4 ms·

Star Control 2 is free now (and on many platforms): http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ It will probably surprise first-time players with i

Star Control 2 is free now (and on many platforms): http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ It will probably surprise first-time players with its depth and breadth and non-terrible UI (which you might expect in an early 90s game). Save early and often, there are no autosaves.

Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
There is also an updated HD graphics mod, though I never tried it myself. https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/ But YouTube videos look promising.
pavlov 7y ago
Here's the article on Star Control II by the same author (Jimmy Maher) as the OP: https://www.filfre.net/2018/12/star-control-ii/ https://www.filfre.net/2018/12/star-control-ii/ Although I love Maher's "Digital Antiquarian", I feel his opinion on SC2 is a tad unfair. He basically criticizes the game for having a living, evolving game world where you can lose simply by taking too long. That's one of the things that originally blew my mind about SC2 back in 1992: it truly feels like a universe that's not artificially made for the player. You're just one ship trying to understand great forces that are in motion on their own, and will eventually crush you.
- danso 7y ago
  I loved that about SC2. Its so long ago though that I don’t remember if I learned about the constraint from a FAQ or on my own. But given how mad people were about a similar constraint in Fallout, I can’t recall the last time a big adventure game had a world-ending condition dependent on the passage of time.
  - Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
    The difference with Fallout 1 constraint is that in SC2 you feel the galaxy to be alive and breathing, with multiple events happen and influence each other. While in Fallout you just have a timer. The world in Fallout 1 & 2 feels very static, where nothing happens without your direct intervention.
- Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
  Yes, that was one of the best things that I loved about StarControl2. Of course, I have lost ony first playthrough, and desperately watched the Galaxy burn.
  - Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
    *typo: lost on my first playthrough
- mrgreenfur 7y ago
  Curiously, he criticizes BAK for this reason: the game tells you "go go go" but then encourages you to look in every nook and cranny. I've been playing Skyrim and quite enjoy how it doesn't rush you and instead encourages you to explore. SC2 is honest in this regard, giving you motivation to push the plot and enough time to explore the side quests.

Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago

There is also an updated HD graphics mod, though I never tried it myself. https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/ But YouTube videos look promising.

pavlov 7y ago

Here's the article on Star Control II by the same author (Jimmy Maher) as the OP: https://www.filfre.net/2018/12/star-control-ii/ https://www.filfre.net/2018/12/star-control-ii/ Although I love Maher's "Digital Antiquarian", I feel his opinion on SC2 is a tad unfair. He basically criticizes the game for having a living, evolving game world where you can lose simply by taking too long. That's one of the things that originally blew my mind about SC2 back in 1992: it truly feels like a universe that's not artificially made for the player. You're just one ship trying to understand great forces that are in motion on their own, and will eventually crush you.

danso 7y ago
I loved that about SC2. Its so long ago though that I don’t remember if I learned about the constraint from a FAQ or on my own. But given how mad people were about a similar constraint in Fallout, I can’t recall the last time a big adventure game had a world-ending condition dependent on the passage of time.
- Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
  The difference with Fallout 1 constraint is that in SC2 you feel the galaxy to be alive and breathing, with multiple events happen and influence each other. While in Fallout you just have a timer. The world in Fallout 1 & 2 feels very static, where nothing happens without your direct intervention.
Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
Yes, that was one of the best things that I loved about StarControl2. Of course, I have lost ony first playthrough, and desperately watched the Galaxy burn.
- Andrew_nenakhov 7y ago
  *typo: lost on my first playthrough
mrgreenfur 7y ago
Curiously, he criticizes BAK for this reason: the game tells you "go go go" but then encourages you to look in every nook and cranny. I've been playing Skyrim and quite enjoy how it doesn't rush you and instead encourages you to explore. SC2 is honest in this regard, giving you motivation to push the plot and enough time to explore the side quests.