GREAT post. You know, I was a little bit worried with all the comments about the game being so short and everything, but I can honestly say I'm perfectly happy with it at this point. I'm almost at 9 HOURS of gameplay in the game's clock, and I haven't left the New York system yet! I haven't even accepted Mission 2 yet!

The reason I'm spending so much time in New York is, I read everything...info. about all the stuff on my map...info about all the bases...even info about various commodoties, and the info about the weapons and upgrades and ships I'm purchasing. I also read Trents log (only active for story stuff really) and new news stories as they show up (a little different from base to base). Granted, I'm slightly OC, so reading this stuff takes a bit longer for me than most people, but not THAT much longer...and it really, really enhances the story and realism of the universe. I also intend to find and stop at every base (that I can with my current alliances) in every system as I stop in them and explore them as thoroughly as possible. Then when I leave, I usually pick up a few commodoties, maybe mount a new weapon, take a mission, and select an area apart from that I'd like to explore. This game is going to take me a LOOOONG time.

You know...this fact seems to be true for most games that are out there...you rush through everything as fast as you possibly can and then you get to the end and you're like wait....that's it??? But for those who take the time to go through AND TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO ENJOY THE GAME tend to have a much better time with it. For everyone that wants to speed through SP and get to the end...what were you expecting...you're the ones who were rushing through it...ignoring everything else... for those who take some time and enjoy it they learn how enjoyable the game really can be... try that philosphy out some time and see how you like it...

I hope that was more of a positive rant rather than negative....

Man, have you got it right (Original Thread)

I have been at this game for 8-12 hours a day since it came out. I have completed single player in like 15 hours (Im slow) but then I fired up my own server and just.....PLAYED. Finding bases, Jump holes, wrecks everything, it rocks. I cant see the point in "Power Gaming" Freelancer the same way as you would Ultima Online the universe is to big. I love being a pirate in the Liberty system, flying about in my Dagger, armed to the teeth, running Cardamine and taking out Freighters and bounty hunters.

Nothing is better than sitting near a trade lane exit, scanning a huge freighter then blowing off its cargo and running like hell when the escorts get mad

Got 12 tons of Alien Organisms off a freighter, thats like over 13k for a few shots....Sweaty palms on that run, had to follow him from Manhatten to West Point cause there were to many Police.

I stay around Liberty, its like home. I might head off to Rhienland for a Stilleto, aiding the much put upon Bundschuh. I just like spending my money on getting info in bars, drug running and blowing away damn Bounty Hunters (Boba Fett wannabes phff, call yourself good, get a real job.) Just so much fun cause your still pretty even against the NPC's on ship specs.

I guess my biggest problem is with any game, i try to see all there is to see first time through. For some of my favorite games like Deus Ex or Divine Divinity, it takes some of the replayablility out of it unless I wait a few months to play it through again. Other games like Arcanum or Fallout offer you choices and paths that branch all the time, so you can play the game twice, go to the same towns but talk to different people for different reasons or go to completely new locations.

I stopped once with the single player mode for FL when I got ramped into a series of missions in a freighter with no cash that just couldn't take the 20 rheinland cruisers beating it was getting. I stopped around rank 10 and mission 6 and I restarted. So far it's a good bit more smooth. I haven't tried over exploring at all, I've just been flying around, taking mission and working on faction even though I know it's all about to go to hell anyhow. The game can definately last longer if you want to and don't rush right through the main storyline. These games have branching quests for a reason, they have extra stuff for a reason.

Hell, every other rank the game even tells you to go off and do your own thing, forget about the main storyline for a while.

Closing the spoilers forum is a bad idea, just don't read it. Some people are just better at games than others or have enjoyment out of using spoilers as opposed to us perhaps.

Edited by - grapedog on 19-03-2003 17:40:28