X-bit labs Community

[clone]

I doubt many have tried this but I've recently stumbled upon the Freespace 2 source code project and was going to try and use the updated graphics they offer for the game, the problem being their readme files are terrible.

has anyone installed the patches, they are all individual and they make mention that some are fantastic while others buggy, some work but only with certain maps.....

I downloaded 10 patches but when I went to install them as mentioned the readme's were a waste so atm they are sitting on my desktop.

also I've emailed the website but given the age of the game I'm not even sure they are involved with it that much anymore.

their are times I really wish I was a programmer and this is one of them, 1 huge EXE update patch anyone?..... they went to all this trouble to improve the game, they are working on improving the FRED2 app atm and then they leave the patches difficult to install so few or the "select few" will make use of them.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[clone]

nm got the initial update to work which looks absolutely fantastic and I've found self installers.

the best game I've ever played bar none.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[STBTechAL655]

Could you post some links to the updates that work? I would like to give them a try, but I'm somewhat clumsy when it comes to third party updates of games, and figured out that since you already went through some of them, it would be nice to be able to play FS2 again. I really liked that game back then... DX9 textures sound sweet...
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[clone]

grab Freespace Open 3.6.9 and grab Open AL for your sound.

once you have 3.6.9 launch it and it should download all of the updates to the game off the internet directly from the source code project servers.

once you have it up and running their is a default setting that is really nice but you can improve it including adding a 3d radar which really makes life easier when tracking attacking hostile ships.

I highly reccomend you get it all the same way I did.

from here:

http://64.92.160.252/forums/index.php

here is the link to the official release thread within Hard Lights forums.

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,44291.0.html

browse the thread the forum is really helpful in regards to getting the game up and running.... it took me a few days at first as I dl'd stuff that wasn't needed and wound up doing it all manually instead of using the auto installer feature.

their should be a few threads dedicated to starting from scratch and if you are a torrent user you can download the entire game legally as it's actually written into the EULA that so long as you know someone with the game then you can get a copy.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[STBTechAL655]

Thanks a lot, I'll send one of my gremlins to work and get the files needed; I just got a Thrustmaster joystick and I will be testing the hell out of it once the game is up and running. Blasting time again!
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[clone]

if you've never played Freespace 2 then your in for a treat..... an old but incredibly well done gem of a game.

I've finnished it numerous times on the hardest level so it's possible.

if you take the time to notice their is a mission towards the end of the game where you escort a convoy of ships.

when you first warp in you will see one of your cruisers destroyed I think it's named the "Nebtuu" anyway it took a few tries but I managed to finnish the mission 2 X and save the Nebtuu as well on the hardest level.... that act got me 2 medals in one mission.

my kill rate was really high as was both my accuracy for lasers and missiles.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[STBTechAL655]

I played and finished Freespace2 in the summer of 2000 IIRC, but not on the hardest level, something in the middle of the difficulty slider. Now I'm playing
Darkstar One, and when I'll get the FS2 running, I'll be used to playing sims with a joystick; never used one until now, finished FS2 back then using a kb and mouse. Darkstar One is not much of a sim game, but it's good for target practice, and has a bit of RPG elements implemented; it's somewhat decent.

Edit: I asked a friend to get all the files and get the game running, since I don't have "Da Net" at home.
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[Obscured]

[clone]

haven't done FS1 with the new open installer but plan on it.

hard lights forum is quite a mess overall while chock full of information how to find it is the primary problem.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[STBTechAL655]

I managed to get the game going, at first without the new textures because the server who had them was down for a time, and played it with just the increased resolution options. It was superb, loved it; I got my hands on the new graphics stuff a week ago or so, and I started playing it again. Now it's absolute!

Uh, guys, you mentioned finishing the game on hardest difficulty... what are you, Top Gun runaways?

Thanks for the links and posting Clone, it is a great game, and I already started giving the game to my friends who played it a long time ago. Open Source projects like that are something that I think should happen more, from a gamer's point of view. HL1 redone with new eyecandy, stuff like that...
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[STBTechAL655]

@Clone: Please post some links when you figure out how to get the FS1 files.
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[clone]

try Karajoma's freespace Oracle.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/karajorma/FAQ/intro.html

or the freespace Wiki.
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

they've helped me in the past.

[STBTechAL655]

You should write a detailed walkthru to that game.

My favourite fighter was the Hercules II. And for some reason on cruiser class warships I had a very hard time killing beam turrets, more than two Trebuchet tandem salvos... I managed most of the time to direct my wingmen effectively enough, but I usually got killed when flying med/light armor fighters like the Myrmidon in hairy situations... guess I can't dodge too well in this game . My most annoying mission was that when you are undercover and you had to refuse to destroy an civillian cargo, and the NTF pilots turn against you. I killed most of them before the their script launched; that after I restarted the mission a few times - they flew all the times in compact formation, and I was blown apart most of the time after the first engagement run.

Oh, and that mission with the buoys in the unstable nebula... never got thru that, had to decline it after losing the fifth or the sixth buoy...

I'll look thru the links, thanks.
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[Obscured]

clone
That's a difficult task - to save GVCv Nebtuu, i agree. I also agree with your tactics: after warping in command your squadmates to defend Nebtuu -> fire a couple of Trebuchets into Moloch's frontal beam turret -> instantly target the first Nahema and fire a second couple of Trebuchets (if it escapes destruction then finish it) -> bombs and the second Nahema must be destroyed by the Nebtuu and your wingmates -> meanwhile the Nebtuu willhave an opportunity to finish that Moloch (if it isn't destroyed then mission can be already considered as failed). The beginning is easy, but soon a wing of Seraphims arrives and they will most likely destroy your corvette. You can prevent this of course but that is DIFFICULT. And when they'll finish our Sobek then they'll set to yourself. At the same time must advance another wing of bombers attacking Lambda transports. So that's the hardest moment in this mission.
But i never try hard to save the Nebtuu - can't explain exactly why. Probably because this is not interesting. If the Nebtuu won't be destoyed then a Cain-class cruiser will not appear.
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The Way It's Meant to Be Obscured

[clone]

[Obscured]

My beloved fighter is Perseus. It's very fast and agile and that's why it suits me well: i prefer to make quick evasive maneuvers being under attack. Countermeasures are less effective than that and agile piloting lets me take out any targets without being afraid of deadly attack from a rear.
- Against fighters - good to get on somebodys rear and methodically burn it with lasers.
- Against bombers - Perseuses maximum speed allows to engage multiple bombers across a field of engagement.
- Against turrets - quick attacks and then evasive maneuvers
- Against missles - a sharp movement allows better protection than any countermeasures
Perseuses have also good weapon capacity (double than Valkyries meanwhile without sacraficing speed and maneuverbility) and adequate shields power.

The best laser weapon for me is Promtey S (the one that is standart, not retrofit version). It inflicts a great damage without unbearable energy drain.

The best missles type is.. eh, i don't know. May be Tornados coupled with Trebuchets. The first to take out fighters. The second to take out bombers and turrets.
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The Way It's Meant to Be Obscured

[clone]

I finnished Freespace 2 with the Perseus once but was never a big fan of it.... the older Ulysses and the Loki under boost were faster and equal/more maneuverable although both had limited weapons loadout.... in that regard the Perseus did have a very large missile loadout but I thought it should have been faster..... I found if I could keep myself in one piece they would arrive far faster........had they come up with a 2nd generation Loki with a more diverse loadout and larger missile capacity I think it could have been king.

as for weapons I fell in love with the keyser but I agree it was a greedy power draining monster, I believe it had more to do with the sound of it than it's ability I just loved firing them.

missile wise I found the Trebuchets at range were devastating against bombers while the Rockeye's were really nice against fighters with Tempest in close in tandem with lasers.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[Obscured]

The dangerest shivan fighter is Dragon - so fast, so agile, with so strong sheilds, and often appers in large companies - they are very deadly.

The dangerest shivan bomber is Seraphim - with the strongest shields, with a rear turret, with 3(?) couples of heavy lasers. If you set on even one of them then prepare for a hard battle. If they are setting on you (like in the last mission) then the only chance of survival is draw to the nearest warship. Otherwise their lasers will lick clean your shields instantly.

[clone]

Seraphim were a genuine threat and could easily swat me away if all 3 took notice.... I have to give them credit strong shields, armor and that damned cannon on the bottom was a real issue, usually I would have to choose an attack vector from above if I had the luxury of time or I would concentrate everything on one Seraphim and then break off the attack to regen my shields and weapons which allowed them to complete their attack runs..... bummer overall.

Shivan Dragons....... man those fighters so damned fast and agile isn't the word if they noticed me first and came in a pair it was a problem, they were like flies you swat at them all clumsy and cumbersome while they break off and then spin round so fast to resume from a different vector, if 3 or more were on you it was only a matter of time before they would crack your shields.

with the myrmidon it was about getting them while using afterburners before they wore out.... I fought them while using a Ulysses that handled so fast and was so zippy under boost the only problem was dealing with it's limited weapons selection while scrapping them...... it wasn't so hard and with the perseus I found them reasonably easy to take out but weak armor and shields was an issue on longer missions.

I got caught during the Belisarius mission scrapping them in a Herc II that was downright painful, slow to maneuver and slow to move at maximum speed or under boost it didn't matter the Dragons are simply alot faster...... I unloaded all of my tempests somewhere around 620 of them and managed nothing more than minor shield damage on 3 of them which was regnerated, they just kept picking me apart until I managed to warp away from the mission.
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to those who have never played Freespace 1 or 2 I highly reccomend you download them and play them once fully patched via the Freespace Open source project, both games are simply the best Sci-Fi flight sims released so far.

[Obscured]

Well, clone, you've managed with that black deed: remind me about Freespace SCP - so i started playing it agian.))) Even using my old 3.6.5. installer and 3.6.6. media vps...

By the way i have a question: do you play in DirectX 8 mode or in OpenGl mode? And do you enable anti-aliasing? That interests me beacause i observe some artefacts with AA.
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The Way It's Meant to Be Obscured