🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 19:58:24 -0000, "AMO" <NoSpam@SpamFreeWorld.com> wrote:

>"Memnoch" <memnoch@nospampleaseimbritish.ntlworld.com> wrote in message 
>news:6d0dm1tt518bl50lilmflbag3f4p4ubnb5@4ax.com...
>>I was flying around in the southern part of Argon space, SE of Argon prime
>> when I heard this weird noise just as I went through a gate. When I came 
>> out
>> the other side I saw this weird icon for it. I targetted it and lo and 
>> behold
>> it was the saucer! By the time I managed to get these two shots it had 
>> already
>> crossed the sector and was about to leave that far gate!
>>
>> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/memnoch/UFO1.jpg
>>
>> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/memnoch/UFO2.jpg
>>
>> At one point I think it was doing nearly 500 so there was no way I could 
>> keep
>> up with it.
>
>Is X3 any good?

I'm really enjoying it. I think having a break for several years has helped
with that because at it's core it is exactly the same game, premise wise, with
its predecessors. This time around though the graphics are just gorgeous. I
have few minor niggles with it and there are still some bugs to be ironed out
but thankfully no show stoppers that I have come across. One of my biggest
niggles is the music. Some of the tracks are really well done, almost
haunting. But most of them are from the original game. After all this time you
would have thought they would have completely redone the music but not so.
 
>I played X1 Gold, but it got boring after a while.  As this was the first 
>game that played like Elite I picked it up.

I don't know what you found boring about the first one but chances are you
won't like this latest incarnation if that's the case. Basically, like Elite
and Frontier you have to make money, and you have various means to do this.
Piracy, trading, scavenging, running errands/missions, mining and running your
own factories. More of the same but it looks a hell of a lot better. It really
does have the best graphics IMHO of any other space sim out there. Egosoft
have made some claims about what the new game can do and most I think are on
the money but there are some that just don't gel. For instance, a while back I
said I would avoid this game as I knew that contrary to what Egosoft were
saying about them taking advantage of the vertical axis in system layouts, my
fear was that despite the great graphics each system would be a little flat
plane with the stations dotted around it and some far off planet that takes
ages of real time SETA travel to reach. Mostly this is true although now some
stations are more above and below the ecliptic plane than before but its still
nothing to crow about. And the planets are now incredibly detailed with
landmasses are weather going past but they are still just eye candy. They are
now just closer and better looking. Despite all this I stil find it more fun
to play than either of the first 3 games.

>I've since then realised since playing RPG's such as Betrayal at Krondor and 
>space sims like Freelancer, that the best type of game to go for today is 
>one with the best of both worlds.  In other words one with a diverse open 
>universe that doesn't stop you exploring whilst at the same time has a 
>strong story that you can follow such that you feel immersed in the game and 
>feel part of it and get a greater feel for the character you are playing and 
>those you interact with.

Freenlancer has nothing on this game.