Ok, here goes :-

Nah, basically I started with Elite on the C64, everything since in the space/trading/shooter genre I have probably played.

Really all I have to say is that for me WC3 was the best of the series, dunno why just enjoyed it the most.
Privateer 1 rocked.
Freespace 2 was good also.
I-War 2- Excellent game, shame about the story and the lack of trading (Which a mod fixed apparently)
X-BTF shows what is possible and is still the best, however I dont like the races much.

Freelancer....A genre unto itself I think, it tries to fit into all catagories but turns into an arcade shoot-em-up with trading thrown in. Personally I am disappointed in this game as it offers nothing original.
Mouse control system- done in X-BTF.
Trading System - Better in X-BTF (Hell FL's trade system aint even dynamic)
Combat - done better in I-War 2 and most of the Shoot-em-up titles

So generally I still play X-BTF and I-war 2 because, like so many others I am waiting for X2 with its MP support.

> Wing Commander 2
> Wing Commander 2: Secret Missions
> Wing Commander 2: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
> Wing Commander 2: Special Ops
> Wing Commander 2: Special Ops 2

Well, isn't that a bit much WC2 stuff? Did I miss something?

I used to play these space combat simulations:

Elite

Wing Commander + Secret Missions + Secret Missions 2
Wing Commander 2: Vengeance of the Kilrathi + Special Operations + Special Operations 2
Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger
Wing Commander 4: The Price of Freedom
Wing Commander 5: Prophecy

Privateer
Privateer 2: The Darkening

X-Wing
Tie Fighter

Starlancer
Freelancer

Some other games are also related to space combat although I wouldn?t call them space combat simulations:

Star Control
Star Control 2
Nomad (Did someone play that game? A huge universe, many alien races, much to explore, countless missions. A great game if one can ignore the quite antique graphics. )
Spelljammer (more a role playing game than a space combat simulation)

I enjoyed every Wing Commander game but I think number 4 is my favorite in that line. Too bad the Dragon did not appear in WC5. Tie Fighter was IMHO much better than X-Wing. Privateer 2 was quite okay but it was no match for the original Privateer. Yes, if I had to choose one space combat simulation for the lonely island I'd take Privateer.

Edited by - stryx on 13-03-2003 15:09:32

There is only really going to be one other game now to compare to Freelancer. And that going to be: "X2 The Threat" by Egosoft. When it comes out soon! But to be honest they are both pretty different games in there own right. And the control method separates them both as totally different games now.

But things will be very interesting when it comes out. I really look forward to reading comments here in this Forum when it hits the shops. Regarding what they think of it here!

QUOTE:
But weak overall in the story area. Of course most people don't play X games for the story

You have got to be joking there mate! The story based part of the game goes on for a much longer period than Freelancer. And it is also much harder to complete the missions asked of you! Go and try to capture the ship called the "Pesuses" (Spelt wrong) in X-Tension towards the end of the storyline in the game. Well thats "X-Tension" installed from the XGold disk. With the Update Patches installed also. Because I think you need that version installed, along with the Update Patches to have that storyline now in the game. Plus the storyline is not the end of the game!

Edited by - Gary Bolton on 13-03-2003 17:16:50

Let's face it - egosoft has one of the worst home pages that I know of. So, if you want info on X-tension, rather visit http://freespace.virgin.net/x.extension/xhints.htm and
http://the-commander.com/


Cheers..

I have to agree there on that one. There main website does look pretty naff (No offence meant)! But they could do with taking on a very good website designer to gave it that polished look, With much more information about there games features. This would advertise there game much better! Because I do feel there current website does there games no justice at all.

And the websites you posted above are very good "XT" website created by there Forum members. That give loads of information about there games, and it's features.

I ain't trying to defend Egosoft. I like both games. But I hate the fact that Freelancer is so very short lived after completing the Games Storyline Missions. But it's still a great game to play. With great graphics to boot!

Edited by - Gary Bolton on 13-03-2003 17:13:20

Edited by - Gary Bolton on 13-03-2003 17:20:29

---

From the remaing four series, Freespace & X-BTF seem to have less followers. I checked out Descent-Freespace, but the Freespace community seems to be all but dead

---

On the contrary, Freespace2 has the most active modding community out of any space sim. Descent-Freespace is dead, but the FS community is not.

If you want to find the FS community, you have to go here: http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/forums/

I have to admit that I have never played: Freespace 2

Is it any good!

I do remember from what I read that it's very simular to Starlancer. Being Mission based also (Could be wrong though).

Does the game suport MultiPlayer, and can the Missions be played with others in MultiPlayer etc.

Edited by - Gary Bolton on 13-03-2003 17:28:50

Freelancer 2 was probably one of my favorites, too. It helped that it had, in my opinion, some of the best voice acting of any of the Space sims out there. I liked getting my briefings from Robert Loggia, and hearing the monologues from Admiral Bosch done by that guy from Beverly Hills Cop.

I judge the quality of a game by its immersion. Not since the Xwing & Tie Fighter games have I found myself actually ducking when I'm about to collide with another ship or asteroid. I also find myself hunched down when I'm flying around those massive capships so I don't scrape my head on the hull. I'm just glad noone is watching me play. I have caught myself ducking a few times in Freelancer, too and also leaning to one side trying to make my ship turn faster.

In fact, just last month I re-loaded Freespace 2 because I found a website where you can play the Freespace 1 and Silent Threat campaigns in Freespace 2. Pretty cool.

Yep, that would the Port, one of the projects at HLP - the biggest FS site on the net, and coincidentally the site that I run (more or less)

Engage Brain, Then Post.
Hard Light Productions

Everyone who said Freelancer is the first game of it's type lately is plain wrong. Excellent game Independence War 2 is in many ways better done than Freelancer. It is the same idea of space travel and many systems to explore as well as paid missions etc. but you also have your base and can have multiple ships and much more. This game is not year or two old but graphically still extremely well done and much more sophisticated than Freelancer. I think that Freelancer is a step in the right direction but there are still too many limitations to make it trully a great game. Hopefully Freelancer 2 will address these gameplay limiations.

>Yep, that would the Port, one of the projects at HLP - the biggest FS site on >the net, and coincidentally the site that I run (more or less)
>
>Engage Brain, Then Post.
>Hard Light Productions

I just checked, and it was your site. Many thanks to you and all who worked on that port. Great work! I had the original FS and ST, so I was even able to get all of the video and audio. AWESOME!

I'm really surprised that more folks haven't mentioned the IWar series. I've played most of the games mentioned at one time or another (I never got into X though).

If you haven't tried IWar, then I would see if I could find it in a bargain bin someplace. One thing though, the original IWar only supported software rendering, or using a VooDoo card. IWar II Edge of Chaos supports most of the popular video cards out there now though it too is beginning to show it's age since it was released a couple of years ago now.

IWar basically put Newtonian physics on the map in the space sim world. If you're coming from a Freespace world, then there's a steep learning curve to deal with. Also, the size of their universe is staggering sometimes. There is pirating and trading but it's not as well developed as Freelancer. Basically you shoot up freighters at the jump gates and grab all of the cargo and use it to 'buy' your weapons and upgrades. There are factions in the game but they aren't persistant meaning that if you kill a bunch of folks they won't remember the next time you go and visit.

Stone

No one has mentioned Starflight or Starflight II yet?!?

8^B

I share in certain people's hatred of EA. EA ruined Origin totally, and destroyed a truly visionary company. I for one wil never buy another EA game for as long as I live.

Now, as far as Freelancer goes, I have not played a more fun or open ended game in years. I am a HUGE fan of Privateer, and I feel that Freelancer is a worthy successor to it. Yes, more mission variety would be nice, but there's only two more mission types that can really be added to it, escort and cargo runs. there may be more that I am currently too stupid to think of, but that really seems to be it. I have completed the SP campaign and am currently blowing up cargo ships, and getting myself in good with the Outcasts, Rogues, and such. I've barely touched the surface of this game, and I haven't even tried MP yet! It's not great, but it is good, very good. Like Morrowind in space, only better. Fun and addictive. worth the 50 bucks I paid for it, that's for damn sure.

Come on over to the Dark Side y'all...it'll be a hoot[!