X2 Vs Freelancer.

[CrystalOmega]

My opinions of X2 and Freelancer are a bit more... abstract.

I love both. I actually play Freelancer more often, though.

Freelancer's core revolved around multiplayer and 'on-a-dime' playing. Fighting other people is a tremendous plus to Freelancer's combat score, and the group-play is done nicely.

Now, by 'on-a-dime playing', I mean that everything is done spontaneously. If one wanted to trade, one would simply trade in their ship for a freighter, find a profitable trade route, and start shipping. Total conversion time was under 10 minutes, barring traveling across the entire sector. If one became bored with merchantry, one would simply need to trade in the freighter for a fighter and pick a fight with someone. Again, 10 minutes tops. This allowed for small playing sessions with no need to worry about past actions. What one did a month ago doesn't affect the gameplay of the present.

NPCs and other players also provided spontaneous situations. Out of nowhere, you could be swamped by other players with an eye for your weapons and cargo. Take this, for example. I got swamped by a clan-fleet who were suspicious of my actions (I was actually spying on the defenses of their claimed system for people waiting outside ). Random things like that happen all the time, and provide a very entertaining experience.

X2, in my perception, revolves around projects. Empire-construction projects, military-invasion projects, etc. These involve commitment and dedication; and created a universe of persistence. What one did a month ago has drastic effect (positive and negative) on the gameplay of the present. Of course, you all know this so I won't go into detail.

I'm certainly and by no means saying that either variance is superior. I'm just saying that they're meant for different states of mind. For me, Freelancer is for when I just feel like winging it; getting myself into something and playing from there. X2 is for when I feel like commanding my empire and taking on some serious action.

I'm in both states of mind pretty much evenly. However, with schoolwork and such, I can't really do multi-hour X2 sessions. Freelancer is much more accommodating of my schedule. I still think X2 is a better game, though.

[Brent Rivienne]

Do many people still play Freelancer? Been considering pickin it up but am a little wary after my purchase of "Tachyon: The Fringe" in which all of the multiplayer servers seemed to have shut down.

The graphics look better than I expected... darned misleading screenshots elsewhere.

[Lutzie]

All I can say about Freelancer is that I dont own it but I have an understanding with those who do

Al

LOL! Reply of the thread!

Freelancer is a good game, with some good points, some very good points, and some bad points.
X2 is a good game, with some good points, some very good points, and some bad points.

The amount of ideas the two can learn from each other is amazing.

But both suffered one similar problem, the stories/plots were utter garbage.

[khawk]

I think Freelancer is a game which is far easier to get into and therefore a better game for the big public. Those who are patient (like us) appreciate X2 better I think.
It is of course easier and it takes a lot less time to finish the main plot in Freelancer and only a day before you get a Eagle fighter in Freespace and do the most difficult missions. After that, Freelancer becomes boring.
With X2 however (I at least think so because I am only about 80 hours in the game and didn't complete the Nyama's hideout mission yet) you can concer and control the entire X universe.

[giskard]

the one thing x2 has freelancer does not is the abbility to leave the stupid amiture plots at anytime
got fed up with freelancer keep making me go of and do things i did not want to.

Thats the primary problem I had.
If they unlocked all the gates at the start I probably would have skipped the plot. The plot was fun but I wanted to do other other things.

Giskard

[Some Idiot in PA]

I am quite impressed with how most people posting to this thread have been MORE than fair to another game (Freelancer), even if it was not their preferred game. It seems that most people who have played both games all agree that each game had their good points and bad points. Take it from someone who has posted regularly on several Freelancer forums, dedicated to their multiplayer servers: If this topic had appeared on any one of those forums, the original poster would easily have been insulted, cursed at, and pretty much booed off the forum.



Someone else (too lazy to look up who) said it already: if they topic had been on Lancersreactor.com, it would have been locked immediately.

[duriel]

People on here are quite tolerant really.

I think it helps that quite alot of the time the discussion could generally lead to the things you liked in Freelancer been adapted to fit with X2. Aslong as it's posted on the Devnet of course.

Neil

[Al]

All I can say about Freelancer is that I dont own it but I have an understanding with those who do

Al

LOL! Reply of the thread!

Glad someone acknowledged my attempt to lighten the mood. Perhaps a little too subtle for those who haven't spent much time playing FL.

Al

[Rapier]

...If only Egosoft had presented it that way, in stead of putting a man and woman with guns in their hands on the box cover. Egosoft should have stressed the seriousness and intellectual side of the game more, in stead of presenting it as a splashing graphics adventure...

Er, that would be the american publisher, the european box is an eclipse of a sun (diamong ring) and the X2 logo. The stuff that has come from Ego is quite clear about what the game is.

There were some telling interviews with Bernd at around the time Freelancer came out. From what I recall there are a lot of things he likes about the game but would never put into X games, they just wouldn't fit the desired style of the game.

[thetack]

egosoft understand their markets with the good old USA put tarts and guns for europe put on abstact thinking image



ps before gwb bombs me just a joke

[Lutzie]

All I can say about Freelancer is that I dont own it but I have an understanding with those who do

Al

LOL! Reply of the thread!

Glad someone acknowledged my attempt to lighten the mood. Perhaps a little too subtle for those who haven't spent much time playing FL.

Al

How anyone could miss that one is beyond me!

Speaking of thelancersreactor I NEVER had any bad experiences there... Saying that I left before X2 came out TBH. I think everyone was a bit pissed off with the sheer amount of no-support from MS regarding the game.

[giskard]

I am quite impressed with how most people posting to this thread have been MORE than fair to another game (Freelancer), even if it was not their preferred game. It seems that most people who have played both games all agree that each game had their good points and bad points. Take it from someone who has posted regularly on several Freelancer forums, dedicated to their multiplayer servers: If this topic had appeared on any one of those forums, the original poster would easily have been insulted, cursed at, and pretty much booed off the forum.



Someone else (too lazy to look up who) said it already: if they topic had been on Lancersreactor.com, it would have been locked immediately.

Yes ive seen that happen, mods are generally quick to move such threads on the freelancer forums. Still what I have noticed is that if a known player brings it up like me or Duriel over on some forums the over all response is different than if a stranger brought it up. Both me and Duriel are well known over on some freelancer forums.

The mods will follow their rule book to the letter on lancers so atleast they treat everybody the same even if the readers dont. A lot of people find their rules rather strict but considering the hot heads around I see why they need it.

Giskard

[carran]

I think the important point is both X2 and FL have advanced the space genre and made it a bit more accessible to the game playing public.

Anything that provides ideas and concepts which can be adapted and improved upon - hopefully for X2 - is IMHO an good thing, BTW, anyone heard whether there will be a FL2?

Whether FL or X2 is the better game is a subjective argument, I think both serve the genre well for reasons outlined by other posters, it's also clear both have limitations which I hope will be addressed by future incarnations

[misterSpikes]

I think the important point is both X2 and FL have advanced the space genre and made it a bit more accessible to the game playing public.

Anything that provides ideas and concepts which can be adapted and improved upon - hopefully for X2 - is IMHO an good thing, BTW, anyone heard whether there will be a FL2?

Whether FL or X2 is the better game is a subjective argument, I think both serve the genre well for reasons outlined by other posters, it's also clear both have limitations which I hope will be addressed by future incarnations

Well said! It seems to me that posters to the X2 boards generally (although not always) apply the THINK aspect to what they're posting as well as to their X2 games; as Giskard said there are posters on other forums who will just hurl abuse at you for slightest criticism, whereas on here it's accepted, discussed and the outcome noted by the devs.
As to FL2, who knows? It probably won't come out until they come up with another "Lancer" title. Maybe they'll release a special boxed set with all 3 games:

1. Microsoft's Starlancer
2. Microsoft's Freelancer
3. Bill Gates' Boil Lancer

[Some Idiot in PA]

...considering Microsoft's (and Digital Anvil's) total lack of support for Freelancer, I'd say FL2 is a clear IMPOSSIBILITY. As much as I'd like to see a sequel, it won't happen. The closest you'll get to a sequel is to download the Evolutions mod for Freelancer.

[ians]

I like x2 and freelancer

Freelancer seems alot better in fighting because the shooting in the game seems fast the way it should be, in x2 all the weapons apart from Kyon , Psgs weapons seem to be very SLOW in traving so easy you can avoid gun fire in x2. I can fly in any small ship and go to the Xenon sectors and fly around all the capital ships an they cant hit me coz there fire power is really slow and easy to avoid. And freelancer has online.

But do like the way in x2 where you can own lots of different types of ships and stations, even better when the x2 expansion comes out.

Dont get me wrong do like fighting in x2 especialy when you see ai fighting against each other, just the fire rate in x2 seems to be abit slow to me any one agree ??

[giskard]

One thing that is worth remembering because it applies equally to mod makers as well as game developers is who ever makes a game or mods it does so with a specific plan in mind.

Any idea that comes along that fits in with that plan has a chance of becoming a feature. Any idea that does not fit into that plan has no chance at all.

So an idea must fit that plan to be acceptable and thus considered.

Lets face it, trade lanes where great for freelancer but they are just not a good X feature. Anybody that adds what he thinks is a good idea without considering the over all plan will end up with a royal mess of a game.

Giskard

[mrbandwidth]

The main difference between X2 and FL is that they are games of different genres: yes, they are settled in space, but X2 is mainly a STRATEGY game, while FL is a TRADE & COMBAT game.

Why?

Because in X2 you are able to own lots of ships at the same time, while FL doesn't allow that. And this simple fact has huge consequences in terms of gameplay. Of course, X2 can be played as FL (not the other way) but I seriously doubt nobody had done that except at the beginning of the game.

As it seems clear that Microsoft won't make new Freelancer games, Egosoft should think seriously in making a spinoff of X games, based in the X Universe but without the RTS elements, to catch this potential market. A game (could be named X-Adventurer or similar to state that it's an X game but not of the same kind of X, X2, Xn...) more centered around your character and your unique ship (you could own several ships, but not at the same time), without micro-management but leaving the alive AI economy of X2 as is. The interface (a major drawback in X2) could then be simplified and polished a lot, as long as you wouldn't have to track lots of owned properties.

I think it's a good idea...

Mr B

[carran]

Maybe a good idea but just not going to happen

Personally I'd rather see the X series expanded as planned, what you suggest would require a significant amount of effort to implement ending up with...a FL style game in the X universe?

[misterSpikes]

Maybe someone could write a mod for Freelancer that turns all the ships into X ships and the characters into the different races.

the Khaak could be the Nomads, Argons the Liberty folk, Paranid could be Corsairs, etc etc.

It would take some doing, but it might be fun. If I had the first clue how to mod a game I'd have a bash myself.