Freespace 2 + FS2 OSP

[Kreij]

I was feeling a bit under the weather today so I stayed home.
Due to the fact that it snowed most of the day I had no internet connection (so no Steam games).
I had gotten Freespace 2 from GoG and pulled the FS2 Open Source Project files to make it pretty a couple of months ago, but never got a chance to play it.

It's total awesome sauce.
With the update graphics it's gorgeous and it ran just fin on my rig @ 2560x1600

I highly recommend this game to any space game junkies who have not ever played it.

 

[Iceni]

LOL i still have my original discs for FS2. Great game.

If you really want it to be fun pick up a cheap force feedback joystick. It adds a lot to the game when you fly into the engines of a ship or you get hit and the stick starts to bounce you all over the place!

If your liking FS2 you might also want to have a look at.

Wing commander
Starlancer
Tachyon - the fringe
Darkstar one
Decent (old)
Freelancer

Starlancer is probably my second fave after FS2 It's not a dynamic or imersive as FS2, But it comes with a slight hint of space above and beyond.

Tachyon gets a very high mention as well as it stars the voice of Bruce cambell (evil dead).


Unfortunately the Genre is pretty much dead now. The X series, are perhaps the only space sims readily been developed. And there not combat sims as such more extended trading sims with combat elements. It pains me a little as it's probably my favourite of all PC game genres.

 

[Kreij]

I have all of those games.
I just never got FS2.

I also have an old MS Sidewinder FF Joystick. It rocks.
I especially like how if it is not in the home position when you turn on your computer it smacks itself back to center and scares the shit out of you.

 

[Iceni]

Aww dude! I always wanted the sidewinder

I had the logitech wingman FF, But it died several years ago, then i picked up the saitek X52, It was o.k but not as special as i thought it was going to be. I had problems with the inbuilt mouse pointer having a mind of it's own and so i binned it a few years ago. Since it took up a massive amount of desk space.

I should go grab another, i might get something like the saitek 3d, or one of the cheap FF sticks that are still available. The Fly 5 i think is the new saitek 3D and there pretty reasonable price wise. You need a comfortable stick for FS2 since you tend to play it non stop for 5 hours at a time!!!!

LOL someone that knows the origin of my forum name!!!!! Iceni!

 

[Kreij]

The Sidewinder takes up a far amount of real estate on the desk also, but I've had it for years and I find it comfortable to use. I find I can drop my hand and easily rest it on the base when my wrist gets a little weary (the stick itself has a large lip to rest your hand on when holding and you can use that to steer while resting) and easily and quickly get my hand back on the trigger if needed.
I think the FF is about right too. Not too much, not too little. It does catch you off gaurd once in awhile though. lol

FS2 is definitely one of those games where even though you get a little tired of playing it's "Just one more mission". I really would have loved to see a Freelancer 2. I played that one a lot. IT would be dated by today's standards, but it was just good old fashion, space blasting fun.

The "X" series games are good too (like X3). Nice graphics and I really like the way they did the approach and docking at space stations. Always fun to come in hot and pull off a clean dock.

I can see why they consider FS2 one of the best of all time. The story is great, with twists and turns depending upon your performance and all fun that all PC games should really have in them.
It doesn't have any commerce or the ability to purchase ships and upgrade weapons, but even without that it is shines like a beacon on how to make a space sim.

 

[erocker]

My God! Wing Commander I, II and III. Yes, buying immediately.

 

[Kreij]

RPGs, Tower Defence, Strategy are all my faves, but there is nothing like the pure adrenalin of an awesome space shooter. FPS just doesn't compare in my book.
Trying to not get your ass shot off in 3D space is the ultimate rush especially when you are in an astroid field and you have to dodge them too.

 

[Iceni]

FS2 is probably the only game i have ever player where i have been sweating so much at the controls! It just draws you in, The best bit for me is when you go into that nebula, with no weapons other than those stupid tag A's then get absolutely pounded... That mission is such a heart pounding experience, that just goes deeper and deeper!

I have a feeling there will be no freelancer 2 for a long time, Starlancer was dropped almost as soon as it launched, and Freelancer although it was a success wasn't the hit Microsoft were hunting for. If they come back to the series i hope they do it on an epic scale, Massive multiplayer, and mods galore. However i think the genre will be dead until the film industries starts to pump out fast paced sci-fi again. At the time of freespace 2 there was a huge following in the sci fi community. Everyone was hyped about the upcoming millennium, and the 90's in general generated a hell of a lot of mainstream sci-fi.

Robocop
Total recall
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Alien 3
The Lawnmower Man
Universal Soldier
Demolition Man
Stargate
Star Trek Generations
Judge Dredd
Species
Tank Girl
Waterworld
Escape from L.A.
Independence Day
Mars Attacks!
Star Trek: First Contact
Alien Resurrection
Cube
The Fifth Element
Men in Black
Starship Troopers
Dark City
Lost in Space
Sphere
Star Trek: Insurrection
The X-Files
Galaxy Quest
The Matrix
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Wing Commander


It was a pretty good decade

 

[Kreij]

Strange. I've seen every one of those movies ... several times.
I've been collecting hard cover SciFi and Fantasy since I was about 11 years old. I've got about 1100 hard cover editions and many are first editions. I don't have enough room for all the books, but what the hell. I keep getting more. lol

All it would take is a really good story and a really fun space shooter to revive the genre in gaming. We don't care if there are 9 miillion options ... just give us a decent loadout, a good enemy AI, and let us dish out destruction.

Remember Homeworld? Another great game even though it was not "in the cockpit" fighting.

 

[Iceni]

Homeworld was good! i have both of them in the original boxes.

If you want to play a reasonable RTS successor and don't already have it grab sins of a solar empire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire

it takes elements of RTS, like mineral gathering and unit building, with real time diplomacy, And culture spread. Along with a good smattering of outright combat.

It does suffer from a few balance issues. But as a single player game it's pretty decent. It doesn't have any story mode however. It's probably the thing it misses out most on. But just as a decent game to take up a couple of hours it is pretty sweet.

 

[Mindweaver]

I'm gotta try this game! hehehe I use to love "Descent", and "Foresaken". I loved both of those games! "Foresaken" looked so awesome on my Voodoo Rush card then later on my Voodoo 2 8mb card!

 

[Kreij]

Freespace 2 is $5.99 at Gog.
After you get it go to Freespace 2 Source Code Project and download their latest stuff to make the game look a lot better and also for new content.
There is Wiki on getting started.