My Space Sim Experiences

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

Well, after playing space sims for many years begining with Tau Ceti
on the Sinclair Spectrum some 15 or 16 years ago, I have kept in the
market as I await for the ultimate space sim game.

It began on the PC with elite and I wont bore you with the details but
X-Wing, the excellent TIE Fighter etc were the games I gnjoyed a lot.
Not to forget the more modern day I-War 2 etc.

But something really pissed me off today. Something in a game so great
that it should not be excused. The awful flying setup in X2, which is
fine if there was no combat in the game. I was stumped. Starshatter -
Combat was playable. I-War2, combat was playable. Heck I even have The
Fringe and that was playable. Even X-Com Intercepter, which could not
let me invert mouse was still playable. Perhaps it is just me?

Now I do not profess to be an Baron von Richthofen of space sims, but
being able to complete that virutally every tie fighter level in hard
and X-Wing Alliance, I do not consider myself to be a newbie to combat
section of games.

But then again, It is not fair for me to judge until I get further
into the game. If someone could reccomend a mod that fixes the physics
to the xwing or Iwar level, it would be much welcomed.

But Anyhow, for the old xwing, there was a mod that ran as a seperate
program in a Window. You had a set force and the enemy had a set
force. You moved forces around and the enemy(computer) did the same.
It was like a turn based addon, and it would generate missions based
on the battles that took place. The program would read your results
and reduce the forces accordingly based on losses. You can have bases
etc and there was none of the "one man red baron sim" type action that
is so prevelant today.

My question is, is there a space sim, that lets you start small and
build up an army that you control and can take over the universe/game
world with? Starshatter does not really count since you do not create
any forces. I do not mind trading/mining etc and I have not tried
MMO's or even any of Derek Smarts games after the bad experience with
the Original BC.

Perhaps I should stick with R-Type clones and Starcraft :)
 
G

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Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

(snip)

> My question is, is there a space sim, that lets you start small and
> build up an army that you control and can take over the universe/game
> world with? Starshatter does not really count since you do not create
> any forces. I do not mind trading/mining etc and I have not tried
> MMO's or even any of Derek Smarts games after the bad experience with
> the Original BC.

This sounds like you are looking for X2 :)

You start with a scout fighter and can can control an unlimited army of
destroyers and ship carriers if you can afford it. To do so you can trade
and build factories or let someone hire you for fighting missions (or both).
There are several races you can be a friend/foe of. If you like, you can
erase the whole galaxy. But be aware, you need at least one race that trades
with you :)

Oh, I just read that you don't like it :(
Never mind.

Rudi
 

Anthony

Distinguished
Sep 9, 2003
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

My dream game would be this:

U start ur career as a pilot or something small and work ur ay up to using a
larger asset. If ur miltiary u work ur way through the ranks. If ur a
privateer u work ur way through the money system to get ur own massive
freighter or small warship even with a crew and be able to control multiple
ships in a massive open end enviorment. Deep storyline about ur family or
something plus tons of side things to do.Able to connect online in a MMORG
as well. Sigh just a dream I guess...
 
G

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Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

harcon01@hotmail.com (Harcon) wrote:
>Well, after playing space sims for many years begining with Tau Ceti
>on the Sinclair Spectrum some 15 or 16 years ago, I have kept in the
>market as I await for the ultimate space sim game.
>
>It began on the PC with elite and I wont bore you with the details but
>X-Wing, the excellent TIE Fighter etc were the games I gnjoyed a lot.
>Not to forget the more modern day I-War 2 etc.
>
>But something really pissed me off today. Something in a game so great
>that it should not be excused. The awful flying setup in X2, which is
>fine if there was no combat in the game. I was stumped. Starshatter -
>Combat was playable. I-War2, combat was playable. Heck I even have The
>Fringe and that was playable. Even X-Com Intercepter, which could not
>let me invert mouse was still playable. Perhaps it is just me?
>
>Now I do not profess to be an Baron von Richthofen of space sims, but
>being able to complete that virutally every tie fighter level in hard
>and X-Wing Alliance, I do not consider myself to be a newbie to combat
>section of games.
>
>But then again, It is not fair for me to judge until I get further
>into the game. If someone could reccomend a mod that fixes the physics
>to the xwing or Iwar level, it would be much welcomed.
>
>But Anyhow, for the old xwing, there was a mod that ran as a seperate
>program in a Window. You had a set force and the enemy had a set
>force. You moved forces around and the enemy(computer) did the same.
>It was like a turn based addon, and it would generate missions based
>on the battles that took place. The program would read your results
>and reduce the forces accordingly based on losses. You can have bases
>etc and there was none of the "one man red baron sim" type action that
>is so prevelant today.
>
>My question is, is there a space sim, that lets you start small and
>build up an army that you control and can take over the universe/game
>world with? Starshatter does not really count since you do not create
>any forces. I do not mind trading/mining etc and I have not tried
>MMO's or even any of Derek Smarts games after the bad experience with
>the Original BC.
>
>Perhaps I should stick with R-Type clones and Starcraft :)

You have just described the dream game of every genre.
 

Poke

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Sep 22, 2004
2
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18,510
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

Dnia 2005-01-13 14:46:38, Falko Rudolph napisa³(a):

> This sounds like you are looking for X2 :)

Boring, small Space, boring.

--
Pozdrowienia/Greetings,
Poke
 
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 15:53:11 -0600, "anthony" <aevansjr3@cox.net>
wrote:

>My dream game would be this:
>
>U start ur career as a pilot or something small and work ur ay up to using a
>larger asset. If ur miltiary u work ur way through the ranks. If ur a
>privateer u work ur way through the money system to get ur own massive
>freighter or small warship even with a crew and be able to control multiple
>ships in a massive open end enviorment. Deep storyline about ur family or
>something plus tons of side things to do.Able to connect online in a MMORG
>as well. Sigh just a dream I guess...
>
>

Elite 4 is but a Dream within a Dream.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim (More info?)

"Poke" <"poke1{usun to oraz cyfry 1 i 2 z adresu}"@poprostu2.net> wrote in
message news:1t6fr9qlz3g7b$.1xbsra1vi5mc7$.dlg@40tude.net...
> Dnia 2005-01-13 14:46:38, Falko Rudolph napisa³(a):
>
> > This sounds like you are looking for X2 :)
>
> Boring, small Space, boring.

X2 could have been a lot better in a number of ways for sure. But I got 50
hours of fun play out of it.

There were a zillion different angles that could have improved the game.
Better AI in the dogfighting for one. They had to make strafe and aim
mutually exclusive because the AI was so poor that being able to strafe and
aim at the same time would have made you overpowering. A Newtonian physics
option (also would have made you overpowering).

One thing that I think would have made X2 a great game was if you could
start a new game and have a enemy (like the Khack) own a randomized section
of the universe and slowly expand. You objective would have been to build
up a fleet and defeat the Khack. This RTS style of play would have been
enhanced by expanding the user interface to optionally allow a Homeworld
like control of your fleet. X2 has a lot of potential as the basis for
future games. Unfortunately it's unlikely to see it's potential fulfilled.