My Space Sim Experiences

Well, after playing space sims for many years begining with Tau Ceti
on the Sinclair Spectrum some 15 or 16 years ago, I have kept in the
market as I await for the ultimate space sim game.

It began on the PC with elite and I wont bore you with the details but
X-Wing, the excellent TIE Fighter etc were the games I gnjoyed a lot.
Not to forget the more modern day I-War 2 etc.

But something really pissed me off today. Something in a game so great
that it should not be excused. The awful flying setup in X2, which is
fine if there was no combat in the game. I was stumped. Starshatter -
Combat was playable. I-War2, combat was playable. Heck I even have The
Fringe and that was playable. Even X-Com Intercepter, which could not
let me invert mouse was still playable. Perhaps it is just me?

Now I do not profess to be an Baron von Richthofen of space sims, but
being able to complete that virutally every tie fighter level in hard
and X-Wing Alliance, I do not consider myself to be a newbie to combat
section of games.

But then again, It is not fair for me to judge until I get further
into the game. If someone could reccomend a mod that fixes the physics
to the xwing or Iwar level, it would be much welcomed.

But Anyhow, for the old xwing, there was a mod that ran as a seperate
program in a Window. You had a set force and the enemy had a set
force. You moved forces around and the enemy(computer) did the same.
It was like a turn based addon, and it would generate missions based
on the battles that took place. The program would read your results
and reduce the forces accordingly based on losses. You can have bases
etc and there was none of the "one man red baron sim" type action that
is so prevelant today.

My question is, is there a space sim, that lets you start small and
build up an army that you control and can take over the universe/game
world with? Starshatter does not really count since you do not create
any forces. I do not mind trading/mining etc and I have not tried
MMO's or even any of Derek Smarts games after the bad experience with
the Original BC.

Perhaps I should stick with R-Type clones and Starcraft

(snip)

> My question is, is there a space sim, that lets you start small and
> build up an army that you control and can take over the universe/game
> world with? Starshatter does not really count since you do not create
> any forces. I do not mind trading/mining etc and I have not tried
> MMO's or even any of Derek Smarts games after the bad experience with
> the Original BC.

This sounds like you are looking for X2

You start with a scout fighter and can can control an unlimited army of
destroyers and ship carriers if you can afford it. To do so you can trade
and build factories or let someone hire you for fighting missions (or both).
There are several races you can be a friend/foe of. If you like, you can
erase the whole galaxy. But be aware, you need at least one race that trades
with you

Oh, I just read that you don't like it
Never mind.

Rudi