TycoonLemonade Tycoon, first released as Lemonade Inc., is a Shockwave-based game. A free, limited version is available for online play at many sites or the full version with no time restrictions can be purchased online....
- Music Wars
- Music Maven
- Railroad Tycoon
- Starship Tycoon
- TV Manager
- Wall Street Raider
Political Sims:
- DiplomacyDiplomacyDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
- The Political MachineThe Political MachineThe Political Machine is a government simulation game from Stardock, in which the player leads a campaign to elect the President of the United States...
- Power Politics
- President 2000