• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

TPU's Space Sims Appreciation Thread

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Space sims are back! Well they have been for years if you enjoyed the X-series and Evochron, and a few other more arcade-ish releases in between. I wanted to create a thread where we can talk about ones we're playing, ones we love, hate, miss, what hardware we're using, what mods we're using, etc.

Please feel free to donate, but if you bring drama or plan to, don't post. Keep this thread positive please.


Evochron: Mercenary - 2010 (Update to 2.0 in 2012, Still frequently updated)

Price: $24.99
Homepage: http://www.starwraith.com/evochronmercenary/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/71000/

I'm a huge fan of Evochron, and the most recent of them, Mercenary. IMHO one of the best indie titles I've ever played...steep learning curve, great flight mechanics, a true challenge, seamless MP/SP and planet landings. Vice has done an excellent job and the updates keep on rolling, and he stays active with his community and gears his patches towards their needs. The community is amazing and will have anyone a pro-level pilot in no time. I've spent years in this game on and off...and for around $30 or so, it's worth every penny!

Sure it doesn't have the graphics or polish or details that others do, but what it does have to offer many other games can't touch or promise to later on. The install is tiny at less than 500MB iirc, it's amazing what this title is capable of and what you can be capable of within. Here's a couple of video links to take a look:

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=evochron+mercenary


Elite: Dangerous - 2014 (Updated regularly, and Seasons/Expansions/DLC)

Price: $44.99 (w/o Season Pass/Expansions)
Homepage: https://www.elitedangerous.com/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/359320/

Elite: Dangerous has been a blast through Beta, Gamma and December 2014's release and beyond. I honestly felt they released too soon and 1.3 should've been 1.0.

Elite as many know, has a TON of areas to explore and they're constantly adding more content and things to do. The flight model is good overall, even the gimped yaw fits with the game and how it was meant to be.

My current favorite for combat, be it in the main game or CQC (added in 1.4). 400 billion systems to explore, over a dozen ships to own with many more on the way, Horizon's bringing planetary landings, exploration and combat soon. The unfortunate thing with this title early on for many is running out of things to do, it is a mile wide and inch deep as many say.

I personally enjoy the combat and finding the next pirate or bounty or conflict zone. Trading turns into a grind, mining was a grind last I tried and was not fun, bounty hunting was exciting.

Combat in the main game is more methodical, where CQC is more like CoD/BF in space (reminds me of FDev's version of SC's Arena Commander module..). Overall, excellent sim that all should experience.

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elite+dangerous


Star Citizen (Alpha 1.3 as of 10/2015, 2.0 coming soon...)

Price: $45.00+
Homepage: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/
Steam: N/A

Probably the most hyped and consumer funded game project ever, looks promising, but is kind of slow on development. Amazing tech and graphics, is trying to be the sci-fi jack of all trades.

I don't enjoy combat as much in this, the flight model is MUCH better versus Alpha .8 a year ago, but still not as good as EvoMerc or Elite Dangerous in my mind. Though the G-force effects are cool and frustrating.

Arena Commander is still good fun and it's cool when they unlock different ships to try out. For the price of admission, it is worth a go. And recently it was announced any owner can play the alpha, so no longer do you need to buy the extra "pass" to access early release content.

As it stands the game uses over 30GB of space, and has been projected to breach 100GB at release. Speaking of release dates, late 2016 or into 2017 has been projected, with some speculating a 2018 release.

I have high hopes for this one, but as it stands I don't enjoy it as much...setting controls is a pain, but once you're in and going it can be fun...just not as interesting as my other two favorites.

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=star+citizen


Infinity: Battlescape (Estimated release 9/2017, alpha 10/2016, beta 4/2017)

Price: $20+ (Kickstarter for actually owning a copy)
Homepage: https://www.inovaestudios.com/
Steam: Not yet, but will be according to them!

This one seems to offer some of the things people expected of Elite Dangerous, and looks very very very promising. Seems to be MP focused, and looks quite fun from the videos! Right now it is in kickstarter ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/309114309/infinity-battlescape ).

We shall see what becomes of this one, but from the prototype build streams, it checks off a lot of wants for me out of a modern space combat sim!

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=infinity+battlescape&page=&utm_source=opensearch


No Man's Sky (Not out as of 10/2015)

Price: N/A 10/2015
Homepage: http://www.no-mans-sky.com/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/

Last, but not least...who is following No Man's Sky? This looks super promising too! If you haven't seen it, please watch this! I can't wait!

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=no+man's+sky


Freespace 2 (Open) (still being updated by community)

Price: $5-10
Homepage: http://scp.indiegames.us/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/273620/
GoG: http://www.gog.com/game/freespace_2

I don't think much needs said here, but one of the funnest space combat sims in the last 20 years. Mods are keeping it relevant, and the 2014 mod set was a huge update on all fronts. Works great with mouse + keyboard. Should be in everyone's collections!!!

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=freespace+2


Starpoint Gemini 2 (2014, patches and DLC still being released)

Price: $34.99
Homepage: http://starpointgemini.com/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/236150/

This is a 3rd person capitol ship commanding game, versus your first person perspectived sims. Has a lot to offer, and gains new patches and DLC regularly. Is more technical than others in the 3rd person cap ship style of games, the story is kind of weak but the action is good and supports modding through Steam as well. You can't go wrong with this one, though it can be a challenge to get into and some design options aren't the best. It is a lot of fun once you get the ball rolling and get into it.

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=starpoint+gemini+2


Rebel Galaxy (2015)

Price: $19.99
Homepage: http://rebel-galaxy.com/
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/290300/

What if you could live in an alternate universe that was inspired by the likes of Firefly. A space western cap ship combat and trading game, that removes the Z-axis and uses ship battle broadside mechanics for big battles. Has a great level of polish, and is a lot of fun and really easy to get into.

This game is a good primer for getting into more challenging titles like SPG2 above. And at the price, this is a great value! Brought to you by the team that created the Torchlight series.

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rebel+galaxy


More coming soon...

Tie Fighter
X-Wing
X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter
Welcome back space sims! :toast:
 
Last edited:

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Well I've been reading some reviews that my Logitech Extreme 3D should work really well when properly setup with SC and Elite. I just need to dig it out of whatever box it's in (we moved last month). I still want that affordable HOTAS setup, but it doesn't seem as necessary if I can pull off what I need with this. We shall see.

What are the rest of you using?

Here is a great thread with videos showing folks using joysticks, HOTAS setups, Mouse +KB, and gamepads to control their ships to victory in SC's Drone Swarm challenge, they record and time how long it takes to get through the first 3 rounds. The thought here is to find the most efficient way to kill enemies.

https://forums.robertsspaceindustri...s-controller-post-your-best-time-and-video/p1
 
Joined
May 21, 2008
Messages
4,113 (0.71/day)
Location
Iowa, USA
System Name THE CUBE 2.0
Processor Intel i5 13600k
Motherboard MSI MPG Z690 EDGE DDR4
Cooling Phanteks PH-TC14PE BK 2x T30-120 Fan mod mount
Memory G.Skill TridentZ 3200 MT/s C15 32GB 2x16GB
Video Card(s) Gigabyte Aorus 1080 Ti 11GB OC: Core 2GHz, Mem 5.7GHz
Storage WD SN770 250GB / 3x WD SN850X 2TB / Toshiba X300 4TB / 2x RAID1 Toshiba P300 3TB
Display(s) Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED G95SC 240Hz 5120 x 1440
Case "THE CUBE" Custom built, pure Red Alder wood
Audio Device(s) Beyerdynamic DT 880
Power Supply Corsair RM1000X
Mouse Logitech G700
Keyboard Logitech G910
Software Windows 11 Pro
Logitech Extreme 3DFor me. So far it's worked good for SC. Plus voice attack.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
1,404 (0.22/day)
Location
Bellevue, Washington
System Name BumBumBox
Processor AMD 5900x
Motherboard ITX
Cooling AIO
Memory 32GB
Video Card(s) 3080ti
Storage 2TB
Software Win11
Also check out Enemy Starfighter. Its another one I'm really excited for.
http://enemystarfighter.com/
It doesn't have pretty graphics but looks really fun over all. Its a little more on the arcade side but thats not bad even though some people make it out to be.
I have a modded x52 Pro with Combat pedals and TrackIR and just picked up the CH Fighterstick and throttle BUT I prefer to play with mouse and keyboard and Elite Dangerous so far has the best set up for that.
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Well I'm on the road so I'm back to using my Dell 3540 and Logitech M325 mouse. I gotta say, personally, I feel that out of the three I am playing ATM...that being Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous and Evochron Mercenary....Evochron takes the cake on controls with KB + Mouse. ED takes 2nd place though. SC isn't quite the smoothest experience yet, but I am surprised how well it plays, honestly it hasn't been getting much attention because of the other two.

I think I'll stick with my Extreme 3D for now. Especially with the price hikes on the T.Flight HOTAS. I don't need a large throttle..yet.

I will check out Enemy Starfighter! My Wifi @ the hotel sucks! Right now TPU is my only working tab...the rest are loading lol! I took it as a sign.

Anyone else check out or is playing Starpoint: Gemini 2? The first one was rated so-so...I never did play it much. Both have pretty graphics, 2 is supposed to have a lot more complexity to it for a more arcade-style space sim. Looks promising for a fun blaster. They describe it as a "tactical space simulator with RPG elements".

http://store.steampowered.com/app/236150/



I just downloaded it..I forgot I even had purchased it on a steam sale a while back. I'll report back eventually. Off to do some races in Evochron...I'm trying to really improve my flight skills for multi-enemy combat missions.
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Logitech Extreme 3D For me. So far it's worked good for SC. Plus voice attack.

So I got my Extreme 3D hooked up and setup in all 3 games last weekend. It is definitely an awesome experience! I wish the throttle was better, but it's actually not too shabby. I'm very happy overall. While Mouse and Keyboard are good, this Logitech Extreme 3D is more fun! Adds to the immersion of each game and makes piloting more challenging in some ways, but again totally a blast!

:toast:
 

Ahhzz

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 27, 2008
Messages
8,708 (1.48/day)
System Name OrangeHaze / Silence
Processor i7-13700KF / i5-10400 /
Motherboard ROG STRIX Z690-E / MSI Z490 A-Pro Motherboard
Cooling Corsair H75 / TT ToughAir 510
Memory 64Gb GSkill Trident Z5 / 32GB Team Dark Za 3600
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 2070 / Sapphire R9 290 Vapor-X 4Gb
Storage Hynix Plat P41 2Tb\Samsung MZVL21 1Tb / Samsung 980 Pro 1Tb
Display(s) 22" Dell Wide/24" Asus
Case Lian Li PC-101 ATX custom mod / Antec Lanboy Air Black & Blue
Audio Device(s) SB Audigy 7.1
Power Supply Corsair Enthusiast TX750
Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless / Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum
Keyboard K68 RGB — CHERRY® MX Red
Software Win10 Pro \ RIP:Win 7 Ult 64 bit
Space sims are back! Well they have been for years if you enjoyed the X-series and Evochron, and a few other more arcade-ish releases in between. I wanted to create a thread where we can talk about ones we're playing, ones we love, hate, miss, what hardware we're using, what mods we're using, etc.

Please feel free to donate, but if you bring drama or plan to, don't post. Keep this thread positive please.


Below are my top 3 right now with a bonus video of a game I can't wait to try out! I am currently gaming on my main Haswell PC with GTX770 and my Dell 3450 with i5-4200u & AMD 8850m. I do have a Logitech 3D joystick I picked up from WalMart super cheap a couple of years ago...and it was OK...I am considering buying this:

Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS, that is when I can grab it in my budget of around $50. Right now I use KB + Mouse in all my current sims. And it works surprisingly well so don't be afraid to play these without a good joystick setup. You might be very surprised!


Evochron: Mercenary

I'm a huge fan of Evochron, and the most recent of them, Mercenary. IMHO one of the best indie titles I've ever played...steep learning curve, great flight mechanics, a true challenge, seamless MP/SP and planet landings. Vice has done an excellent job and the updates keep on rolling, and he stays active with his community and gears his patches towards their needs. The community is amazing and will have anyone a pro-level pilot in no time. I've spent years in this game on and off...and for around $30 or so, it's worth every penny!

Sure it doesn't have the graphics or polish or details that others do, but what it does have to offer many other games can't touch or promise to later on. The install is tiny at less than 500MB iirc, it's amazing what this title is capable of and what you can be capable of within. Here's a couple of video links to take a look:



Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous

I also am a backer of Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous. Both of those are panning out to be AMAZING. They each take different routes to their goals. But let's be clear, both of these titles are shaping up to give you truly amazing experiences.

Both utilize slightly different flight models, both plan on having plenty of action, both will utilize your CPU and GPU power. Here's a video comparing their flight models:


I started chatting it up in the Star Citizen Club thread and felt it was more appropriate to geek out in a dedicated more generalized thread so we can all share and enjoy what we have experienced, what we use and know.

>Star Citizen

Star Citizen has set records for crowd funding and promises so much it almost seems impossible. Built on the CryEngine 3, this space sim promises strong MP and SP, storylines, multi ships, tons of variation, dog fighting and much much much much much more. Chris Roberts, considered the godfather of the space sim has decided to come back to creating video games and has decided this is how he wants to accomplish that. Here's some video action:


>Elite: Dangerous

Elite: Dangerous was also crowd funded, but at a small fraction of what Star Citizen has accomplished. That does not mean there's any lack of talent, attention or planning for such a massive space sim. I don't believe there's a SP story but I could be mistaken. Ship's aren't as pretty as SC's, this game uses an engine proprietary to the developers iirc. This title is actually further along than SC and will be released this year and have updates/expansions/dlc later on that add extras and features. So far it's really, really good!



No Man's Sky

Last, but not least...who is following No Man's Sky? This looks super promising too! If you haven't seen it, please watch this! I can't wait!



And one more for good measure, that explains more about what this game really is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5FehgXeVPY


Other:

Here's a Top 10 Space Sims Upcoming from Nov 13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O_QR3Uxs2w


Gotta absolutely speak to Vice with Evochron Mercenary. I had an issue that I posted on the forums, basically blasting like a troll, the fact that with dual monitors, the mouse doesn't stay "focused" on the game window, but moves to the other screen. Now, with all the other games out there that handle this process just fine, I just couldn't comprehend this lack. I pitched a little drama fit, and within a few hours, Vice himself replied. Now, having just started the game, and really not knowing the community, I had seen his name in some guides, referencing his "other posts", so I just thought he was an active member. I replied with a little unintentional sarcasm, about feeling "Special" that Vice had noticed my little post, and further elaborated my complaint. He responded with the same basic replies about "Mouse Lock" and some other third party stuff, and I pretty much blew it off as a "Whatever". However, the next day, he responded that he would try to see how hard it would be to implement himself, as an option in settings, and PM'd me with links to an alpha update. At this point, I realized I was not only speaking to a developer, but the developer. Over the next couple of days, we messaged back and forth, tried a few iteration of the change, and he pushed it with the next patch. So, personal experience, very reactive to the community.
I, too, am backing Elite and Star Citizen. Got in early on the SC, and pledged ridonkulous amounts to the project, but couldn't bring myself to do the same with Elite, simply because of how high David placed the beta. I think if they had been a little closer to the base starting point to allow beta access, they would have done better. I know that I was absolutely not putting out that much money for just beta access. If you look at the two KS projects, and the "rewards" allotted at the different price points, it was apparent to me that you get so much more bang for the buck.
I've been keeping a random eye on NMS, but not really focused a lot. I think it's definitely got potential, and I like that there's going to be several different games back in the space genre, but not sure that it will be enough to keep me away from the others I have.
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Ya Vice is a big reason I've supported Evochron for at least the last 5 years. For a 1-man team, and the price of the sim, it's a strong value, fun and has a very good community.

I have big hopes for the finished products of both Elite and SC, but honestly part of me hopes that Vice continues pushing forward and keeps taking the steps he has and creates something that the other two can't match and matter less than fancy graphics.

I hope NMS plays out nicely...but we shall see. I'm too busy with the big three I play now to really have time for anything else with my limited play time lol!
 

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
18,914 (2.86/day)
Location
Piteå
System Name Black MC in Tokyo
Processor Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard Asrock B450M-HDV
Cooling Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
Memory 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 3400mhz
Video Card(s) XFX 6950XT Speedster MERC 319
Storage Kingston A400 240GB | WD Black SN750 2TB |WD Blue 1TB x 2 | Toshiba P300 2TB | Seagate Expansion 8TB
Display(s) Samsung U32J590U 4K + BenQ GL2450HT 1080p
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s) Line6 UX1 + some headphones, Nektar SE61 keyboard
Power Supply Corsair RM850x v3
Mouse Logitech G602
Keyboard Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL Brown
VR HMD Acer Mixed Reality Headset
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Rimworld 4K ready!
I don't really like space sims, but Freelancer is one of the best games I've played. I just want the feeling of open space and exploration without being encumbered with controls and shit. What is closest to that these days?
 
  • Like
Reactions: xvi

FordGT90Concept

"I go fast!1!11!1!"
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
26,259 (4.65/day)
Location
IA, USA
System Name BY-2021
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (65w eco profile)
Motherboard MSI B550 Gaming Plus
Cooling Scythe Mugen (rev 5)
Memory 2 x Kingston HyperX DDR4-3200 32 GiB
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
Storage Samsung 980 Pro, Seagate Exos X20 TB 7200 RPM
Display(s) Nixeus NX-EDG274K (3840x2160@144 DP) + Samsung SyncMaster 906BW (1440x900@60 HDMI-DVI)
Case Coolermaster HAF 932 w/ USB 3.0 5.25" bay + USB 3.2 (A+C) 3.5" bay
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC1150, Micca OriGen+
Power Supply Enermax Platimax 850w
Mouse Nixeus REVEL-X
Keyboard Tesoro Excalibur
Software Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Benchmark Scores Faster than the tortoise; slower than the hare.
No love for Space Engineers?
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
I don't really like space sims, but Freelancer is one of the best games I've played. I just want the feeling of open space and exploration without being encumbered with controls and shit. What is closest to that these days?

Well mouse and keyboard in Evo Merc, SC and Elite is pretty damn easy man. Out of all of them, Evochrom Mercenary is by far the most open and free to do whatever the hell you want, whereever the hell you want kind of sim. But it's got newtonian physics so you slide around more than flying on rails like Freespace 2. You might consider Freespace 2 Open as well.

It's really either open sims all with varying levels of newtonian physics or arcade shooters really.

:toast:

No love for Space Engineers?

I own it but haven't dedicated much time to it. Post your thoughts here about it! That's what this thread is about, share videos, your thoughts, issues, etc.
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
I'm waiting for my card to come back so using IGPU atm. Only thing I can run is Empire at war which I am loving
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
You could run EvoMerc too. Ran great on my i5 4200u's HD4400 and on my A8-4600 7660G APU. :toast:

E@W rocks by the way!
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
Yeah at full FPS/settings? I will give it a try. I'm not gaming much as it's a new pc I am saving it for when she's complete
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
I ran 1300x768 on the APU which ran silky smooth...and the HD4400 runs it at 1080P without skipping a beat. Evo merc looks pretty good but isn't super taxing on hardware. Excellent for laptop space sim fans as-well-as gaming towers.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
1,404 (0.22/day)
Location
Bellevue, Washington
System Name BumBumBox
Processor AMD 5900x
Motherboard ITX
Cooling AIO
Memory 32GB
Video Card(s) 3080ti
Storage 2TB
Software Win11
I don't really like space sims, but Freelancer is one of the best games I've played. I just want the feeling of open space and exploration without being encumbered with controls and shit. What is closest to that these days?

Check out Limit Theory. Thats another one I forgot to mention.
Sounds like No Mans Sky and Limit Theory would be ones you might enjoy.
 
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
74 (0.02/day)
Location
Quebec City
System Name Orion
Processor Intel I7 3770K Ivy Bridge @4.6GHz
Motherboard Asus Sabertooth Z77
Cooling Corsair H100i
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance Dual/Quad Channel DDR3 CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9
Video Card(s) EVGA 780Ti Superclocked 3GB (OC +130MHz/248MHz)
Storage 1x 240GB Kingston Hyper-X 3K, 3x 3TB Seagate ST3000DM001
Display(s) Sony Bravia 55" KDL-55HX800 / Oculus DK1 / Oculus DK2
Case CoolerMaster HAX
Audio Device(s) OnBoard
Power Supply CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 850W
Benchmark Scores UniEngine Valley 1.0 : 5539 3dMark Firestrike: 11468
Well, Elite has a pretty simple control scheme right now. I don't know how complex they expect it to be. But that is coming from someone with a hotas setup. I don't know how it handles keyboard/mouse-wise.

Voice Attack is a pretty useful/immersive tool to add to the experience of any spacesim. Plus it has the added benefits of simplifying inputs, although my girl still looks at me like I'm a dork when I utter "deploy landing gear!"...

As for controls, I'm running with the Thrustmaster Warthog.

Loving the flexibility of that beast.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
43,585 (6.74/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF x670e
Cooling EK AIO 360. Phantek T30 fans.
Memory 32GB G.Skill 6000Mhz
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 4090
Storage WD m.2
Display(s) LG C2 Evo OLED 42"
Case Lian Li PC 011 Dynamic Evo
Audio Device(s) Topping E70 DAC, SMSL SP200 Headphone Amp.
Power Supply FSP Hydro Ti PRO 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
Keyboard Tester84
Software Windows 11
ED works well with an Xbox 360 controller too. I just set my targeting to the D Pad, the pips to the arrow keys and I have roll/yaw toggle when I push the left stick in. I plan on getting a hotas once the game is fully released.
 

FordGT90Concept

"I go fast!1!11!1!"
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
26,259 (4.65/day)
Location
IA, USA
System Name BY-2021
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (65w eco profile)
Motherboard MSI B550 Gaming Plus
Cooling Scythe Mugen (rev 5)
Memory 2 x Kingston HyperX DDR4-3200 32 GiB
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
Storage Samsung 980 Pro, Seagate Exos X20 TB 7200 RPM
Display(s) Nixeus NX-EDG274K (3840x2160@144 DP) + Samsung SyncMaster 906BW (1440x900@60 HDMI-DVI)
Case Coolermaster HAF 932 w/ USB 3.0 5.25" bay + USB 3.2 (A+C) 3.5" bay
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC1150, Micca OriGen+
Power Supply Enermax Platimax 850w
Mouse Nixeus REVEL-X
Keyboard Tesoro Excalibur
Software Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Benchmark Scores Faster than the tortoise; slower than the hare.
I own it but haven't dedicated much time to it. Post your thoughts here about it! That's what this thread is about, share videos, your thoughts, issues, etc.
You can make some crazy things in it because it is a physics playhouse. I've put 70 hours into it and almost all of that was experimenting with various designs for a tunnel boring machine. There's a few things I don't like: can't play online with a host that has 384 kbps upload, the maximum velocity is 104-111 m/s, and survival mode doesn't come across as very fun yet.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,874 (1.02/day)
Location
USA
System Name Computer of Theseus
Processor Intel i9-12900KS: 50x Pcore multi @ 1.18Vcore (target 1.275V -100mv offset)
Motherboard EVGA Z690 Classified
Cooling Noctua NH-D15S, 2xThermalRight TY-143, 4xNoctua NF-A12x25,3xNF-A12x15, 2xAquacomputer Splitty9Active
Memory G-Skill Trident Z5 (32GB) DDR5-6000 C36 F5-6000J3636F16GX2-TZ5RK
Video Card(s) EVGA Geforce 3060 XC Black Gaming 12GB
Storage 1x Samsung 970 Pro 512GB NVMe (OS), 2x Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB (data 1 and 2), ASUS BW-16D1HT
Display(s) Dell S3220DGF 32" 2560x1440 165Hz Primary, Dell P2017H 19.5" 1600x900 Secondary, Ergotron LX arms.
Case Lian Li O11 Air Mini
Audio Device(s) Audiotechnica ATR2100X-USB, El Gato Wave XLR Mic Preamp, ATH M50X Headphones, Behringer 302USB Mixer
Power Supply Super Flower Leadex Platinum SE 1000W 80+ Platinum White
Mouse Zowie EC3-C
Keyboard Vortex Multix 87 Winter TKL (Gateron G Pro Yellow)
Software Win 10 LTSC 21H2
I am surprised no one has mentioned the ground breaking space simulator that is Moon Base Alpha.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
1,404 (0.22/day)
Location
Bellevue, Washington
System Name BumBumBox
Processor AMD 5900x
Motherboard ITX
Cooling AIO
Memory 32GB
Video Card(s) 3080ti
Storage 2TB
Software Win11
Thats why Elite is looking so good. They nailed controls for everyone.
They all feel the same and one scheme isn't "OP" or better than the other ones.

I've tried M/K, Joystick, Xbox One controller and they feel like they are on a level playing field.
If anything maybe the game pad (xbox one controller) was the best but I don't like game pads. If it was better it wasn't by much.
In the end its whatever you like to use.
For me its M/K, TrackIR and sometime flight pedals if I'm in the mood to use them and once in a while my Hotas.
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
1,404 (0.22/day)
Location
Bellevue, Washington
System Name BumBumBox
Processor AMD 5900x
Motherboard ITX
Cooling AIO
Memory 32GB
Video Card(s) 3080ti
Storage 2TB
Software Win11
A new trailer for Enemy Starfighter.

 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
Well I wanted Capital Ships


 

Ahhzz

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 27, 2008
Messages
8,708 (1.48/day)
System Name OrangeHaze / Silence
Processor i7-13700KF / i5-10400 /
Motherboard ROG STRIX Z690-E / MSI Z490 A-Pro Motherboard
Cooling Corsair H75 / TT ToughAir 510
Memory 64Gb GSkill Trident Z5 / 32GB Team Dark Za 3600
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 2070 / Sapphire R9 290 Vapor-X 4Gb
Storage Hynix Plat P41 2Tb\Samsung MZVL21 1Tb / Samsung 980 Pro 1Tb
Display(s) 22" Dell Wide/24" Asus
Case Lian Li PC-101 ATX custom mod / Antec Lanboy Air Black & Blue
Audio Device(s) SB Audigy 7.1
Power Supply Corsair Enthusiast TX750
Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless / Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum
Keyboard K68 RGB — CHERRY® MX Red
Software Win10 Pro \ RIP:Win 7 Ult 64 bit
That's a new one....

edit:

so, watched the second video, gameplay, and basically it's like Quake with spaceships. Just put as many guns as you can on futuristic looking ships, then add some more, make them all articulate, rotate, and look as cool as hell!, and then ignore physics, and a plot. Put them all in the middle of the sky, and let them shoot at each other.... Meh. looks nice, and looks like a "Quick, jump on the space game bandwagon!! We can beat them out, and don't worry about longevity, just sell sell sell!!"
 
Last edited:
Top