The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Objective: Defend Convoy to New Space Sim Thread for 5:00 Minutes
TychoCelchuuu
PIGEONRegistered User regular
PIGEONRegistered User regular
Art by John Berkey
Space sims aren't dead. If anything, they are undergoing a renaissance right now. This thread is for discussion of space sims. Transfer power to weapons, set your shields double forward, order your squadron to form up, target the nearest enemy, and switch to your missiles, pilot!
Space sims are one of the most venerable genres of games. In fact, Spacewar, from 1962, is one of the first video games ever made in the history of the universe. We've come far since then, but we never want to forget our roots, so this thread is dedicated to those classic sims that formed the groundwork of the genre. Read about them below.
This thread is always a work in progress. As certain sims, like Enemy Starfighter and Squadron 42 grow more exciting, they get their own threads (usually posted by me because SPACE OWNS). Until then, feel free to come to this thread to point out new space sims we might not have heard of, or just to talk about ones that are already out, including the classics.
Guidelines: this thread is for space sims, very broadly construed. It is not for space games, generally, so if there's a sweet 2D space shooter or 4X space strategy game you want to talk about, find another thread. I love Gimbal and Escape Velocity and Endless Space and Sins of a Solar Empire too, but this thread is for people with joysticks. If you can't play the game with a joystick, it probably doesn't belong here.
Art by Ralph McQuarrie
X-Wing / TIE Fighter Series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puvD_FDS_jE
If the only thing the games in the X-Wing series had ever done was let us fly around in the Star Wars universe shooting at people, they would probably still have been a hit. But they were so much more. X-Wing was one of the most innovative flight sims of its time, with full 3D graphics (compared to its 2D sprite based competitors, including Wing Commander) and its dynamic music system. TIE Fighter pushed things further, with its intricate story that let you be the bad guy and its unforgiving and authentic modeling of TIE Fighter resiliency - get hit more than a couple times, and you will explode. These games are some of the most immersive space sims ever made. If your shields are down, laser impacts will knock out parts of your cockpit, leaving your shield readout or radar just a sparking pile of wires.
Wing Commander Series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFb_q2Q5iiI
The epic Wing Commander saga spreads across five games, a number of spinoffs (including the excellent Privateer series and a terrible movie) and deserves credit not just for its focus on narrative and Mark Hammill's continued employment but also the many hours of fun its dogfights provided to space sim fans.
Elite Series
Frontier: Elite II Download
One of the grandfathers of the space sim genre, Elite was released in 1984 and followed by a couple of sequels. Elite was a free roaming space sim: instead of being locked into missions, it basically gave you a space ship and let you do whatever you wanted. It featured a massive galaxy, larger than most galaxies in most space sims since, and it inspired generations of traders, pirates, explorers, miners, and dogfighters. The game was as detailed and intricate as it was vast. Fuel management, proper docking procedure, and Elite II's Newtonian physics are all features that led to a believable universe. The sequel is shareware and free to download.
Independence War Series
Independence War on GOG.com | Independence War 2 on GOG.com
Independence War and its sequel, I-War 2, feature Newtonian flight mechanics and allow players to take control of corvettes, as opposed to the more usual small snub fighters that most space sims feature. They are both pretty great space sims. They're showing their age a bit so they sit up here, in the history section, but don't let that scare you away.
Allegiance
Download Allegiance
It is hard to overstate how ahead of its time Allegiance is. Allegiance is a multiplayer space sim where two teams fight each other. It is extremely strategic: scouting is crucial, which means some players will load their ships up with beacons and fly around the battlefield, dropping them in key positions and replacing them when they are destroyed. Attacking as a team is crucial - some players fly support ships to heal the bombers, while others fly cover for the bombers. No space sims have pushed teamwork or provided such an intricate setting for it as much as Allegiance. The game is now free and people still play.
Descent Series
Descent and Descent 2 on GOG.com | Descent 3 on GOG.com
Descent is a 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) game, which means it places a large emphasis on constantly reorienting yourself in all directions inside a confined environment, setting apart from most space sims, which focus on ships that fly more like airplanes and which are usually set in open space. Confusingly Freespace was named "Descent: Freespace," which is mostly a sign that Descent was so successful that they decided slapping its name on any old sim was probably a good idea (not like Freespace needed the help).
Dogfight Chaos by TK769
Some of these games are out. Some of them are works in progress with alpha demos. All of them are SPACE SIMS. They're arranged vaguely in the order of how much shit I give about them, with a slight preference towards games that are complete.
Freespace Series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7b8Vx3AlPA
Freespace 2 on GOG.com | Freespace 2 Source Code Project | Freespace 2 Community Forums
Unless their nostalgia for the X-Wing or Wing Commander series wins out, most space sim fans would agree that Freespace 2 is the greatest space sim ever made. The amazing campaign, with its exciting scenarios and intriguing story are only the beginning. The game is now open source, which means the original Freespace (which is in a few ways better) has been ported to Freespace 2, but that is just the beginning. Fans have reworked every aspect of the game, from the HUD to the graphics, and have created a number of amazing mods and even standalone games. The Babylon Project is a standalone Babylon 5 game. The Wing Commander Saga recreates the Wing Commander games in the Freespace engine. Diaspora is a Battlestar Galactical total conversion. Blue Planet is a fan campaign for Freespace 2, as is Inferno. If there is one space sim that I can recommend to everyone, veterans and newcomers alike, it is Freespace 2.
Void Destroyer
Website | Demo | Greenlight | YouTube | twitter | Completed Void Destroyer Kickstarter
Void Destroyer is pretty much your standard space sim, but with two added feature: you can fly capital ships, and in fact you can jump between any ship on your side in the mission, and there's an added strategic layer to each mission: in addition to flying your ship around, at any time you can pause the game and go to the strategic map screen, where you can assign orders, gather resources, and build new ships. Think of it as Homeworld plus Freespace.
Starshatter: The Gathering Storm
Starshatter Source Code Port Forums | Alternate Starshatter Download Link | Alternate Sharshatter Download Link
Starshatter stands out for two reasons. Unlike most space sims, which take their dogfighting cues from World War II, Starshatter pairs its Newtonian flight model with a combat system based more on modern jet combat - missiles, speed, and evasion are key. Second, the game features a dynamic campaign that you can control, meaning you can work your way up to controlling capital ships and making strategic decisions. Think of it like the Falcon 4.0 of space sims. @Archonex wrote a very helpful review of the game if you are curious.
X Series
X3 Goldbox on Steam | X Superbox on Steam
The X series is one of the modern day heirs to the throne Elite built. Fly around the galaxy, establishing a trading empire or blowing people up or doing whatever else you want. The game is gorgeous and also has devoured @tube's life on more than one occasion, I think.
Evochron Series
Website
The Evochron series lets you fly around on planets and also things are neon. I hear the games are pretty good. I haven't played them. You can build your own ships by fiddling with all the components, and it's all free roaming. Transitions to planets are seamless!
Babylon 5: I've Found Her
Website
Babylon 5: I've Found Her is a free space sim set in the Babylon 5 universe, which means you can finally do that sweet thing the Starfuries do where they flip around in space and shoot backwards because Newtonian physics exist in the Bablyon 5 TV series.
Miner Wars 2081
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILhUdox1yYkWebsite | Steam | YouTube | twitter | Facebook
An heir to the Descent throne, Miner Wars is another 6DOF game, this time with destroyable environments.
Lunar Flight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkm0apCWjOcWebsite | Steam | twitter | YouTube | Facebook
THE MOON FUCKING OWNS. LAND ON THAT SHIT. Also notable because the latest patch added deathmatch. If the Soviets had gotten their Moonshot shit together maybe this is what it would look like.
Kerbal Space Program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDOOsGg-9IPA Forum Thread |Website | Steam | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | twitch
Build spacecraft. Launch. Orbit. Dock in orbit. Land on various celestial bodies. This game is hilarious, inspired, ambitious NASA porn. It's in development but you can purchase access to where it's at right now via Steam.
Strike Suit Series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO8RFED0gdA
Website | Strike Suit Zero on Steam | Strike Suit Zero on GOG.com | Strike Suit Infinity on Steam | twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Completed Strike Suit Zero Kickstarter
One of the newest space sims to come out, Strike Suit Zero and Strike Suit Infinity cast you in the role of a transforming mecha thing, which is sometimes a fighter and sometimes a Gundam or whatever.
Eterium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R69gGuMAmcWebsite | Demo | Greenlight | twitter | YouTube
A work in progress sim that seems like your bread and butter space sim. What's not to love?
Kinetic Void
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQOI_wzdFtgWebsite | Steam | YouTube | twitter | Completed Kinetic Void Kickstarter
A free roaming space sim with an emphasis on designing your own ships. Currently in paid alpha (beta?) status on Steam. The money the developers are making from sales are allowing them to keep working on the game without a set release date, and the plan right now is to release "when it's done," with all the various features they have planned.
Blockade Runner
PA Forum Thread | Website | Demo | Greenlight | twitter | YouTube | Facebook
Minecraft meets space sim. Build your own ship from scratch, routing power conduits, placing weapons, designing cockpits and cargo holds, and so on, then weep as it is blown apart. The developers release alpha demos as they update the game, but the latest update is taking forever so right now the demo is somewhat outdated compared to where the game (hopefully) is right now.
Ensign 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qMb3SWU3QDemo | Greenlight | Desura | YouTube | Facebook
Wings of Saint Nazaire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTcHSGn2h1sWebsite
WoSN is a free sim currently in development. You can play it right in your browser, and it's one of the first sims since the heady days of Wing Commander to use sprites for enemy ships, which gives its gorgeous graphics a deliciously retro feel.
Dawnstar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBOGz6JQiMkWebsite | Greenlight | Desura | twitter
Scrumble Ship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=pTIdtg8zlFo
Website | Demo | Greenlight | twitter | Facebook | Completed Scrumble Ship Kickstarter
Scrumble Ship is not out yet, but it promises to be one of the most detailed space games ever, allowing you to construct your own ships out of tiny parts made of all sorts of stuff, including biological matter... an early demo is up.
Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoV_ZnBTsrAWebsite | Demo | Greenlight | twitter | Facebook
Get your nerdiest friends together and reenact the few parts of Star Trek where nobody is talking about their feelings or pulling off horrible martial arts moves.
DreadChase
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V0EXEZ6l6gPA Forum Thread | Website | Demo | Greenlight | twitter
I'll be honest I don't know what the fuck is going on with this game but I've heard it's good.
Zigfrak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFleLgSBWEYWebsite | Demo | Greenlight | twitter | YouTube
Skyjacker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qFG1cGw7F8Website | Demo | twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Failed Kickstarter | Second Failed Kickstarter | Successful Kickstarter
StarMade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSJCfkVSfjsWebsite | Greenlight | twitter | YouTube
TychoCelchuuu on
+5
Posts
Air force by FotoN-3
The future of space sims is looking brighter than the explosion of an enemy freighter carrying munitions that you've just torpedoed.
Enemy Starfighter
PA Forum Thread | Website | twitter | YouTube
You lead the spearhead of an invasion fleet, jumping from system to system and striking at their defenses to clear the way for the rest of the fleet. Randomly generated campaigns combined with permadeath, tactical planning, and gorgeous graphics make this a space sim to keep on your radar.
Star Citizen/Squadron 42
PA Forum Thrad | Website | Tumblr | twitter | Facebook | Completed Star Citizen Kickstarter
Chris Roberts, the man behind the Wing Commander franchise is back, and he's crowdfunding his fuckawesome PC only next-gen space sim that looks as gorgeous as it is ambitions. Squadron 42 is a single player/coop campaign where you earn your citizenship in the space empire by fighting in the military. Upon completing it, or whenever you want, you can jump into Star Citizen, the persistent universe Guild Wars 2-esque quasi-MMO portion of the game, where you can be a miner or a trader or a pirate or whatever you want, and fly with friends in your ships, all of which have fully detailed interiors, including working cockpits, and you can board enemy ships and be boarded. Just like Freelancer, the game will also allow players to run their own private servers and mod the game. This will either be the most amazing space sim in history or a spectacular failure.
Limit Theory
Website | YouTube | twitter | Completed Limit Theory Kickstarter
Looks pretty.
Elite Dangerous
Website | twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Completed Elite Dangerous Kickstarter
A new Elite game!
NeonXSZ
Website | Greenlight | YouTube
TRON plus space sims basically.
Y3030
Website | Greenlight
We have almost no info on this but eh, it's a space sim so welcome to the thread little buddy.
Distribution by Talros
In the near future I may have to add the Oculus Rift to this list. Until then...
The Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is a tremendous joystick. It has a Z axis for yaw control, 12 buttons, a throttle, and a hat. It's durable and cheap. The only real downside is that it only fights right-handed people, and some have reported that its calibration gets out of whack after years of heavy use. Mine has been fine for 6 years although I don't use it every day, so your mileage may vary.
The Saitek X52 Flight Control System is a great HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) system for flight sims. It's not quite as crazy as a super professional flight sim setup, but it's still top of the line for the more limited, less realistic control you'll need for spaceships. It has buttons, and LED screen on the throttle, a spring-based centering mechanism to ensure that the calibration is accurate, an adjustable grip, and so on.
Space Fight by John Berkey
Space Game Junkie is the best website for people who enjoy space sims, or any space games. It is updated all the time with new, it has its own podcast, it often has reviews and previews, and so on. Check it out.
Concept Ships is a site that posts sweet drawings of space ships, often from video game concept art.
Take Off by SID75
Mice. Great for fast, pin-point accuracy. Not so great for flying a space ship. This is the hall of shame for space games that refuse to let us use a joystick to play them.
Strike Vector
Greenlight
Star Conflict
PA Forum Thread | Steam
Cannons Lasers Rockets
Greenlight
Freelancer
Website
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
I regret nothing.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
And a Great OP it is! Some of those were off my radar.
Origin: Broncbuster
You're like the good person version of Derek Smart.
Quick! Everyone hide the coke machines!
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
Now we have to scrub the thread and start over.
EDIT: BTW, you're totally putting the Occulus Rift in under peripherals when it officially launches.
You can call me a nerd. I'm cool with it.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
I fit that description too, I own lots of peripherals like the Razer Hydra, a cheap crappy joystick, a Microsoft Sidewinder Dual Strike, etc.
And also, real men use joysticks.
I'm just surprised you got any incoming hits from this post. I didn't think anyone would read that far, let alone click on anything.
I'm really glad he posted the link as well, been browsing it all night (and bookmarked). Love the crutch write up BTW.
Well welcome to the forums. Generally speaking, I think you'll find the crowd around here is relatively more mature than most of the gaming forums you'll find on the internet.
In manners and behaviour anyway. In mentality we're still mostly excitable 1 year old puppies. Maybe slightly less prone to mess.
I really want a Hydra. If a game were made for it's control set up there could be a lot of cool interactions with it in a 3d cockpit.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
I agree. You can use a Hydra in a "joystick mode" though, plus you can configure it however you want. It's not the same as a game being designed with the Hydra in mind of course, but you can get it to do a lot of things.
We should really look into I-War...
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
http://star-made.org/
Similar to Kinetic Void or Blockade Runner but it looks a lot less polished than the former.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V5B6dhU4OkM
I tried the demo and it's pretty fun, but it wasn't registering my joystick's twist axis so I abandoned it fairly quickly. The demo keeps getting updated though so at some point I'll check back on it. Also if you don't like the little anime portrait in the cockpit (I don't care for it at all) the developer has said they are maybe/probably getting rid of the anime style at some point, so yay.
I tried Space Engine but that's not what I'm after since it isn't a game. Outer Wilds was fairly interesting although I didn't do too much once I was in space. It's still installed so I'll have to play it again. I haven't played Noctis or Orbiter. Lunar Flight actually looked closer to what I'm after. I saw it's like $3 during the Steam sale so maybe I'll pick it up. I read it's supposed to be pretty challenging.
There's like, two space games I can think of that don't have aliens.
I really enjoy Lunar Flight, it's just the right mix of realistic physics in a low gravity environment and accessible playability. It works great with a 360 pad and I don't see why it wouldn't be good with the proper stick configuration. And if you ever do want combat in the game it's a feature that can be toggled on or off. I haven't tried the combat at all though, I'm in love with the games presentation of precision flight with vectored thrust.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
It's currently 50% off, but I'm just wondering if it will get a bigger discount. Probably not, but I have enough games right now where I can wait a few more days.
Thanks for the recommendation, I hadn't checked it out yet. Based on videos I just watched it looks interesting. I will definitely check it out. I'm downloading Lunar Flight at the moment. It seems the closest thing to an arcade-style space sim without combat (or with it being optional at least).
That's what I still use, and it works really, really well in just about everything. Thumb hat with 4 buttons close-by, thumb button, trigger, and 6 more buttons on the base near the throttle for your left hand give it enough functions for just about everything. It's definitely a right-hander stick, though, so if that's important to you, there's probably better options.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Proper Newtonian Physics, ship building, large universes, and you could even turn off your reactors shielding and accidentally microwave yourself