Combat depth of these games?

[Noxos]

I am downloading the game now but might not be able to play it quite yet so I was wondering, can anyone give me an idea of the depth of the combat of these games?

I loved Freespace 1 and 2 back in the day and still reinstall and play through every now and again, though most recently I had trouble getting into it again because for the past few years I've been heavily into IL2 1946. Going from that to FS2 was a bit of a letdown just in IL2 kills are so deliciously satisfying because there are so many possibilities in combat and so many things you have to get right --- mainly because of gravity and the difficulty of deflection shooting.

I've heard that these games are more towards the sim side of things which is definitely a good sign though.

Anyways, if anyone wants to share any thoughts on the games I'm all ears .

[49rTbird]

Welcome to the forum and the Sim. Combat can be whatever level you want as each system seems to be a little different. Sapphire is a safe system but things get more interesting as you travel farther out. There are even Combat (war) zones in which the fighting can be more intense.

[Marvin]

If you turn the targeting computer off, your difficulty hitting a maneuvering ship goes up considerably. But space ships don't behave like FW-109s ... even when flying in a planet's atmosphere. So prepare for a different form of combat: kinetic cannons and nasty missiles. But, if you find combat too easy, take a patrol contract while docked at a city and then, at the merge, jump into a terrain walker to do Ships vs TW.

[Busch]

Hello Noxos! And be welcome to the game-sim and community!

The near-as-complete Newtonian physics adaptation/application in-game space-wise, and in-atmosphere planet-wise, engenders a certain degree of focus on the individual pilot's part. And, it also adds a bit of 'spice' to all combat scenarios conducted in/near gravity wells, whether 'real' or manufactured. Your particle cannons are particularly affected by 'drift', and the presence of, or proximity to, gravitational 'anomalies'. Beam cannons -not so much. For combat in the war zones against the Vonari, it is not a cast-in-stone requirement to fly a military ship, or spawn-in a combat pilot's profile. [But sometimes....it just might be the kicker! ] With the veritable cornucopia of ship/frame choices, as well as the mixed bag-o-nuts of available ship's chandlery/equipment items, you can fit out your 'choicest' to accommodate your mission/tasking requirements. You'll have to qualify (gain military rank accordingly) in order to fly the upper ranging mil-grade frames. The civy-side is much more conducive to steady, but more rapid status increases by comparison. And, you can pimp your ride!

Hope you find the things you like here!

[Nigel_Strange]

Welcome Noxos.

Do watch the video tutorials when you have a chance: there is a lot of useful information there.

I'm trying to remember when "pimp" was first conceived of as a good thing.

Stay out of Thuban for a while. It's really close to Sapphire, but it's not safe. For cheap thrills, you can go to Olympus.

As far as combat depth goes, it's a nigh perfect blend between Newtonian physics and playability. The emphasis is on enjoyment, so some of the Newtonian rules have been bent a little, but overall, you get the feel that you're in a spacecraft fighting without friction. After you get used to it, it's quite fun.

[Maarschalk]

Hi Noxos, welcome to the game and forum!.....Hope to see you out there some time!.....