It's a longshot, but I thought I'd ask. From Elite forward, these games have been around for a while, but now I'm looking for something newer (i.e. pretty, I've got a GPU and I intend to use it) but still deep and rewarding.

This is prompted in part by FTL, who stripped the ship building mechanic out and made it the entire focus of a game with exclusively ship-to-ship combat. It's not bad to experience FTL for that reason (good mechanics done for their own sake), but it still feels like it's a part and not a whole.

Were those mechanics included in a title that had space/naval exploration with sophisticated trading and possibly politics, whoa boy. All of my gaming time would disappear into that yawning chasm. If anyone knows of anything similar that's been released in the past few years, I'd appreciate a tip. Thanks!

EDIT: In doing a bit more legwork, I learned that there's a Kickstarter for a new Elite game. They're about halfway to their monetary goal, with just over a month left to the deadline.

Yeah, I tried posting the news of their Kickstarter here but nobody seemed interested. Best news of 2012. There's also Star Citizen from the creators of Wing Commander.

What's a past few years? Are you open to MMOs?

No MMOs, especially if you're thinking of EVE -- you are, aren't you?. I played EVE long enough to know it's the kind of game that's perfect for others to experience, who then write their adventures down so that I may read and enjoy them. There's so much I enjoy about that game second-hand. First-hand is an entirely different experience.

One of the things about the proposed Elite title that concerns me is that they're talking a lot about multiplayer, and while I realize the scope of the game world lends itself to that view, I think there's something to be said for a very deep single-player experience. Especially if there's ship-to-ship combat and trading, those kinds of things suddenly become guild/clan-bound in MP games, and that. I just want to sit down and play for a bit, save, and walk away.

Some of the multiplayer in Elite is explained in this video. You can have a strictly single player experience if you want, you can play with only the people you choose if you want, you can have random encounters if you want. It's not an MMO like Eve.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5JYRyhxYhI

Pretty sure Star Citizen has a single player experience as well in addition to some persistent world stuff. I'm excited about both, already backed both.

EvE Online is retail. I was thinking more along the lines of Allegiance.

Originally Posted by Megazell I was thinking more along the lines of Allegiance.

Blast from the past! It's still around? I don't think I want to get into it but that's cool that it's still alive.

Originally Posted by dafoomie Some of the multiplayer in Elite is explained in this video. You can have a strictly single player experience if you want, you can play with only the people you choose if you want, you can have random encounters if you want. It's not an MMO like Eve. Pretty sure Star Citizen has a single player experience as well in addition to some persistent world stuff. I'm excited about both, already backed both.

I think it's great both games are "out there" and that SC received the support it did. I'm sure the new Elite will see the same level of support.

Both titles seems to lean very heavily to MP, and there's also an emphasis on dogfighting. I like a slower, more tactical approach to ship-to-ship. FTL is what reminded me how much I missed this genre, in part because (IMO) FTL nails ship-to-ship, and in playing through that I kept wishing it were part of a larger space exploration/trade/combat title.

Have you heard of Sins of a Solar Empire? Look for more info besides this review but it sounds kinda like up your alley. It's a ing awesome game and yes there is also a Star Wars Mod. It might not be closer to a civ with politics and all, but as a strategy space sim it's good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kCEadNSxwI

Originally Posted by dothog I think it's great both games are "out there" and that SC received the support it did. I'm sure the new Elite will see the same level of support. Both titles seems to lean very heavily to MP, and there's also an emphasis on dogfighting. I like a slower, more tactical approach to ship-to-ship. FTL is what reminded me how much I missed this genre, in part because (IMO) FTL nails ship-to-ship, and in playing through that I kept wishing it were part of a larger space exploration/trade/combat title.

The smaller ships have those types of fights, the bigger ships in Elite are a completely different animal, in the past they had turrets because you couldn't turn them very quickly. I know SC intends to have a full single player campaign and I believe Elite will do something like that as well.

They're definitely both going with more skill based fighting though, opposed to the dreadful combat in Eve where you're more of a spectator who can influence events somewhat.

Yeah, EVE does that to you in so many ways. You want to be a part of that world so badly, and yet you're prevented by something like the sterile mechanics, or other players, or the beyond mind numbing grind, the grindingest grind of any MMO grind I've experienced.

So much of the concept is absolutely up my alley. I tried very hard to enjoy myself in EVE, but it's not happening for the reasons we're pointing out. That doesn't prevent it from being a source of some of the best "second-hand gaming" around.

X3: Terran conflict? I think that's one of the most recent games in this category that is sadly lacking in activity.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gMbLjUjs1w

I really love space games in this vein but when the combat doesn't have me in the cockpit actually shooting stuff I generally lose interest.

Originally Posted by Fell Open Ian I really love space games in this vein but when the combat doesn't have me in the cockpit actually shooting stuff I generally lose interest.

Might want to check out Battlestar Galactica Online:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPmGxYqfkD8

I am not a fan of the P2W approach the game has, but it does space combat pretty well for a browser based game.

Originally Posted by j-cart Might want to check out Battlestar Galactica Online:

I was in the beta but it just wasn't my cup of tea. That's probably more of me not caring for the lore though and the on-foot stuff was wonky.

I *think* that I tried it again at launch as I tend to do that for games where I've been in the beta but yeah the lore just doesn't interest me.

Thanks though.

Star Citizen looks to be the one for me but I will absolutely give any free-to-play a shot.

My buddy was into BSO, I think I made a toon and that was about it. On the other hand, but buddy was like the number 2 pilot in the game. There was this whole fight between him (human) and this other guy (cylon) was the number 1 pilot. Once the game allowed for faction change (or rather you find you really are a cylon), my buddy jumped ship so that top pilots 1 and 2 can roflstomp everyone else.

The stories my buddy tells me were awesome, so much that I enjoyed his experience with the game rather than the game itself.

Not really a space sim, looks more like a Macross game mixed with starfox 64 gameplay:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS50TK_Eqxk

That trailer is like Omega Boost with Farscape music.

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Originally Posted by Fell Open Ian I really love space games in this vein but when the combat doesn't have me in the cockpit actually shooting stuff I generally lose interest.

You are in Elite, they're just not ready to show that yet.

Only about 50 discounted early bird copies of the game left on Kickstarter out of 10,000.

Vendetta Online?

seconding X3