Torric wrote:
Besides, i really like online gaming, but the only real consistant universe space MMO that comes to mind is EVE - and i have heard horror stories about EVE's skill system and when checking out the EVE forums, i learned that EVE not only is a game, but apparently now a science too - didn't know 90% of the terms they were using there
EVE is indeed a science, a second job. One can only play it if they really have a lot of time to kill, as it rewards the hard-core much more than the casual. I enjoyed it while I played it, but after a while I just didn't feel like getting bogged down anymore.
I took Logan5's advice and gave Ad Astra a go, great game actually and the best alternative for Infinity. Ship models look bad to be honest, planets look great on a high-end machine with clipping distance for vegetation on max, especially in low orbit with cloud details. Ship models can look a lot better with more varied textures, the game has built in editors for everything from ships to plants and animals to textures. If we can build up a decent modding community for the gamd, users could come up with some interesting ship designs.
I guess i am too spoilt by the games i used to play. I looked up Ad astra, and the site and screenshots made my eyes hurt tbh : (. After i tried to move on from my savegame in x3:tc for 2 hours, with nothing but frustration in the outcome (seriously, what retard game designer enables it for an M4 pilot with starting weapons to be offered a mission that sends him off against a capital ship and 20 escorts all alone? Makes me just want to yell out: "What is your major malfunction? ..."), i think i'll save up a bit and get Evochron Mercenaries.
Yeah Ad Astra's visuals does'nt look that good, maybe its because I got used to the graphics, still think planets look good though. I also want to get Evochron Mercenaries and I can't wait for payday next week, I wanted to get it since playing the Renegades demo and since playing Mercenaries on other people's PCs I've been itching to get it myself. I just hope I can do the wire transfer from my country as there is no retail version for the game, I dont mind driving the extra distance to the bank for nothing, its because I really want to get this game for myself, the full game that is, not just the demo.
You can download and pay for Evochron Mercenaries via the games website, Gamersgate or Impulse, to name a few. At least Gamersgate and Impulse also accept Paypal as a payment option, i don't know about the games site itself. Would probably make the most sense to buy it directly, since that hopefully means the developer gets the most out of it.Anyway, after some like 9 hours (plus probably another 4 hours i spent getting killed) in the X3:tc universe, it really started to grow on me - now it's addictive as hell! =)
mavrospete wrote:
Hi everyone, i'm new to this forum. I'm looking for a space sim with the ability to land on planets. I used to play X series but there was no planetary landing. Plus that it was extremely difficult to learn the game.
Hey, everybody.Mavrospete, I'm not sure if you're still looking for the game you describe, but if you are, I must second Dragon and recommend "The Precursors." It's by a Russian company, Deep Shadows. It's kind of hard to find, but it's a must-try. It has what you're looking for - you can land on planets (though it's accomplished via cutscene); you can pilot your ship, or freely get up and walk around and store things in it; on-world and in space you can do main and side missions; you can pilot various land and air vehicles on planets, and go back to your ship whenever you want; you can upgrade your ship's weapons and systems; engage in space battles and races, piracy, and trade. On foot it's a shooter with RPG elements, in space it's your average space trade/combat game. And since graphics matter to you, they are quite good. It's not perfect, and can be buggy and frustrating, but it can also be a blast. If you want a space sim with planet exploration and foot combat, Precursors is definitely the best one out there so far.
I might as well also push up recommendation on Precursors, the game also has some nice varied star systems and planets that vary from a Star Wars-like desert planet to a jungle planet with all kinds of weird creatures that may remind players of Spore and a nuked-up, battle hardened moon infested with SAM sites, military camps and tank patrols. (much like Boiling Point from the same developer) The game also has several weapons to choose from, normal conventional weapons, spear weapons similar to those seen in Stargate and creatures used as guns that you "reload" by feeding them. Just remember where you park your planetary vehicles and aircraft, and always stock up on as many repair kits, fuel and spare tires as you can!
Precursors is just another average FPS... There is absolutely nothing to do in space, nowhere to go, and nothing to care about, except storyline missions. Plus you can have all available upgrades right from beginning... No special stuff, no artifacts or whatever... Boring.
I would'nt say The Precursors is just an average FPS, it plays more like a RPG shooter like Fallout and Borderlands (character development is more like Borderlands and damage system more like Fallout), maps are large where crossing them on foot without a vehicle would seem like a feat accomplished, creatures and people respawn dynamically so you wont soon find yourself on a empty, uninteresting planet like in the Mass Effect games. Precursors do only have six planets to land on though, the rest is only scenery. The game also has a complete inventory and loot system. Space can become boring, trading means just jumping between stations the whole time without any real space travel to jumpgates or hyperspace areas and no use in mining as the mineral trader on Reandore opens up the personal inventory instead of the ship's, and carrying 500 tons of minerals in my backpack would be a problem, a bug yet to be fixed. The space stations also all look the same, so there is no point in visiting them all, except for quests. As i've said earlier, the game focuses more on land combat, the developer themselves said that a player would spend about 70% of the time on planets and 30% in space.As for Evochron Mercenaries, I've tried buying the game through PayPal but they do not recognise my card, bah! It seems I have no choice but to do the wire transfer. Seems that I will be sticking with Ad Astra or Precusors for the weekend, I must say that I am having a good time on Ad Astra at present, 96+ hours on Precursors seems to be enough, for now.
Fallout 3/Vegas and Mass Effect tells a good story and have tons of dialogues and many well developed characters, making you to decide which way is better, and resolve situations even without weapon fire, and THAT is an RPG. And Borderlands have procedural weapon generation and other things that can add some replayability. Having ability to loot your enemies and gaining exp is not mean you are playing an RPG game. There is some side quests and dialogue options, but it's just so obvious and linear... Damn even STALKER have far more attractive gameplay, even without any dialogues exp gains and perks. Precursors is one of few games i have, and didn't finished yet, because it's boring.
Certainly Race Driver 3 was a racing game and not a RPG, it also involved a storyline and decision-making that led to different outcomes. I enjoyed my time with RPGs the most in the good ol' days with games like the first Diablo, Final Fantasy 5 to 8 and Baldur's Gate, I like the grinding, levelling, looting and selling formula rather than talking my way through a game. Obviously, we have different opinions in taste of RPGs and it's not about what is RPG and what is not, old-school or new, there are many different types of RPG-like games these days. The good thing is, the OP now has different types of opinions on Precursors to better establish his own about the game.Now that I think of it, has the OP played one of the Mass Effect games? most probably, if not, you can give it a go also, it's even farther away from a space sim with planet landings but, it also involves space alot and you can at least fly your ship across systems by dragging the mouse in a RTS-like view in the second game.And regarding Risbosix's post, I've tried Impulse, to no avail. Maybe a problem with my particular location and credit card, thanks anyway.
Ironically Mass Effect number one had ability to land on planets... I hate how devs throw out a promising concepts because some ppl said it's bad, and devs too lazy to develop it. Then they put in a total bullcrap like those planet scanning... It was boring 20 years ago and now they think it's better than exploring surface on wheels... Fools.Precursors suffer from another money-related sickness. Precursors gameplay was sacrificed for some profit, so it was left under-developed. They promised a sequel only if first game sales will be good. And they never had a chance to develop it fully because Deep Shadows is Ukrainian developer, and like in Russia there is no publishers who want to spend money on huge projects.
