Very nice comparison Sunderer.

You forgot that Mercenary also has customizable ships (modular design).

And Mercenary doesn't use wormholes or jumpgates to move from sector to sector like X3 needs.

Overall I think you have to give the edge to Mercenary because of the sheer content/features you get in a small package created by one person. Yes, X3 is by far the best looking of the two games and has some pretty good music as well. But with the latest offering the graphics are a set up from Legends and those planet surfaces are looking great..

[hsimg] [/hsimg]

[hsimg] [/hsimg]

X3 universe could combat this with doing it themselves or least letting you roam around your huge capitol ships or those enormous stations. X3 does a good job on scale and making everything look big and each sector is quite large and all stations, outposts, facility are all well designed.

If Egosoft and Starwraith Games could just get together and make the perfect game 😉

Added a poll to the thread 🙂

They do have some thing in common both devs have spent a number of years making the same game. Although I think the Evochron games have progressed more then the X series.

The ship building process in Evochron is a great feature. You can make civilian ships 'your own' by changing how they look by arranging components; engines, fuel tanks, wings, shield generators, and cargo bays can be placed around the frame to create a highly customized feel. Military ships are locked into a design, typical military approach, with only the fuel tank size changeable on the medium and large ships.

According to the forum the release of Mercenary is scheduled for mid September, I think that puts it in the lead in the race to release a new commercial space sim.

New additions to the game mechanics put an option in to add afterburners to the main throttle axis and the ability to assign an axis for power consumption (shields vs. weapons and engines).

Evochron Mercenary is really geared toward multiplayer gaming, providing interaction with up to 35 other players on each server (it is not geared toward MMO with hundreds or thousands on one server). There are gaming aspects available only on multiplayer such as territory control and in-game voice chatting with other players in the same sector that will be missed by people that play only the single-player mode.

One of the best things is that you are not limited to any particular role in Evochron, you are free to play online however you wish to. You can start a pirate clan that attacks other players for loot, as long as you are prepared for heavy engagements. You can also play as a terrorist in space, simply attacking other players for the thrill of combat. If you like to go the 'hero' route, you can play as a protector and target known aggressors. You can create multiple profiles if you like to switch between aggressor and protector depending on your mood that session.

There are no set rules for online play, although some operators may set rules for their server such as no foul language or designated safe zones where PvP is only allowed by mutual consent.

Darkone added a poll as I was writing my last post. 😆

I own X3 and, as some may have guessed, I have beta tested Mercenary so my vote for E:M is from direct personal comparison.

While both games have their pros and cons, I actually enjoy playing Evochron far above playing the X games.

X3 centralizes on building an empire, including extensive micro-management, where Evochron concentrates on the lifestyle of a single pilot. Although both games have their setting in space, they are fundamentally different. I generally prefer being able to quickly start up a gaming session and have a good round of fun, although the tedious managing in X3 appeals only when I know I have very long periods of being uninterrupted.

Both are good games, I just enjoy playing Evochron more.

Possible September release that is great.

I wonder how much bandwidth and machine I would need to put up a server. I have a machine sitting around the house not doing anything 🙂

My personal experiences with X3 even though they are great games its not my style of game I wouldn't mind a more hands off approach to the whole empire building concept. Because micro-management in a game isn't my idea of fun. Outside of that feature X3 games are solid games and just wish combat was a wee bit faster.

It was the combat that sucked me into the Evochron series, and with systems having different hostility ratings you can have as much or as little as you want.

With multiplayer space combat available with the added trading and exploration, there isn't another game in the 'first-person space shooter' genre that I know of that offers something for almost everyone (people that prefer the 'clean hands' aspect of RTS games likely will not enjoy it as much).

In Renegades and Legends combat against large numbers was relatively easy as the AI tends to 'clump up', making it easy to circle the group and simply throw cannon fire down range at them, beating down the hordes quickly was pretty easy. Mercenary changes that by having the hostile ships spread out, maximizing the hostiles' attack vectors. Clearing out large numbers of hostiles takes about 4X longer in Mercenary, often resulting in the hostiles getting reinforcements before you can clear them out.

I've managed to overcome my supreme jealousy ( >:| >:|) of your recent beta testing of Evo:M, to make a post.

Some, lesser minds might say this makes my viewpoint a bit one-sided, what with me declaring a side and all, to this, I say BAH! I would however like to make some points regarding both series.

* Metagame. For the long run, I find that while it is tedius and boring, 3+ months in, X3 still offers TONS to do. Wether it be working toward that coveted 'plex' or perhaps waging a system-wide purging of those annoying alien races, there is alot more going on then... well.. the military, which besides the beacon campaigns, seems to be Evochrons endgame.

* I find X combat more... balanced? Evochron you found those rediculous exalibur missles, and the games combat stopped involving the player. Press fire, wait 8 seconds (or whatev) and press fire again. I'm glad the duration was improved for Evochron M.

*I actually detest the X3 graphics. In comparison to X2. X2's just seemed alot more believable, with ship designs and stations. A frieghter, in my mind, should look bulky. Plus, COCKPITS. X2 wins in this regard, as in Evo, you only have one cockpit for all the ships. (Altho, in all honesty, its an amazing cockpit. Simplicity, with a view. I love the design.)

*Evo has a little bit better exploration options. Hidden PLANETS yo. Systems too. In X3 all you can find are items and ships.

I'm sure we could debate all day, and Ive probably missed a dozen points or so, but yeah. In the end, between X3:TC, and Evochron Legends. ( Havn't played Merc, can't compare.) I vote legends. 🙂

Mercenary got my vote, but to be fair to X3 I think it would do better in the poll if they kept the cockpits in the game. It really loses the immersion aspect. Mind you I have only skimmed over X3 and X2 because I am still stuck on X1! 😳

You can have cockpits in X3 its a mod ( http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=241761 )

Had to do a bit of digging on this one. Turned up a link for Shawns 1.51 cockpit mod here

http://rs416.rapidshare.com/files/26251 ... M_v151.rar

Also older versions for use with some compatibility problems here

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... sc&start=0

Waiting for mercenaries to come out,until then X3 😛