Is someone here in contact with the freelancer-producers who can report such bugs? (I hope its just a bug)
If yes they should make patches for all these problems.....

Don't count on a patch from Microsoft! I heard they will not patch unless it is a major bug or major gameplay issue. I can't remember where I heard this, but I considered it suicide to someone who wants to produce games. Most games require patches at some point, and what does it say about Microsoft if they won't even support their own product?

MS runs AC, the only mmorpg to have real new content added every month. So yes MS does do patches. And not just for fixes.

I haven't noticed this particular problem but it's not really a big deal or a major bug. With the shear size of this game, I would be amazed if something didn't slip through the cracks. I noticed one thing with my experience with the PR Beta that I thought was kinda funny. Every now and then I'll hear a freighter pilot say "Gee, I hope this shipment of gold is going to fetch a good price." Seems their just asking to be jumped. You can substitute gold with another high price commodity if you wish. Never actually thought to check and see if they are shipping gold or not. I'll have to check that out later.

honestly WHO CARES? blow the damn thing outta teh sky. raid it. do something.

-Nuff Said

Again, it seems the people that are saying to just "pretend" like there's nothing wrong are just avoiding the bug.

I'm not complaining for the sake of complaining. Digital Anvil has a chatter system in place. There is no other reason to hail a vessel other than for it to tell you where it's coming from, where it's going to, and what it's hauling, or if it's doing waypoints. If a transport says it's picking up cargo, then after it docks it still has nothing in its holds, it's a bug.

Don't try to say: "The game isn't about "X"... It's about "Y"" . The sum of the game is more than its parts, sure. But it's all of the parts that make up the game. And if one of those parts is missing/broken, it's less of a game than it's supposed to.

DA builds the game up as a dynamic "living" universe. It's not living if this dynamic traffic system isn't functioning properly.

From a previous poster, could someone who has some type of contact with DA please ask them if this is a bug or not? Or if it's just the way they programmed it and nothing is going to be done about it?

That's great. There's a bug, yes. I think it's pretty damn minor, compared to the sorts of bugs you CAN expect in a game. Just look at C&C Generals, for example.

I'm sure they'll fix it. Don't get your panties in a bunch.

---

There is no other reason to hail a vessel other than for it to tell you where it's coming from, where it's going to, and what it's hauling, or if it's doing waypoints. If a transport says it's picking up cargo, then after it docks it still has nothing in its holds, it's a bug.

---

I'm with Max Steele on that. It would severly improve the level of immersion if those shipment reports wouldn't be fake but REALLY reflecting what they have loaded (or not loaded for that matter). If they head somewhere to pick something up they really should do so. If they don't i feel fooled by the game.

Other than that they game and it's dynamic traffic is great. Once i followed a transport going to Colorado. Suddenly he left the route which would have lead him to the Colorado jumppoint and headed into a debris field. I thought it was a bug (like those freighters that sometimes fly into a planets atmosphere). I continued following him though, and a few clicks into the field i saw what he was getting to: a natural jump hole to Colorado! I was totally blown away by that, even though i've already found two other jump holes before.

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"In all likelihood you're going to die out there. We're all going to die out there, but none of us needs to be reminded of that fact. So you die, you never existed." - Lt. Cmdr. 'Angel' Devereaux

Edited by - Lev Arris on 23-02-2003 23:54:11

I agree with Max.

It's a bug.

And, for those that wish to pursue certian ADVERTISED professions it CAN be considered a major bug.

I refuse to just be so happy that there has FINALLY been a game of this type released to just allow myself to become blind to it's apparent flaws and allow myself to make excuses for those flaws.

Yes, FreeLancer is a good game.
Yes, it does many things well.
No, ignoring a bug is not a way of dealing with a bug.
So, all those "fanbois" that will salivate, argue, and bluster about how great FL is, and refuse to admit anything could ever remotely be wrong with it, or suggest that others "ignore", accept, or cover-up what those flaws/bugs may be...you are not helping the game, nor the entire genre, by being a mindless FANATIC.
Admit something is wrong, ask for it to be fixed, and allow the game to grow.
Or, ignore it, make excuses for it, and allow the game to die.

{steps off soapbox}

Fly well,

PD

Good point Pyrate.

I really hope the patching thing with microsoft ain't true. Patching is (imho) a very important part of a game's lifecycle. (spelling)

Lass

I don't think thinking a game is great despite some flaws makes us "fanbois" but if so then I guess I'm a "fanboi"

One can equally accuse you of being fanatically obsessed over this bug. Yes, it's a bug. Holy crap, we're not denying that. But you seem to think it's the end of the world or something.

Thanks for reporting it, but sheesh, why are you getting so uppety?

I think the new boys and some other people are trying to find everything they can which is wrong with the game...

Too hyper-critical. Try it with other games, you'll find loads, especially in games alot smaller than this.

If I sound "fanatical" over this bug, it's because this game is touted as a dynamic universe. Don't say the game has a dynamic universe if it doesn't.

Allow me to bring in an example of another game.. X: Beyond the Frontier. EVERY ship in the game is kept track of, every piece of cargo is accounted for. If a ship has 500 holds of food, it's transporting it to a station that NEEDS that food.

It can be done. It has been done.

The system was put into place in this game. It's not working. Just want an official word on it.

And thank you for the post Pyrate Dread. It's nice to see someone who has been more active on the forums than I have to see the point I'm making.

Please people, don't judge the ideas someone has by how new they are to the message board. It doesn't mean anything if you registered to post here 3 years ago or 3 days ago. It doesn't make you more or less qualified to discuss game mechanics.

Edited by - Max Steele on 24-02-2003 01:02:16