My favorite genre. I'm looking forward to getting Elite: Dangerous this week with a HOTAS for the PS4 Pro.

Anyone else playing it?

Until then I'm playing Freelancer with a bunch of mods that make the graphics pretty crisp, widescreen, etc.

It's probably my favorite type of games. Ever since I'd played Wing Commander: Privateer I was hooked. Finished WC:III a few months ago. Can't get WC:IV to run unfortunately (GoG versions). Also have Oolite, a free remake of the original Elite, heavily modded, so it looks pretty crisp as well.

I've also been playing the team-based action space ship combat game Galactic Starfighter regularly for years now, which is technically a multiplayer minigame within Star Wars: The Old Republic and the only reason I "play" SWTOR (if you can consider waiting for matches to pop as "playing").

Who else is into space games? What do you fly?

TIE Fighter > *

Although it didn't particularly like my HOTAS...
X-Wing Alliance was a much better flight engine, and I have the CDs for Freelancer and Freespace II lying around somewhere.

I've been eying Elite, and I've got Star Citizen although it's been a long time since I've fired it up, but I set aside my stick for a while to focus on some other games (and clear up some desk space in the process). Eventually I'll migrate back to flight/space sims again.

If you've got a powerful PC I heard Elite: Dangerous is absolutely otherwordly in VR.

Never really got into Freespace 2 too much. X-Wing Alliance is great, especially with the Upgrade patch (high-res textures for everything). I might get a powerful PC in a few years just to play Star Citizen once it's officially out, until then, I'll probably get PSVR for Fallout / Skyrim VR which are coming later this year.

But back to space games, I've played some No Man's Sky on the PS4, it's ... well ... it's not very engaging, let's say.

I have a copy of TIE Fighter as well, maybe I should fire it up and actually play past that first mission already.

Does anyone want a Steam key to Starpoint Gemini 2?

The devs gave me one at a conf, but I doubt I'll have time to play it in this life.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/236150/Starpoint_Gemini_2/

Like, please only say if you're truly going to play it / are really into space games.

I got E:D at launch and played it for a few months before I kind of stopped. The visuals and sound were beautiful, and it controls like a dream, especially w/a HOTAS, but after a while it felt like there wasn't really anything rewarding to do. What little in-game fiction existed was super dry, all the missions came out of a random generator w/a few different patterns. Once I'd gotten the ship I wanted, it felt like I was playing a flight sim

Although, since then they've added the factions and planetary landings and alien invaders and multi-crewing(?) so I've been thinking about picking it up again.

Starpoint Gemini 2 is basically Freelancer re-released in 2014 with a few extra mechanics thrown in (boarding, ship capture). If you have time to play Freelancer, I highly suggest making time for SPG2.

Oh wow! I played an early build (when I met the devs) and I wasn't too impressed. But I'll check it out then, thanks. I just bought Elite: Dangerous: Commanders Edition for $60 yesterday night and the first thing I did was spend $4.99 on a microtransaction just to have a nameplate for my ship (and I could get a new paintjob too). I figured since I'd decided to spend so much money on the game anyway (haven't gotten the HOTAS yet, but I will), what's another $5.00, but I can't say I was happy with it.

I am happy with the game, though. Pretty much exactly what'd I wanted / expected, microtransactions notwithstanding.

Okay, I just played 2 nights + 1 day of E: Dangerous. I do need a HOTAS, though the "head view" on the DUALSHOCK4 is amazing. You toggle it with the right thumbstick, which makes the PS4 keep track of the gyroscope in the gamepad -- so you TILT it to look around your cockpit, it works flawlessly.

I got a Cobra MK3 (after an Eagle) and had a nice adventure when there was a message that server maintenance is coming in 10 mins (today at 8:50 AM my time -- Frontier is in UK, so they usually follow UK time, 1 hour ahead of me). I ALMOST made it to a base which I needed to land on for my mission (and to save before server maintenance), but it was a type of base I'd never seen before, I panicked, crash-landed, got stuck in a building (ie., that was a bug I'm pretty sure) within the city's circle perimeter, and the game shut down for scheduled maintenance.

Probably for the better because I kind of have to work. I'd been procrastinating for way too long. Basically E: Dangerous is probably the only game I will play for the next year or so, and, coming back to motivation, after I get my HOTAS, I will only play it if I have a productive day. Or so I like to think.

I will follow up with some screenshots and then bugger off for the forseeable future after inserting some more MC (Master Chef) word salads into a couple more threads.

your mom has died of exposure

Jon'C
for all to see
he's no walrus
he's a titan
making mom jokes
buzz words
stinging blokes
like arrows
in the knee
why don't you drink
a cup of pee?

(the mandatory passive-aggressive smiley)

BACK TO BLACK

TJAfLE39ZZ8[/youtube]

So, I got the HOTAS and played some CQC. It's dope.
The most involved I'd felt in a video game since I don't know when. Dogfights FTW. Had to get Playstation Plus subscription ,
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/167505665 (first 5 games vs people ever) but it was worth it
I can tell you, I got gud (or, significantly better) fast, the enemy NPCs will have a much harder time should we meet in Open space.

I got ED for the PC Christmas afternoon and played it almost every free minute I had for the first three months. I remember getting to my first 100 hours and feeling like I hadn't accomplished anything in the game world. By 200 hours I was able to finally go out and explore into the deeper galaxy and have some nice things, Asp Explorer, best modules. By 300 hours I was so sick of the repetition of the gameplay and smug community that I've hardly played in the past 5 months.

Don't get me wrong, I love games like this, but when you are working and going to school full time, I found it really hard to be invested in a game that takes so long to accomplish anything.
When I say that I mean anything from approach times, to being able to afford any good gear to ranking up in a faction, to traveling in general.
When you start exploring and you have to manually jump 600 systems to progress to your desired location, hearing "Frame Shift Drive Charging" followed by "Frame Shift Drive Engaged" becomes so obnoxious that when I hear it to this day I feel real nausea.

Maybe I'll go back to it someday, but right now I'm giving it a rest until they hopefully do something about the grind. In the meantime I've been playing Everspace every now and then, or FTL if I'm feeling especially masochistic.

Either way, enjoy. There are some really brilliant moments in the game, and a lot of beautiful space.

It's strange, I found* I could level up / get a ship I wanted really fast. The game-loops are relatively simple, but they lend fully to it having an RPG experience aspect for those who want to roleplay, even if I'm only telling the story to myself. I got a Combra MK3 in a day, and now it's upgraded AF. There are planetary landings, which are fun too. I feel like every mission is an accomplishment, though I would probably be playing the CQC a lot now because the rush was incredible.

I don't mind a game where I just stare for minutes through the glass of my canopy as stars are rushing by.

A number of people complain about "grind" but they spend 300 hours in it. Yeah, I can understand how perhaps it can get old if you're motivated by getting more reward for your effort, but let the journey be the reward. If you want to feel BOSS though, start playing CQC.

It's anything but grind.

*I have Commanders Pack edition, so it includes Horizons. It's been updated constantly. Alien ships are coming apparently, now you can have ships that house fighters and get a crew, person or NPC to pilot either the fighter or the carrier (there are a couple of ships that can house personal fighters), great Community / forums and that's not to mention those survived-by-a-space-thread moments that, while rare, can hardly get old.

my Elite: Dangerous fan-fic:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/371068-Elite-Dangerously-DrKoobie-s-Multimedia-Quest-for-the-Stars

just a sentence or two in and we arrive at the most koobie concept of all, 'space weed'

I like video game references.

Let's call them "references."

I lifted it straight from the space game X3. You can build space weed farms in it. Like a Teladi space lizard would say, "For profitttts."

Thanks for reading.

About to "warm up" for the "day job" with Chapter 2.

but ye it's good stuff if u know what i mean

SPG2 was free for a couple days at the same time that the next game in the series, Starpoint Gemini Warlords, launched. Warlords looks pretty slick and plays pretty well, but I'm not really into space sims enough to enjoy it. Same with X3: Terran Conflict, despite the crapload of freedom and stuff.

Also, I have played SWTOR a LOT over the past several years (my main's /played time is nearly half a year in total hours xD ), including a fair amount of GSF. I primarily fly a Legion bomber, as I can't shoot worth jack squat. Legions just drop mines and drones to shoot for me

GSF never dies.

Harbinger? I fly on Progenitor, The Red Eclipse and Harbinger if it's night.

(also, still "warming up" ... almost warm now)

Chapter 2: Poster Monky Goes to Work
is up

The secret mega-plan is to maybe approach Drew Wagar to co-author a book. We finished a co-authored 10,000 word novella with Jason Sanford in April (rejected by Interzone, waiting on Asimov's), so maybe Drew / Frontier would be more interested if it's published, until then I suppose I'll just crack at it for fun alone as a reward mechanism for a productive day and to use my HOTAS a bit.

Awareness = maturity.

I'm mega-sad I'm 2 weeks late on a deadline for an awesome audio drama / SF I called Spacefighter Ace, I guess inspired by GSF, but I feel I need to write this first
for whatever reason.

the client is nice and understanding, though, I just hate letting her down.
and TOMORROW I have to go scout a location to propose a concept to a friend who might know a guy who might know a guy in Germany who might build / design their sexy new mall based on the concept.

and somehow I have to write a test for a remote writer job for a game company in San Francisco for a job by Monday.

the panic's creeping in
so please

vibrate violently.

probably just jinxed everything
and will live in a cardboard box

only click the below link
if you want to read more about Koobie.

Elite Dangerously: DrKoobie's Multimedia Quest for the Stars https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/371068-Elite-Dangerously-DrKoobie-s-Multimedia-Quest-for-the-Stars?p=5840484#post5840484

Well, at least one project
drained
as had no time to scout
or research
(although helped same said secret Massassian lurker friend with something else
for more-sure monies and a burger, was nice of him)
****
internet off
4 chapters
of Starfighter Ace
audio drama
to go
and then the test for the SF job
nobody's vibrating

so i'll vibrate for myself

*vibrates positively*
VIBRATES
POSITIVELY

God help me please
turn my life around

im also working on a book about video game writing & design

gamewritinganddesign.com

and if i fail that
my career is dead
in a pool of acid

no pressure

(and there's a short story contest deadline
for the Writers of the Future
in September

and my internet
is still on)

farewell, Massasians,

see you in space.

SF said no within 8 hours of receiving my test job, which is not the best sign, but in all honesty I wasn't that keen on working on their game in the first place, not really my style (https://wearewrkshp.com/). They're hiring though, so in case anyone's interested, go for it.

Wrote 2 chapters on Monday for Starfighter Ace (about 4,000 words). Yesterday did nothing, played some E: Dangerous (hence, the inevitability of DrKoobie'S Space Adventures Chapter 3 should I ever want to play the game again).

75% Discount on X-Com 2 for Playstation Plus subcribers right now, I resisted and did not buy it.

Here is the message for today.

This ain't yo blog!

XCOM 2 is good but the whole experience was soured for me by the extreme bugginess and one or two fundamental design decisions that just didn't work for me (mission timers, etc.).

This ain't my blog, but nobody reads my blog.

I will udpate this thread for the last time once I write / post Chapter 3 hopefully later this week as I'd really want to play some Elite: Dangerous and forbid myself to play until I put all my latest adventures in a chapter. After Chapter 3, if anyone is interested in following the story, you can subscribe to the thread on the respective Frontier forums while this thread withers and dies.

I'd read 10 chapters (206 pages out of 309 as per my Kindle) of Elite Dangerous: Reclamation by Drew Wagar. While technically maybe it can be improved upon, it's a pretty exciting tale, and I'm enjoying it so far.

Can we get a chapter which is just you launching your Sidewinder into a sun for 40 pages?

No, mate, you can't, because that would be neither fun nor interesting to play or write. What was more interesting was organizing a match in CQC -- with some victorious CMDRs making way into DrKoobie's Quest for the Stars Chapter 3.

That said, I know it's not my blog and all, but I lost my Kindle apparently.

So yeah. I gotta get back to work; my client is really happy with my work but it's taking way too long because I am wasting so much time. The story of my life.

Peace & love. I'm gonna be 31 in a couple of months. We're not getting any younger, and time is the most precious commodity we have -- what we do with it determines who we will be, and how our lives will go. Like my favorite philosopher said, "Train your mind, and your body will follow."

Chapter 3 has been posted.

I had / have draft for at least twice as much and with more interesting things happening, but I really have to write other things. I didn't write **** until I got this out of the way, it's ridiculous. Tktktk.

There was an update to Elite Dangerous, now the Thargoids have returned. Or so they say.

IF you are interested in following this irregular fan fic / have Elite: Dangerous on PS4, sub to the thread on the respective Frontier forums as I'm not going to update this thread anymore.

Chapter III: Close Quarter Combat
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/371068-Elite-Dangerously-DrKoobie-s-Multimedia-Quest-for-the-Stars