Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (
More info?)
On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:32:46 -0700, Mark Steen <mark@no.email> wrote:
>On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:13:57 +0100, br d
><misterbCOCKNEYTWAT@nildram.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>Seriously though Rob, it's cheap enough and there's lots to do, so why
>>not? Slow start though, and steep learning curve, don't buy it if you
>>like something you can glance at the manual and then play, UC needs
>>time.
>>
>>br d
>
>I have UC but the command interface just turns me off. Give us a run
>down of what you do in an open ended game that actually has some point
>to it. X2-The threat is a better game IMO.
Whatever I want. The whole point of free-form is that there isn't a
point. There are objectives you can set yourself - capture stations,
attack ground targets, jump into different systems in a fighter and
try to take out all enemy ships, take shuttle runs and try to make
mega money - that sort of stuff, and all the time looking to increase
EP's and rank. But none of this has to be done and none of it is
necessarily going to open up any new doors in the game, it's just
wandering around doing what you feel. I try to achieve Fleet command
so I can plan bigger battle scenarios and generally feel like I'm
making progress, but I'm not looking to achieve specific goals or
reach any conclusions. Perhaps other people expect more from
open-ended play but I don't, if I want specific
means-to-an-end/there-has-to-be-a-point gameplay then I'll go with
something mission or level based. The first game I ever played
properly was Elite, and after achieving a reasonable rank I just
played it for months, enjoying the shuffling about just for the
shuffling about in itself. I suppose I've always looked for a game
that can recreate that feeling and UC (BC) in Roam mode is the nearest
I've come to it in a space-sim (Morrowind was much the same, in
whatever game style Morrowind is).
I've been messing about with BC titles for 8 years, hundreds of hours
of play, and I've never even once loaded up the Campaign, it just
doesn't interest me. I'd no doubt have all the same complaints about
the game as everybody else if I played it scripted, so perhaps it's
not the game in itself that I like, rather the ability to lose myself
in a seemingly real, unpredictable and ongoing universe. I don't
really like games that want me to do this, then that, then the other,
I always just want to sod off and have a poke around.
There you go Mark, don't know if that helps. I suspect I was talking
to myself there mainly.
br d