Any new game will experience an initial suge of popularity, followed by a decrease... how long that popularity lasts, and how rapid the decrease is, depends largely on the quality and re-playability of the game. I think Freelancer scores fairly high on both counts. So, I think that yes, there will be an expectable decrease in popularity, but it'll still last for quite a while, with the die-hards sticking in there for years.

Der Käse! Der Käse! Er singt traurig um Mitternacht!
(www.dictionary.com for a translator program)

There will be at least some die hard FL'ers for years to come. Just look at ELITE, the first of the type. ELITE came out around 1984, but there are still ELITE chat groups with posts every day.

But of course the game will lose players as new games come out ... e.g. X-2 and Homeworld2. I like to take out old games and play them once in a while, long after I've finished them. However, I have friends who rush right through and game and then go looking for another one.

p.s. Also note that schools were out a few months ago. Now most kids are back in the classroom and can't play on line as much.






Jose Chavez: "Trent! It's good to see my kind of scum."

As long as new and interesting mods come out, I know I'll keep playing Freelancer.

Life: No one gets out alive.

@RILMS, u can also made ur own mod... it's already put in the place where u can see what what is...

...it's to easy to make a mod... (and i said that already a few times)
...it's not fun to make a mod, when modding is to easy...

if it was 1 long .ini file i would mod it... but now, no way...

If u c some1 in a defender make fireballs from hunter it can be me

I'm with Puke on this one. Elite stood the test of time, and this is the only game I've really gotten into since. I think FL will be alive for as long as the server admins give it attention.

@Puke Barwalker - HW2 Comes out today in the US!

"If the limit of a function exists, than it is unique(and therefore, doesn't exist)" - My Calculus textbook

@DragonBreath

Ya, I know. I've been trying to get into that. Looking for the programs. I downloaded 3Ds Mex 4, but it didn't work. Missing a file or something.

But if I get programs to mod, I'll give it a shot.

Life: No one gets out alive.

SP bored me (Finaly ) so I tried MP thinking it wouldn't be long before I give up on that too, but now I'm hooked on MP
I say, FL is going on for a while, but as long as Elite? I don't know. I'll certainly pick it up again in a few years (if it's still playable on whatever platform Microsh*t invented by then), but I bet as soon as HW2 come's out and when I can get my hands on kotor or Jedy Academy FL will disapear for a good amount of time, only to resurface at cleaning-up parties and such

FL misses just that litle extra wich MS/DA left out to become a classical title, like HL or (as you say, I don't know the game) Elite.

Well, until flying around, killin things and genrally messin up politics gets boring (Which it may just do...) I think this game will last a while. Buuut, if it had everything that was dropped out it would be timeless. But there you go, I pick up most my old games again sooo it dont realy applie to me...

Bein an Outcast is about doin things you wanna do: Kill, Terrorise, Murder, Destroy, Smoke Cardamine, ya know, normal stuff.....

I'd hate for FL MP to stop. I love it. I'm hooked.

PunkZombie,
He hates EA,
He hates WestWood's choice to join EA,
EA can burn in F^&^#*! Hell for all I care.
I will be waiting for the game "Who Wants To Beat Up A EA Employee".

It takes more than a year for a game to "stop". Any game that can be played online, with a successful community will never really stop until well.....I dont know when. Even games like ROR, AOK, AVP2, are still played quite alot and getting new players all the time. Of course, there is always a steady decrease in the number of players, but that happens over a loooong time.

I beg to differ... don't get me wrong, I LOVE Freelancer. I think people who whine and complain about it's limitations should try to program something similar themselves with this much quality and see where they get. (From the ground up, not modding.)

However, there will eventually be no list server for Freelancer. Multiplayer will consist of browsing the internet to find IP addresses of the last few servers that people still care to run. It's a rather desolate vision of the future, and I certainly hope the day is still far in the future. But its sad really, that one day Microsoft and DA's list servers will be shut down to make room for something else. Of course, I really hope that something else is Freelancer 2... but that's another thread.

Starcraft is another example of a game still going strong. But hopefully when they get around to making FL2 they actually do everything they are planning to do.

~ DaVoid, Expert Star Diver

@TEMARFlashFire....

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Multiplayer will consist of browsing the internet to find IP addresses of the last few servers that people still care to run. It's a rather desolate vision of the future, and I certainly hope the day is still far in the future.

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oooh that gave me a shiver up my spine! maybe we should speak to the modders out there and see if they can come up with "Apocolypse Freelancer"...a rather desolate universe which looks like a ship graveyard, with npc's limping around scavenging from each other (no longer in clans) and water being the most expensive trade item. That way, when we log on in 5 years to play FL MP again we can see what time has done to the universe

Hehehe, I think that would be quite cool.....but maybe I'm just stoned again.

Edited by - gromit on 17-09-2003 10:28:22