If you’re a fan of retro space combat sims such as Wing Commander and X-Wing then you’re in for a treat. Wings of St. Nazaire is an impressive, currently in development, attempt at recreating those older games in look and play style but for systems of today.
What that means is you play as a space pilot and blow up enemy ships into colorful explosions, mostly. It’s simple enough, and the intention of its three-man team is for it to be plenty of fun to just dive into and play.
However, there is depth to the combat here: advanced players will use the afterburner in short bursts for maximum acceleration, they’ll also use the right weapon type against different enemies, and they’ll also make sure the systems that need the power most will get it when needed.
It may be hard to see in screenshots, but Wings of St. Nazaire’s visuals are telling of the effort that the team behind it is aiming for. Although it might not look it, everything you see in the game is 2D – yes, really.
“We pre-render 2D images for every possible angle that you can see them from (544 for a normal fighter) and then display the right sprite. This is exactly what the early Wing Commander games did – we’re doing it this way because we absolutely love the retro effect this has,” writes one of the team.
So, the game really is a little more than just a tribute to retro games – it’s being made just like they were. If you want to check it out yourself, there’s a pre-alpha demo available here that you can play in your browser that gets regularly updated (it should support gamepads, joysticks, and keyboard). There are also downloads for Windows, Mac, and Linux available on the game’s website.
The team behind Wings of St. Nazaire says that the plan is to release the final game for free. However, if they do end up charging for it (and they probably should) then it shouldn’t cost you much, apparently. Plus, as it’s being made in Unity 3D, there’s a decent chance of it coming to consoles as well as PC once it’s finished.
I dunno if its 'cause ai got changed or whatever, but I just had a nice little warmup with a Dangerous rated Eagle. That sucker made very heavy use of his manoeuvring thrusters, though not good enough to crack my Sidewinder's shields with his machine guns. If I got tagged I just boosted as usual, but the dance of death was fun all the same.
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DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
I've just about got FaceTrackNoIR tweaked out right. Once you get your deadzones and curves tricked out it works pretty damn well. It's probably more fiddly to set up than TrackIR and not as snappy or precise but for the price of any webcam that does facetracking (29.99 at my local Wal-Mart) you get free headtracking in a ton of games. Also I have glasses, a big bushy beard and hair and the software picks up my face and tracks it just fine.
Main thing is you want to do this in good, steady light. As the sun moved across the windows in my office door it would cause shifts in how the software tracked my face. It's not a huge issue but it was definitely noticeable. I think a blackout curtain for that door is in its future.
I dunno if its 'cause ai got changed or whatever, but I just had a nice little warmup with a Dangerous rated Eagle. That sucker made very heavy use of his manoeuvring thrusters, though not good enough to crack my Sidewinder's shields with his machine guns. If I got tagged I just boosted as usual, but the dance of death was fun all the same.
Yeah AI diffulculty is tied to rating now, and bigger ships like the Anaconda can be downright vicious to fight.
I discovered that the 2.50 patch for X Rebirth is available as a public beta so I loaded it up and not only did they add and fix a bunch of stuff, but the game runs a LOT better now. I mean, it ran pretty good before but now it's really smooth and still looks really good too.
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
While cruising around looking for equipment for my ship I found a station type I didn't recognise. I popped into the system and did a quick survey of the nearest star. Nothing spectacular, but its main planet has a station so close to its atmosphere you have to fly for about 2 minutes before you can accelerate away from it.
While I was parked up and refuelling there I looked at the map and the realised that they were talking about seven hundred and twenty THOUSAND light seconds to the twin sun. Naturally I set off immediately. I'm writing this during my second attempt at this flight. It has currently taken 21 minutes at full speed, hitting just over 1100c. The first effort failed when the server kicked me off for being idle for too long I have had to shut down all my non vital systems to save fuel and it will be touch and go if I make it or not.
Holy balls I have finally made it. 25 minutes since I engaged the drive.
So Exodus of Sol looks interesting. Super cheap on the Indie Gala Bundle right now.
What the store page says:
Exodus of Sol is a space action game where you participate in epic capital ship battles, intense dogfights, space station raids, and much more as you liberate our solar system from tyranny.
What I saw:
epic capital ship battles
There doesn't seem to be an Indie Gala bundle which includes it, that I can see, so I guess it's time to serve the Newell.
Played a teeny bit of Elite last night (despite my pimped out Cobra and bank account being wiped, not sure if it's meant to be that way...), there's been a whole host of QoL and graphical improvements. The in ship navigation HUD in particular is so much nicer to use. The other big thing is the normalisation of bounties and mission payouts compared to straight trading/scavanging/piracy. I'm sure in no small part down to my tuurrible piloting skills; but previously going to war zones for a meager few thousand credits was a losing proposition once you take into account ammo usage and armour repairs.
Also everything just seems a lot.. I dunno... Smoother? More polished? Definitely seems more like a finished game than the Beta I was playing previously.
Well I contacted support last night and they said they haven't wiped just recently, so they've credited my account with "enough to buy your Cobra back". So if there was one then that customer support person didn't know about it... Either way I'm happy!
Dunno how much time I'm gonna have to gaming this week, but if there's any other CMDRs out there then add me: "pablocampy".
Well the wipe was at the start of Beta 2, I assumed that you meant you hadn't played since before Beta 2, or did you mean that you lost your assets during Beta 2? Awesome that CS helped you either way.
Well the wipe was at the start of Beta 2, I assumed that you meant you hadn't played since before Beta 2, or did you mean that you lost your assets during Beta 2? Awesome that CS helped you either way.
I've lost track of what Beta we're in now... I last played about 2 weeks ago? CS has been super awesome so far with the two "issues" I've had.
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
I'll play with you, mech-bro / plane-bro.
EDIT and yes, I'm trying to stay away from pre-release as well. I'm putting down Project Zomboid and The Long Dark and am letting them bake.
So how does grouping up work in Elite? I'm worried that with the universe so huge, it will be impractical to group up with someone for a half-hour of pewpew because you could be two hours away from them. For example, EVE: Online: Internet Spaceships.
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DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
Ah, EVE.
barkbarkbark
Jump now! Jump now! Jump now!
Wait no.
If you jumped you're dead.
barkbarkbark
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daveNYCWhy universe hate Waspinator?Registered Userregular
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
Both Star Citizen and Elite are putting out my dream game. Having to chose which massive space combat and trading open galaxy game to play was not a decision I thought I'd have to make.
Shut up, Mr. Burton! You were not brought upon this world to get it!
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
Ah, EVE.
barkbarkbark
Jump now! Jump now! Jump now!
Wait no.
If you jumped you're dead.
barkbarkbark
blobwarfareblobwarfareblobwarfare!
jump now! jump now jump now!
wait no, their blob is bigger
runaway!runaway!runaway!
Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
I will be playing Elite for years to come. This game is like a dream come true! I don't really get bored of a game like this.
Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
Both Star Citizen and Elite are putting out my dream game. Having to chose which massive space combat and trading open galaxy game to play was not a decision I thought I'd have to make.
Well...it's not an immediate choice. Considering one will be finished way, way before the other.
I'm also waiting for release to jump on Elite but I'll be there the moment it's released.
I cut my teeth on the original way back. It was probably the first game I ever became obsessed about playing.
Mostly just huntin' monsters.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
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DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
Star Citizen is going to have to do a 180 on some things I've observed about the game before it gets my interest back. They are making some core decisions about the inputs and flight characteristics that are moving it firmly away from the kind of space sim I'm interested in playing. And with their audience and funding model they'd be stupid to go any other way. I wish them great success, the genre needs every one it can get, but I'm pretty certain that Elite is going to be getting all or most of my attention between the two.
I have the feeling that Elite will be the better game, but Star Citizen will be the more popular game. I do hope that SC does something to change their gameplay though, because while I enjoy clicking on ships to pew-pew in Arena Commander (HOTAS is kind of useless now) it's not as satisfying as winning a hard fight (especially against another player) in Elite.
I do hope that Elite gets more friendly to groups though. It's a rather sandboxy-game but it's not exactly easy to form groups/guilds currently (subject to change of course). I know that they are purposefully staying away from EVE-style control of space, but given the size and nature of the game it almost seems like a good setting for such.
All this is irrelevant if you are a solo player, of course.
Myself and Evma tried some grouping up yesterday, but I think the system was bugged. Friending seemed to work fine, but neither of us managed to invite the other into a group. The invitation arrived, but the acceptance of it didn't seem to stick. So if the receiver navigated away and back to the group page the invite would be back to pending.
We did manage to stay in the same instance regardless and take down a dirty space pirate to the tune of 500 credits! All to Evma though (that greedy bastard!). Hopefully when properly grouped stuff like that will be split up? I can't wait to take a group of PAers into a warzone and do some proper fighting.
They've been pretty damn good at hitting development mile stones so far, so I'd agree with @Drake that we'll likely see it late 2014 or very shortly after.
Myself and Evma tried some grouping up yesterday, but I think the system was bugged. Friending seemed to work fine, but neither of us managed to invite the other into a group. The invitation arrived, but the acceptance of it didn't seem to stick. So if the receiver navigated away and back to the group page the invite would be back to pending.
We did manage to stay in the same instance regardless and take down a dirty space pirate to the tune of 500 credits! All to Evma though (that greedy bastard!). Hopefully when properly grouped stuff like that will be split up? I can't wait to take a group of PAers into a warzone and do some proper fighting.
Also, in-game voice comms are pretty neat (when they work).
Also also, I was fined 450 credits of that bounty I got for committing assault on that pirate since I technically opened fire on him before he did anything piratey.
Myself and Evma tried some grouping up yesterday, but I think the system was bugged. Friending seemed to work fine, but neither of us managed to invite the other into a group. The invitation arrived, but the acceptance of it didn't seem to stick. So if the receiver navigated away and back to the group page the invite would be back to pending.
We did manage to stay in the same instance regardless and take down a dirty space pirate to the tune of 500 credits! All to Evma though (that greedy bastard!). Hopefully when properly grouped stuff like that will be split up? I can't wait to take a group of PAers into a warzone and do some proper fighting.
Also, in-game voice comms are pretty neat (when they work).
Also also, I was fined 450 credits of that bounty I got for committing assault on that pirate since I technically opened fire on him before he did anything piratey.
Sweet, sweet karma!
To expand on the voice comms neatness, it has the awesome Apollo space mission style beeps when when you stop talking and there is some sort of filter (intentional or otherwise) that makes it sound really... spacelike; very cool. The only problem we had was that seemingly the volume of my outgoing seemed to drop off for Evma and there isn't any voice volume in the audio options.
Posts
http://www.siliconera.com/2014/10/03/everything-see-space-combat-sim-wings-st-nazaire-2d-really/
Main thing is you want to do this in good, steady light. As the sun moved across the windows in my office door it would cause shifts in how the software tracked my face. It's not a huge issue but it was definitely noticeable. I think a blackout curtain for that door is in its future.
Yeah AI diffulculty is tied to rating now, and bigger ships like the Anaconda can be downright vicious to fight.
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
My wallet hates me now, and my reservoir of free time is hating me preemptively, pending the download.
While cruising around looking for equipment for my ship I found a station type I didn't recognise. I popped into the system and did a quick survey of the nearest star. Nothing spectacular, but its main planet has a station so close to its atmosphere you have to fly for about 2 minutes before you can accelerate away from it.
While I was parked up and refuelling there I looked at the map and the realised that they were talking about seven hundred and twenty THOUSAND light seconds to the twin sun. Naturally I set off immediately. I'm writing this during my second attempt at this flight. It has currently taken 21 minutes at full speed, hitting just over 1100c. The first effort failed when the server kicked me off for being idle for too long
Holy balls I have finally made it. 25 minutes since I engaged the drive.
What the store page says:
What I saw:
There doesn't seem to be an Indie Gala bundle which includes it, that I can see, so I guess it's time to serve the Newell.
Edit: wait, nevermind, it's here.
Also everything just seems a lot.. I dunno... Smoother? More polished? Definitely seems more like a finished game than the Beta I was playing previously.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
What's crazy is that Beta 3 is at the end of this month. Things are moving so fast now.
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
Dunno how much time I'm gonna have to gaming this week, but if there's any other CMDRs out there then add me: "pablocampy".
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
I've lost track of what Beta we're in now... I last played about 2 weeks ago? CS has been super awesome so far with the two "issues" I've had.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
Nope, that's just a preorder for release. It was $50, right? Beta is $75.
I'm being cheap and waiting on release.
I want the Merc pack but there's the nagging fear that by the time it's released everyone will have been playing too long and be bored of it and moved on to the next pre release game
I'll play with you, mech-bro / plane-bro.
EDIT and yes, I'm trying to stay away from pre-release as well. I'm putting down Project Zomboid and The Long Dark and am letting them bake.
Nope. I dumped 2 years of my life into Eve Online and I couldn't even really fly or dogfight in that game. I'm afraid that once Elite hits a certain point (the FPS module) I'm never going to stop playing. Frontier is building my dream game and I'm glad they've got a good start on it.
Ah, EVE.
barkbarkbark
Jump now! Jump now! Jump now!
Wait no.
If you jumped you're dead.
barkbarkbark
Both Star Citizen and Elite are putting out my dream game. Having to chose which massive space combat and trading open galaxy game to play was not a decision I thought I'd have to make.
blobwarfareblobwarfareblobwarfare!
jump now! jump now jump now!
wait no, their blob is bigger
runaway!runaway!runaway!
I will be playing Elite for years to come. This game is like a dream come true! I don't really get bored of a game like this.
Well...it's not an immediate choice. Considering one will be finished way, way before the other.
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
I cut my teeth on the original way back. It was probably the first game I ever became obsessed about playing.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
I do hope that Elite gets more friendly to groups though. It's a rather sandboxy-game but it's not exactly easy to form groups/guilds currently (subject to change of course). I know that they are purposefully staying away from EVE-style control of space, but given the size and nature of the game it almost seems like a good setting for such.
All this is irrelevant if you are a solo player, of course.
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
We did manage to stay in the same instance regardless and take down a dirty space pirate to the tune of 500 credits! All to Evma though (that greedy bastard!). Hopefully when properly grouped stuff like that will be split up? I can't wait to take a group of PAers into a warzone and do some proper fighting.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
Also, in-game voice comms are pretty neat (when they work).
Also also, I was fined 450 credits of that bounty I got for committing assault on that pirate since I technically opened fire on him before he did anything piratey.
Steam profile - Twitch - YouTube
Switch: SM-6352-8553-6516
Sometime in your 50's or 60's.
Sweet, sweet karma!
To expand on the voice comms neatness, it has the awesome Apollo space mission style beeps when when you stop talking and there is some sort of filter (intentional or otherwise) that makes it sound really... spacelike; very cool. The only problem we had was that seemingly the volume of my outgoing seemed to drop off for Evma and there isn't any voice volume in the audio options.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
I think communication is only directly with another pilot though? They should add channels.
Nintendo Network ID: imperialparadox | 3DS FC: 2294-4029-6793
XBL Gamertag: Paradox3351 | PSN: imperialparadox
Unreal Engine 4 Developers Community.
I'm working on a cute little video game! Here's a link for you.