Space Game General All-Platform Thready Discussy Thing :)

Papageno · 2016-01-23T14:31:21.000Z

I was unaware that they came in two different variants. Earlier and later versions, I suppose?

BTW, is Comcast DNS just being flaky for me again or is your blog down right now? I try to visit it and get “Unable to Connect” from Firefox.

BrianRubin · 2016-01-23T14:59:30.000Z

Yeah, the red version is the second iteration with a rubberized grip, but that might be the only difference. The green first iteration has a plastic grip that can get a bit slippery after extended use.

TimJames · 2016-01-23T16:02:44.000Z

There was also a special FreeSpace edition of the Force Feedback 2 controller, but… well, I’ve already said too much. Best to just forget about it.

BrianRubin · 2016-01-23T16:05:32.000Z

Tim James:

There was also a special FreeSpace edition of the Force Feedback 2 controller, but… well, I’ve already said too much. Best to just forget about it.

What? WHAT?!

rhamorim · 2016-01-23T16:57:20.000Z

Brian Rubin:

What? WHAT?!

Ok, Brian. Breathe in, breathe out. You don’t need that one. You don’t. Now think of happy pink ponies or something.

BrianRubin · 2016-01-23T17:07:51.000Z

I can’t find any mention of it anywhere. Are y’all yanking my chain?

TimJames · 2016-01-23T19:11:17.000Z

Brian Rubin:

I can’t find any mention of it anywhere. Are y’all yanking my chain?

Yes, sorry. I’ll send you some spare Force Feedback 2 gears as an apology.

(I lied again; I might need those for repairs!)

RichVR · 2016-01-24T09:05:28.000Z

Tim. You are a bad man. A very bad man.

BrianRubin · 2016-01-24T10:02:20.000Z

Oh man…I’m kinda crushed…

BrianRubin · 2016-01-25T09:02:42.000Z

Hey friends, this week I’ve got a bunch of stuff for y’all to hopefully enjoy!

I was going to cover two games this week, 1998’s obscenely obscure space and political sim, Xenocracy, along with the recently released Evochron Legacy. Due to technical issues with Xenocracy though, I only did one video, but I made a continual series for Evochron.

I also have a preview up for the upcoming fascinating space emperor strategy game, Pocket Space Empire.

On the podcast, we’ll be talking to the developers of spaceship cruelty-simulator, Tharsis, along with some fans of the game.

Thursday we’ll be having a multiplayer session of the starship bridge sim Quintet, along with a giveaway of Steam codes for the game.

Thanks folks!

BrianRubin · 2016-01-30T11:18:30.000Z

Went to a classic gaming expo today and walked away with this fully complete in the box prize:

MvWBE8E.jpg1280×960

MrCoffee · 2016-01-30T11:23:55.000Z

Nice, that means you have to do an LP now heh

RichVR · 2016-01-30T11:38:40.000Z

Holy crap! I played that on the C 64. I loved that game.

Juan_Raigada · 2016-01-30T12:06:57.000Z

Aaaaaah! the best version of that game by far. Color me jealous!!!

RichVR · 2016-01-30T12:15:25.000Z

Brian, wasn’t that one of, if not the, first procedural universe game? It’s been a long time so I could be wrong.

Papageno · 2016-01-30T12:43:32.000Z

Ah, the memories. I played it on the Mac about 24 years back, I think.

BrianRubin · 2016-01-30T13:22:02.000Z

RichVR:

Brian, wasn’t that one of, if not the, first procedural universe game? It’s been a long time so I could be wrong.

No, it’s a fixed universe, it’s just massively expansive.

Juan_Raigada · 2016-01-30T15:34:52.000Z

I think it was procedural but fixed, similar to Elite 2 and others (that is, the data for many non-key systems was generated by procedural algorithms, but always from the same seed. It was not hand-made except for story important places. So fixed and procedural (which is more common than people realize).

But I might be VERY wrong about the game been made like this. Just an extrapolation from universe size versus data size. If it’s not procedural, it’s one hell of a compression algorithm.

Black_Isis · 2016-01-30T18:14:01.000Z

Juan Raigada:

I think it was procedural but fixed, similar to Elite 2 and others (that is, the data for many non-key systems was generated by procedural algorithms, but always from the same seed. It was not hand-made except for story important places. So fixed and procedural (which is more common than people realize).

But I might be VERY wrong about the game been made like this. Just an extrapolation from universe size versus data size. If it’s not procedural, it’s one hell of a compression algorithm.

Yep, you’re correct. That’s the only way they could fit literally hundreds of solar systems on two 5.25" floppies. I think there’s only a few planets that weren’t (one of them being Old Earth, obviously).

BrianRubin · 2016-01-30T18:25:59.000Z

The real prize in that Genesis version is the manual. Well over 100 pages long filled with stuff not in the original manuals. Can’t wait to read it.