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[Fayrik]

Okay, I was gunna start this thread with a "Has anyone here played Freelancer" kind of question.
After a quick search, I already know that answer, yet I'm still shocked to see this game didn't have it's own thread. Until now.

That's right, finally, in 2011, a massive 9 years after the copyright print suggests my rerelease was made... I have finally made this thread. Needless to say, I'm a bit late. But then again, I'm a new player to the game.

Where to begin? Well! For those of you who haven't already played this... Classic! (I really can't think of any other word to describe it.)
Freelancer, by todays modern gaming standards is probably quite simple. Either you go to 3-5 set locations on a planet, or you fly around a group of star systems. Yet, I'm underselling it here.
Alternatively, you could imagine it's Grand Theft Auto in space. Yet again, that's not exactly it. You can't just jump out a spaceship while in open space.
...So, I'm struggling to describe it...
But, just imagine a game, where you fly a spaceship around in space... But choose what you want to do.
So, got a bit of a bloodthirst? Go hunt some pirates!
Feel like being the pirate today? Knock out the trade lane and shoot down some cargo ships. (Yarr!, precious booty!)
Or, of course, you could opt for the slightly quieter life of just running cargo... I say only slightly, however.

In a nutshell, why would I recommend this game?
Well, whatever you do, it's gunna be fun.

But of course, there's more to be said than just gameplay. For example, players?
Well, one.. If you're feeling anti-social!
I've seen the Freelancer Discovery RP server clock 165 people online at once.

So, just in case you where wondering if you can play the game or not, I will restate that the game was released (I do believe) before the millenium. I'm not entirely sure about this either, but I think Devient Art has a higher systems requirement than this game.
Suffice to say, I'm pretty sure most computers could handle this game. (Most, before anyone complains. I have a computer that can't handle it.)

"But hang on, a game that's 9-12 years old? How on earth could I possibly obtain a copy?"
Well, okay, that's the hard part. But it's not entirely hard. I believe it's been re-published a couple of times. I picked up a brand new copy a few weeks ago for little more than £10. And I think most of that was going towards shipping.
At this point, I'd put up links of a few places you could buy it, but I don't have any I'm afraid since my girlfriend ordered it for me. And I think that was from Ebay. However, if anyone has any online shops that sell this game, it'd be nice to have the reference.

And, finally, after all this time.. This giant post... Onwards to the discussion proper!

Does anyone here have this game, and if so, still play it?
I'm currently playing the Discovery 4.85 Mod, and I've got my own silly little server running.
Has anyone else got a server running? Is anyone else even playing this still?
(Also, has anyone tried the official Discovery Servers? I'm a bit nervous about trying them.)

Edit 2: Server: Offline
Okay, I'm kinda ready to let anyone who wants to come and test out the server. You'll currently recieve a bankload of credits on joining. It's not very fun I know, but it'll be like that till I establish the RP rules and how much players should start with.
The server's name is "Dragon Claw Test Server" and is running Discovery 4.85 (Release 3).
To connect, run "fldirectip.hta", and input <redacted>, then press Add Server, then Launch Freelancer. (Running on standard port, etc).
Password is baytwelve. Again, it's all just for now.
(Update: I decided to scrap the password, shortly before taking the server offline.)

Edit 1: Now it's time for some links.
Places to buy Freelancer online:
Amazon
Play (UK/EU Only)
Misc & Mods:
Freelancer's ModDB page.
Discovery Réunion's official site.
(Would add more mods, but this section could get very crowded very quickly. Check ModDB for more!)

[Rakonas]

Freelancer stands as one of, if not the, best game of its genre, honestly.
I still have my disc somewhere though I haven't played it for a few months. One thing I've got to say to anyone who hasn't yet played it is that the visuals are still amazing. Flying through a nebula, seeing a flash of lighting illuminating a silhouette of some bizarre structure in the distance... There's nothing like it.

[Fayrik]

Had a rather creepy moment like that not so long ago, was searching for a

Spoiler: SRS SPOILER IS SRS!! (click to show/hide)

Nomad Jumpgate

in a really thick Nebula. Could see nothing on scanners, nothing out the windows.
Then, in one flash of light, I could see exactly what I was looking for, not even 2k away.
I almost crapped myself. The <previously spoiler>s are the scariest things to find in a nebula ever.

And, I quite agree, I've never seen a space like game that's managed to come close to it.

[Rakonas]

Had a rather creepy moment like that not so long ago, was searching for a

Spoiler: SRS SPOILER IS SRS!! (click to show/hide)

Nomad Jumpgate

in a really thick Nebula. Could see nothing on scanners, nothing out the windows.
Then, in one flash of light, I could see exactly what I was looking for, not even 2k away.
I almost crapped myself. The <previously spoiler>s are the scariest things to find in a nebula ever.

And, I quite agree, I've never seen a space like game that's managed to come close to it.

That's the one in that one giant pink cloud in that one system with nothing in it, right? I remember seeing it on accident while mining iridium on a multiplayer server and embarking on a 30 minute long quest to find it again.

[Fayrik]

That's the one in that one giant pink cloud in that one system with nothing in it, right? I remember seeing it on accident while mining iridium on a multiplayer server and embarking on a 30 minute long quest to find it again.

Yeah.
It is pretty hard to find. I was even using the Wiki to try and find it, but it took me awhile.
Best way of finding it though. I enjoyed having to find it like that. Damned hard to find again though.
 Related to previous spoiler, but much MUCH more detail this time:

Spoiler: MOAR SPOILZ... (click to show/hide)

So, I saw the other side of the gate, and I'm still trying to work out what's going on in that unknown system. The most revealing thing about it was a catchy little riddle.

[Sowelu]

Absolutely the best game in its genre.  Utterly gorgeous...which is exactly what the genre calls for.  Would NOT have worked if it had not been so gosh darn pretty.  Atmosphere was key.

...The only (hilarious) flaw was the slide button that let you keep your velocity while turning around or something.  You could afterburn + slide to go fast for longer than normal.

[Fayrik]

...The only (hilarious) flaw was the slide button that let you keep your velocity while turning around or something.  You could afterburn + slide to go fast for longer than normal.

That's not a flaw, that's a feature!
... Well, okay I'll admit it makes running from combat pretty easy, but that said button means that your velocity doesn't change at all. Once you've turned around, you're doing about -200...Great for hairpin turns, not so great for missile evasions.

[Rakonas]

That's the one in that one giant pink cloud in that one system with nothing in it, right? I remember seeing it on accident while mining iridium on a multiplayer server and embarking on a 30 minute long quest to find it again.

Yeah.
It is pretty hard to find. I was even using the Wiki to try and find it, but it took me awhile.
Best way of finding it though. I enjoyed having to find it like that. Damned hard to find again though.
 Related to previous spoiler, but much MUCH more detail this time:

Spoiler: MOAR SPOILZ... (click to show/hide)

So, I saw the other side of the gate, and I'm still trying to work out what's going on in that unknown system. The most revealing thing about it was a catchy little riddle.

Spoiler: Reallybadspoiler (click to show/hide)

Though there's a ton of radiation, there's one station in the system, occupied by humans, but made by aliums (In discovery you can buy an alien ship)

[Fayrik]

Spoiler: Reallybadspoiler (click to show/hide)

Though there's a ton of radiation, there's one station in the system, occupied by humans, but made by aliums (In discovery you can buy an alien ship)

Spoiler: Megaspoilers (click to show/hide)

The Emerald City is made of Amethyst; Theres a Wicked Witch in the North.
So, we know what the Wicked Witch is, but unless the quote isn't as epic as I see it, there's nothing else of interest in the system. Also: The quote source.

Just for the sake of adding something outside a spoiler, too...
This stuff is to do with the Discovery Mod, and there's plenty of spoilable stuff in Discovery for those who haven't played it.

[Tilla]

I really wish this genre was so neglected by major publishers now. what happened? I'd probably kill anyone you asked up to a maximum of 200 people if you promised me a quality sequel to the X-Wing/TIE-Fighter/XWA franchise with open world elements.

[Sowelu]

Only if the open-world elements were done very well.

I liked TIE Fighter.  It knew exactly what it was and it did not stray beyond those bounds.  An open-world approach would have ruined that particular game.

[Sergius]

Only if the open-world elements were done very well.

I liked TIE Fighter.  It knew exactly what it was and it did not stray beyond those bounds.  An open-world approach would have ruined that particular game.

X-Wing Alliance was a game that just BEGGED to be an open ended trading/mission Privateer-like sim.

[Tilla]

Only if the open-world elements were done very well.

I liked TIE Fighter.  It knew exactly what it was and it did not stray beyond those bounds.  An open-world approach would have ruined that particular game.

X-Wing Alliance was a game that just BEGGED to be an open ended trading/mission Privateer-like sim.

Yes this. It set up mechanics for trade - dockable stations, transferring with ships, cargo cointainers, etcetera - and then never really used them to that effect even though 3/4ths the game was spent inside a freighter!

Also note I qualified it had to be a Quality title They've made a couple really lame games (the Starfighter series) that didn't get anywhere close to the quality of the older ones. Ideally the open world game would allow faction quests to side up with the Rebellion or the Empire, and maybe one or two major criminal factions like Black Sun or the Hutt crime families as a smuggler or enforcer, in addition to your freelance business..sigh, I can dream.

[breadbocks]

Sounds really neat. Where can I get this?

[Tilla]

Sounds really neat. Where can I get this?

Please send $100,000,000 to TillaSoft Ltd and I will get on it right away. Funds go to building a studio, hiring bonuses, licensing of equipment and middleware and all that, and the no doubt hundreds of staff needed. Also bribing Lucas to let me do it :|