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 HOLY poo poo The largest FS2 mod "Blue Planet" has released their remastered things, and it's basically an entire other game. They also released "Freespace Blue", an update to the original FS2 campaing! CHECK IT OUT Back to your regularly scheduled thread  From the makers of Descent! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIWdolT9xY The year is 2367, thirty two years after the Great War. Or at least what YOU thought was the Great War. The seemingly endless tide of Shivan capital ships, bombers and fighters with super advanced technology was nearly overwhelming. As the Terran and Vasudan races finish rebuilding their decimated societies, a disturbance lurks in the not-so-far reaches of the Gamma Draconis system. Your nemesis has arrived... and they are wondering what happened to their scouting party...  Watch it! Those cruisers have anti fighter beams with an effective range of 1500m! What is this old nerd poo poo? Hey gently caress you buddy! Freespace 2 is On the outside, Freespace 2 is a space combat sim; you fly about in space, shooting some thing, avoiding shooting other things, and getting shot at by both sets of things. However, where the game really shines is with just how in depth everything is. You can customize your ship to your playstyle, with a variety of lasers, missiles, torpedoes, bombs, machine guns, plasma things, and all of the various standard space-fare. You can also choose which ship you fly in most of the missions past the inro, as well as the ships and loadouts of your squad. Oh yeah, a lot of the time you control a squad of 3 ships, including yourself. Sometimes you control up to 6-7 squads of 3 fighters each, as well as (limited) commands to capital ships, supply ships, etc.  Die Shivan scum! Ok so I can choose my weapons in a game, and control a squad, that's cool I guess? Well aren't you loving antsy! Don't worry, there's a lot of poo poo in the game. Remember how I said it was extremely in depth? Let's take a look at the UI:  This is what the screen might look like in a normal mission. Looking at the components from the top left going clockwise, we have: Inter-squad chatter, Damage to specific components of your ship (here only hull damage is shown, but anything from engines/targeting/weapons can take damage on their own), squad mini window (get out of there epsilon squad!), cap ship hull integrity, weapons systems, countermeasure counts, energy allocation, autotarget/speed matching, self shield diagram, Radar, target shield meter, target info window (with name, ship type, distance, speed, hull integrity, and a picture!), and mission objectives. In the middle is the HUD that shows self speed, afterburner, weapons energy, and an unfortunate looking Hercules-class fighter. Every one of these components is dynamic, and with the exception of enemy indicators, you can adjust all of them. Need extra power to engines? Do it! About to pass through missile-explosion radii? Pump power to the forward shields! Out of missiles? Call in a resupply ship. That entire paragraph seems a bit messy, and it's because there's just SO MUCH in this game you can control. Seriously, the tutorial missions are really good, just try it for yourself. Speaking of which...  Space: Not as gay as this banner makes it seem Ok how do I play this thing, let me guess it's a billion dollars on steam? Nope! It's on Good Old Games for SIX DOLLARS. It's also ON STEAM. For the price of the cheeseburgers you've eaten while reading this thread, you could be playing one of the best games of all time. That's why I made a thread for it. There was a pretty good LP of this game about a year and a half ago, but I've been replaying it recently and was reminded how much this game rocks.  I really like these banners but I probably dont need so many What the gently caress this game looks like poo poo why did I buy this Way to read the rest of this thread shitlord. Yeah, the game was made in 1999. Luckily, in 2001 there was some special edition released, in which the company relesed the source code for the game. The result? The Freespace Source Code Project. Basically they took the game, redid all of the graphics in higher resolutions, and did a lot of bug fixes. These not only make the game more stable, it also added 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions, and make it look pretty dang good, even compared to modern games. This is probably because there's no modern standard to compare it to. ---->THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD<---- Some people seem to have been having trouble installing, so Mr. Dominic White wrote this handy guide! Super-easy newbie guide to getting Freespace 2 all shiny and modern: 1: Buy Freespace 2 from GOG 2: Download and install Freespace 2. 3: Get the latest FSOpen installer. You may need to update Java. 4: Run it, point it to where you installed FS2. You want 'The Works'. (Don't worry about it failing to download a couple of bits - it's not important) 5: Unpack this hotfix bundle to the Freespace 2 directory. Assumes a 16:9 screen. (You might need to install OpenAL if you haven't already got it) 6: Run Launcher.exe - Tell it to use fs2_open_3_6_14_RC5.exe - Configure to taste. 7: Go shoot futuristic spaceships in space with future space lasers and poo poo. Optional/recommended stuff: Go to the Features tab in the launcher. Turn on everything that sounds neat. Suggested custom flags: 'fov -0.90' for wider FOV. '-ambient_factor 110' for brighter 'unlit' space. Pick FSPort-STR in Mods to play shiny FS1 + remade expansion (Silent Threat Reborn). Pick MediaVPs_3612 as your mod if you want to play FS2 with extra modern shinies. Middle-mouse switches between FPS and virtual stick control modes. Customize/invert the mouse script via data\config\mouse_script.cfg. Version 3.6.14 RC5 has a bug that makes chat portraits kill FPS. Disable them in the HUD config menu. As anyone who has played this game will tell you, it owns. There is no other way to describe it really. Use this thread to talk about how much it owns or ask for help, but PLEASE be sure to use spoiler tags where necessary. Oh yeah I forgot a section... Witty title involving space story Freespace 2 also has an amazing narrative built into the game. The plot is actually really interesting, there are places where you make decisions that effect what missions you have, how you deal with certain things, and dramatically change how the game can end. Don't worry about them! Do what seems cool, this game is extremely replayable because there are a number of different ways to end most missions. So there you have it! Go play this dang game and talk about how awesome it is. tl;dr Buy This Install This Fly These Kill These Save These e; Now with video link with bad musichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6VhyMzu12c And a video link that's pretty good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhAR8rWPluQ Some Screenshots of the graphics updates:    Updates: Dominic White has a good writeup on a lot of changes and tweaks to make FS2O work/look better since the creation of the OP. Highly recommended you read this. What the hell the graphics dont work Step by step install guides for dumb people Game not working on a mac? General Battuta posted:Try grabbing the Mac executables from here (make sure you use the Inferno versions). Mods So I don't have as much experience with these as some other people do (read the thread dammit), but here's some recommendations from a dev of Blue Planet, probably the most talked about mod in the thread: -Blue Planet 1/2 (Who saw that coming) -Vassago's Dirge -Wings of Dawn -Transcend Skyl3lazer fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Nov 4, 2015 |
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Apr 14, 2011 01:58
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It's probably worth to note that there is a port of Freespace 1 available in the FSO installer, along with the mission pack, in case anyone hasn't played the first one.
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Apr 14, 2011 02:03
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I keep trying to do a complete replay of FS1 and 2 but I get bored about 1/4 way into the first game and quit. I guess I just need to jump straight into Freespace 2, but that feels wrong since the first game really is great too. Can anyone recommend a decent joystick? It would probably only be used for Freespace, X-Wing, and TIE Fighter. I've got a Sidewinder from like 10 years ago and it's ok, but I'm ready for a new one.
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Apr 14, 2011 02:10
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Adam Bowen posted:I keep trying to do a complete replay of FS1 and 2 but I get bored about 1/4 way into the first game and quit. I guess I just need to jump straight into Freespace 2, but that feels wrong since the first game really is great too. I still have the sidewinder that came with the demo copy of FS2  I wouldn't worry too much about skipping straight to #2, they reference any relevant plot points, and the FS2 story was better in my opinion.
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Apr 14, 2011 02:12
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I know its blasphemy but I had a good time playing this a wired 360 controller. It was a few years ago in an earlier version of FS2Open. You do lose a lot of the controls like changing power between shields, weapons, and energy or the multitude of next target buttons. I really felt like you only needed target reticule anyway. This game really is awesome if you like space and arcade flight sims. I really like that in the story you aren't some awesome pilot put there to change the war just another pilot like the rest of them. Never forget NTD Repulse 
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Apr 14, 2011 02:19
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Entorwellian posted:It's probably worth to note that there is a port of Freespace 1 available in the FSO installer, along with the mission pack, in case anyone hasn't played the first one. That mission pack blew. Infinite respawning Lokis 
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Apr 14, 2011 02:36
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God I loving love me some Freespace 1/2. The beam cannon charge up and fire sound is forever ingrained into my mind as a poo poo is going down sound.
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Apr 14, 2011 02:42
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I want to play this game, I have it even, but it runs so sluggishly on my computer even on the bare minimum settings, which look like rear end.
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Apr 14, 2011 02:50
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I remember playing this game when I was a youngin'. It was every bit as fantastic as you described... This and Homeworld were the pinnacle of 1990s space gaming- I haven't bought a space themed game since!
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Apr 14, 2011 03:46
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I was in the conversation where Skyl3lazer was talking about this shortly before this thread. Dammit, I think I've finally broken and I will once again make my wallet vomit cash all over GoG.
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Apr 14, 2011 03:57
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You know what the best loving part of this game is? You're not some ridiculous developer self-insert fantasy hero space pilot out to save the galaxy. You don't have a destiny or some poo poo. Nobody even calls you by your name. You're just some fighter pilot caught up in a lot of crazy poo poo that's much bigger than you are. It's a kind of story telling that I wish more games used. That and the fact that it's pretty much the best space sim ever made. I replay this and TIE Fighter just about every other year.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:01
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Drakenel posted:I want to play this game, I have it even, but it runs so sluggishly on my computer even on the bare minimum settings, which look like rear end. Really? The game ran on my Pentium 166 on the highest settings, ages and ages ago.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:06
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Silent Threat was pretty cool aside from the last mission, that thing had waaaaay too much loving health goddamn. It's hilarious to me that there are a small section of space sim fans who not only don't like Freespace but who blame it for the death of the genre. I haven't seen any on SA but they pop up every now and again on other sites like RPS.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:21
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Entorwellian posted:Really? The game ran on my Pentium 166 on the highest settings, ages and ages ago. Basically, this; something is wrong with your install or computer, Drakenel. Even if you have some really crappy video card, today's computers can probably do software rendering at a reasonable speed for a game this old. I've played through the main campaigns of Freespace 1 and 2 probably three times each. Last time I tried Freespace open I was going through some user-made campaign and then got to a level that broke the game for some reason. However, that was on another computer so I should try again. There's really no other game quite like Freespace 2, unfortunately.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:21
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I still have my FS2 CD's, but have never had a computer that could run the source code project. One day I will rectify that.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:24
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helopticor posted:There's really no other game quite like Freespace 2, unfortunately. I really wish this wasn't true, there's totally a market for a good space sim on the scale of FS2
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Apr 14, 2011 04:46
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Oh, Commander Snipes. I could listen to you being wry about the impossibility of the mission you've dragged me along on all day.  OHGODMUSTGETDOWN
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Apr 14, 2011 06:04
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now I have to find my freespace discs in the closet. I used to play Terminal Velocity back in the day, until computers got faster and these games came out. Anyone remember the Hellbender trial game that came with Windows 95 demo disc? I can never find a working version of that game, and I miss it so. Thinking about buying it off ebay.
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Apr 14, 2011 06:05
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Dive dive dive, hit your burners pilot! This game is loving great. Definitely contender for best space flight sim (alongside TIE fighter).
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Apr 14, 2011 06:08
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I haven't thought about this game in six years, then I ran across my sidewinder and FS2 discs while I was moving. Hell yeah. Incredibly good game.
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Apr 14, 2011 06:29
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This game is realllly good, and the graphics pack makes it look incredible. Unfortunately I don't have a joystick at my apartment  To the guy who played with the 360 controller: Did you try using any button mapping programs when you played? There are a metric shitton of things to play with and buttons to press, so it makes sense that you might run out. I wonder if I could keep certain keys (such as changing power between shield/weapon) bound to the keyboard Roargasm fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 14, 2011 06:59
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Mouse/KB actually isn't terrible with this game, though yeah joysticks are still where it's at. e; Hell, the game was meant originally to be played all KB, that's why you have full motion control on the numpad, and weapons on ctrl/space as well as the mouse buttons. Skyl3lazer fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 14, 2011 07:11
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Roargasm posted:This game is realllly good, and the graphics pack makes it look incredible. I think I pretty much had to use a button mapper as it was 2005 and 360 controller driver support was pretty bad. I don't have a wired controller anymore which sucks. If my desk wasn't so small I'd like a flight stick. I think my controls went something like: A - Fire Primary B - Cycle Secondary X - Fire Secondary Y - Fire Countermeasures L. Bumper - Target Reticule R. Bumper - Match Speed L. Trigger - Thrusters R. Trigger - ?? I remember there is something weird about the triggers as they aren't simple buttons L. Stick - Pivot + Turn ? Might be better if it was pivot and roll R. Stick - I don't remember D-Pad - Don't remember anything but jump to subspace.
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Apr 14, 2011 15:23
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Drakenel posted:I want to play this game, I have it even, but it runs so sluggishly on my computer even on the bare minimum settings, which look like rear end. Where you running with FS2O before, or just the vanilla game? I don't know if Open sorted any preformance issues (assuming you disable the fancy new graphics) but it's worth a shot  .This game is loving amazing. I never thought I'd like a space sim until I played this, and it's probably the only one I'll ever like since the only recent space sims I could find where X3-like games, which look really loving intimidating. edit: ToxicFool posted:I know its blasphemy but I had a good time playing this a wired 360 controller. It was a few years ago in an earlier version of FS2Open. You do lose a lot of the controls like changing power between shields, weapons, and energy or the multitude of next target buttons. I really felt like you only needed target reticule anyway. I did this too, but I still used the power changing options on the keyboard as well as a gamepad. It worked better than I expected. a glitch fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 14, 2011 15:51
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I loving love this game, it has a real "epic space battles" feel that I've never found elsewhere. It's like being a drone in EVE Online or something. DIVE! DIVE! HIT YOUR BURNERS, PILOT! e: poo poo someone said it before me  still that's one of the better Panic Moments in video games I've played
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Apr 14, 2011 15:58
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Awesome thread for an awesome game! I had so much fun with this series back in the day. I need to replay it with FS2O though, I never went through it with the graphics upgrades. Does it make a huge difference (not that it really matters, it's a good excuse to play it again)? Also, anyone who remembers the old show Babylon 5, there's a total conversion for FS2O called The Babylon Project http://babylon.hard-light.net/index.php I played it awhile ago, and it really captured the feeling of the show!
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Apr 14, 2011 16:02
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ProfFrink posted:Also, anyone who remembers the old show Babylon 5, there's a total conversion for FS2O called The Babylon Project There's also a Wing Commander TC, I don't remember much about it but if you like Wing Commander check it out.
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Apr 14, 2011 16:09
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ProfFrink posted:Awesome thread for an awesome game! Well it adds widescreen resolutions so it's worth it just for that, but yeah the graphics update is huge.
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Apr 14, 2011 16:13
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Would there be a way to use the 360 controller and have 1 stick as a full turn and the other as a precise turn/aim? That would rule. Also, this is the best game ever.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:12
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Freespace 2 owns. Everyone needs to play it, and its doable with a mouse, and keyboard!
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Apr 14, 2011 18:42
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I can actually do better with mouse and keyboard compared to the joystick but the joystick is just much more fun. Freespace is honestly one of my favourite games ever, when I was a kid I loved starfox 64 and when I found a copy of Freespace at a jumble sale I was absolutely blown away when I got home. It's sadly still the best space shooter I've ever played and it's an utter shame the genre doesn't really exist anymore.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:50
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I played it with a keyboard and track-point mouse. It can be done and it really isn't that bad.
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Apr 14, 2011 20:33
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After you finish the main story line of this game play the deus ex machina mod, its a parody of the game. http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Deus_Ex_Machina Features include *even worse wingman then in the real game *A crazed mission planner *shipments of beer *the terrifying horrors of derelict cargo containers *and much more
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Apr 14, 2011 20:37
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ShinsoBEAM! posted:After you finish the main story line of this game play the deus ex machina mod, its a parody of the game. This mod won't make sense unless you've dicked around with the mission editor (and broken everything horribly) or played some poorly-made mod packs to get what they're talking about.
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Apr 14, 2011 20:46
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Freespace 2 is the pinnacle of gaming for me. I play it every other years and the first time I played it blew me away that a game could be so in-depth in every aspect of it. The UI, the controls, the story, the ships, the combat. EVERYTHING excelled at what it aimed to do. Fighting in the Nebula when it appears for the first time loving terrified me. You couldn't tell what it was. And then the battle with the Colossus and how it goes from  to  God drat that's where it hits you how hopeless and insignificant you are in the scheme of things. The most you can do is fight to survive.
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Apr 14, 2011 21:17
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^^^^^^^^ EDIT: Yeah, I love the how the whole schtick to Freespace is that alot of the time, things don't go according to plan. The famous last SOC mission (DIVE DIVE DIVE HIT YOUR BURNERS PILOT!) was the final nail on the head. Sathanas number 7, number 8... number 9 just jumped out. It really let you know just how hosed you were. I loving love this game, there's no two ways about it. The Source Code project is the glue that holds it together to this day, and more. Back in the day, when the INFERNO mod came out, almost any mission had a tendency to just boot you to the desktop just because it could. Now with the project, bugs have been eliminated, you can switch mods within a few clicks, rather than installing and hoping the game didn't break itself. Right now I'm having problems with it's current version though. Right now it's just having trouble with briefings. On occasion halfway through to a sound clip, it stutters at least three times before finally cutting off the sound altogether. It's really puzzling and dissapointing, and i hope it gets fixed next version. I didn't have these problems in earlier versions. Is anybody getting this same deal? Fargin Icehole fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 14, 2011 21:33
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Fargin Icehole posted:I loving love this game, there's no two ways about it. The sound bugs only happened in like the first two missions for me, so don't worry about it. I love that every post is like "yeah this game loving owns." There is a reason for this! Play this game!! I just got back to the interceptor mission, it just blows my mind how detailed this game is. I went from bombing cap ships to flying fighters build to shoot bombs before the hit ships Also don't forget that you can swap out ships in the briefing room! I hate the bomber that they have you use by default, and there's two other bombers you can use. This is the case for a lot of missions as well.
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Apr 14, 2011 21:38
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I just have to recommend Derelict. A complete (very long) user made semi-sequel campaign, of a quality largely comparable to the original game. It also includes full voice acting which is (shock horror) actually not completely poo poo! Some voice acting may be a little poo poo.
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Apr 14, 2011 21:45
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God drat this game owned so hard, loved the stealth special ops missions
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Apr 14, 2011 21:47
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Sync and Transcend are wonderful, though Transcend runs into "people talk" *wave of ships* "people talk" *wave of ships* "people talk" *warp out* missions fairly often
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Apr 14, 2011 21:48
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