Sim News: SPADs, SPADs and Autocannons

This week, surrounded by the pale primroses, fluttering brimstones and murmuring bumble-bees of a burgeoning English spring, my thoughts have naturally turned to simulated killing machines. eSim, the makers of the superb if depressingly shadow-free Steel Beasts Pro armour sim, have been sharing details of an imminent upgrade pack. Preview footage of the lyrically titled 2.460 expansion shows-off a bevy of new playable vehicles including a UAV and several unfamiliar European IFVs modelled originally, one would imagine, for the dev's various military customers.

Elsewhere, the Russian outfit currently putting the finishing touches on WWI dogfight sim Rise of Flight, continue to release hugely promising video tidbits. Albatrosses and Camels have never cavorted or kaboomed this convincingly before:

While OpenBVE is satisfying most of my railway cravings at present, I still occasionally go for a spin in Rail Simulator, the title that rose from the firebox ashes of the first abandoned Microsoft Train Simulator sequel. Attractive and atmospheric, if a bit short in the content and signalling realism departments, it is, according to a recent announcement going to get a sequel this June. There's no news on the new routes or rolling stock yet, but I will, naturally, be using my considerable influence within The Industry to try to persuade RDSL to include this  (criminally left out of  Hellgate: London) and this.