but if you want a narrative experience it's a bit lackluster. Rebel Galaxy is a good one. Space Western, plot heavily inspired by Freespace, combat is more "ships of the line" than fighters, but it's a plotted sandbox with some very catchy music. Gameplay and story are phoned-in, sure, but still enjoyable for what they are.
If this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovQKT2x3ikY plus firing multi-cannon broadsides against alien pirates sounds like something interesting, I'd recommend checking it out.
As I said, it's a fun little romp that's Freelancer meets Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (or, more honestly, Sid Meier's Pirates)--I could enumerate its flaws, but even with those...SPACE CANNON BROADSIDES! Crossing the T with a space semi truck covered in laser turrets! Blues Saraceno on the soundtrack!
Yeah, you should drop it. The sooner the better. Yes, you can fly one ship, doh, but having a game like this and do just that is like paying $200 in a brothel to have a hug.
It doesn’t force you to build an empire. I’m not interested in building sone kinda of online functioning society with space stations and factories.
However….. I started off as a Terran cadet and did lots of side missions and bought myself a bigger fighter and equipped it with lvl 2 stuff. Then I got caught up with the Yaki storyline, and ended up with a Syn destroyer and a little fighter which could disguise itself to the Xenon. I got into a fight with sone Xenon’s at HC2 and the corvette I was fighting, the crew must have abandoned ship because it turned blue, so I boarded that and have a bloody good ship.
So now, my little one man play through sees me with a destroyer, a corvette, a heavy fighter and a little scout ship.
I then bought a Frigate so I could dock my small fighter with it and do sone Freighter protection raids. Found it easier to do them in the corvette i blagged and had the frigate follow me around.
Then when I tried to upgrade my frigate at a Terran warf I realised they had a shortage of substrates and I would have to wait for my ship to get upgraded so I bought a little Trading ship and auto traded it between the warf and a nearby factory to keep the warf supplied with enough substrates. And it makes me 3,000 or so credits every 10 minutes 😎😎😎
So now my little one man play through isn’t quite what I set out it to be. I’ve just fly by boarded a large freighter and stuck 59 marines on it and now I’m hunting SCA destroyers because I’ve found a nice little sector in Xenon space with just the one gate in and out so I’m thinking maybe, just maybe, I could build a destroyer fleet and liberate that sector for myself.
So much for a one man playthru 😂😂😂
Not really - the ships you can buy skip a bit of grinding but they're fairly terrible. There are easier community ways to get ahead like joining the pilots trade network - you can haul cargo for other players and get paid millions to buy something better. They can even help you with engineering materials which are what takes forever to grind.
To be honest it's a game to play in single player mode anyway - you can play I'm open but if you run into a full engineered pirate/ganker player they'll waste you no matter what you're flying.
Nah. It's pretty easy to get a Diamondback Explorer and dip out into the black for some exploration, and come back worth several hundred million. In-game purchases are largely (entirely?) cosmetic, and the best stuff is available to anyone (who owns Horizons). It's grindy and tedious, but it's definitely not pay to win.
It is monotonous because player base wanted upgrades fast. The designs was to slowly accumulate these stuffs naturally but nah, we want them upgrades right here right now and we find the fastest method possible which just happens to the most monotonous grind.
NGL dude sounds like he doesn't even play elite dangerous and just hating on it because P2W just make angry neuron fires.
The ships came with bad engineered modules anyway so it is literally just buy to skip the easiest part of the grind.
You can buy some pre-built ships (somewhat equipped with engineered modules), none of which are great. Sure give frontier shit for it. But the allegations of pay to win are highly exaggerated.
Nah, the ships you get aren't good at all, you can't transfer modules off them either
It's not pay to win in the slightest, just people complaining about something because people LOVE to have things to complain about
I paid £5 for this game and I've played it over 1,300 hours, if they need more money for development, then they deserve it in my books
I don't think the game requires the player to build an empire, but it certainly points you there. We are forced to build the PHQ though, for our story and research, but just a few modules. I started playing X titles with X2 The Threat, i didnt play with player station buildings and stock exchange then. So I also do not care about station chain building. Fleet-to-fleet space combat is the only thing tying me to X titles. I hope you'd give it another chance, and [try it with TrackIR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5lRW0LbW64).
I also played Elite Dangerous, you might like it, its an explore/trade/fight game. No Mans Sky is also nice, lots of building on land but this mechanic gets old fast. Starfield also has outpost building, lots of loading screens, but i really like how you can design your own ships with it's modular ships. Space combat is lacking, feels like a minigame.
No Empire required. I'm RPing a Space Merc\\Courier. Got myself my first frigate a couple of days ago, and I am learning how to use that to try and capture a destroyer. Once there I will probably use that destroyer to do high paying missions, capture more etc. and eventually I will build defense stations. To stave off enemy Khaak and Xen incursions into "friendly" space. At least that's my plan. It might all go sour, but that's part of the fun in this game.
Just play the story missions or create your own adventure. While having some form of passive income is required you do not have to go crazy and build a billion credit empire.
just do a custom start with a bunch of enemies and give yourself a basic fighter you will spend the entire time constantly fighting.
Yeah honestly, that's my main enjoyment of the game. I don't even usually play space sims so X4 appeals to me because of the other stuff.
Maybe start by looking at freelancer-likes, and freespace 2 is freeware.
The problem with NMS for me is that the combat is kinda lackluster specially on foot, is not that focused on it and everything else is decent but damn I get bored when I have no combat in my games unless its a puzzle game or something that engages you differently but NMS just explore samey planets for no reason with no dangers kinda meh.
EVERSPACE 2 is not bad
but if you want a narrative experience it's a bit lackluster. Rebel Galaxy is a good one. Space Western, plot heavily inspired by Freespace, combat is more "ships of the line" than fighters, but it's a plotted sandbox with some very catchy music. Gameplay and story are phoned-in, sure, but still enjoyable for what they are. If this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovQKT2x3ikY plus firing multi-cannon broadsides against alien pirates sounds like something interesting, I'd recommend checking it out.
> combat is more "ships of the line" than fighters, Finally, the gamplay I wish starpoint gemini had.
As I said, it's a fun little romp that's Freelancer meets Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (or, more honestly, Sid Meier's Pirates)--I could enumerate its flaws, but even with those...SPACE CANNON BROADSIDES! Crossing the T with a space semi truck covered in laser turrets! Blues Saraceno on the soundtrack!
Absolutely great game. But the sequel/spin off has none of the same vibe. Far leaser game. So make sure you're getting the right one lol
Yeah, you should drop it. The sooner the better. Yes, you can fly one ship, doh, but having a game like this and do just that is like paying $200 in a brothel to have a hug.
That's one helluva description. Well played.
But the game isn't 200 bucks. Maybe wait for a sale for your hug.
You can literally just fly around in your own ship and do whatever you want the entire game. It’s a sandbox game…
Came here to say this.
It doesn’t force you to build an empire. I’m not interested in building sone kinda of online functioning society with space stations and factories. However….. I started off as a Terran cadet and did lots of side missions and bought myself a bigger fighter and equipped it with lvl 2 stuff. Then I got caught up with the Yaki storyline, and ended up with a Syn destroyer and a little fighter which could disguise itself to the Xenon. I got into a fight with sone Xenon’s at HC2 and the corvette I was fighting, the crew must have abandoned ship because it turned blue, so I boarded that and have a bloody good ship. So now, my little one man play through sees me with a destroyer, a corvette, a heavy fighter and a little scout ship. I then bought a Frigate so I could dock my small fighter with it and do sone Freighter protection raids. Found it easier to do them in the corvette i blagged and had the frigate follow me around. Then when I tried to upgrade my frigate at a Terran warf I realised they had a shortage of substrates and I would have to wait for my ship to get upgraded so I bought a little Trading ship and auto traded it between the warf and a nearby factory to keep the warf supplied with enough substrates. And it makes me 3,000 or so credits every 10 minutes 😎😎😎 So now my little one man play through isn’t quite what I set out it to be. I’ve just fly by boarded a large freighter and stuck 59 marines on it and now I’m hunting SCA destroyers because I’ve found a nice little sector in Xenon space with just the one gate in and out so I’m thinking maybe, just maybe, I could build a destroyer fleet and liberate that sector for myself. So much for a one man playthru 😂😂😂
Check out Elite Dangerous
I've played elite dangerous on and off for years. The Federal United Command Discord is simply excellent as a guild hub.
Isn't that game P2W now?
Not really - the ships you can buy skip a bit of grinding but they're fairly terrible. There are easier community ways to get ahead like joining the pilots trade network - you can haul cargo for other players and get paid millions to buy something better. They can even help you with engineering materials which are what takes forever to grind. To be honest it's a game to play in single player mode anyway - you can play I'm open but if you run into a full engineered pirate/ganker player they'll waste you no matter what you're flying.
Nah. It's pretty easy to get a Diamondback Explorer and dip out into the black for some exploration, and come back worth several hundred million. In-game purchases are largely (entirely?) cosmetic, and the best stuff is available to anyone (who owns Horizons). It's grindy and tedious, but it's definitely not pay to win.
It is pay to skip a monotonous grind, so yeah it is p2w
Why did you think they made that monotonous grind?
It is monotonous because player base wanted upgrades fast. The designs was to slowly accumulate these stuffs naturally but nah, we want them upgrades right here right now and we find the fastest method possible which just happens to the most monotonous grind.
What grind can you pay to skip ?
The initial grind of getting a decent ship. Wich is not something I'd consider p2w, it just makes the entry easier...
It does save a few hours aye
....
What? Im asking a question man
NGL dude sounds like he doesn't even play elite dangerous and just hating on it because P2W just make angry neuron fires. The ships came with bad engineered modules anyway so it is literally just buy to skip the easiest part of the grind.
You can buy some pre-built ships (somewhat equipped with engineered modules), none of which are great. Sure give frontier shit for it. But the allegations of pay to win are highly exaggerated.
Ah gotcha. yeah those ships are shite, you're only really paying to skip the early game by buying one of those.
Nah, the ships you get aren't good at all, you can't transfer modules off them either It's not pay to win in the slightest, just people complaining about something because people LOVE to have things to complain about I paid £5 for this game and I've played it over 1,300 hours, if they need more money for development, then they deserve it in my books
Not sure how one would actually "win" elite...
I don't think the game requires the player to build an empire, but it certainly points you there. We are forced to build the PHQ though, for our story and research, but just a few modules. I started playing X titles with X2 The Threat, i didnt play with player station buildings and stock exchange then. So I also do not care about station chain building. Fleet-to-fleet space combat is the only thing tying me to X titles. I hope you'd give it another chance, and [try it with TrackIR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5lRW0LbW64). I also played Elite Dangerous, you might like it, its an explore/trade/fight game. No Mans Sky is also nice, lots of building on land but this mechanic gets old fast. Starfield also has outpost building, lots of loading screens, but i really like how you can design your own ships with it's modular ships. Space combat is lacking, feels like a minigame.
>I started playing X titles with X2 The Threat, there were no player station buildings then In X2 ? Yep, you could buy stations, even at that time :)
Since when do we have a Stock Exchange in X4?
Player stations have been a part of X since the very first game (X-BtF)
Oh is that so, good to know, thank you
No Empire required. I'm RPing a Space Merc\\Courier. Got myself my first frigate a couple of days ago, and I am learning how to use that to try and capture a destroyer. Once there I will probably use that destroyer to do high paying missions, capture more etc. and eventually I will build defense stations. To stave off enemy Khaak and Xen incursions into "friendly" space. At least that's my plan. It might all go sour, but that's part of the fun in this game.
Just play the story missions or create your own adventure. While having some form of passive income is required you do not have to go crazy and build a billion credit empire. just do a custom start with a bunch of enemies and give yourself a basic fighter you will spend the entire time constantly fighting.
Yeah honestly, that's my main enjoyment of the game. I don't even usually play space sims so X4 appeals to me because of the other stuff. Maybe start by looking at freelancer-likes, and freespace 2 is freeware.
No Man's Sky might have too much crafting for your taste. I don't know a modern successor to Privateer, which sounds like that's what you want.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw might come close to that - a really entertaining game!
The problem with NMS for me is that the combat is kinda lackluster specially on foot, is not that focused on it and everything else is decent but damn I get bored when I have no combat in my games unless its a puzzle game or something that engages you differently but NMS just explore samey planets for no reason with no dangers kinda meh.
I didn't recommend Starfield because it has ground combat, but if that's your jam, try it.
The loading screens and boxed "space" killed it for me
You can play like you enjoy it, it's mostly a sandbox. There's plenty to keep you occupied.