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IronHound
(@ironhound)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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Just wondering what all the hype is about with this game? I've always seen joysticks as 'optional' frankly, even with the mouse.ini file, the demo is practically unplayable. While the graphics look nice, the lack of being able to orient one's own ship is just ridiculous. Say what you will about Freespace 2 and X2-X3/Freelancer... but these games where made with the mouse control scheme in mind, and in my opinion are considerably more accessible.


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SolCommand
(@solcommand)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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I got a copy of this game a couple of years ago and after quite some time of trial and error I still could not make it work on my pc although my specs were sooooo much higher than what the game needed ... so i got pissed off and threw it in the garbage. Just saying.


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DarkOne
(@sscadmin)
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Joined: 8 years ago
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I-War games uses newton physics engine for space flight so people could have a some issues piloting correctly using it the first time. It is definitely not like the wing commander or FL games.

FS2 recommends joystick play and was one of the first games to utilize mouse/keyboard controls for 3d space flight. FL and the X games use it almost exclusively. Now the WC games I-War games and a lot of others from that time frame use the joystick still. Almost all space games developed now focus on mouse/keyboard flight controls and you have to ask if joysticks will be supported. Which makes sense because everyone has a keyboard/mouse and not a joystick.

I have to admit I loved playing with the joystick in games 20yrs ago, but now not so much mine collects dust because I prefer the keyboard/mouse combo. Maybe it is just laziness on my part. But a lot of the time I think accuracy when playing is better with the mouse so I prefer it. I break out the joystick only when I don't have the choice 🙂 But I-War2 is a excellent game when you play it.


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Bullwinkle
(@bullwinkle)
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IronHound wrote:
I've always seen joysticks as 'optional' ...

even with the mouse.ini file, the demo is practically unplayable.

There is some history to this:

Fifteen years ago, joysticks were nearly as popular as joypads are today. They really are the best controllers, which is why fighter aircraft have always used them, and still do.

From the computer's point of view: Mouse, keyboard, touchpad, and touchscreen all move the pointer in the pretty much the same way. So, if the game supports one, then it can support the others without much extra work. On the other hand, joysticks move the pointer differently, so they require at least a special section of code, if not writing a huge chunk of the game engine specifically for joysticks.

Therefore, a game designed for a joystick may be a "superior" game -- if you are a hard-core gamer with a good stick. But it may not work so well with a mouse.

In other words, your experience is typical of games made for joysticks. If you really get into it, you will find that some of those games work best with a specific stick.

BTW, I am with you and Darkone about mouse and keyboard being the "way to go" for future games!

IronHound wrote:
Just wondering what all the hype is about with this game?

Me, too. Wait... what hype? I never heard of it (which only means that it is not a Chris Roberts game -- nothing more). 🙂

Am I correct in understanding that you are brushing off the dust on older games to see what will run well on a netbook? That is an outstanding idea! Give us a report (maybe in a new thread about netbook gaming?)!


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Cambragol
(@cambragol)
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IronHound wrote:
... but these games where made with the mouse control scheme in mind, and in my opinion are considerably more accessible.

Hey...is that just a euphemism for lame?

So you tried to play the demo with an unsupported mouse.in? I imagine that would be like trying to fly a fighter jet with a keyboard. It just wasn't designed to be played that way. Once upon a time, back in the 'olden' days, nearly every simulation game used a joystick. Heck, nearly every 'arcade' game used a joystick. As Bullwinkle points out, there is a history to it. I imagine all the hype you have read about (of which I am unaware...beyond the obvious beauties of the game, and its predecessor) stems from numerous people really enjoying playing the game. Enough so that they wanted to talk about it.

I wouldn't know though, as I never played it all the way through. It is just fun enough as a simulation that I never bothered to follow the missions. It is also very modable. Practically every aspect of the game is controlled through ini files. Very handy. Though still a long ways from the game editor shipped with many modern games.


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GUNSMIF
(@gunsmif)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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this controller debate harks back to why PC gaming will not die! the depth and complexity of console games is limited because of the control interface having limited buttons.

theres only so much you can do while holding down L2 and pressing A B Y X e.c.t. but with the keyboard mouse combo the extra functions for game control and possibility's is nearly infinite.

i.e meatier games and more things to do/control/use/interact with and so on. that's why flight Sims/space Sims are arcadey and pretty basic on the console formats and usually too basic to be bothered about. except for the eye candy and polished feel. example tom Clancy`s HAWKS. or should i say ace combat/deadly sky's 6/7/8/9 what ever! 😈 .but...........

if the game is designed for a joystick on a computer as most flight Sims are and you want the most out of it..use a joystick. i was doomed when my last joystick gave up the ghost on my Amiga. had to put the flight sims away and forget about them. supersonic mach 2.4 aircraft really suffer in `maneuverability` (my biggest word yet with out a spell check ) whilst using the keyboard.

i feel like a sheep amongst wolves on most of the topics and my apologies for most of the content of this post being rhetorical just giving the `green` gamer some basic insight into this and some other issues brought up on this site. we ain`t all experts but the stick over pad e.c.t thing is some thing i feel pretty clued up about. *steps of the soapbox* 😉 😆


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Hendar23
(@hendar23)
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Absolutely true. Very underrated. Still the only space combat game I've tried that actually feels like you are in space and is still fun. The combat is simple, yet complex and hard to master. The ship systems were actually designed by people who stopped to think about how space combat might actually work. The appearance of the ships where based on their function not just what the artist thought looked cool. The shields are not magical energy bubbles. There are no magical speed limits. I'm always impressed by how the systems make for great gameplay mechanics that are fun and interesting, yet at the same time believable as realistic. I-War 2 moved slightly towards being more arcady, but it's still bloody brilliant.

X-Wing and Freespace were fun, but I never felt like I was flying a spaceship. Not once.

Long live I-War!


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