Personally, I love the graphics of FreeLancer. Clean and on a grand scale. So far I've been pretty blown away. I played the demo of Starlancer, and it looked nice, but personally I prefer the brighter look, whereas Starlancer's was, as said, grittier. Don't get me wrong - that has its place, and for a war game it's a good way to go (though Freespace's graphics reminds me more of Freelancer's graphics). Anyways, if I was asked to pick, I liked Freelancer's graphics better, but it is a matter of taste.


*SLIGHT, SLIGHT SPOILERS AS FAR AS SYSTEMS/SHIPS*

Regarding ships, I have to say I'm surprised by all the comments about them being ugly. Granted I'm early on in the game (only been in New York and a little bit in Colorado), but I like all the ships I've encountered so far. The designs are quite a departure from standard fare, but cool. Right now I've got a Defender that I like very much (though for some reason with that top section it reminds me of an HK unit in Terminator - lol). It's aesthetically pleasing to me (though different - almost anime-like in some ways) and mounts a LOT of hardware. I've liked most of the other ships I've seen so far too (Dagger, Starflier, etc.). Maybe they get weirder as you get further along and out of Liberty space though.

Hmm, I played the Starlancer demo recently, and I was impressed by the graphics - the explosions looked very nice. But it was very, very very very very very VERY dark. This darkness could be creating the illusion that it has better graphics...

Freelancer's graphics are just beautiful - you just want to stop and look around at each sector you enter. Going from Leeds to Tau-31 was a total joy... all that brown to all that white... mmmmmm. It's like playing a different game depending on what sector you're in.

And Texas has that... well, Texan feel to it - just looks right.

Errr, anyway, I much prefer Freelancer's graphics. Much brighter and lively... I haven't played much Tachyon, so I can't speak about that...

I would also say that overall taking everything into concideration. Starlancer is the better game. Ships look better, IP Game option in Multiplayer, Better Mission layout. MSN Gamezone play, One v's One play in Multiplayer, You can use saved games in Multiplayer. And lets not forget the joystick control. That gives you the Rudder option in the game. To make it feel more like your flying in a 3D world.

Here are the downloadsides though compared to Freelancer. The game in general is way to small. The ships may look better in Starlancer that you own. But the graphics overall in Freespace wipe the floor with Starlancer. But I still think Starlancer just about has the edge for me! Siimply because of its better Multiplay options, and better Missions. But the enemys are a bit to easy after playing Freelancer! I would say 60-50 in Starlancer favour!

I do think that even though th

I think Tachyon simply has the best looking ships of any game I've seen with the exception of Homeworld (RTS).

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Furthermore, we've had billions of space sims with more 'realistic' representations of space.

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Name one, please. I'd like to play it.

Seriously, I have played just about every so-called spaceflight sim that I've run across, and not one has been the slightest bit accurate. Tachyon is the closest I've seen to a realistic space sim, and I'd only rate its accuracy at around 10%, maybe a bit less.

hmm hell yes starlancer is def worth its price, which is prob around 5-15$, so it aint gunna break ur wallet!!! But for the darkness, space would be very very very dark indeed, unless near a star or dust cloud or something, and i think that SL had a slightly more realistic feel as well... I mean the very last mission the station you fly arund is so big it dwarfs the Yamato!!! the ship you are frikkin based off of!!! oh and i liked the comms system too, cus it eant u could give orders to u other wingmen.... but graphic wise, FL runs slowly with super hi res and super hi detail, but SL is just fine cranked to 1280x960 w/ highest detail level on all fronts.... so the cleanness SL has it down but seriously, SL2 or FL 2 would be very nice indeed....

Did somebody say my name?
-Gamma Wing
It's the dreaded G-Man[![![![!
-Moose

i got my starlancer for 2 bux BUT I WANT MY CD 1 *CRIES*

Starlancer's explosions were better, IMHO. They left huge chunks of charred wreckage and bodies(w00t!) floating around(and if you got too close, you went up with your target). The scale in SL was better too, you could literally lose your bearings flying around the surfaces of the biggest ones. And the landing/launch animations, you actually saw your ship being cranked into position for launch inside the carrier. Nothing feels quite like taking out that asteroid depot and running like hell, barely escaping before it explodes. The ships are better balanced(any ship can beat any other in the hands of a good pilot). And the controls(sorry) are better.

On the other hand, in FL you can approach and land on planets and ships other than your base. You can fully customize your ship's gun/missile loadout. You can use either an afterburner or cruise drive, use jumpgates and tradelanes at will(other than on cue). You can interact with the universe, choose your own allies and enemies. Play pirate. Take missions at will. Use shield and hull repair devices when you get in tight spots. You can trade commodities for huge payoffs, or just run all over the place shooting anything that moves. The AI are more challenging. Multiplayer is more variable.

As for how the ships look, I find that it makes no difference at all. Play a few tough missions with ANY ship and you'll start liking it, even if it looks like a pile of moose dung.

Reaper: $200,000,000.
Rockets: $100,000
The look on that pilot's face when you launch a full pod of screamers up his tailpipe: priceless

biocunsumer, if u want it so bad and only payed 2 bucks, just buy anuther copy... maybe u dont have 2 dollars to spare, or even if it's 10 dollars (bargain bins...) then it's still a good game and worth the money... hell, i'd pay 20 for it mauybe 25

and nukelt i'd have to agree with u on the controls.... mouse is good, but joystick is just plain old better for flight sims... in space or not... although, i have to say, free missiles was awful nice, i wouldn't have to worry about using all 160 screamers (20pod, 8 pods on reaper) cus then id get new ones the next mission... and cloaking/ECM/gattling plasma with ammo was cool as well

Did somebody say my name?
-Gamma Wing
It's the dreaded G-Man[![![![!
-Moose

Edited by - Flak Cannon on 16-03-2003 20:02:08

Wow, glad to see all the replys. I am glad there are a few "Tachyon" fans out there. The game can be picked apart, but damn it was fun. Both sides were fun to play and GalSpan had some of the greatest ship designs.

I admit, I have only played the demo and as much as I hate to admit it, mouse flying is pretty cool. I appear to have the same ATI 9700 pro graphic issues so my opinion may change more with the newly posted driver.

I know some of you like the looks of space in FL better than SL, but I am one of the few that like space cold and black.

Are there any Independence War Edge of Chaos fans out there? Hardest space game I ever played but extremely rewarding. Great look and feel and in your neighborhood bargin bin, now.

At last someone mention IW2:EoC A nice game... and if i remember correctly, you start out as a pirate.. and looting others cargo is soooo much fun..

I do have to say, in the spirit of this thread, that my absolute greatest gripe with Freelancer was the fact that the ships looked _pathetic_. I mean, the Dagger was neat and all; and the Hawk/Eagle/Falcon series were nifty in their own way, but as ships they really weren't the greatest <Exemption: Falcon, though there were better ships than that out there>. I really wish they had done a better job with just making the ships look appealing, though.

As far as graphics, I'm gonna have to say that yes, I also agree that Starlancer had better graphics - I'd say it was a better game, in fact, if it wasn't for the fact that I utterly despise babysitting missions, and the first half of the game was practically nothing but. I did also like the customization options that FL gave you a bit better.

And in closure, Tachyon rocked. Tachyon's ship design rocked. Tachyon's gameplay rocked. Tachyon's Bruce-Campbell-voicing-the-main-character rocked in no small measure, too.

You're right. Tachyon was and is great. I especially loved one mission where i was protecting the seightseeing tour of a pleasure cruiser: eventually our group got attacked and while i was fighting about my life, i heard the tour guide over the com talking to the passengers how exciting all this is and how there is absolutely no danger whatsoever. Meanwhile Jake Logan gives a lot of grumpy comments. The best part was at the end of the mission. The tour guide asks the passengers to thank the brave pilot who escorted them and you hear loud and enthusiastic cheering over the com... and all that Jake Long says is a very very dry "Whopee!". That was so hilarious.

Bruce Campbell rocks!

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"Sorry for offending your delicate sensibilities. Perhaps my next film will be about a talking dog who braves the harsh realities of the world in a heart warming attempt to find his rightful owners, who mistakenly thought he was dead. That way you could watch it and get a fuzzy feeling inside and when it was over you could all go f*ck yourselves." - Troy Duffy, director of The Boondock Saints

Edited by - Lev Arris on 17-03-2003 14:02:14

OK... with the possiblity of beeing despised as the over-zealuous moderator, I'll close this thread down... I think we all have different oppinions, and we could be bashing in each other heads for ages over topics like these...

Also I don't want this forum to turn into XYZ is a greater game because XYZ. This is not why I made this website, and this is not the topic of the website! I hope you all understand...

Best Regards
Christian "Bargib" Koerner
Editor in Chief, The Lancers Reactor