Imaginary games that you plan on getting (in your mind) this year

[A Black Falcon]

The power management is integral to the combat in the X-Wing games, obviously, but it's the only thing that makes the combat complex. The actual combat (meaning aiming, shooting, turning, etc.) is actually very simple and dull.

But the power management is a huge part of the combat! It is included in "the actual combat"! It has to be, since they are so integrated! I just don't see how you can seperate them like that and make any sense...

And anyway, the dogfighting is a lot of fun in that game... not just power changing, but the dogfighting itsself -- chasing enemies, trying to get behind them, etc... its a lot of fun! Not dull by any stretch of the imagination... I certainly never have gotten bored of chasing and shooting at enemies... :)

When did I say otherwise? I just said that compared to non-linear space sims they're extremely short.

Okay... but I doubt very much that they are 'extremely' short compared to anything. Except maybe MMORPGs...

Right, and Freelancer was made for the keyboard and mouse and would be impossible to play well with a joystick. The controls were built around the advantages of a keyboard and mouse; some things that couldn't be done with a joystick.

Sorry... but no. It is a clear extension of joystick-based Wing Commander combat! Modified a lot? Yes. But not so much that it is unrecognizable...