Well I haven't played this long but it plays a LOT more like an FPS than a Sim. It needs to be marketed as such. It's almost like Descent, very twitch oriented, and I wouldn't be surprised to see tricording being used heavily (assuming it works). It's the combination of low top speeds and high accelerations, with the ability to change your directional vector so quickly that kills it for me. The autoaim thing only complicates it further. Anyway, as an ex-Jumpgate player I wanted to check it out and make sure I wasn't missing anything I'd want to play. To anyone who hasn't played Jumpgate but wants more of a Sim-like feel give it a try. I'll see you all in World of Warcraft.

It isn't marketted either as a FPS or a Sim. It's marketted as a MMORPG (with some FPS and Sim elements). Autoaim is pretty easily adapted to once you've played for a bit, but can be shut off with /autoaim 0.

Or you can use a handy bind from the Binds list.

Noes! Can't pigeonhole it to a single preexisting genre! Gah!

<ctishman's head a splode>

"It's the combination of low top speeds and high accelerations, with the ability to change your directional vector so quickly that kills it for me."

Change your direction vector so quickly? Perhaps you where using the "Arcade Mode" flight modle? Try using physics mode, it is much more realistic. The only thing I have ever found unrealistic about the game is that in space (a vaccum) you don't loose inertia until something slows you down. Really after you use your turbo boost you should stay at the velocity you picked up. Oh well... have to have some limits to help PvP I suppose. Any way, I personally cannot stand the arcade flight modle, then again I have been playing this game since before that was an option, so I am totaly used to real (well, close to real) physics mode.

Rollio how long have you played for? This game isnt Jumpgate its very different,Ive had to rethink how to fly an fight ,even trading is different .
I havent liked some things, but Im growing to like the game

Does this "Rollio" happen to be a New York native. It doesnt sound like the old Rollio.

New York native? I don't know whether to laugh or be offended. I am the same old Rollio. And yes I have played the game in both modes (the fact that it's switchable is a strange idea to me since it effects gameplay pretty heavily). I didn't mean to pigeonhole the game. Clearly it's an MMO. It has elements from both RPGs and FPS style games but it doesn't have the flight sim feel to me. This is due mainly to the strafing, mouse control and relatively low top speeds.

It's not -supposed- to have the flight sim feel. Or the FPS feel. The closest thing might be Descent: Freespace. Or X-Wing.

Arcade mode is no different then Physics, except the computer makes a lot of the calculations for you. Anything you can do in Arcade is done just as easy in Physics.

Combat is not FPS style IMO there is way to much skill involved, at least if you actually PvP and not slaughter helpless AI all day.

Q: FPS or Sim?

A: Yes.

Q: FPS or Sim?

A: Maybe.

Q:X-wing owns all?

A:you bet your ass it does!

Q: X-Wing owns all?

A: Ummm... NOT !!

Q: Can this get more absurd?

A: Gentlemen, BEHOLD! I bring you... TACOS! ...The sauce! It burns! HERE COMES THE CHEESE!

Q: Can we get back on-topic?

A: Yes, or risk lockage.

Granted this game is not much like jumpgate at all in that respect, where your combat was pretty much mass and thrust based. or vector calculated, however you want to tangle it.

I have to agree it sometimes feels i'm in like a mobile suit, gundam stlye, then in a space ship. while i was never much for jumpgates combat. personal i thought circle fighting was the stupidest thing out there. (even though many thought it was the best) and having to turn your ship in a complete 180 was the only way to alter your heading, was complete nonsence. like some kind of directional thrust wouldnt be implemented so you can apply thrust ahead of you, beside you, above you...etc, is just too absurd.

However i agree, being able to direct all your thrust in almost any direction instantly is a bit silly, and makes this much to FPS style. very decent like.

Its hard for me to say if trying to be both is going to hurt it more then help. I'll have to get more involved to PvP before i can really come to terms.

I can say, cargo hualing is a complete lame exsperince. it was done much better in jumpgate with goods having mass and such.

"I can say, cargo hualing is a complete lame exsperince. it was done much better in jumpgate with goods having mass and such."

I never played jumpgate, so I'm not quite sure what you mean. How would having goods have mass make trading better? Ships um, become less maneuverable? Whee! Perhaps you'd care to elaborate.

Actually, yes, yes it would make it a bit more fun. There's something bizzarely exhilerating about docking a cargo vessel carrying 50 tons of uranium when it actually acts like it's carrying that much.

ahem...

the reason cargo having mass and its effect on trading ships (ships with large capacity storage and large powerful engines) is more dynamic because it changes the way you hop to where you need to go.

for example to get the highest paying cargo run, might be to carry a product 3 sectors away. but to carry a full X amount of load to get the greatist profit would slow your ship and take X amount of time, factoring in the possiblity's of coming under attack and needing the ability to accelerate. however, the second highest paying run is further away and through an asteriod obstical field that may have hostiles, but its lighter, allowing the risk to be more exceptable.

this adds a more skilled aspect to trading, anyone can just take item A to place B, but when what you got in the back seat GREATLY changes your trading run in the aspecs of time/risk/routes its much more enjoyable to me to carry over just as many cargo skills, as it does for PvP...thats how it worked in jumpgate....

which not to say the shuttling of goods where exciting, but it was much more involved then what is here...which is greatly more. dull and unimpresive...the cargo ships themselves arnt even really specail in their task, they are bombes with a gun and a few more cargo space.