So, I tried the demo...

[Wdll]

Had no idea this game existed before I found a link somewhere, don't remember where, I think 3dgamers.

Played for a couple of days and I have some questions if anyone could answer them.

1) In terms of scope, is the game much smaller than X2 or Freelancer? Is the universe and the freedom at the same level? more, less?

2) Is the control of the ship a bit smoother in the actual game?

3) After the first time that I played the game normaly (full screen), I changed the option for the display driver. It loaded in windowed mode although there was no option like that chosen. I changed back to the other option/driver and it was fullscreen again. Fine by me but now there is a white flash every so often (5-50 sec) which Lasts for half a sec. I have no idea what is going on.

4) What are the career options in this game? For example in Freelancer you can become a pirate, merchant, navy officer etc.

5) Is there in the full game a free movement camera? Although the left and right and behind views are very nice artisticaly speaking, they don't usualy help much in the situation awareness.

6) When I first saw and tried the demo I was VERY excited. I always wanted to captain a ship like that (very similar to SFC series) and the few battles with pirates that I have been into are nice enough. However I noticed after a while that the pirates always attack you if you fly relatively close enough, even if you just fly by and they are already in another flight. Is this the case with the full game as well?

7) I HATED how you try to locate your navigational target, I have to try hard to see in the distance the planet, click on it and hope that it is the one. The compass is nice but not enough. How about being able to either place navigation markers in the sector map or right/left click on the mini map (the bottom left hud)to direct your ship to that direction? I hate having to calculate the exact angle/direction on the sector map then drive the ship to that approximately course and hope for the best. Is the full Version any different?

8) Any way to communicate with other ships/bases/planets without having to send a shuttle there?

9) Is there reputation or something like that in the game?

10) Is there a way to get this game other than direct from Shrapnel games? I mean 35 plus 58 for pp plus another 35 for customs (UK) is a bit much don't you think?

[Phoenix-D]

1) In terms of scope, is the game much smaller than X2 or Freelancer? Is the universe and the freedom at the same level? more, less?

The universe is 96 systems big, haven't played the others so that's all I can tell you.

2. Identical.

3) Dunno. Try switching on Safe Mode in the graphics options.

4. Three linear campaigns. You can do other random missions but no plot to them.

5) No free movement, though there is a target-tracking camera (F8 IIRC).

6) Sometimes, yes.

7) The full Version is the same except the current patch adds a waypoint feature.

8) Not currently.

9) no. I'm working on modding this in though.

10) As far as I know, no.

Some of the features you want can be added by modding, like the one I'm working on.

[Wdll]

First of all thanks for the answers.

I did try safe mode, nothing changed.

In some missions you have to meet with a ship (escort duty for example), and although it tells you in which system it is, it doesn't tell you where exactly it is. Is there something that I missed or something? I find it very difficult to find those ships.

And one question from someone who has tried X2 and/or Freelancer. Do you think this game is plain better than the other two?

[Phoenix-D]

The patch does add those escort ships to your system map when you arrive.