Maybe you should have done some research first. ;P Your loss...

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I don't really understand why any space shooter combat games is labeled "space combat simulation". A simulation is something that imitates something else, like racing simulations to actual races, and flight simulations to actually flying a plain. There is no such thing as space combat, there is nothing for these games to simulate. The label "simulation" is inaccurate.

From what I have heard, the thought behind moving to a mouse and keyboard interface was at least partly to attract some of the first person shooter gaming market, which is very large. You will notice that the default accelerate/strafe left/decelerate/strafe right controls are wasd, typical shooter controls. Personally speaking, I couldn't have played the game if it was joystick controlled because my _Microsoft_ SIdewinder 3D Pro and Precision Pro don't work with the packaged _Microsoft_ Windows 2000 drivers.

You can tell from my post that it's not the first time I've been burned by my own stupidity probably... lol

Ouch that's unfortunit the drivers didn't work for Windows 2000. I myself have a lot of weird issues when it comes to Microsoft games and sound. I don't know what they use exactly but for the instalation abiant noise and for music in Ages of Mytholigy my sound 'shudders' in a light way. Something I supose anyone can live with, but being an Ex-Audiophile and someone who still believes in the old 70's type cleshay that a man is as big as his stereo, it makes me feel insucure that I can't find the reason for this shudder.

BTW, I use Windows 2k also, and a Soundblaster Live (game) and it's done this shudder on more then one speaker system.

What exactly does a joystick have to do with a space combat simulation? Most modern aircraft do not even use a joystick, they use a flight yoke. Why do you think that a couple thousand years in the future people piloting spaceships will be using a joystick? Actually, in the Freelancer universe, the pilots use a nueral net, so to properly simulate this game the developers would have had to invent a technology to control the game with your mind. I guess they decided it was easier and more cost effective to just use the mouse which every computer already has.

your loss becuase...
i have been assimilated. Freelancer is an excellent game.

My friend brought up the point about coupters mostly control things now a days anway and that I really can't argue with. He does say the mouse suport works really well, and I'm sure it's still a great game. The opening looked pretty neat (sorta reminded me of Quake 2 with the pods and the radio static,) but the game at a glance looks promissing. Unforutnitly I've been playing with the stupid keyboard and mouse for 'simulator' games since dos and to find out that an up to date game didn't even have 'game pad' suport let alone full fetured joystick suport, was just dispointing. I bought a $100 door stop and I was hoping this game that my friends were getting into would actualy work with the joystick, and aditionaly suprized part of Microsoft's deal with helping make the game was that the game would suport all the countless joysticks and 'sidewinder' devices they make. In a way it's sort of cool Microsoft doesn't cut funding to someone that says "no" to the idea of making games that will suport their hardware. However, at the same time I sort of felt like it would of been manditory bussness practice with, MS.

In the end I'm sure it's a great game, but I have enough games I'm playing through as it is. The only reson I asked for a coppy of it was because it was pushed off as a space combat simulater. I supose I mixed it up with 'combat flight simulater' and was expecting the same if not at least 'thrown together' suport. (I expected joystick suport but not force feedback.) However, I have enough games I would rather work on with my mouse and keyboard... (Not having a joystick for a simulater to me is like trying to play SNES roms without a game pad... it 'can' be done.. but have you ever tried to play Mortal Kombat using a keyboard?

Again I'm not dissing the game, just saying personaly... I myself wouldn't get any personal enjoyment out of playing it on a mouse and keyboard. Also if joystick suport is 'so' easy to do then why not release a small beta joystick patch with a DLL file and let servers have the ablity to ban people with 'J suport' if it's an issue of making things 'far'

There sure are a lot of "wouldn't"s in your post. Why don't you give the game a chance? This isn't like comparing keyboard cursors to gamepad directional controls, the mouse and joystick are very similar when you take into account how this game was made.

Well closing the thread was pretty professional... I'm SO happy I got into this game and had to deal with more of this type of suport/treatment.. lol

Edited by - DesertfoxNick on 07-03-2003 22:59:25

Yes, you should have done your homework. Sorry that it didn't work. Anyway, there have been talks of mapping the mouse movement to the joystick...scour the older threads. I haven't tried it myself.

No joystick doesn't = uninstall, that just shows your lack of knowledge and skill. The game wouldn't work half as well with a joystick since the heads up display is so integrated with combat. Good luck trying to use a jostick to fly and use your mouse simultaneously to navigate the HUD. Personally, I think the controls in this game are phenomenal.

DesertFox, I find it quite hard to fathom that you purchased and installed Freelancer and now refuse to double click on an icon and try it out simply because it doesn't have joystick support? No offense but if that is the case, your frickin nuts....seriously.



I don't really run this place but I have an understanding with the people who do.

Desertfox - as a space sim, joystick owning fan who'd approached FL thinking it was the sim the years of misinformation and somewhat misleading current marketing led me to believe, I shared your pain and was going to ignore it.

But I would have been wrong. For the type of game FL is, an action adventure, not a sim, the mouse works very well. it took me hours to master but once i did, in the demo, I discovered a very enjoyable action game. Enjoyable enough to pre-order an import version.

The fact that it lacks the complexity of sims in control and instrumentation and is not as open-ended, dynamic or complex as Elite, Privateer 1 or the X series, in no way means FL is not an enjoyable game. It just isn't the sim to replace Elite in some of our hearts and that is disappointing. I still find it fun though. Just a different type of fun.

I enjoy the action intensive combat, the brilliant interface, the graphics, atmosphere and story elements, the exploration, the constant radio chatter. There is a lot to recommend. Try and overcome your disappointment and try it with an open mind.

You may be, like me, a space sim fan since Elite in 1984, pleasantly surprised.