Space combat sims - any you know about that I don't?

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2003-07-13 01:18am

Here's what I know of:
1. The X-Wing series, XW, TF, XvT(BoP), and XWA. Lucasarts games we all know about. Finished BoP and XWA, did most of XW, and never did go far in TF.

2. Star Wraith 3 - Just saw this today. Shareware game. Prompted me to post this thread. Looks interesting. Can't even tell what kind of flight model they're using from a quick look at the site. Guess I need to go dl the demo.

3. Ace of Angels, some kind of MMPOG, I think. In development. Haven't really gotten a good look at it.

4. Starshatter, currently in closed beta with an old demo still up for dl. Best dynamic campaign I've ever seen, two flight modes, three difficulty levels, built-in modding tools, and missions in either aerospace fighters or capital ships. B5 mod already has had a release.

5. Freespace 2 is a great game, but a few years old and impossible to find for sale. Every box sold, and they wouldn't make more. Luckily, you can get a stripped-down copy at Home of the Underdogs, and the license for the full game allows a "friend" to make you a copy, if you can find such a "friend". Do you want to be my friend? We can find a way to transfer it. 3 CDs.
If you must buy it, there's usually a copy on E-bay. It's open-source now, and I suggest looking around at the forums at Hard Light Productions to see what they have going on. More mods than you can shake a stick at, and the XWA modding community may be moving there eventually, if their being allowed use of XWAUP (a graphics mod) is any indication. There is, of course, also FS1.

6. If you haven't played at least one of the five Wing Commander games (plus Secret Ops, which is more of a freeware game than an expansion for Prophecy - I think you can also get this one off HotU) then you might as well. Three is generally thought to be better than 4, P, or SO, but I'm not sure about how good 1 and 2 are compared to 3. I hear 4 is more plot than game. I've only had time to play P, SO, and part of 1. Ask Bob McDob, I think he's a big WC fan.

7. Next there's Homeplanet, which has the best Newtonian control scheme I've seen yet. Unfortunately, it's only released in Russia at the moment. You can dl a demo from the site, it's English text and Russian voiceovers. If nothing else, its sister project, the freeware B5 game I Found Her is also in development.

I've also heard about the games Starlancer, Tachyon: The Fringe, and Independance War 1 & 2. Don't know anything about them, need to go find some sites. Also, there's the Battlecruiser sims, which I haven't bothered with. Looks like fun got shoved aside for perfect capship simulation.

I haven't even begun to consider the space trading games like Privateer, Elite, Vega Strike, Freelancer, etc.
I've also heard about Homeworld frequently, but I believe that's more of a RTS. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Wow, there's a lot more out there than it seems like there is. But there just doesn't seem to be any single game that rises above the others. Guess the genre's still finding itself.

Mitth`raw`nuruodo · Post by **Mitth`raw`nuruodo** » 2003-07-13 01:23am

I don't know of any others, but uh, would you happen to know of a place to get XW and TF? I used to own both of them, but lost the CDs... I have manuals, box, quick refrence guide, and a $2.00 joystick made SPECIFICALLY for X-Wing, but no games

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2003-07-13 03:06pm

Starlancer & Freelancer
Starlancer is too short for my taste, basically a all-human version of Wing Commander, fighters rule the day, but there is plenty of eye-candy battles.

Tachyon: The Fringe is a Freelancer/Elite - type of game, it's fun and plays well, you can choose two main plotlines, with several side stories. The graphics are a little chunky in some places, but their nebula effects are amazing.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-07-13 03:11pm

If you really want to "transfer" 3 cds of FreeSpace (also get FS 1), I recommend using eMule. There's a "ban list" somewhere with all the IPs of the guys who send you C&D letters

A Big Flying Fish · Post by **A Big Flying Fish** » 2003-07-13 06:58pm

Get I-war 2 if you can. Excellent game, circle strafing enemy ships has never been so much fun. Plus there are mods a-plenty when you beat the game (I-fleet is particularly good)

DarthBlight · Post by **DarthBlight** » 2003-07-13 07:18pm

If you can find it (doubtful, this thing is OLD) Mantis XF-5700

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-07-13 08:12pm

Vendetta is a massively multiplayer online space sim for Windows Linux and Mac OSX. It's currently available for free, since they're still in the "test" phase. It uses Newtonian physics with the option to turn on an autopilot that makes it feel like arcade-type physics.

FaxModem1 · Post by **FaxModem1** » 2003-07-13 08:21pm

Star Trek:Starfleet Academy, I have, I love it.

Star Trek:Klingon Academy:I have never played it, but I have heard that it is good.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-07-13 08:45pm

I've heard the original 'Independence War' is good, but I can't find it anywhere...

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2003-07-13 11:34pm

There were the Colony Wars games for PS, which were pretty good.

Mitth`raw`nuruodo · Post by **Mitth`raw`nuruodo** » 2003-07-13 11:36pm

Drooling Iguana wrote:Vendetta is a massively multiplayer online space sim for Windows Linux and Mac OSX. It's currently available for free, since they're still in the "test" phase. It uses Newtonian physics with the option to turn on an autopilot that makes it feel like arcade-type physics.

hrm. I downloaded it, tried to play. I think I need to read up on it a little before I just jump in...

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-07-14 12:46am

Why didn't my link get properly dressed?

Mitth`raw`nuruodo · Post by **Mitth`raw`nuruodo** » 2003-07-14 12:47am

Drooling Iguana wrote:Why didn't my link get properly dressed?

because you need to put the http://

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-07-14 12:48am

Thanks. I fixed it.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2003-07-14 02:15am

Allegiance Lives, I've heard.

Darksider · Post by **Darksider** » 2003-07-14 12:13pm

A Big Flying Fish wrote:Get I-war 2 if you can. Excellent game, circle strafing enemy ships has never been so much fun. Plus there are mods a-plenty when you beat the game (I-fleet is particularly good)

Dosn't that game have some sort of realistic physics engine that makes it nearly impossible to control your ships????

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-07-14 12:31pm

Darksider wrote:
Dosn't that game have some sort of realistic physics engine that makes it nearly impossible to control your ships????

Whoever made that complaint is simply a dumbass who's unwilling to put any level of effort into learning an interesting spacesim flight model- rather than the nonexistent ones most games sadly use. I've finished both Independence War, it's expansion, and the sequel Edge of Chaos- really, it's not hard. Look at it this way: how does going as fast as you like sound? It makes for interesting tactics. It's also one of the most fleshed out, technically speaking, with original takes on shields and weaponry that means you have to actually employ tactics. Not to mention the first game gets bonus points because you command a Corvette with multiple crew (commander, gunner, helm, engineer- and miscellaneous crew).

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2003-07-14 12:32pm

Darksider wrote:
A Big Flying Fish wrote:Get I-war 2 if you can. Excellent game, circle strafing enemy ships has never been so much fun. Plus there are mods a-plenty when you beat the game (I-fleet is particularly good)
Dosn't that game have some sort of realistic physics engine that makes it nearly impossible to control your ships????

No. Played it, beat it, loved it.

I-War series ROCK. I-War 1 has a friggin' 15 minute long INTRO. It feels like a movie, and a good one too

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-07-14 12:36pm

HemlockGrey wrote:I've heard the original 'Independence War' is good, but I can't find it anywhere...

Don't bother. You can't run it unless your vidcard is a Voodoo.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-07-14 12:37pm

Oh, Battlecruiser: Generations is one to look out for. Derek Smart finally perfected the game with Battlecruiser: Millenium (already released)- but it lost marks for poor graphics. Generations however is once more an expanded version (he expands it every version) with graphics that are fucking to die for. The sheer depth and options of play- and the bonus points for commanding a capital ship while being able to beam/take a shuttle down to a planet's surface and do battle with small arms and armored vehicles/ gunships/ etc, as well as the opportunity to just glass the fucking place ... fwar. I'm getting it.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-07-14 12:39pm

EmperorMing wrote:
Don't bother. You can't run it unless your vidcard is a Voodoo.

Yes, you can- just in software mode. Which looks *fine*. Trust me. It's worth it.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-07-14 12:42pm

Generations screenies:

From the same game:

Yes, it's a space sim.

Mitth`raw`nuruodo · Post by **Mitth`raw`nuruodo** » 2003-07-14 01:06pm

*blink*

wow...

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-07-14 01:33pm

Vympel wrote:
EmperorMing wrote:
Don't bother. You can't run it unless your vidcard is a Voodoo.
Yes, you can- just in software mode. Which looks *fine*. Trust me. It's worth it.

Now that you have reminded me. *goes and dusts off his copy...*

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-07-14 01:34pm

Whoa!! Some screenies!