Comments on: If only I can get that damn slam cannon...

If only I can get that damn slam cannon...

blahblahblah — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 22:53:05 -0800

Transcendence. Prepare to waste a lot of time. This free, downloadable game is kind of like Nethack. But re-envisioned as a shoot-em-up. In space. With pretty graphics. And a backstory. And user mods. If any of that appeals to you, download the newly released version .95 and say goodbye to the rest of your productive week.

By: nicwolff

nicwolff — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:22:03 -0800

Windows-only.

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:34:55 -0800

I wasted about three minutes. It just wasn't much fun, and I enjoy this kind of game. I'll stick with Sinistar.

By: nathan_teske

nathan_teske — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:37:09 -0800

It was more fun when it was called Escape Velocity

By: 517

517 — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:44:52 -0800

Maybe if you guys direct that piss somewhere else you won't get so much splashed on the front of your pants.

By: blahblahblah

blahblahblah — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:50:42 -0800

Perhaps I should have qualified a bit more given the grouchiness of a couple of responses -- this game is definitely more like Nethack (intentionally so) than anything else, with a strong kill-things-get-stuff-so-you-can-kill-more-things element. There are some neat emergent behaviors that occur between factions, items to discover, some missions and quests, "levels" to descend and a whole lot of shooting and looting. Basically, the Nethack/ADOM/Angaband elements translated to a science fiction setting. So, if THAT sounds appealing, this is your game, otherwise, sure, download Sinistar or something. And yes, Windows only.

By: Protocols of the Elders of Awesome

Protocols of the Elders of Awesome — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:57:53 -0800

So coasting through space uses fuel now?

By: metaculpa

metaculpa — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:18:17 -0800

Protocols of the Elders of Awesome - best name ever.

By: Protocols of the Elders of Awesome

Protocols of the Elders of Awesome — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:25:44 -0800

Thank you

By: JHarris

JHarris — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:41:12 -0800

Er, how is this like the the great and mighty Nethack?

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:42:09 -0800

Yeah, it's like Nethack: Kill stuff. Get their items. The killing, though, is via an Asteroids-style melee and navigation interface, which might tend to muddy the comparison. I only just discovered I could dock with the things I (almost) destroy, so I can't say how deep it gets with extended play. But it does have a thriving fan community. I'm sure there are other games approximately like this, but I wasn't aware that any of them permanently owned the category.

By: Dag Maggot

Dag Maggot — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 03:44:50 -0800

Second the EV similarity. It also looks a bit like Star Control II. With the melee stuff. God I loved that game. Still waiting for a decent remake

By: Malor

Malor — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 04:42:10 -0800

Dag Maggot, you can stop waiting now. The Ur-Quan Masters is a nearly perfect remake. It's better than the PC version you probably played, because they included the speech from the 3DO flavor of the game. I thought it added quite a bit... the voices are uniformly good. The Spathi, Druuge, and Zoq/Fot/Pik are awesome. For those who haven't encountered it yet, Star Control 2 stands very, very tall in the annals of gaming. The graphics are a bit simplistic now, but there's a lot of depth to the game. Good stuff. This is a free remake of the best version, so check it out. :)

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 06:17:24 -0800

I was successfully aiming for your mouth, 517.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 07:59:20 -0800

This makes me wish I still had the after-dark screensaver, Lunatic Fringe. That game was so addictive I kept around the mac it was installed on long after I stopped using the computer for any other use. this game just ate up an hour of my time, though, to be honest.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:01:02 -0800

wow. maybe I need to get a mac mini after all...

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 09:44:08 -0800

I've just gotten myself addicted to Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space (a nominee for the 2006 IGF awards). The developers call WW a "coffee break game" -- it's made to play in 10-30 minute chunks (or 1 minute if you're unlucky or not careful enough). But it's not shallow; all sorts of tactical depth, and the purpose for all those items, is revealed in repeat play. Particularly in the full version, which has some much more challenging enemies in it. Somebody recommended EV Nova on a Weird Worlds board for people who want longer games, so I'll have to check this out... thanks for the post.

By: Durhey

Durhey — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 10:13:58 -0800

Another vote here for EV Nova. It's definitely one of the deepest and most engaging independent releases I've seen, and the spiritual successor to Star Control 2, IMHO.

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 10:25:04 -0800

Star Control 2 was the shizzle. I played it through a half-dozen times, and played it through again a couple more times on the 3D0. A pity that SC3 was so piss-poor. The only real weakness of SC2 is that the Pkunk ships are much too powerful for their low cost, and the endgame is pretty much trivial with a full complement of said vessels. I'll have to check out EV Nova; thanks for the pointer.

By: Heywood Mogroot

Heywood Mogroot — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 10:28:54 -0800

*************
OGG THE BASE!
*************

By: Dag Maggot

Dag Maggot — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 15:51:10 -0800

Thanks Malor, I'll have to try Ur-Quan Masters, looks pretty faithfull. It would be nice to see a new "re-imagined" version of StarControl II with updated graphics etc. It was the depth of gameplay and immersive universe that made the game great. And why, in my opinion, games like Quake suck the big one. (ducks)

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:21:35 -0800

I thought it was Transcend. (Kinda cool idea, but only 3 levels so far.)

By: jiawen

jiawen — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 22:41:33 -0800

Orz are *happy campers*... That's got to be one of my favorite alien races anywhere in SF. Genuinely alien, and quite mysterious, and scary, but at the same time fun as can be...

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:02:53 -0800

You are so many *lonely* *juicy* *bubbles*. It is so sad.

By: jiawen

jiawen — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 10:56:34 -0800

*frumple*!

By: joecacti

joecacti — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:55:57 -0800

I should have posted these earlier... First of all, subspace / aka continuum. http://beginners.subspace.net/ The other one that used to be a Microsoft game, but is now available free and cared for by the community is Allegiance: http://www.freeallegiance.org/ And there's always empirepoker.com :/

By: Edible Energy

Edible Energy — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 16:21:25 -0800

this is fun, good shit.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 02:56:23 -0800

Oh man, this just ate four hours of my life.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:14:50 -0800

Where the hell did my omnidirectional laser go goddammitt!!

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:15:08 -0800

Great game.