Mechwarrior comes stomping back as a free to play online game
June 2, 2012 2:52 PM   Subscribe

Mechwarrior online From Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publshing. After waiting for the "stars to align" properly, have aquired the rights to reboot the Mechwarrior series as a somewhat free to play online game. There is a Founders pack and Elite pack if you want to shell out the money, but the basic game is free to play.

Equipping your mech is up to you, and it looks like there's more to it than just getting the biggest assault mech and putting the biggest weapons you can get on it. Without an overhead view, the small scout mechs are as important as any.

I don't want this to look like an add, I just really loved this game from my Super Nintendo days.
posted by Redhush (79 comments total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
 
About damn time. I hear all these kids talk about MW2 and all I can think of is that is what we used to call Mechwarrior 2.
posted by chemoboy at 3:19 PM on June 2, 2012 [8 favorites]


This is great, but I won't be truly happy until I get to play X-Wing again.
posted by gerryblog at 3:22 PM on June 2, 2012 [16 favorites]


MechWarrior (and Battletech) has so many memories for me:

- Playing the first one on a friend's Tandy, perfecting the Shadow Hawk Death From Above attack by leaping ontop of so many Battlemasters.
- Too many late nights playing Battletech, four to six guys crowding into the bathroom that had ceramic tiles in the proper hex shape.
- MechWarrior 2, the sound of the cockpit closing and systems coming on line.
- The soundtrack to the same being found in a discman amongst the remains of a close friend's shotgun suicide, the last thing he heard before he died.
- Being wined and dined (well, Beer'd and Burgered) by a WizKids guy at my first GenCon because I had a rpg.net press pass.

Weird times. Hope I can dive into this one too.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:27 PM on June 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


*bounces* Happy happy happy.
posted by strixus at 3:27 PM on June 2, 2012


This is great, but I won't be truly happy until I get to play X-Wing again.

I believe you mean Tie Fighter.
posted by michaelh at 3:43 PM on June 2, 2012 [7 favorites]


Hey! They should do a game with both X-Wings and TIE Fighters!
posted by Malor at 3:55 PM on June 2, 2012 [6 favorites]


Oh, and gerryblog: the one thing about X-Wing is that it takes a really good joystick to play, because you need to be able to whip your craft around and around, peel out of a turn to line up a couple of razor-accurate shots, and then start turning again almost immediately. Thumbsticks don't cut it.

It runs really nicely in DOSBox, if you set it to about a 33Mhz emulated machine, dynamic core. But you need a joystick, and they're not very common these days.
posted by Malor at 3:57 PM on June 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


Thanks Malor. Last time I tried I couldn't get it working, but perhaps I'll try again. TIE Fighter was great too but X-Wing was the game I really inhabited -- I could bring down those level-ending Star Destroyers single-handedly in my prime.

You're right that it would hardly be worth it without a joystick...

Sorry for the derail. Mechwarrior's great too! I'm straining my heatsinks just thinking about it.
posted by gerryblog at 4:04 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Uh, this is currently a closed beta. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Cool news, though, I signed up.
posted by nerdinexile at 4:05 PM on June 2, 2012


Signed up, very cool, lots of nostalgia here. I do hope they make it a great game though, some of these free to plays are just meh..but it is free!
posted by Prudentia at 4:13 PM on June 2, 2012


Oh, man. This could be good. I've flogged my desire for a modern multiplayer mech simulator (preferably Battletech) on various forums for years now.

Of course, if I replace my broken stick and throttle I'm just asking for my Falcon itch to kick back in....
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:22 PM on June 2, 2012


People who own Crysis Warhead might also be interest in the MechWarrior: Living Legends mod (which hopefully won't have its community killed off by this new release)
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:24 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh my God, I remember sometimes because my parents kicked ass I would get video-games for Easter. In addition to candy. Because hey. Anyway, I will forever remember getting X-Wing. And playing it and playing it and playing it. Go Jesus!

What a great game that was. I'm afraid to try it in DosBox sort of, because I'm afraid it will somehow ruin my perfect remembrance.

Make a new one!

Do it!

Anyway. Um. MechWarrior! I have fond memories of playing... MechWarrior 2, maybe? On the PC. I was never very good at it at all, but I liked the idea of giant robots full of missiles.
posted by kbanas at 4:28 PM on June 2, 2012


I tried to get back into it with one of the newer games - like, um, Millenium Falcon? Was that one? But my fuzzy recollection is that it didn't really do it for me.
posted by kbanas at 4:29 PM on June 2, 2012


My standard screen name was MechMerc for years when I was a kid. And now I'm on a mac.
posted by cmoj at 4:53 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


This is great, but I won't be truly happy until I get to play X-Wing again.

signed.
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 4:54 PM on June 2, 2012


I was interested until I saw 'free to play online game". That business model is the absolute kiss of death; it poisons the very design so that 'fun' is no longer the primary objective of the developers, and nothing can save it then.
posted by Mitrovarr at 5:28 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Desperately waiting for my Beta invite.
posted by Splunge at 5:30 PM on June 2, 2012


Some friends, or friends of friends, recently put out a game for iOS using the "Freemium" model (as I have discovered it has been called), and while the game per se seems to have got pretty good reviews, the micro-payment model for in-game buying stuff needs to have been a serious mis-calculation.

People hate it, passionately.

I spent hours reading about it, the model, and their reasons for going that way and while I can see why it must have seemed like an awesome idea around the design table to help grow and support the game (and their start-up) the more I looked into "Freemium" games the less I was interested in anything to do with them.

The fun is indeed MIA.
posted by Mezentian at 5:46 PM on June 2, 2012


I'm going to play this so hard.
posted by Justinian at 5:56 PM on June 2, 2012


I spent hours reading about it, the model, and their reasons for going that way and while I can see why it must have seemed like an awesome idea around the design table to help grow and support the game (and their start-up) the more I looked into "Freemium" games the less I was interested in anything to do with them.

The fun is indeed MIA.


Agreed for the sort that curve difficulty to require payments to win. I am encouraged by League of Legends' ability to make a ton of money without selling power. (Users pay for customized skins or to buy champions that can also be unlocked by playing a certain number of games, and are balanced so they don't provide an advantage.) I think they have not sacrificed their long-term prospects by doing this despite that their statisticians could probably point out a hundred ways to make an extra million by making "small" (no such thing really) compromises of their promise to their players.
posted by michaelh at 6:09 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Uh, this is currently a closed beta. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Cool news, though, I signed up

I believe the full release is set for mid July. My biggest disappointment is no mac compatability yet. As for fun does not equal free, in this case I'm gonna give it a serious chance first. If it costs less than WOW per month to enjoy fully.....
posted by Redhush at 6:18 PM on June 2, 2012


I remembered being soo excited about Mechwarrior 5, after having played the heck out of the original and 3. I've vowed not to do the online thing, but my resolve is definitely wavering.

I have a pretty nice joystick in a basket in storage - are there any modern space combat games that aren't awful?
posted by porpoise at 6:23 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think some of the charges made here against freemium games are far too sweeping. There are absolutely implementations of the business model which can work quite well. But reading this thread you'd think it was the kiss of death.
posted by Justinian at 6:24 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I used to play Mechwarrior on my IBM 386 in those bygone days before AOL and animated GIF porn. Can't wait to get home and check this out.
posted by munchingzombie at 6:46 PM on June 2, 2012


Fun! I just started playing Myth II: Soulblighter with friends at work, and I thought we were being old-school, but Mechwarrior, wow. I still remember when you had to go to a storefront (river north in Chicago, for me) and pay by the round to do Mechwarrior in giant enclosed stationary cabinets.
posted by davejay at 7:07 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I was interested until I saw 'free to play online game". That business model is the absolute kiss of death; it poisons the very design so that 'fun' is no longer the primary objective of the developers, and nothing can save it then.

Last week we were talking about Kingdom of Loathing, which is free to play online. Definitely not a kiss of death; fun is certainly the goal of the game and the crew.

On-topic, I never played MW that much, but a few of my buddies were huuuge into #2, and seeing them play was pretty awesome. Definitely need to check this out.
posted by Lemurrhea at 7:11 PM on June 2, 2012


I just started playing Myth II: Soulblighter with friends at work,

'Move here, move there...'

'Burn!'

Oh, those Dwarves....
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:13 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


F2P/freemium/microtransactions don't have to go hand in hand with wringing the last dime out of the users via abusive psychological mechanisms--but that's certainly the current model.

Hopefully the growing backlash will prompt more thoughtful exploration of other ways to go about it....
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:15 PM on June 2, 2012


What's with the terrible domain name choice? They appear to own the strong-branded mechwarrior.com but it redirects to... mwomercs.com
posted by rh at 7:21 PM on June 2, 2012


Yeah, the Freemium Divide is essentially "Games where you pay to skip ahead in the fun" vs "Games where you pay to keep having fun." The latter (You get X Awesomes a Day! Pay $$ for more!") will never beat the former ("Pay to skip over the stuff you've already done or to flashforward").
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:24 PM on June 2, 2012


Oh man, how I miss giant robot games and space fighter games....

Actually I was just thinking about a kinect controlled mech game...you know step on the infantry men, punch other mechs when you're in close...it would have to have some extra controller something something for precision work, but man you would actually be able to do the giant smashy stuff I always dreamed of.
posted by Chekhovian at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2012


The other point to make, the recent transformers game war for cybertron was pretty enjoyable giant robot fair (note that it is entirely decoupled from the movies). Theres a sequel coming out that will allow you to play as Grimlock...yes a giant robotic TRex.

The 2003 Atari Ps2 transformers was also pretty great. It really captured the feel of giant robotness more than the modern ones do. And you could customize prime with minicon plugins, like a crude omnimech.
posted by Chekhovian at 7:39 PM on June 2, 2012


I'd go for another MechCommander game first, but this is still very good.
posted by graxe at 7:46 PM on June 2, 2012


Free to play has worked pretty well in the games I've played such as Shin Megami Tensei. You can play it completely free, but the store gives access to elite items such as weapons and clothing that may or may not be superior to the ones you can acquire in the game. Prices are inflated in the game, but that's easily dealt with by not buying overpriced items.
posted by happyroach at 8:06 PM on June 2, 2012


Mech Warrior. X-Wing. Wing Commander. These were the joys of my youth.. (As opposed to my adolescence, which was entirely given over to Tribes,) Why do they not make games like that anymore?
posted by Scientist at 8:16 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


AC/10.

Headshot.

Good times.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:39 PM on June 2, 2012


Why do they not make games like that anymore?

I think its two things that synergize:
1. Programmers don't build good resumes by making polygons move around
2. The console revolution has eliminated the controls that made those games great, mouse and keyboard, joystick etc. There aren't enough buttons to simultaneous rebalance your XWings power distribution while firing and manuevering. And serious flying with a thumbstick? Barf.
So there are joysticks for consoles you can buy, but what manufacturer is going to cut its audience down by 90% by requiring extra purchases*

Probably some asshole is going to make a space fighter game with controls like the Taelon shuttle from Earth Final Conflict. Remember that stupid wave your arms in space BS? That's what we have to ahead of us. That and FPS controls on touchscreens. Double Barf.

*Just a rough estimate for the Monetary Boltzemann factor associated extra purchases.
posted by Chekhovian at 8:41 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Game design peaked in that window around Lemmings, Sim City, Star Command 2 and Civilisation.
That is all.

(I did love with a passion BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception. I would play that again, but is seems as if his new Mech Warrior isn't cut from the same cloth).
posted by Mezentian at 9:08 PM on June 2, 2012


I still remember when you had to go to a storefront (river north in Chicago, for me) and pay by the round to do Mechwarrior in giant enclosed stationary cabinets.

After 19 years of waiting, I finally got to play in one of those at Origins in Columbus, OH a couple of years ago. It was everything I hoped it would be.
posted by adamdschneider at 9:40 PM on June 2, 2012


Actually I was just thinking about a kinect controlled mech game

Chekhovian, you may want to look at Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor. It's not quite the 1:1 body:mech system you're thinking of, but rather uses the Kinect as a way to access all the damn buttons which would be present in a hypothetical mech cockpit or the specialized controllers of yesteryear.
posted by unmake at 9:50 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Kinect as a way to access all the damn buttons which would be present in a hypothetical mech cockpit

That's pretty hot. But honestly I would probably just prefer a regular controller + a cheapo Bluetooth keyboard or something for the miscellaneous buttons. The problem with every motion capture controller is the lack of feedback/resistance to the controls. I don't think that's going to be a cheaply solvable problem.

Though a buddy of mine was at one point writing software to control robotic arms for retirement home exercises. Elderly people would push and pull on the arm through some kind of physical therapy routines. So maybe the 10th generation Xbox will have its own robot arm system. Which would be awesome.
posted by Chekhovian at 10:29 PM on June 2, 2012


Pirated copies of Mechwarrior 2 and X-Wing...both copied for me by my uncle the cop. Those were the days.
posted by asnider at 10:44 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Game design peaked in that window around Lemmings, Sim City, Star Command 2 and Civilisation. That is all.

Anybody wanna play "Guess Mezentian's age?"
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:46 PM on June 2, 2012


Lemurrhea: Last week we were talking about Kingdom of Loathing, which is free to play online. Definitely not a kiss of death; fun is certainly the goal of the game and the crew.

Kingdom of Loathing is not a typical freemium game. I don't think it was really designed to make money, or at least that wasn't the primary objective; it reminds me of nothing so much as an old-style MUD that takes donations and hands out interesting items. You can easily access 95% of the game's content without buying anything.

That being said, the late game degrades into the same MMORPG grindfest as anywhere else. I played through it once for the humor value and then got bored of it forever.
posted by Mitrovarr at 11:54 PM on June 2, 2012


Chekhovian: "Oh man, how I miss giant robot games and space fighter games...."

Right there with you. I have a nice flight-stick/throttle/rudder peddle set that's probably gone unused for seven years now, maybe longer when I think that the last times I used them with any regularity I was playing Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries and Freespace 2. Can't wait to play this game, I have very fond memories of an older online Battletech game and taking out much larger mechs with my 35ton Panther. High speed, jump jets and an arm mounted PPC for the win.
posted by the_artificer at 12:45 AM on June 3, 2012


Fun! I just started playing Myth II: Soulblighter with friends at work

Casualty.
posted by MartinWisse at 1:57 AM on June 3, 2012


You mean C-c-c-ca-ca-ca-casualty. Oh my bad, that would be Myth.
posted by ersatz at 3:15 AM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


League of Legends is a great example of a fully working F2P model. Or RuneScape for that matter which has been free to play for over a decade with members just getting access to more content.

There are lots of bad examples of F2P model being exploited and used to lock the fun parts behind pay walls, but the model is getting better and more viable. Don't forget that Dust 514 and DOTA2 will both be F2P and CCP and Valve are well respected companies with quite solid track records.

Mechwarrior 2 was amazing. I'm still annoyed that the changed the A.I./mech voice to a male one for the third game.
posted by slimepuppy at 4:27 AM on June 3, 2012


I'm a Battletech player, not a Mechwarrior player, and while I can appreciate the setting for this game, I can't really get into the twitch gaming and FPS-like action.

Every few years we talk about this universe on the Blue, and every few years I like to point out MegaMek, a faithful simulation of pushing around miniatures on a hexagon map. It supports online play (I once was part of an 8 player game that lasted all day -- just lucky the boss was on vacation), complete configuration of the battle and maps, and you can even import home-brew mechs. And, yes, it's free.
posted by thanotopsis at 6:10 AM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


If it really plays like a mech sim (flight sim crossed with tank sim, more or less) then if done right it won't feel like a twitch FPS.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:42 AM on June 3, 2012


Oh gawd. My gimmick mechs (MW 2) online....

One I loved was my Ubersnipe, a Catapult with Arrow IV and a Beagle Active Probe.

"Oh, look. There's another mech a klick and a half away. And lock... And fire. Buh bye!"

After the people I used to play with got smart about anti-missile defenses, it was time to face...

The Kneehound (a name a friend gave it).

A very low profile Nova with a jacked engine, a fair bit of heat sinks, and an enhanced loadout of jump jets. Oh, and a lot of lasers. (Samizdata as a mech designer favors energy armament as a design philosophy as he hates worrying about ammo).

Jet in at hyperspeed, kneecap you with an alpha strike to the legs, then bail back out. (People used to remark all the time how blisteringly fast the little beast was, right before they started to analyze my parentage...)
posted by Samizdata at 7:57 AM on June 3, 2012


I used to be a mech pilot like you...
posted by adamdschneider at 8:57 AM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


thanotopsis: "and every few years I like to point out MegaMek, a faithful simulation of pushing around miniatures on a hexagon map."

That reminds me of Mechforce for the Amiga which I lost many hours to back in the early 90s.
posted by the_artificer at 4:14 PM on June 3, 2012


My only question is: are LRMs cheap?
posted by wilful at 4:27 PM on June 3, 2012


A couple of years ago I asked metafilter if there were any joystick games left. The basic answer, nope...
posted by wilful at 4:32 PM on June 3, 2012


were any joystick games left. The basic answer, nope...

*Single Tear*
posted by Chekhovian at 5:11 PM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Actually, the last few years have seen a small resurgence in flight sims, so there's that.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:38 PM on June 3, 2012


were any joystick games left. The basic answer, nope...

Is there anything like a reverse-Kickstarter?

People want a product, throw in money (and get it back with some interest if a team can't be put together), and solicits/competitions a team to get the product made?

All I want is an old school "WWII aeroplane combat, in spaaace." Wing Commander Prophecy was an arcade version of the Wing Commander games. Jump-in-and-fly missions. Decent graphics for the time. I'd settle for even a modern version of that over, say, something as breathtaking and nuanced as the original X-Wing/Tie Fighter/X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter series.

My kingdom, my kingdom* for a modern Privateer clone/upgrade. Or even Privateer 2.

* size and value of kingdom undisclosed
posted by porpoise at 6:21 PM on June 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


porpoise, you and me both. I can't believe there's no market for this kind of thing.
posted by wilful at 6:24 PM on June 3, 2012


One my friends actually intentionally shattered his Privateer 1 disc because he was failing out of high school from playing the game so much. I bought the value pack combo of WC4 and P2, but I could never get P2 to install and work properly.

That is the one benefit of console games, they generally just work. And there isn't a continual nightmare of crashes, patches, and incompatibilities.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:26 PM on June 3, 2012


Actually, I did play one flight sim recently that was INCREDIBLE. Apache Air Assualt on the xbox 360.

If you play it on "real helicopter physics mode" its crazy hard to fly, because real helicopters are crazy hard to fly. Also the game doesn't give you any training or many suggestions. I spent about 3 hours constantly crashing before I figured out how to fly well. Then I was buzzing the tree tops at 190 mph, popping up and launching deadly rocket barrages...Its fucking awesome.

Here's the first mission walkthrough.

Here's a funny rage quit video of it.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:32 PM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Actually, the last few years have seen a small resurgence in flight sims, so there's that.

I am really looking forward to DCS P-51D.
posted by adamdschneider at 7:19 PM on June 3, 2012


adamdschneider: "I used to be a mech pilot like you..."

Then your mech took a PPC to the knee joint?
posted by Samizdata at 7:54 PM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


You went with PPC after you yourself mentioned the Arrow IV? For. Shame.
posted by adamdschneider at 8:06 PM on June 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


Actually Microprose's MW3 was pretty damn great. Lots of little touchs. Kickback when you fired gauss rifles, in amounts proportional the to the net torque from the position on your mech. You could actually prevent that kickback if you had symmetrical GR's and fired them at the same time.

And if you got hit by PPCs it would temporarily knock out your HUD and other electronics along with pushing your field of view off center etc.

Beautiful.
posted by Chekhovian at 8:18 PM on June 3, 2012


Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal.
posted by moonbiter at 10:06 PM on June 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


I don't think there's an easier way to get me right back to my childhood then hearing that "Reactor Online" sequence.

Every once in a while I pull up the opening to MW2 just to relive that rush.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:22 AM on June 4, 2012


was I the only one desperate for the next new thing in the early 90's to get the Sega Saturn, and enjoy Gungriffon?
posted by Redhush at 2:17 AM on June 4, 2012


adamdschneider: "You went with PPC after you yourself mentioned the Arrow IV? For. Shame."

Was trying to avoid the obvious. So sue me.
posted by Samizdata at 7:35 AM on June 4, 2012


So...Wolf or Jade Falcon?
posted by adamdschneider at 8:59 AM on June 4, 2012


MechWarrior 2, the sound of the cockpit closing and systems coming on line.

Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal.


According to the official trailer, this will actually be in the game. It's also my Android phone's startup sound.

BTW, there's a total of six IGN developer videos, not just the three in the OP. There's also more dev diaries and the like on the official Youtube channel where the above trailer is from.
posted by zombieflanders at 9:07 AM on June 4, 2012


It's also my Android phone's startup sound.

You wouldn't happen to have a link for that, would you?

I've been using the Transformers sound for a while, and that was fun, but getting old now.
posted by thanotopsis at 1:27 PM on June 4, 2012


Here's the startup, and some others.
posted by the_artificer at 6:24 PM on June 4, 2012 [5 favorites]


Somewhat belatedly, to the question about joystick games:

The semi-new game DCS:10C, simulating the A-10 Warthog, is freaking unbelievable. It's a study sim; it'll take you a fair bit of time just to learn how to turn the plane on, if you want to play at full realism. (there's a shortcut to power everything up for you in the correct order, but I don't use that.) I've had a lot of fun with just slowly learning to take off, manipulate the navigation systems, and land. I've shot at drones a few times, but mostly I've just been learning to fly the plane. Awesome stuff. I haven't once flown it in virtual combat, and I'm still having a blast with it.

I was so impressed that I ordered a HOTAS:Warthog stick from Thrustmaster. But when I had a problem with what I thought was a sticking switch (turns out it was the airbrake, and it was supposed to stick forward), they absolutely WOULD NOT help me if I didn't submit a video of the problem. Would. Not. I carefully explained that this was awkward and difficult, though not outright impossible, but they absolutely REFUSED to help, and got seriously snotty and assholish to boot. After a few more exchanges, I determined that they would literally rather I return a $500 joystick than help me without a video. So I returned it. Thank God I bought it at Amazon. I have a CH stick/rudder/throttle on the way now.

The build quality seemed good, but Thrustmaster's customer service is so unbelievably dismal and assholish that you should only buy one if you're willing to throw it away if it breaks, because good freaking luck getting warranty help. I just had a simple question/minor problem. I can't imagine what kind of hoops you'd have to jump through for a real issue.

Also, of course, there's the problem that that joystick is hyper-specialized into simulating just one aircraft. A lot of the buttons and toggle switches wouldn't have any inherent meaning on other games, so you'd be hitting the "speed brake" for afterburner or some crap like that.
posted by Malor at 7:58 AM on June 5, 2012


I was working on DCS Black Shark when my Saitek X-36 HOTAS finally degraded the point of uselessness.

As I alluded to above, Falcon4.0 is also still receiving community updates (FreeFalcon, OpenFalcon) and there has also been a commercial revival, F4 AlliedForce, which sadly hasn't caught on widely (and its appeal to hardcore fans is limited by the community releases).

Falcon4.0 (and falcon generally) is a fascinating thing in its own right. I've considered doing a FPP on it. Here's a history chart. [PDF]

For space simmers, especially Wing Commander and Freespace vets: if you've never played the X series of games, X3 is worth a try. There's been a recent expansion, X3: Albion Prelude, and its predecessor X3: Terran Conflict is still fun. Supposedly a new one is coming this year. X-Rebirth.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:18 AM on June 5, 2012


Thanks, the_artificer. My life has become a smidge more awesome.
posted by thanotopsis at 9:21 AM on June 5, 2012


Yeah, Malor, I was briefly considering a Warthog HOTAS, but all the bad customer service complaints coupled with build quality that didn't seem to live up to the price tag warned me away.
posted by adamdschneider at 9:46 AM on June 5, 2012




« Older Backside 180 casper flip?   |   Why is the US losing technology jobs? Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments