Game like Freelancer?

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jaykup

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I got addicted to Freelancer a while back when it came out, and lately I've been looking for a game that is something like it, as there isnt much word on Freelancer 2.

I saw Earth and Beyond and was just amazed "this is everything I wanted in Freelancer", only to find out it was shut down a few days ago (at the time I looked).

I also tried Eve online, but you can't even manually fly the ship like you could in freelancer?

Anyway, are there any multiplayer space sims that are close with freelancer? Mostly in the fact that you can explore as far as you can, with great graphics (beautiful worlds in freelancer), and all that good stuff.
 

Vokofpolisiekar

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You should try X3 Reunion - it's not a multiplayer - and has a very boring story line. BUT it has a sandbox nature that allows you to roam the universe and do what you like (VERY FREE FORM), trade, fight and explore.

It has a dynamic universe, and is quite complex. It's one of the best space sims out there, and graphics are second to none. Visit the egosoft website for more info
egosoft.com
 

llama_man

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Agree that X3 is the Daddy of space sims. But if you buy it, be sure to patch it before trying to play - out of the box it's extremely buggy, but it's running great on my PC with the v1.3 patch. Have fun!
 

jaykup

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BUMP --- 2.5 years later!

I am still looking for a game that is like Freelancer, but is multiplayer.

Is there anything out, or coming out?
 

BGP_Spook

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You could try Eve Online. I played Freelancer and Eve is about the closest game to it I have found.

Some comments/warnings about Eve Online:

I have found it is excessively time consuming to develop yourself and your skills to a point where you are competitive or even competent at the game (think 8+ months of dedicated learning, training, and development to get your foot in the door).

Furthermore, regardless of your learning, training, and development you will always 1) need to have friends, 2) know when to run, that is if you do not want to die near regardless of what you intend to do.

After time investment, Eve's biggest problem is a learning curve that dwarfs Mount Everest. Not to mention that it is one of the most cutthroat and unforgiving games I have ever played (if you screw up you are really going to regret it) and that most of the player base is even less forgiving and more cutthroat than the game (nearly everyone will steal everything you have and kill you if you give them half a chance).

However, in spite of all my warnings and cautions, Eve has, in my opinion, easily the most intricate, involved, and engaging PvP I have ever come across regardless of genre. The level of detail in preparation, planing, and execution of a fight is unsurpassed in all my experience.

There is nothing that compares:
to baiting your opponent into dropping their cloak or jumping through a gate when your friends are waiting to stomp them,
to flying an interceptor or HAC manually around a brawling mass of ships keeping your enemies from escaping and aiding your friends where ever you can,
when you are out classed and out gunned in hostile territory and forced to engage but your group (by the narrowest of margins) escapes and evades being trapped and killed,
or jumping through/landing on a gate to find a hostile 40 man camp waiting for you where you run and you get away. In those moments there is nothing else that even comes close to what Eve has to offer, but those moments are brief and the time/will power investment to get them is very great.
 

infornography42

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No, there is nothing quite like Freelancer. It makes me sad. Most of the really popular space sims are heavier on the sim than the action and fun. I find them to be a bit too boring generally. And Eve, as you have seen, is a bit too hands off to fill that niche.

I would love a Freelancer based MMO where you actually control your ship like you did in Freelancer, but I know of none in production or available right now.
 

airblazer

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Freelancer is a great game..could have been better but still a great game.
X3 I found too complicated, I love flying games but don't want to spend a week to learn how to really fly a F16/space craft.
Have you tried Freelancer multiplayer? Still servers out there running it?
And a 2.5 year bump? that's hope for you :D
 

slothman

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I too love Freelancer and wish they would come out with a second. I haven't played many PC games but that is one of my favorites.
 

radnor

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Try Darkstar One.
 

Morton

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Doesn't the old Jumpgate or the upcoming Jumpgate: Evolution fill the niche?
 

infornography42

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Hmm... I remember hearing about that game before, can't remember if I ever got around to looking into it. Sounds pretty neat, but the part on their website where they say the player's skill at docking makes me worry. Something as mundane as docking should never be a significant challenge, but in any space sim where it is not handled automatically, it is a pain in the arse. I'll probably take a look at it this weekend.
 

reconviperone1

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Im a freelancer addict too, it broke my heart when they shut down the servers, Im glad i found out about eve online, i was gonna get it today, but if you cant control the ship, no need for it. I play freespace 2(which is actually older) starlancer, and freelancer, i guess we are stuck with old games. Sucks about earth and beyond too.
 

Ananan

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I played Freelancer for the first time about 6 months ago and still have it installed on my PC (Office Max still sells it as a jewel box).

I thought the campaign was a lot of fun, just wish there would have been more time to "freelance" between the story driven missions.

I played on for a night or two after it was over but sort of quit after that; I left a bunch of the gameworld unexplored.

Is there any reason to keep playing the single player game after finishing the main plot? Are there cool things out there that are hidden and worth finding? Can you meet up again with the girl from the story (or any of the other characters)?

Or is it just empty leveling and wealth accumulation?

I don't want to spend a ton of time on it if there's nothing else to see.
 

infornography42

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Mostly it is leveling and wealth accumulation as well as exploration.

there are some cool things out there to find. Also getting one of the top tier ships and all the hidden level 10 guns is a lot of fun.

Me and my friends eventually got to the point where we could go from starting ships to fully tricked out gear in about 3 hours though and since that point we just haven't had a reason to go back. I loved that game and so hoped there would be a sequel, but there never was one.
 

Ananan

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I think I posted my Freelancer questions a while ago but my deteriorating brain can't remember if anyone replied.

So you never meet up with characters from the main plot again? That's too bad.
 

Kabobi

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As for people who still like to play freelancer online,

this server http://www.freeworlds-mod.net/ is hosting a completely user-created Star Wars mod and you can easily play online despite the lack of a global server.
To my knowledge, it is the largest Freelancer community in existance.
And the new mod version 18.31 just came out, so if you're interested, check out their forums, because they are always looking for new players :D
 

Morton

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Is anyone here old enough to have docked with that "cube" thing? :lol:
http://www.mobygames.com/game/apple2/elite/screenshots/gameShotId,191416/
It's from the first "Elite" game, the grandpa of the genre.
 
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