Independence War: The Starship Simulator

aka: I-War, I-War: Enter Infinity, I-War: Rebellion im Universum, Independence War, Infinity Wars
Moby ID: 801
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Description official descriptions

The Indies, colonists from Earth, and the Commonwealth are engaged in a never-ending war in Space. As an officer of the Commonwealth it's your job to strip these rebels of their defiant natures and force them to re-join with Earth.

Independence War: The Starship Simulator is a space-sim with a twist. Instead of flying the usual fighters, you take charge of a 150-metre long Dreadnaught-class corvette. And all the goodies of a capital ship are included: big guns, big shields, lots of missiles. All the daily essentials for an officer of the Navy.

Mission times vary from 5 minutes up to 35 minutes without save point. If you have successfully completed the mission, the game will save. There are primary and secondary missions and, later in the game, you can change the sides from the Navy to the Indies. Later, the Dreadnaught become updated with more firepower, new missiles and a friend. The game has three endings.

Some of the missions require you to remote control other crafts, such as fighter, freighter, and more. Unfortunately, when you are controlling that ship, your own ship is flying with no one at the helm.

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Credits (Windows version)

50 People · View all

Design
Lead Programming
Programming
AI Programming
Music
Sound
Art Director
Briefing Animation
Integration & Game Test
Project Presentation
  • Jacqui Lyons & Marjacq
Voice Recording
  • M&S Music Tunstudio GmbH
German Voices
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 84% (based on 17 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 22 ratings with 7 reviews)

Puts the Sim on Sci-fi sims and does so with great missions and fantastic gameplay.

The Good
Independence War is probably the finest attempt there ever has been of bringing a semblance of realism and strategic complexity to the otherwise arcadey world of space "sims". The premise of the game is that you aren't in control of some Star Wars-like starfighter that is able to zip around space with the same physical constraints as an F-16 fighter plane, but that you are the captain of a light strike corvette that has to contend with inertia, mass, constant movement, etc... enough to change the rules of gameplay and introduce a more realistic edge, but not so much as to bog down the action and entertainment as in previous attempts like Elite, or MS Space Simulator.

The game does take a dip in the space opera waters, and comes laced with a tipically epic and end-all-be-all sci-fi plotline in which two factions (the commonwealth and the indies) fight for space supremacy. One does so for their typical "rebel colonists" ideals and the other does so because of said rebels resources and control of space, which prompt a reactionary and overzealous president to negotiate shady political maneuvers and send people to die recklessly on all out war and.... Holy shit! Is it just me or that sounds waaay to much like what's going on around the world lately??? Well, here's hoping that the next NATO summit doesn't end like the one on this game!... Anyway, you also have an Obi wan-like digitized ghost, some extraterrestial elements, betrayal, etc.. The plot does, shall we say... "pay homage", to Wing Commander 4, specially with some elements like the shadowy black ops militia, the deranged war-monger texan yelling for war... uh.. well, I figured he was Texan, y'know?:) and other recognizable ideas, but overall it's all quite good, and it's presented via some mighty spiffy fmv sequences.

As mentioned above, the new physics as well as the interface and other gimmicks make a hell of a change when compared to other "space-sims", making the game take a much more strategic approach to combat situations. Instead of doing everything from a cockpit, you alternate between a series of battlestations (you are, after all, in command of a cap ship), so you have the command center from where you review objectives, communicate, etc.; the pilot's station for navigation and flying; engineering for power allocation and damage repair; and finally the gunnery station which is able to switch from a standard "fps" viewpoint to a padlock-like display that will be most reminescent to players of real flight simulators and provides a more strategic view of combat situations.

Sounds like too complicated? We are not even halfway there. You have multiple flying modes, from hyperspace-like "teleportation" to LSD.. whoops, "LDS" drive that allows you to trip out in space at near light-speeds, as well as "standard" space flight. Said space flight involves the already mentioned physics factor, so turning at high speeds is accurately modeled, acceleration and reverse thrust is adequately handled, and you can also cut your engines and strafe and slide while your inertia does the driving. To aid you in keeping tabs for all those variables you have a pletora of auto-pilot options that allow you to match speeds, range, course, dock, etc. as well as other navigational aids suchs as trajectory displays on your HUD, multiple targeting and individual component targetting (say you want to just shoot the weapons off your enemy), auto-tracking turrets, missiles, etc.. etc... etc... I could be here all day listing the features available on I-War, and believe me, all of them are used in the game at one point or another, so it comes as a great surprise to see that the game integrates all of them so seamlessly and painlessly. It still takes a while to get used to I-War, but once you do, all the other space-sims star to feel like... I dunno... Inferior. And that's before we even get to the mission design!!

Clearly distancing itself from the patented Chris Roberts "go to the nav points, shoot everything and repeat" mantra, I-War features some of the most stellar mission designs I have ever seen for a game of this type. There is simply no "filler" material on this game! Each mission plays like a one-of-a-kind affair that has it's own set of rules and challenges, some even offering branching paths that take the plot different places. You'll test your mettle against battlestations, dispose of toxic waste, rescue freighters, infiltrate shipyards, disable battlecruisers, evacuate bases, tow mega-nukes out of range and escape it's shockwaves, etc. etc. etc. Even the final mission managed to be a standout and avoided the standard "all-out fights" that have become so common in this genre.

The Bad
There are some minor technical difficulties, like some resolution incompatibilities that make videos play in weird aspect ratios, or throw you to windows to see a video an come back for the game (??) but the main gripes I have with this game is that the mission design relies way to much on puzzle-based missions. Surely a byproduct of their uniqueness and originality, but still annoying as hell. Games like Tachyon, Freespace 2 or even Crimson Skies had their share of unique missions but you were never left stuck on any of them because you didn't think of doing exactly what the designers intended you to do...

Other than that there's also the fact that until you get in the mindset of the game things can get pretty hairy. The interface is very complex with dozens of keystrokes to keep track off (this is one game that is NEVER going to make it to any console) and a gameplay premise that calls for some serious re-thinking of time-honored game mechanics. As another reviewed noted, fights in I-War can turn out to be jousting matches that make little or no sense, and he's absolutely right! If, you make the mistake of handling it like other space shooters. Combat on I-War involves strafing runs, auto-pilot handling, using missiles, keeping your range and other concepts such as aiming to a target with your REAR weapons instead of hitting afterburner and slamming head-on against the incoming baddies, while proceeding with standard dogfighting techniques. You either get on with the program, or you are toast. And that's a fact.

Oh! And remote controlling other ships can be suicide most of the times as other reviewers noted, since your crew apparently decides to take a lunch break whenever you do this.

The Bottom Line
Different take on the whole space shooter subgenre that manages to improve on just about every aspect you can think of. Sometimes too brainy and complicated for it's own good, but otherwise an excellent game that breaks the mold and shows us what "space simming" is all about.

If you even remotely care about these types of games then don't even think about it, this is your holy grail.

Windows · by Zovni (10504) · 2003

Superb space sim, but not without problems.

The Good
The physics model and associated gameplay mechanics. The graphics (espcially with 3Dfx graphics cards.) The introduction, and other pre-rendered video.

Shortly after finishing I-War, I played the demo for Freespace 2 -- hailed as the best space sim ever by many reviewers -- and I discovered that I-War had ruined me for all space sims that do not feature believable physics. (Freespace 2 let you slow down, but not fly backwards! I was dumbstruck.)

The feel of I-War is (to mix metaphors) delicious. The physics could easily make the game unplayable, but the collection of auto-pilots (e.g. approach; match speed; dock) and pilot aids (e.g. the clear continuous 3D depiction of the motion of your own and other ships) that were implemented make it a joy to play. The technical aspects of space travel and combat are all presented in a way that makes it possible to suspend disbelief, and imagine that you are indeed in space, in command of a sophisticated ship. Just watching the docking computer at work can be a delight in this game.

Like any good sim, there's a learning curve to overcome, but you don't have to take it all in at once, and the playing experience is all the more rewarding for the extra complexity. And when it comes down to it, the game isn't as complicated as some would make out, but it can seem that way when compared to most other space games.

The graphics are good in software mode, but beautiful in 3Dfx hardware mode -- the nebulae are spectacular, the models are detailed, and the effects are also generally improved (although there were one or two distortion effects that presumably could not be achieved in hardware, where the software mode actually looks better!) The destruction of ships can seem a little anti-climactic, though.

The pre-rendered sequences are amazing, and put every other space-based game CGI that I've seen to shame. And save for one or two bits of dialogue, the introduction is stunning... I'm sure I've watched it a good dozen times. (The software mode actually integrates the video slightly better than the hardware mode. It was designed so that the game could switch seamlessly between gamplay and video sequences, but the 800x600 resolution available on Voodoo2 and better results in the video sequences being less than full-screen.)

The story is really quite decent, and if it isn't completely devoid of cliches, it's better than most of the competition that I've seen.

The Bad
Sadly, the mission scripting does hurt I-War. While good for the most part, there are a few missions that will probably drive you insane; certainly they were some of the most frustrating gaming experiences of my life. On the most notable example, a series of simple but time-consuming events (which I was able to complete in about 5 minutes IIRC) culminated in an insanely intense combat encounter in which I died over and over again, dooming me to repeat those very-rapidly-annoying initial events over and over until I was able to survive the end.

The scripting also seemed to trip over itself on a couple of occasions, and either trigger an event too soon, or not trigger it at all.

Thankfully it is possible to skip missions via a cheat, so this needn't put you off the game. If only I'd known about it at the time...

Another flaw was that while you (the captain, and one of four crew members on the bridge of the Dreadnaught) were occupied remote-controlling another craft, your ship was left totally defenceless. That was a jolt to the suspension of disbelief, that the rest of the crew wouldn't even fight back if attacked!

With the "Defiance" expansion, these flaws had been diminished -- auto-save points during missions, and a more pro-active crew greatly reduced their severity. However I was greatly saddened that these changes (save-points in particular) were not retro-fitted to the original campaign in the "Deluxe Edition" which contained both campaigns :(

The Bottom Line
I-War should be a must-buy for any fan of both sci-fi and simulations. Having said that, the much anticipated sequel is nearly upon us (the estimated release is for the end of April 2001), and I imagine that I-War 2 will be the superior game in most respects; but if you can't get enough, or crave a more story-driven game, the original is a deserved classic of the genre.

Windows · by Shadowcat (121) · 2001

Flawed

The Good
It's an intriguing idea - command a corvette-sized space vessel through a series of 'X-Wing' esque missions - and the graphics, although three years old, are still very attractive. Space is a wash of colours, and the sequences in which you zoom through asteroid fields are alarming. The attempt at making accurate, but playable space physics is commendably effective, much better than the ultra-anal 'Frontier'.

The Bad
On the other hand, it doesn't really gel. Your corvette flies like a bulkier Y-wing, and it only has one gun, so you don't get the impression you're in charge of a death-dealing arsenal. You can switch between multiple command stations, but there's no real point in doing so. The gameplay itself falls down hardest - space combat is a jousting match, in which the slightest damage results in you drifting off, out of control. The missions are very tightly scripted, too, and you get the feeling that you're just a cog in a giant FMV. Maybe as a 'Frontier'-style epic space trading game it would have worked better.

As for FMV, this was probably the most extravagant use of an intro movie ever. The entire first disc contains a long, dull sci-fi epic that most people will skip past after the first thirty seconds, and never see again.

The Bottom Line
An interesting idea marred by ill-thought-out execution.

Windows · by Ashley Pomeroy (225) · 2000

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

3dfx patch

There's a 3dfx patch that allows the game to use 3dfx 3D accelerators for improved graphics. This applies to I-War European release only, not the US release titled Independence War.

Editor

You can download the I-WAR developer's kit from the official website. It allows you to figure out the scripts and the events that goes into making a single mission, and create your own.

Version differences

The final mission of the game (Impeachment) was split in two missions for the western release (at the point were the Excalibur flees from the main navy fleet).

Awards

  • Computer Gaming World
    • April 1999 (Issue #177) – Best Space Sim of the Year

Information also contributed by Zovni

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by faceless.

Additional contributors: Trixter, Maury Markowitz, Rebound Boy, Erwin Bergervoet, Kasey Chang, Joel Segerbäck, Independent, Patrick Bregger.

Game added January 27, 2000. Last modified November 16, 2023.