Hello guys,
I have set up trial accounts with couple of sims, basically 3 major ones - Airlinesim, Airwaysim, and Airline Empires.
I liked airline empires at first, but basically it is more game than a simulation. Game - because you can make unrealistic amount of money in very short time. In less than 2 weeks real time (3 years playtime), my airline is worth over 65 billion dollars, has 1200+ aircraft of which 400+ are idle, and makes 300+ million operating profit per day. Imagine when the remainder of 400+ aircraft is put on route. I developed excel spreadsheet system so I can keep track of routes and revenue differences and act where necessary.
But I am getting tired of this rat race to click-and-fly. The 95% difference maker among airlines is price, so whoever offers the lousiest service with high frequency with cheapest planes and undercut price get most money. People do not analyze, they undercut you even if they could make more money by matching your rate (e.g. because demand is not met). Again, it's the same click-and-deploy mentality.
I have studies business administration and I want more thought-provoking sim. A simulation where I have to challenge my business skills and not my hand wrist that goes sore by clicking and deploying planes for an hour at the time. Click and deploy. Click and deploy. And still 400+ planes left idle.
So I am considering airlinesim and airwaysim. Basically, the only real difference I see between the two is how fast the time runs. In airwaysim it's 30/mins of real time for 1 day of playtime, here in airlinesim its 1day/1day as I understand it.
So my question is: why should I chose AirlineSim? I mean, it could take many many months just to make some money in the sim so as not to be broke. I mean, if I wanted to run a real-time airline as airlinesim is designed to work, i would get some funding and start my own airline (haha). THAT would be the sim of the life! And would be in real-time, too...
So basically, to sum up, can you name reasons why airlinesim is better (than aireaysim), and especially, why do you think real-time (1day/1day) is better than accelerated time? And how long would it take to get some decent airline running. (I have been looking through threads and I understand it can take months of time to get very profitable airline). But really, come on, what is the average time to get manageable airline that is ENJOYABLE for you to manage? And which one you can come to every day with keen intent (and not coming in reluctantly because of 400+ idle planes waiting for you).
And one last question, what is the bulk of time you seasoned players spend most time on when playing airlinesim? In airline empires, it's clicking and deploying planes (I can get $4/hour unskilled labor for that, haha). Do you spend most time on things that make your brain sore (thinking/analyzing), or your wrist sore (clicking)?
Thank you for your valuable inputs.