Comments - T-max

Use ver 1.5 or lower and you'll be able to player the original SP. Remember to combine it with Kawash's ENB and it will look much better.

In my view, the ships are just too agile, too fast. For the maneuver thing, I suggest you try the new PC version ACE Combat released this spring. In my view, I really wanna make FL flight feel real.

I won't do any comment if I haven't try it.
I'm just saying besides the 88flak style thing, other aspects are quite well and acceptable. I can say that's not a main stream flavor. But if you, as the creator, like this, then there's no problem at all. Because, first of all, you author need to enjoy yourselves. Am I right :)

I see that this mod's combat is quite 88 flak flavor.
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of that flavor.
The reason's that ships flying like flies and 'are taken down like flies'(from the storyline)
I understand that you're trying to make a fast pace game but the maneuver feels like a 1990s' game.

If you've ever played ace-combat, you'll find that the fighters feel quite like FL's. That means, to have a good feeling of fighter dog fights, you don't really wanna make the fighters fly too fast as that can spoil the manipulation feeling.

The Downloading speed of CF mod depends lol.

And that mod isn't really that buggy.

There's also a way to have multiple Freelancer folders. I forgot where that discussion page was. It should be something about editing your FL mod manager log in windows register list.

But crossfire does have some problems such as:
1. only one server in Germany.
2. Game favors for fighters and battleships while other ships are not used.
3. Spoiling escape pods.

There're indeed many problem of that mod if you value it with today's view. To be frankly, I don't really know whether these problems will continue to exist in its V2.0.

But still, that mod worth a try.

But still, that long, long journey need to be paced up somehow or you're asking everyone, including yourself, to watching a ship&system show every time you play through the storyline.

Maybe some more temporary jumpholes,carried by a capital ship through some of the system, simply teleported to a new place by scripts or something like that. There're many ways to pace up that thing.

Again, I have to tell you that's not a good idea to let people watch the fly show for hours.

I remember flying hours long during one CF storyline mission in coalition territory. Could you just do something about that. I'm pretty sure no one wanna click F2(fly to) to the mission way point then wait for 2 hours to see his first enemy.

Furthermore, if you're moving toward some new project other then CF of FL, please let us know. I mean, you can just post some brief news here. It would be much easier for us to know.

But outcast light fighters, corsair light fighters are really much more powerful then their local counterparts. So I think they should be with better loot as a good reason for choosing them as your enemies.

1. Yes, I agree that it's quite easy for veterans like you and me but still crazy for new birds.

2. Most NPCs are not overpowered, but some very agile fighters like liberty light fighters and their corsair conterparts are quite hard to shoot.

3. The levelup requirements(money) are kind of too high and the only easy way to do it is to sell escape pods and that's also the most profitable and easiest way to make money in multiplayer game.
And I have to mention that I haven't play CF since June.2012 in case you may have made a lot of changes that I'm not aware of.

4. And about making right choices of weapons, you may just edit the equips' info cards, suggesting what kind of weapon sets or cominations are recommanded.

I have three points
1.First, you're right about too many batteries and nanobots NPCs are using.

2.Others, like me may have a better fighting skill or just because we combine missiles with anti-shield guns, it's not that hard for us to finish the mission. And after unlocking the jump gates, you can buy new ships from CF systems(like black eagle) or just buy one during the next period in Bretonia if you don't wanna spoil the vanilla feeling.

3.I've complained about the nanobots/batteries problems more than once and tried my best to be convincing. But it seems that the author and the major CF community in EU don't wanna any change of that flavour. Then, what can I say about that?

Hmm... will you share your auto-fire control system with other mod teams if your patent is confirmed?

You really come up with a lot of good ideas such as the 'zoom' system and the carrier which is unprecedented.
You also have this video on youtube?

This one's really, a classical one, beautiful.

Though it may be a bit embarrasing, I wanna ask that, was Freelancer very popular in Europe when it was just released in 2003 ? I mean, yes, I know it was in Germany, but what about other countries?

Yes, and when you use FLMM to load this mod, you have an option, open SP.

I have to say that, about your second point, with a high ping, people just don't play. It's never about a main server or something like that. I can just assure you with a high ping in US and Asia, people never play CF online.

Youtube as well as facebook is blocked in a lot of developing country. So I guess it will be better here.

No, I'm just mentioning non-grahpic features because CF has accomplished enough, right? :)
As I mentioned above, you're making Online RPG features instead of offline RPG features which means you need player numbers, hard to achieve with the popularity Freelancer has now,compared to other top RPGs. That's the very difficulty you need to overcome.

I just said 'But players don't only play space games,right?'
That's the problem I'm really talking about. Freelancer isn't only competing with space sims but all other games. So players really need good reasons to come back while you know, there're always extrodinary games out there. So, it's hard.

I missed that you mentioned space sims,right?

Ok, I'm not comparing Freelancer only to space sims but all other RPGs. Maybe I've chosen a larger pool that's not suitable. But players don't only play space games,right?

So now I realize that the problem I mentioned is not only for Freelancer but also for all other space games. You know, hmm , the popularity of space games nowadays is really, coming down....Well, it may be very hard to make Freelancer quite successful as some top RPGs while it has its own limits.

I'm not saying that you dedicated people are doing badly. In fact, it's good but nothing like nowadays games.

Nowadays games, their strategies, well, are much like that they keep a huge player population within a few years. Yes, they're dead now but they're designed to be this way while you don't wanna be like that. Meanwhile, Freelancer seems to keep a small community lasting for maybe decades(I mean in the future). Ok, then comes the problem, many features that Freelancer has are based on a large online player population which we don't have now,unlike EVE.

It's just like a circle that you plan on something demanding numerous online players while there aren't enough players. And players tend to play offline instead of online gaming. And the online features which are only effective online are just invalid in singleplayers. That makes the players have no interest in trying it online. That's the circle that Freelancer has right now. In short, people are working more on many online non-graphic features but that realy needs player numbers. And that gives me the image that you're creating a Freelancer version of EVE.

I have to say that there're too many new games nowadays while Freelancer lacks of lots of mordern features, ending up like always shooting, shooting, shooting. You know, for a short while, that feels cool, but what about playing for a month or longer?

Like I mentioned before, now many RPGs give play characters special ability like stealth, instant move, AOE, short-term urber and so on. So if freelancer's going to have a lot of players back for a realy long period, it has to be this way. No offense but, many Freelancer Modders' personal flavour may not be accepted by non-freelancer players. That's why people're very looking forward to your Freelancer Continum Program.

Looks like FL really has an old engine :( Still, that one is pretty enough for now.

While designing those new planet textures, any way to make some thicker atomosphere? That looks real and beautiful.

I think we may have a different view on RP which may be caused by: 1. We have been used to different RPG styles 2. We both have our own flavour and demands of RPGs.

I'm not comparing CF with Discovery, I'm just saying until now the game experience we get in CF1.9 is very alike many action games such as need for speed 9 and Lost Planet. And the RPG limits are largely due to your insists on the vanilla balance system. I'm not going to comment on balance any futher since you said you're quite happy about it.

What I'm really talking about here is the FLAVOUR of CF. And what most of us feel may be quite a fast paced action game with morden graphics. It has nothing to do with the classification of RPG and ACT. As you know, even action games have a lot of RPG features which makes them ARPG. It doesn't matter if you make it an RPG or not while it does matter you make unique game experience which keeps us play it longer then before. So, if CF is going to be more action-like, then be it and be good at it. Players will also like to welcome a great ARPG if you make it. It doesn't matter if you have dynamic economy or dynamic universe, the only thing we care about is good game experience which makes you willing to play again and again.

As CF2.0 not released yet, I don't wanna have any irresponsible comment on it and I'm sure I will give it a big try. So don't be nervous, I don't wanna push you to anything. It's just a game. So, to be relaxed and enjoy it is the spirit.

As neo507 mentioned, I have the same feeling as well. In my eyes, it;s much like a sport game or action game while Discovery focus on RPG feature. So I guess that might be your flavour, right?

6.Ships' armor , power and agility.
For instance, Eagle should be what it is now, Sable has 6 guns and 3 turrets, Titan has 18000 armor and the similar power output as Eagle's.

You may say I'm breaking the balance. However, the statistics may be exaggerate,but I'm only talking about effective armor,power and agility. As you know, MS designed the balance as junk and agility overpowers armor and firepower for high class ships. Titan may have relative thick armor but not agile enough to escape from enemy fire,being useless. Sabre may have more firepower but not enough to eliminate the enemy before its own end. Eagle has neither firepower or armor but with astonishing agility overpowering other two attributes. So people always choose eagle amoung the three. That means, you have no choice and this is not RPG. We have to admit that balance is out of date and a junk as MS designed it to be.

My words may be rude and with out nessesary respects for modders' work. But you know,compared to most new RPGs nowadays, vanilla FL is really a bit boring for its old engine and old design. What today's RPGs do is to give players as many choices amoung roles and play styles, as much place for leveling up and more powerful equips, as many new challenges before them. Those things keep players spending weeks even months for a game and are especially important for an online game as you're working on.

So I don't want you just to waste your time on bringing players new surprises as new ships and new places. That doesn't really bring anything new to this game and are consuming a lot of your free time. In another word, high cost, low rewards for modders.

Hope you don't mind me saying these bothering words.

Now I got somthing to talk about:

1.Will the gunboats and cruisers have choices for their weapons? That makes you able to choose amoung different roles with the same ship. That's what most rpgs do.

2. Gunboats and cruisers have little armor that flying them isn't an attractive options for players. Especially, gunboats now are just junks now as they're destroyed at sight.

3.double-thruster-bombers with only bomber guns. That makes melee fight against battleships possible and won't be like what happens in Discovery. Those thrusters can't be taken off to mount on other ships,sold with the bombers.

Steath fighters. Cloak before attacks. able to kill a ship in a few seconds,but with out effective energy regenration to kill the second. And need to eascape a while before its cloak is reloaded. That makes perfect sneak attacks and is OK to balance.

4.Melee fighters. weapon range below 500, however, easy to shoot and powerful.

Normal fighters just as they're now.

Snipers' weapon range should be above 700 but below 1500. When against NPCs, it kills one or two them before engage, when against players, you know the rest. And it's weak in melee fight and need some escorts.

5.All more powerful versions of weapons like PPC and Gatling guns are just lootable but not for sale. So should other equips be as well. The reason is simple: once a player gets all he wants, little possibility for much more passion. It's just like some quests for your rewards. You kill some ships too loot. Or you kill the ships for reputations need for the very base sell the items. That needs some boss fight. One boss with some escorts should be possible and reasonable. This method is also used by lots of RPGs as well.

A sinlge-player version won't be smaller. I remember there's a way to make the installed mod folder an independent game folder. Just delete some figure of flmm in register. You should ask OP about this.