De Havilland Comet

Max2147 · **on:** October 10, 2007, 02:54:27 am

If we start in the 1950's, will the game do anything to simulate the Comet's withdrawal from service between 1954 and 1958?

That would have a huge effect on the game, since the next jet didn't enter service until 1956 (Tu-104). If the Comet were left in the game it would have a monopoly on jet services for almost half the age. If history were followed it would create a very interesting situation in the game, as airlines would have to choose early in the age whether to buy the Comet 1 knowing that they can only keep it for 2 years before it's pulled from the game.

Actually, the best way to follow history would be to wait until 1954 to decide whether to pull the Comet 1. Airlines would have to decide whether or not to buy it not knowing how long they would be able to keep it. This would sort of simulate the great unknown that jets were in the early 1950's. Airlines had to decide whether ot not to buy jets not knowing if they were really suited to airline service.

crcole · **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2007, 04:28:48 am

That is a truly interesting question and brings up a hard choice.

"Those who do not learn from the past, are condemned to repeat it. -- Santayana

StephenM · **Reply #2 on:** October 10, 2007, 10:00:50 am

We dont normally follow an end of production year, the standard is 20 years from time of service entry. Does anyone think it would be better to follow real world and have the above situation?

Max2147 · **Reply #3 on:** October 10, 2007, 12:30:21 pm

In general I think it would be best to bring an aircraft out of production when it actually stopped production in real life. More realism can't hurt.

But what I was talking about with the Comet was a bit different. The plane wasn't just taken out of production - all existing examples were grounded. The game version of that would be that all people who bought Comets would log in sometime during 1954 (game time) and find that all their Comets have disappeared with little or no compensation.

It would accurately simulate the huge effect the Comet's troubles had on commercial aviation at the time. The airlines with Comets in their fleets had to replace their flagship type overnight, and the airline industry was plunged back into the prop age for two more years. I think it would be need to see that dynamic in AM.

MrOrange · **Reply #4 on:** October 10, 2007, 12:38:28 pm

Only thing is, if you announce it here, there's no dynamic anymore. The dynamic in real-life lay in the fact that airlines couldn't see the problems coming, otherwise there wouldn't have been crashes. In this case, the only problem for airlines in-game is whether or not they should buy Comets, when they are all gonna disappear in 1954 without compensation. That's an easy choice, not by far the dynamics you're looking for. Not that that's a major problem, but still.

I kinda like the idea, but I don't think it will benefit the round.

Max2147 · **Reply #5 on:** October 10, 2007, 02:03:50 pm

Considering the performance advantage that the Comet has over other planes at the time, I think there would be a fair number of airlines who would buy it even though they could only have it for 2 years. In 1952 most airlines were still very wary about operating jet aircraft, so some uncertainty surrounding the early Comets may be a realistic addition.

Perhaps an announcement in 1952 saying that the grounding is being considered, then announcing in 1954 whether it will happen or not?

Pacific · **Reply #6 on:** October 10, 2007, 02:09:30 pm

I think if AM becomes too unpredictable...people will leave.

I can imagine people with large fleets Comets going "WTF" and "F*** it" if their Comet fleet got removed.

crcole · **Reply #7 on:** October 10, 2007, 02:23:18 pm

We had the grounding of other types as well. Electra's and the DC-6.

dktc · **Reply #8 on:** October 10, 2007, 02:52:59 pm

What MrOrange and Pacific said.

The "dynamic" has to be more than a "business decision" with "known outcome". The real world airlines did not known the planes would be grounded when they bought them. Otherwise, they would not have done so.

An unpredictable game-play would raise complaints and drive players away. It would also get frustrating.

If you want an historical game, this is not one.

Blue Sky Mine · **Reply #9 on:** October 10, 2007, 05:07:08 pm

Quote from: "StephenM"

We dont normally follow an end of production year, the standard is 20 years from time of service entry. Does anyone think it would be better to follow real world and have the above situation?

IMO that would be an interesting idea. But we're talking of simply grounding a plane in the of the round. I don't like the idea because people with historical knowlegdge would be the champs of the game (They wouldn't buy the concorde because they'd know about the hike in fuel prices etc.)