Tachyon: The Fringe

[Ardeur]

While being bored and waiting for such gems as Empire at War, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and RTW:BI to come out, I was digging through my stack of old games and came across this title.

Has anyone played it? Its slightly compelling. Sort of a Wing Commander clone. Has all the great space genre features of the old Wing Commander series, but doesn't quite have the indepth storyline (although the storyline is kind of good when not compared to WC).

Anyone else a fan of these types of games? How was Freelancer, worth a buy?

[Kanaric]

Freelancer isn't a space sim like Wing Commander AT ALL, its more of a console style game like Starfox than anything else.

The only space sim to come out since 2000 has been X2 - The Threat, check that out. The genre has been dead for quite a while so that IS your only choice for a REAL space sim.

[HorseArcher]

Freelancer is awesome. Trust me, i lost a couple of weeks playing it, it is like a role playing game in heart, but you do a lot of fighting and trading. As you do, you progress with the story and you can buy/upgrage your ship and choose who to ally with (factions/groups/sectors). Even though most people know that it was unfinished, there are many many mods out still, and alone the multi player is worth the price for this game. I played countless capital ship attacks with multi coop and did some good trades with human players. The bots are really good with the ships and they fill in /blend in good in multiplayer. Not to mention, you can play the multi-mods in singleplayer also, and they really add a lot of new sectors (galaxies) and many ship upgrades and new ships. Also mods feature new planets to discover and new tradelines to be made. It's hard to understand for people who hasn't played it, but i convinced someone already before (my brother) to play this game, and he hates RPGS, and after a few hours i couldn't drag him away from the computer and he ended up playing the game for months. Not to mention the game has a great storyline, awesome graphics and you can control your ship with only your mouse.

here is a few good sites, (and you see there are tremendous support for the game)

http://freelancer.gamegate2k.com/
http://www.lancersreactor.com/t/
http://games.moddb.com/81/

one of the best mods (re-balance mod)
http://www.fileplanet.com/130326/130...ance-Mod-v3.20

in-game screenshot:

more screenies:
http://www.lancersreactor.com/t/art/...ir=fl&Start=28

[Manningham]

Freelancer was an update of the old Privateer game, so I too lost a lot of time to it. The next exciting title, imo, for space sims coming up is X3 - Reunion. Read some previews of it, sounds amazing to me and if I wasn't so amped about it coming out soon, I'd probably buy X2 to get a better feel for it.

[Quintus Valerius]

All my old games can't play on Windows XP. Shame, as there are quite a few I didn't finish before buying a new computer!

[Kanaric]

Space Sims ported or native for windows that are worth checking out:
Freespace series
Wing Commander (1 & 2 have windows versions)
Frontier: First Encounters, windows port - google it (Jades FFE site i think its at)
X-Wing Alliance - very good
X2 The Threat - best in recent years. Highly open ended privateer style game

Those are the only once that i know for sure work in Windows. There are others but I can only think of the ones that i've liked. The game Freespace doesn't even compaire to these as its too arcady and isn't even a space sim but its a good game none the less, though highly dissapoiting to Wing Commander fans (was supposed to be in the style of Privateer).

I'd definately say check out X2, its got a terrible interface but you get used to it. Its definately worth the bother learning how to play it though, there are many who are highly addicted to it, including myself. I can't wait for X3, probably it will revive the Space Sim series since its going to be on XBOX 360 and PC. PC version is said to have more features though.

[Neb]

Freelancer was too console-ish. X2 had the economic side done extremely well, but combat was terrible. My favourite game of this genre right now is actually an open source project. Try it out, you might recognize it

http://wcuniverse.sourceforge.net

-Neb

[The Claw]

All I'm gonna say is Freespace series- now with added source code project [dribbles]
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/hlp/

[Kanaric]

Freelancer was too console-ish. X2 had the economic side done extremely well, but combat was terrible. My favourite game of this genre right now is actually an open source project. Try it out, you might recognize it

http://wcuniverse.sourceforge.net

-Neb

You are my god and I worship the ground you walk upon.

Here is another classic game gone open source.
http://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php
Its not really a space sim but its a lot like Privateer in that its a space based RPG. Probably the best one at that, is on practically every site's top 10 lists, but its not a space sim so dont expect a Wing Commander. I'm on a mission to get everyone to try this, lol.


edit: Freespace is probably the best Space Sim ever. If X3 improves on things that people hated in X2 (interface for sure, combat, wingmen, etc) then that would definately make it surpass it.

[Manningham]

AWESOME! will try the Privateer remake tomorrow, thats great!

A little off topic, but not really. Another classic game I heard someone was trying to remake was X-Com: UFO Defense. Just about everyone who played that one loved it, so I hope the project I'm remembering from a while ago is finished ... will post later if I find it

Edit: well, I think I found what I was remembering, but its in russian and not complete called Invasion 2021. Also, there's an x-com battle simulator that lets you play online.

http://ufo2000.sourceforge.net/ - multiplayer battles
http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums...showtopic=3823 - shnazzy russian remake

[Neb]

You are my god and I worship the ground you walk upon.

Here is another classic game gone open source.
http://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php
Its not really a space sim but its a lot like Privateer in that its a space based RPG. Probably the best one at that, is on practically every site's top 10 lists, but its not a space sim so dont expect a Wing Commander. I'm on a mission to get everyone to try this, lol.


edit: Freespace is probably the best Space Sim ever. If X3 improves on things that people hated in X2 (interface for sure, combat, wingmen, etc) then that would definately make it surpass it.

.. oh.. wow... how did I not know about this. Star Control 2 was one of my absolutely favourite games back in the day. I WAS going to go out and buy either battlefield 2 or guild wars soon... but I think I might wait a while now.

-Neb

[Kanaric]

Cool, one game out that reminds me of X-Coms gameplay (not the horrid czech remake, lol) is Silent Storm, even though it doesn't involve aliens it has tactical battles like X-Com or Jagged Alliance does.

I've been waiting for a really good X-Com clone for a while, supposidly Sid Meyer owns the right to the series now so if they do they wouldn't get the rights to it without a reason.

[Ardeur]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I went ahead and bought Freelancer. As you all have said, its nothing like Wing Commander. I don't know if its an issue of poor voice acting, or poor mixing, but the conversations sound very cold and separated. Kind of like talking on the phone with someone who is on a Naval vessel at sea. There's that delay in between speech that makes it difficult to believe the conversations are really all that worth listening to. I also get a little tired of hearing everyone say, "You're new around here, huh?" And Trent responds "Yeah." "Uh-Huh". "That's Right". Etc.

Other than that though, its pretty good, and has occupied most of my free time since buying it.

I'm downloading the open source games you've all suggested and will give them a shot.

No one has commented on Tachyon: The Fringe, so I'm going to suggest you all give it a shot. It really is a pretty good game. Definitely lacks some of the polish of the WC games, but its definitely solid.

[IronBrig4]

Unfortunately, Tachyon cannot be found in most stores anymore. It went retail in 2000, so I was only able to get mine through a private Amazon vendor. But it's worth it. Bruce Campbell as the voice of your character is the highlight of the game.

"Man, I'm getting blasted out here. C'mon Jake, you'll get through this. You've had worse. Well, not really. But it ain't gonna kill you."

[Kanaric]

Bruce Campbell as the voice of your character is the highlight of the game.

Almost makes it worth it simply for that fact.