With the new version of FileMaker Pro 8.5, there is better support for interfacing with Flash to create data driven Flash applications. FileMaker can be used in a couple of different ways. If you're not running a FileMaker server, you can export your database as XML and take advantage of Flash's XML object to import all the data that you need. If you are running a FileMaker 8.5 server, you can access data on the fly without needing to export XML files. The FileMaker server will answer any calls to it in XML format, enabling you to use the same XML object you would use for a static XML file.
What I really like about FileMaker is that it is very simple to set up a database. New records are easily added and layouts are easy to set up. I once set up a database for our church that included all pertinant parishoner information and even got it to spit out a total for their contributions for the year at tax time.
I will be looking soon at developing a proof of concept for a Flash-based anesthesia simulation for the Hershey Medical Center. I envision using FileMaker to create each scenario for the simulation. Perhaps different fields will include the background, what audio is presented, what the description of action in the scene will be, what the question choices might be, how many points would be awarded for each question, which anwer is the correct one, and what the feedback would be for each answer. This in my mind could act exactly like a gaming engine. Flash would simply be a conduit for the content. I used to work for a company that produced business simulations and this is very similar to the way they worked. I always wondered how they pulled it all together, since I only saw a limited portion of it as a web developer. Since FileMaker can export the database as an XML file, there would be no reason why we shouldn't be able to make a standalone simulation available on DVD as long as all the content could fit.
I think if we could pull this off it would be a very cool example of how we could create other data-driven games in the future.