Forums > MobyGames > Poll: Which space flight/combat sim to revive?
Somebody bring me Sisko! (8) on 10/18/2011 9:55 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Which space flight/combat simulator series would you prefer to see revived?
Rola (8483) on 10/18/2011 11:32 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
X-Wing / TIE Fighter for me. The problem is that today they'd make another "Jedi Starfighter" / "Rogue Squadron" shootfest, not something that plays almost like hardcore simulator. Flight sims are too difficult for kiddies, console & handheld crowd, remember? Besides, flight mechanics were screwed since "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter". "X-Wing Alliance" had great atmosphere, enhanced visuals, but still rules from XvT. I simply couldn't switch. Maybe I suck?
I tried to get one programer to make Elite/Privateer-like game together, but he refused, and I have no coder friends (do I need to mention I'm not a coder myself?). Nobody noticed my requests when I posted them here and there, so I skipped that idea. Too bad, I've visioned it to be something different, with ports to handhelds, aiming for the retro hardcore crowd etc. Of course that'd be more like a labor of love than money making machine, but with the right people it could turn some profit...
Somebody bring me Sisko! (8) on 10/19/2011 12:11 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Rola wrote--]Too bad, I've visioned it to be something different, with ports to handhelds, aiming for the retro hardcore crowd etc. [/Q --end Rola wrote--] Go on...
Rola (8483) on 10/19/2011 4:46 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
It started with a talk on DoomRL forum with its creator. One of the returning requests was "make Star Wars Roguelike". The answer was also always the same: license problems. In plain English: no go.
But I couldn't let go of that idea. I wanted a game with simple visuals just as in roguelikes - not crude text mode, mind you, as this impairs interface functionality and scares off all but the most hardcore folks - but with vast possibilities just as in roguelikes. I know even a single guy's effort can produce wonders (such as this ASCII conversion of Privateer with planets you can walk on, check it out). Stuff just as in Privateer - a freelancing RPG with buying/upgrading your ship & equipment, trading, escort missions, pirate raids etc. Tactical combat in space and on the surface. Be a mercenary, merchant, informant for the baddie government side or secret agent for the goodie insurgents. Or just steal from anyone and don't get caught. Some kind of storyline, dammit, not just "bring me the [insert object name]"
At some point I even allowed the idea of ports to handhelds, with your savegames being online, synchronized (you can stop playing on your PC at home and then continue on handheld while you travel to school etc.).
Simplicity means small, dedicated dev team. Aesthetics similar to computer displays of 1980s sci-fi films (such as Alien, TRON or Star Wars). In such small project I could finally find myself. I knew that as a designer I could be working on the game mechanics, in-game text, manual, I'd love to work on graphics, online ads & promotion, PR and so on. I need at least one lead programmer, who could pull it together. You can always hire someone for some snippet of code (or porting the whole thing), but I need a dedicated coder to stay with me on this all the time. Another required person would be someone working with the business side of this, so all the legal blah-blah, setting up a way to fund the project (e.g buyers will be paying via PayPal or premium-rated SMS). Laugh it up but I can't set up everything by myself. Seeing projects similar to this (i.e. the way work is organized) I hoped to find people interested to join me... My curse in life is "find the right people"...
Somebody bring me Sisko! (8) on 10/19/2011 6:25 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Rola wrote--]I know even a single guy's effort can produce wonders (such as this ASCII conversion of Privateer with planets you can walk on, check it out).[/Q --end Rola wrote--] Know it, beta-tested it when it was still a fledgling. I second the recommendation; great game. You can even script your own mission sets! Funny you bring that up as Chris Knudsen has his own coding shop for a while now, it's called Laserbrain Studios. Maybe he'll grant you an audience, once he's done workin' on Hostile Takeover.
[Q --start Rola wrote--]But I couldn't let go of that idea. I wanted a game with simple visuals just as in roguelikes - not crude text mode, mind you, as this impairs interface functionality and scares off all but the most hardcore folks - but with vast possibilities just as in roguelikes. ... Aesthetics similar to computer displays of 1980s sci-fi films (such as Alien, TRON or Star Wars).[/Q --end Rola wrote--] Shit yeah, I was often entertaining the same thoughts, remembering mostly the motion trackers from Aliens, and the sexy sensor imagery from Snake's ride, gliding over NY:
[Q --start Rola wrote--]Stuff just as in Privateer - a freelancing RPG with buying/upgrading your ship & equipment, trading, escort missions, pirate raids etc. Tactical combat in space and on the surface. Be a mercenary, merchant, informant for the baddie government side or secret agent for the goodie insurgents. Or just steal from anyone and don't get caught. Some kind of storyline, dammit, not just "bring me the (insert object name)"[/Q --end Rola wrote--] Apart from 2D, a 3D hybrid between Deus Ex-like and Privateer-ish game mechanics should be very well reachable, too; based on a robust and adaptable physics engine with a good documentation and excellent support for event scripting—a modern day Stunt Island in space, so to speak.
[Q --start Rola wrote--]Laugh it up but I can't set up everything by myself. Seeing projects similar to this (i.e. the way work is organized) I hoped to find people interested to join me... My curse in life is "find the right people"...[/Q --end Rola wrote--] Wouldn't dream to laugh, have quite similar aspirations. Another possibility of course would be making enough dough to hire coders. Become a trader, sell souls, fullfill dreams!
Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 10/19/2011 4:28 PM · Permalink · Report
Yow, why isn't ASCII sector documented here yet?
Terok Nor (42013) on 10/19/2011 7:47 AM · Permalink · Report
TIE Fighter is the best space sim I ever played (haven't gotten to Freespace yet), but my heart beats for Wing Commander, so I chose that. Also, with its more action - less simulation philosophy it probably wouldn't suffer as much from consolization as X-Wing/TIE Fighter, so a realistic big-budget revival (i.e. consoles as the primary platform) would be more bearable.
Slug Camargo (583) on 10/19/2011 9:35 PM · Permalink · Report
Wasn't there a Star Wars-ish one called Epic? Wasn't it pretty cool? I seem to remember it was, what with some massive combat scenes and cool set pieces and whatnot. Then again, that's probably the only space flight game I ever played. Also I was way easier to impress back then.
Somebody bring me Sisko! (8) on 10/19/2011 9:53 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Dr. M. "Schadenfreude" Von Katze wrote--]Wasn't there a Star Wars-ish one called Epic? Wasn't it pretty cool? I seem to remember it was, what with some massive combat scenes and cool set pieces and whatnot.[/Q --end Dr. M. "Schadenfreude" Von Katze wrote--] Remember the box shots of that one. Cool vector graphics, and space carrier designs stolen from 80s BSG lol. Never gave it a try... always thought it was just for the Amiga. Was busy with TIE Fighter anyways. Somebody around here with epic impressions?
Zerobrain (3052) on 10/25/2011 10:35 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start FrakesJoe (NSDSP) wrote--]Which space flight/combat simulator series would you prefer to see revived?...
Courtesy of Zerobrain. [/Q --end FrakesJoe (NSDSP) wrote--] Thx for setting up the thread.
I really loved Tie Fighter. I don't know where to start. The dogfights were totally challenging. The game features one of the most appalling targeting and wingmen interfaces to date. And the nice mission design actually immersed the player in the SW Universe like few others do.
I never really got to play Freespace but I liked the the graphics and the gameplay. Though I didn't get beyond a few missions.
Wing Commander wasn't my kind of game. I remember playing WC Aramada for a while but I didn't catch the regular titles of the series. Maybe if I played the series from the start I would see it different. But entering the Cmdr. Blair / Kilrathi Story in the middle just wasn't my kind of game. Never cared for Privateer though.
I wondered if I should put the spiritual successors Starlancer and Freelancer on the queue, but these don't really look like a series and seemed a bit to young to be revived ;-)
All my attempts on Elite ended in disappointing failure. Additionally there are so many Elite clones and far better space trade sims, I think it would be difficult to bring up a new Elite concept as compelling as it was at the time.
I-War: what FrakesJoe said. The second part improved the handling, but the game is very frustratingly affine to hide or omit the mission objectives.
I put Star Raiders and Starglider in the list to have some legacy stuff. May be there where better examples, but didn't find or remember other early series. Otherwise there was only Elite. I actually may have played Star Raiders, though I don't remember what it was like.