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

[A Black Falcon]

You're obviously not a dogfighting kind of person. The only reason you like the X-Wing combat is because of the power management.

No, I've always loved the actual combat in TIE Fighter as well, not just the power management and the whole gameplay experience (its Star Wars and you're the bad guys!)... just like how I never liked Wing Commander's nearly as much. Its just too simple!

... okay, yes, the power management is a big part of why I love TIE Fighter /X-Wing. But I DO like the combat itsself! Definitely.

Oh wow, so because you played Freelancer for a couple of hours you know how much longer non-linear space sims are than linear ones?

No, but the reviews didn't make it sound THAT long... long? Yes, but mostly because of the optional stuff, not the main game...

Well let's see... the ships control nothing like the ships in either WC or Descent, the way you shoot is nothing like WC or Descent, the way you dogfight is nothing like WC or Descent... so yeah, you're totally right! They're exactly alike!

No, its not exactly like either of those games, but the control scheme (mouse/keyboard to fly in 3d space) was pioneered by Descent... and its by the people who made Wing Commander, so the connections there are obvious! In that demo mission where you have to go out and find the pirates... it made me think "Wing Commander" SO strongly... well, except for the combat, of course. Even Wing Commander has more complex combat than Freelancer... it has VERY simple combat. Now... I know, the game is good because of all the extras, not the combat itsself. But the fact remains -- the combat is so, so simple!

I'm talking about the dogfighting, not the missions. Wing Commander's combat really is just X-Wing/TIE Fighter's combat but without the power management. Sure the WC ships control better but everything else is the same. Both games have very dull dogfighting.

This arguement is really making me want to play TIE Fighter... reminding me of how much I love that game...

For a whole lot of reasons, from the fact that it was my first space sim of course, but also the mission design (I like the mission style of the game...), the combat, story, controls, etc...

When I played X-Wing Alliance by far the biggest 'problem' was that the keyboard keys were all different, forcing me to learn a whole new keyboard layout... I don't think I ever fully got it down, which is part of why I still like TIE Fighter better -- that one I have memorized the keyboard layout of. :)

As for Wing Commander... haven't played lots of those games, but based on what I have played of various games in the series it just isn't very interesting. I never even got interested enough in StarLancer to finish the demo, for example...