Thanks for that very complete description of a simulator! I did bite my nails a bit when I read back the topic.
Autoritys do make a distinction between a Sim and a FTD which you clearly explained in your post.
I also want to add this though:
In the tp12863 (Transport Canada) they say:
Some research has shown that, for novice pilots, one hour of simulator exercise, at the first stages of training, can be equivalent to as high as four to six hours in the plane.
I personally think that simulation is flowering through msfs with graphics and flight physics that will change a lot of our beliefs in simulation/Flight training device
One thing will always remain … the unpredictable human factors we have to deal with to get these planes flying around
So one day, flying a real airplane through a screen will be a thing, but we need to start using a sim the way we use a plane.