Simulations!
<div class="IPBDescription">Lasers, bullets, and explosions!</div> So. I've been on a bit of a sim kick lately, but haven't been able to find any good sims (mainly mech and space) released after 2000. So, I turn to the Natural Selection forums. O fellow nerds, fellow fans of mass destruction. I turn to thee for my simulation fix. Are there ANY semi-modern reccomendations for mech and space sims for PC? The more complicated the better! (To a point.)
Comments
Excuse the whole Gameplay > Realism rant. All I can think of is Tachyon or Freelancer. Good luck otherwise. X-Wing Alliance is okay too, not incredibly old, especially with the graphical upgrades.
Perhaps I can suggest trying out heavygear 2/battlezone 2, their both pretty damn addicting. I still play battlezone 2 from time to time. (I wish they would make another, its by far my favorite classic game, other than, well, doom <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->)
Freelancer....meh. Tried the demo, felt too much like Diablo In Space instead of a sim.
Quoted for truth. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Freelancer....meh. Tried the demo, felt too much like Diablo In Space instead of a sim. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'll forgive the Chelchuu since you recommended TIE Fighter and stuff.
Really, if it has "X-Wing" or "TIE Fighter" in the name you're gonna be good. And MW4:Mercs really isn't so bad; it certainly looks better than MW2:Mercs <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> I have both and I find myself playing #4 more.
edit: YES YOU CAN RUN TIE FIGHTER AND X-WING AND STUFF. Use something like <a href='http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdmsound/' target='_blank'>VDMSound</a> or DOSbox.
they are by far the best sims I ever played in a long time...
some one should make a new one!
X-Wing:Source anybody? ¬.¬
I thought I had to sit through a couple hours of tutorials first.
EDIT: Does anyone have a link for the Alleigance unofficial homepage or whatever?
I got them from one of those cheap games crates, 5€ for both games in one dvd box <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I thought I had to sit through a couple hours of tutorials first.
EDIT: Does anyone have a link for the Alleigance unofficial homepage or whatever? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Read the manual and the unofficial guides, then play the tutorial. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> That is what i did and it still took me about 5hours to figure out the basics.
Buy the X-Wing: Collector series or X-Wing Trilogy, which comes with X-Wing (and expansion pack), TIE Fighter (and expansion pack), a demo for X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, and in the Trilogy box's case, X-Wing: Alliance (the very newest game).
Want to know the good part? It sells for about $30, which is roughly the same price of getting both of the first two separately.
Want to know the <i>best</i> part? The first two in that list were remade on the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter game engine. This not only means they're compatible with Windows, it means <i>they were remade to use its graphics</i>. So you get all that 1994 and behind goodness with graphics from the Windows 95/98 era.
As for what makes them good games: overall polish in all areas. Plot is good.
Ability to target capital ship subsystems is good, as it lets you make your own strategies (it's almost like how different people use the RTS Build Order that best matches their style -- some pepole like taking out missile launchers first, others like taking out engines, others like taking out shield generators. It's all up to you).
Ability to disable other ships for capture or boarding is good.
Ability to select your missile loadout on mission start (without having to go into too much ship customizing detail just to be successful) is good.
Ingame cheat options for invulnerability and/or unlimited missiles mean you can make an annoying mission breeze-through-easy, while still not missing the possible mid-mission plot progression (you just have to be willing to accept getting only 1% of the score you would've gotten for doing the same thing without cheats.)
Learning curve is very well planned so you get increasingly cool stuff on a steady basis to deal with the enemy's increasing tech and numbers.
Damage to your own ship is handled in a way more realistic (and surprisingly, more fun) than the Star Wars kiddie Rogue Squadron flight sims.
And finally, you get to fly the 1st Death Star trench in X-Wing, have Vader himself fly with you in TIE Fighter, and fly the 2nd Death Star trench in X-Wing: Alliance.
For a list of every game in the series, here's the maker's website: <a href='http://www.totallygames.com/games/xwing.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.totallygames.com/games/xwing.htm</a>
Perhaps I can suggest trying out heavygear 2/battlezone 2, their both pretty damn addicting. I still play battlezone 2 from time to time. (I wish they would make another, its by far my favorite classic game, other than, well, doom <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Heavy Gear was one of the best games ive ever played.
I racked up more than a 1000 missions in the tour of duty part <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
never played 2 though.
<img src='http://www.capcom.com/newsletter/sb.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I have heard many a good thing about <a href='http://sc2.sourceforge.net/' target='_blank'>Star Control 2 and its open-source remake, the Ur-Quan Masters.</a> It is not something I have tried myself, but it's the first thing that came to my mind when I read your post, and it's free. That probably means it's worth a try.
<b>"Children of Kerensky, for the Ghost Wolf!"</b>
(Yes, I play Clan Ghost Wolf in the table top game, too.)