Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

[Feb 08, 2011, 9:09 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

A lot of gamers would say they'd kill for a new installment in the FreeSpace series, and apparently developer Volition would kill to make that dream come true, according to NowGamer. Volition producer Jim Boone tells them: "There is a group of people that would commit murder to do that game. The biggest problem that we have is… oh man, that game is so beloved. I did a bunch of missions for both games and it’s so dear to my heart I can’t even tell you. The problem we had was Freescape [sic] 2 didn’t sell as well…" He shares his theory that in the days following QUAKE, more players turned to mouse controls, and fewer owned joysticks, and says he "feels like there's an opportunity" to make a space sim for console controllers, but he has "no data to support that." Thanks nin via Big Download.

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63 Replies. 4 pages. Viewing page 1.
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63.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 15, 2011, 11:04

Kxmode

This thread is full of too much premeditated murder speak!

62.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 14, 2011, 21:48

swaaye

Wildone wrote on Feb 11, 2011, 22:56: X Wing Alliance SUCKED, thats why it bombed in sales. Iwar2 was technically awesome but they dropped the ball on some aspects of it. I was a fan of both those franchises and was dissapointed with both. They where just not done to their full potential, doesn't mean people like me would'nt jump at the chance of a well done next gen space combat sim. I kinda liked XWA but it sure didn't fulfill its potential... It kinda transformed into a shitty X-Wing remake as the campaign progressed. The freighter captain and family stuff was somewhat interesting though. I would love a new game like that too but nobody seems to be able to make one that doesn't blow. The Eastern Europe guys that keep trying fail utterly everytime. The X games are just pointless space spreadsheets. And the big mods never get polished enough....

61.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 11, 2011, 22:56

Wildone

X Wing Alliance SUCKED, thats why it bombed in sales. Iwar2 was technically awesome but they dropped the ball on some aspects of it. I was a fan of both those franchises and was dissapointed with both. They where just not done to their full potential, doesn't mean people like me would'nt jump at the chance of a well done next gen space combat sim.

60.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 11, 2011, 21:09

jdreyer

I agree with the "start small and let the community contribute" approach, ALA Minecraft.

Miner Wars is a space shooter that seems to be taking exactly that approach.

http://www.minerwars.com/




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

59.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 9, 2011, 15:39

swaaye

So Iwar2, FS2 and probably X-Wing Alliance too bombed in sales. Maybe Wing Commander Prophecy as well considering that was the end of the line there. I'm just not sure that I can see today's market getting too excited about this kind of thing. It was never a big console genre. Space shooters are more part of the also-dead simulation genre and this only worked on PC. There are console space shooters like Colony Wars, the Starfighter series, Rogue Squadron, etc. They tried to make these console friendly but I never got the impression that they caught on in a big way. Factor 5 imploded trying to make the genre work.

58.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 9, 2011, 13:32

creatorswhim

I agree with the "start small and let the community contribute" approach, ALA Minecraft. If they took it in that direction, they wouldn't have to commit millions and worry about retail success. Just produce a solid beta client and editor, and sell them. Some people (like me) would just pay for the survival multiplayer. (PVP, I think they call it...) Just start small and add developers as it grows. Look at what the community did with Freespace 1 and 2 without any involvement from Volition.

57.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 13:17

Verno

sauron wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 12:40:

That's how I played it - pad plus keyboard. You could probably do the nonessentials via radial menu on a console - kind of a kludge but it would work ok.

I don't know, much simpler space based games have problems fitting all of their controls into the gamepad, let alone something like Freespace 2. The bottom line is that they can't just load up a radial menu with 30 different things, many of them timing sensitive. That's why you had to play with a pad + keyboard. There would compromises made in order to bring it to consoles, that's inescapable.




Playing: Animal Crossing, Sleeping Dogs, Tales of Graces F Watching: Survivorman, Justified, Silent Running

56.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 13:15

Wildone

I lovd the IWAR series it was HARD to master the combat though, Iwar was cooler than 2 they made you spend WAY too much time in that stupid tug..and after a while I got bored of that. A balance of IWar physics and Xwing Alliance/FS2 would rock..

55.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 12:40

sauron

Verno wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 10:03:
I sincerely doubt you played with a gamepad alone, you probably had a gamepad and a keyboard.

That's how I played it - pad plus keyboard. You could probably do the nonessentials via radial menu on a console - kind of a kludge but it would work ok.

My only issue with FS2 was lack of inertia and real physics. That's what made Independence War 2 so amazing.

In IWar/IWar2 you could build up speed to buzz a capital ship, then swing around to bring all weapons systems to bear and broadside it as you went past. No other space sim has managed to integrate physics into the gameplay that way. So fun.




Kittens!

54.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 10:38

Wildone

We need a NEXT GEN space combat SIM

53.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 10:03

Verno

InBlack wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 09:53:

I pretty much did play Freespace2 that way recently, (I destroyed my joystick and was forced to) and I have no idea what you are talking about. I mapped most of the keys to my logitech controller which (AFAIK) has the same layout and number of buttons as the Sony one. Also the rumble as I was getting hit was quite satisfiying...:)

Notice I said most, not all. Erm yes the hyperspace button, and the comm buttons I left alone. But these kind of things can be done via a radial menu and would probaly work quite well that way, so the dumbing down would be minimal.

Regardless of what many here think, compared to a real aeroplane sim Freespace is very very simple. And lets be honest here, is the number of buttons really what made this game great in the first place??

The game has literally dozens of keybinds. You can do without some of them(I mean it -does- have some superfluous ones) but not others without impacting the experience. I sincerely doubt you played with a gamepad alone, you probably had a gamepad and a keyboard.

I agree though that the bind count alone doesn't make it a great experience however what made Freespace great was it's depth and removing a lot of that functionality could harm that. That being said I would take any Freespace over no Freespace




Playing: Animal Crossing, Sleeping Dogs, Tales of Graces F Watching: Survivorman, Justified, Silent Running

52.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 09:58

xDarkMatterx

Please, Volition, I have a fever and the only cure is to kill more Shivans. Help.

51.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 09:53

InBlack

Verno wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 08:49:
Freespace couldn't be done on the consoles without severely dumbing it down. Anyone who doesn't believe that to be true needs to examine the control key overlay included with the game.

I pretty much did play Freespace2 that way recently, (I destroyed my joystick and was forced to) and I have no idea what you are talking about. I mapped most of the keys to my logitech controller which (AFAIK) has the same layout and number of buttons as the Sony one. Also the rumble as I was getting hit was quite satisfiying...:)

Notice I said most, not all. Erm yes the hyperspace button, and the comm buttons I left alone. But these kind of things can be done via a radial menu and would probaly work quite well that way, so the dumbing down would be minimal.

Regardless of what many here think, compared to a real aeroplane sim Freespace is very very simple. And lets be honest here, is the number of buttons really what made this game great in the first place??




I have a nifty blue line!

50.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 09:44

Cheese

nothing is holding you back if you wanted to make it...change the IP and poof we have Freespace 3 but in a different name. just make the damn thing

49.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 09:37

Wildone

O_O dont tease us like that Volition!!!!!!!

48.

Re: Volition Would Kill to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 08:49

Verno

Freespace couldn't be done on the consoles without severely dumbing it down. Anyone who doesn't believe that to be true needs to examine the control key overlay included with the game.




Playing: Animal Crossing, Sleeping Dogs, Tales of Graces F Watching: Survivorman, Justified, Silent Running

47.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 9, 2011, 08:38

sauron

Prez wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 00:51:
I'd play Freespace 3, I-War 3, X-Wing Alliance 2, Freelancer 2, Wing Commander 6, Tachyon 2, or any new fighter-based space combat game that came out and just didn't flat-out suck the horn off a rhino. I'd use a mouse, keyboard, joystick, 360 controller, Atari 2600 controller, mind control, or whatever else it required.

Just gimme something to fly dammit!

Tachyon let you steal the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, attach it to a tug, and fly it into orbit. Now THAT was a mission!




Kittens!

46.

Re: Volition Would "Kill" to Make FreeSpace 3

Feb 9, 2011, 07:41

avianflu

freespace was one of the very few games from that time period that made me go "whoa." Genuinely epic battles with AI that was not braindead.

45.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 9, 2011, 07:14

Burrito of Peace

Nuhauser wrote on Feb 8, 2011, 23:08: Said what? I tried using it with Iwar2 on WinXP in 2001 and spent a couple of weeks doing research trying to get it working to no avail. Swear to God. Particularly, I run I-War 2 in XP SP2 compatibility mode and I've never had an issue. It's probably my favorite space game of all time.

44.

Re: Volition Would

Feb 9, 2011, 06:34

peteham

Mashiki Amiketo wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 00:37: Wildone wrote on Feb 9, 2011, 00:02: Freelancer was gay. Do you see fighter pilots flying around with a mouse and keyboard? Nope. That makes plenty of sense. Yep none at all. So anyone else want to raise their hands, and list the number of mice(that would be the ones with a ball in them to you kids) that they killed playing x-wing and tie fighter? I'll guess around 8 for me. clackclackclackclackclack <--- sound of me jogging the mouse in every direction in order to chase down those pesky TIE-fighters.

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