Question For Google Experts Or Freespace Fans
Marik_Steele
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">regarding Freespace 2 mods</div> I recently got back into the games that I remember from my childhood: space flight sims. Reinstalled X-Wing Alliance and got about a half dozen missions done before I remembered about Descent: Freespace 2.
Between online reviews and recommendations from friends, I've decided I may want to try Freespace 2. After all, with the cover of X-Wing Alliance featuring the battle of Endor, the ending is no secret and the storyline is less likely to have any fun plot surprises like TIE Fighter's did. Perhaps I should have a little variety and switch to Freespace 2.
Enough babbling, here's my question: for X-Wing alliance the modding community came up with stuff like <a href='http://www.xwaupgrade.com/' target='_blank'>the X-Wing Alliance upgrade project</a>, which specialized in offering higher-poly, retextured models for a ton of stuff <i>without changing the ship statistics</i>. <span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>There's one exception to that last bit regarding Star Destroyers, but it's one I agree with</span>
I've found a few Descent: Freespace 2 fansites that feature similar ship downloads, but some of the descriptions I'm reading feature blatant changes like # of weapons in the loadout. Most don't mention whether they're statistically identical or not, and I'd rather not waste time trying to find out because I don't yet know what the norm is for each ship anyway.
Anyone know where I can get better looking stuff for Freespace 2 without changing the gameplay?
Between online reviews and recommendations from friends, I've decided I may want to try Freespace 2. After all, with the cover of X-Wing Alliance featuring the battle of Endor, the ending is no secret and the storyline is less likely to have any fun plot surprises like TIE Fighter's did. Perhaps I should have a little variety and switch to Freespace 2.
Enough babbling, here's my question: for X-Wing alliance the modding community came up with stuff like <a href='http://www.xwaupgrade.com/' target='_blank'>the X-Wing Alliance upgrade project</a>, which specialized in offering higher-poly, retextured models for a ton of stuff <i>without changing the ship statistics</i>. <span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>There's one exception to that last bit regarding Star Destroyers, but it's one I agree with</span>
I've found a few Descent: Freespace 2 fansites that feature similar ship downloads, but some of the descriptions I'm reading feature blatant changes like # of weapons in the loadout. Most don't mention whether they're statistically identical or not, and I'd rather not waste time trying to find out because I don't yet know what the norm is for each ship anyway.
Anyone know where I can get better looking stuff for Freespace 2 without changing the gameplay?
Comments
I get tired of the same old FPS all day long!
Pulse, thanks for the link in your first post, I'll be trying it out soon.
Tuintje, FS2 isn't quite abandonware, but it is open source. This means that like other now-open-source games like Quake 1, the code is available to anyone to make extensive mods, but things like "art assets" (sounds, music, visuals, maps) are typically not available legally for free.
The page Pulse refers to talks about a version that's missing many things like voice files, higher-res visuals, some animations, etc. Considering it's possible to get community-made replacements, you can gather together enough files to make a functional game that's made up of (mostly) legally free files.
Still, there's a valid argument that it's still piracy to download that version. This is especially true if you go around downloading the "missing" official files to try to turn it into a full-fledged pirate copy of the retail game.
Try to find a used copy of the game from a friend or an online store/auction instead.
Just in case you missed it, that page links to a <a href='http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16047' target='_blank'>forum thread</a> that contains ED2K links to cd images of all three discs of the original game.
Amazing, considering they made their fair share of great games. (Fallout anyone?)
Thanks for the link to the alliance upgrade project marik, motivated me enough to actually try to get the game to work =d
Ninja edit: Games working but all links to the mod files are broken! 404'd
Amazing, considering they made their fair share of great games. (Fallout anyone?)
Thanks for the link to the alliance upgrade project marik, motivated me enough to actually try to get the game to work =d
Ninja edit: Games working but all links to the mod files are broken! 404'd <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Agreed, it is a pity Interplay made the more recent managerial decisions that sent them downhill.
As for the 404's, it's likely because they have limited bandwidth -- they worked for me about a week ago. One of the people who contributes to the project, <a href='http://www.darksaber.gaylenol.com/' target='_blank'>Darksaber, has his own site</a>, where he hosts the "Ultimate craft pack" and other files. I assume the ultimate craft pack uses at least some of the same models as the X-Wing Alliance project, but from what I've read it also has some more, and I don't know whether Darksaber is as strict about making the statistics identical to preserve gameplay balance.