Freelancer

[Maria Caliban]

 

I don't know. I just put down X3. I've heard good things about this game, but am worried I'll dislike it.

 

The install had little blurbs about different worlds though, so it's already more interesting.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

It's a classic - and I'm sure we could get some people together if you wanted to try a multi-player game or two.

[Gorgon]

I think I played freelancer 2, if there is such a thing. You shoot around in your little spaceship and trade goods, shoot pirates and such. The NPCs are dumber than Morrowind. Is that it.

[alanschu]

/casts summon jags

[Maria Caliban]

I've played 15 minutes of it, and so far it's enjoyable. The tutorial is better, the story is interesting, and the combat and flying is simple enough for the hand-eye coordination deficient.

 

It

[Llyranor]

I found the actual flying mechanics a bit too simplistic/arcadey for my tastes.

 

Anyway, RIP space sims ;____;

[alanschu]

The flight mechanics is pretty simple, but I really enjoyed trudging through the story. I even ran around in the meh sandbox mode after the main story was done quite a bit, getting the bestest ships and whatnot.

[crakkie]

All I remember is expecting another Privateer and being sorely disappointed. I just wanted to be free of it to explore the systems, but the game forces you along with the story. The systems scale up linearly in enemy strength and available ships, so that by the "Germany" system where you can finally travel from system to system, you have (or nearly have) the best ships and equipment.

 

Anyway, RIP space sims ;____;

Yeah, that was one of the last ones from a big developer, though there's still some indie space sims like the Star Wraith guys

[Calax]

I wish Lawrence Holland hadn't broken up with LA.

 

MORE XWING DAMNIT!

[Hell Kitty]

We don't own this station, but we have an understanding with the people who do.

 

I found the game very enjoyable, but then I'm not really a space sim fan. I appreciated it being sim-lite. Oh, and 90210 guy was a good voice actor. Makes for a nice change from the usual suspects.

[kalniel]

It's completely different to X3, but still very enjoyable.

 

The development schedule has clearly had an effect on the game - there are many things which look like they were designed with something else in mind before they've cut back and focused on polishing what they have. The story is probably the main consequence, as it's all great until it wraps up quite suddenly and very dissappointingly.

 

The game universe is fantastic though, and very polished.

[Slowtrain]

Anyway, RIP space sims ;____;

 

 

Indeed, And flight sims as well. Its hard to believe that here was once a time when flight sims were once such a big deal that CGW would review 1 or 2 new ones each MONTH. And nevermind the hardcore sims, nobody even makes the light flight sims anymore.

 

Its totally a bummer. I really miss them.

[Hell Kitty]

Someone should remake Knights of the Sky.

[Hurlshort]

Or a good Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe.

[Maria Caliban]

I.. what is a space sim? Are there others like these two?

[Gorgon]

Well there's EVE online I guess, if you are interested in a game that does on for ever, and ever, and ever, with no conclusion, emotional investment, or dramatic curve.

[Hurlshort]

Space sims used to be huge. Wing Commander and Tie-Fighter were gigantic properties in their time.

[Gorgon]

Wing Commander had Mark Hamil as the protagonist, or was he just commander hero.

[Kor Qel Droma]

MP Freelancer was a hoot. Omicron Evils 4evah!!

[alanschu]

Who all played that with us? Ah good times. Though we had a bit of a silly mod that gave us uber-fast firing chainguns that was a little bit silly haha.

 

 

It was always satisfying getting bearings on a bogey and watching his health bar deteriorate to nothing as he hopelessly attempted evasive maneuvers

[Maria Caliban]

Okay, I'm playing the main plot, mission 4, and just came upon something painfully stupid.

 

[mild spoilers]

 

 

I and an NPC are trying to escape the starting system and suddenly everyone and their cousin becomes hostile to us. Said NPC goes on about how we have to run and reach the jump gate. I charge my cruise engines and... Mission Failure: You have run from battle.

 

[/mild spoilers]

 

So despite the fact that in the story, the objective is to escape and avoid fighting, if you do so you'll lose the mission and you have to replay it until you destroy everything in your path.

[Hurlshort]

Wing Commander had Mark Hamil as the protagonist, or was he just commander hero.

 

I think he was the protagonist in at least one, and a commander in others. The bully from Back to the Future was Maniac, and I'd probably say it's one of the better FMV video game performances to date.

[alanschu]

Yeah WC3 had Hamill as Christopher Blair. I think it also had an ex-porn actress in it too hehe.

[Maria Caliban]

I usually do two missions before the main quest jumps on my back and begins to harass me again. It feels like only a minimal amout of exploration is allowed at any time. I like it more than X3, but wish it had a bit more depth to it. Why can't I have more than one ship? If I get a freighter, I'll die during the story missions.

[Gorgon]

Go further to sell your stuff. Also the heavy military fighter you have access to in the beginning is the best overall balance between moveability and firepower. You could shoot more stuff and take more damage, but moving around slow is a sure way to catch a lot of missiles.