Space Simulations

With Masters of Orion 3 coming out the thought of checking out the space simulation market came up again today. The demos for Stars and Space Empires are very interesting and the full versions are high on my list so far in regards to actual purchases. While looking at some reviews I ran across Star Control 3 and Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. Any insight into any of these four sims as well as any others that might exist would be greatly appreciated. It would be nice to hear about the enjoyment levels, longevity and the overall challenge of each. Also, any comparisons to or thoughts on MOO3 would also be appreciated. Thanks.

[Blackadar]

Space Empires is very good, but VERY deep. You're going to have to make an effort to understand that one. If you can get by the learning curve, then you'll probably love it.

MOO3 isn't out yet, so there's no way to compare it. You may want to watch for the reviews on GameRankings. Most have been positive thus far, but there's one bad one from AVault, which worries me since AVault's reviews are usually accurate.

[RawIsDan]

This is a little off topic for this thread but since when has this board been topic ? Watching Sci-Fi channel I came across Battlestar Galatica and wondered, unlike Star War's Tie/X-wing fighter series, why no one bothered to make a Viper version.

Very cool ship, even after all these years.

[sachmo71]

Strange Adventures in Infinite Space is only a space simulation in that it takes place in space. It is not a serious space game at all, merely a fun diversion. Games last at most 10 minutes each. Basically, you are a captain of a ship hired by a company to explore a new galaxy. You visit planets, collecting artifacts and weapons along the way. There are hostile aliens to encounter, and allies as well. You have to get back to the starting system before your time limit is up or you are penalized. the object of the game is to get as high of a score as possible. Fun game, but not serious at all. All of that said, I do recommend it!

[Tarkus]

I'm waiting for Homeworld 2.

Tarkus

[sachmo71]

Originally posted by RawIsDan
This is a little off topic for this thread but since when has this board been topic ? Watching Sci-Fi channel I came across Battlestar Galatica and wondered, unlike Star War's Tie/X-wing fighter series, why no one bothered to make a Viper version.

Very cool ship, even after all these years.

You could very well see a Viper space simulator if the Battlestar Galactica movie ever goes into production. It's in development by Universal, so who knows?

I really enjoyed the Stars! Demo but was turned off by the lack of interaction among the different races so it looks like Space Empires IV Gold is going to win out. The idea of maintaining relationships is a high priority for the type of challenge that I am looking. The learning curve is very evident in the demo but should only add to the overall long-term satisfaction. Hopefully.

If anyone has a copy that they don’t want any longer or are willing to lend out please drop me a line. Thanks.

BTW, Galactic Civilizations looks much like MOO3 and is due out next month. Has anyone heard much about this one?


Stupid Question: what exactly does 4X Strategy mean?

[sabotai]

"Stupid Question: what exactly does 4X Strategy mean?"

eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate

Excellent. Thanks.

[Ryche]

March 4th, Freelancer is being released. The game is overdue, but is supposed to be prety revolutionary and multiplayer will be available. Check out some reviews for it.

[RawIsDan]

Originally posted by sachmo71
You could very well see a Viper space simulator if the Battlestar Galactica movie ever goes into production. It's in development by Universal, so who knows?

Are you serious ? That would be cool. Of course it would not be the same without Lorne Green as Adama.

This might be what he is referring to:

Movie

[Tarkus]

Originally posted by Ryche
March 4th, Freelancer is being released. The game is overdue, but is supposed to be prety revolutionary and multiplayer will be available. Check out some reviews for it.

Downloaded the Freelancer demo and it's pretty cool. Still very early in it but it seems like it might be a good one.

Tarkus

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, I was doing a search for Homeworld 2, and I came across this as one of the few threads to mention it. I bought this with some of my Birthday money the other day as I've just beaten Gladius and am currently not in the mood to play FOF2004 (due to my firing - which is my own fault but has dampened me on the game for a short period)

Anyway, so far I'm really enjoying this game and consider it a very worthy addition to my collection of games. I was just wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on this game? If anyone is interested, I will write some form of review of the game in a few days to a week after I've had a chance to digest it some (will have a lot of free time this weekend to play this, FBCB, and hopefully FOF2004 again.) However, I really was looking for other people's thoughts on this game, hence my search tonight.

[sabotai]

I don't have Homeworld 2, but I do have the original Homeworld. I thought it was a great game and if they haven't messed with the formula, I'm sure the second one is a pretty good game too. It's a little hard to get used to the controls at first, but it doesn't take long. Selecting ships in the heat of battle can be a real pain though.

[MrBug708]

Even though it was for Mac's, Escape Velocity was the greatest game ever

[Taur]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Even though it was for Mac's, Escape Velocity was the greatest game ever

Loved that game.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

To be a realistic space sim the game would have to have bugs that would cause it to be worthless...