Game Commander

What I desired was a simple program; one that would do what it was supposed to do, without fuss. One that would be easy to configure, and very accurate in recognizing my voice and enacting the appropriate command. It would now appear that we have such a program, Game Commander, by Mindmaker Software. Of course, I would prefer to call it "Sim Commander", as I am one of those who do not consider the simulators we fly to be "games"!

The commands dialog box, with the commands and keystrokes for FS98 on display. Select a command, then edit it if you wish, or add a new one.

Let's start with what Game Commander is not; it is not a full-featured voice recognition program. Forget about dictation, and using it with "Word", or "Eudora", it's strictly for gaming--or so I thought! Right now, I'm using it with FS98, CFS, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Netscape! Yes, when I want to go "back" on my browser, I just say "back". When I want to cut out part of the bitmap on my Connie panel in Photoshop, I just say "cut". Not bad, for a program that is not full-featured!

You use Game Commander as you would your keyboard, except instead of tapping a key, you say a word. You can modify not only the word(s) you say, but also what keys will be activated when you speak. If you purchase the boxed version of the software, as opposed to the online download version (less expensive), you'll also get a detailed 46-page instruction manual, and a nice headset microphone. This latter feature was convenient for me, as my other headset is in use on my other computer. The instruction manual is quite detailed, and should cover any questions or issues that may arise with the product.

Installation was quick and effortless. Let the CD auto-run, click on the usual buttons, and the software is installed in less than thirty seconds. I then created a shortcut to the program on my desktop, and I was ready to start telling FS98 what to do. Of course, there was a time when I wanted to tell FS98 where to go, but I'm past that stage now!

Included with the software is a "template" for FS98 and several other popular games, and you can create new templates for others that are not included. I see no reason why you could not use Game Commander with Fly!, Flight Unlimited, Pro Pilot, or any other flight simulation program. The FS98 default template, of course, references the default key commands in FS98, and also includes the default description, which is what you would speak into your microphone. Thus, if you said "reset altimeter", Game Commander would activate the "B" key. Now, if I said "landing gear", Game Commander would activate the "G" key. Of course in my setup, activating the "G" key would shut off my fuel, as I have many of my commands customized; the "Esc" key is actually my gear key, and this was very easy to change. You can create more than one custom template for the same game, handy if you have several users of that game. Templates can also be saved as text files, and printed out for reference. Now, here's a case where you'll need to remember what to say not what key to press!

This is the box you'll see when either adding a new command, or editing an exisiting one. Type in the spoken command in the top field, then go to the bottom field and press the key(s) you would like activated.

The program's use is quite intuitive, and the instructions are easy to understand. Simply start Game Commander, then start your game. Do your programming while the game is running. In FS98, simply run the sim in Windows mode, and bring up Game Commander from your task bar. Make changes as you see fit, save them, and then test them out in the sim. From launch of the program, to modifying some FS98 commands, to testing them took less than five minutes, and that included time spent thinking about what I wanted to say for the particular command, as I am never one to stick with defaults! Let me also add that while you would need to operate in Windows mode while going back and forth between Game Commander and your game while programming, Game Commander will also work in full-screen mode without problem.

How accurate is it? Very accurate, in my opinion, and although I did not count errors, I would say it would score approximately 95+%, depending on the words you choose, and how you say them. If you should experience problems, you can "train" the program to your style of speaking. This is something I still might get around to doing, because as a former radio announcer, I tend to over-pronounce. Those for whom English is a second language may also need to do this, as game Commander is programmed only to recognize spoken English. However, let me stress that the vast majority of you should have no problem, and I am in no rush to train the program, it's that good! There is approximately a one-second lag between speaking and activation of the key, and this is totally acceptable, and understandable when one considers the fact that you may have a command with more than one word in it. Example: For my views, I have "left", "back-left", "back", "back-right", "right", and "front". If there were too short a delay, every time I said "back-left" I would be switched to looking at my tail before I got around to saying "left".

You can manage your various templates for various users here. Want to have three different templates for three different users of the same game? With Game Commander you can!

I know there are some of you who use "Roger Wilco" and/or "BattleCom", and by now you're anxious for me to address that issue as it pertains to use of Game Commander. Sadly, with this version of Game Commander you will not be able to use either of these programs at the same time that you are using Game Commander. The good news is, Mindmaker is working on a new version that will allow their software to co-exist with multi-point chat programs such as these.

Finally, the big surprise came when I attempted to use Game Commander with other programs. In Photoshop, I found it to perform as well as in FS98. Wherever I can use a keystroke in Photoshop, I can use a voice command with Game Commander. However, while I don't mind wearing a headset while flying, I found it a bit annoying while doing graphics work. Unlike my flight simulator, where the yoke blocks access to my keyboard, I often found that I could be just as quick with the keys as with the voice in programs such as Photoshop, Paint Shop, etc. I think I will experiment with a regular desk microphone with those programs, as there were times when I found it easier to speak than to hit "Ctrl-Shift-T", as I often have to do in Photoshop when re-sizing a layer. No doubt about it, when it comes to those multiple keystrokes, voice is easier!

I paid $49.95 for Game Commander at CompUSA, you may find it for less. Is it worth what I paid? I feel it is, especially when you consider the myriad uses it has with both games and other applications.

Game Commander is a simple, yet somewhat powerful little voice recognition program that does what it's supposed to do, and does it very well. Should you have additional questions, a visit to Mindmaker's site should answer them, and put your mind at ease. This is a voice recognition program that not only will work, but also will work very well in the flight simulation environment.

Louis Betti
loubetti@earthlink.net

Game Commander Network:
www.gamecommander.com