What other games are we all playing?

[Old Duck]

Cartoony does not mean a direct reference to a certain cartoon, but to the general feeling one gets from the graphics.
And not only from the graphics - the general setup, the way space travel is portrayed - make NMS more like a fairy tale, a peter pan in space etc, than a fully fledged sy-fy game (i cannot even call it a space game)

And yes, it is cartoony - and is really far from the realistic approach that was adopted in ED.

I've used some mods to make NMS look much more realistic. Granted, it's no Elite (and the lack of heliocentric solar systems is one of my biggest complaints against the game), but it looks way less "cartoony" for me than the stock version does.

Especially on foot, during planetary walks. The vegetation, the sky, even the animals and the vehicles.
The cartoonish appearance is not as obvious in stations, but it is there too.

I've visited planets that look borderline photorealistic, especially desert planets and certain "earth-like" worlds. The more "alien" worlds may look cartoony, but believe it or not, this doesn't mean it's not realistic. Here's an actual photo taken here on earth, for example:

Ironically (in contrast to your statement) it's the orbital stations that reminds me that I'm playing a "cartoon" game and not something more realistic.

NMS reminds me about WoW, Spore and sometimes about Zelda, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft (the ss you posted reminds me of a underwater landscape in minecraft) - granted none of those were cartoons, but all of them were more or less cartoonish.

I get it, that's their artistic / design choice and some people are totally onboard with it.
I'm not. (Even tho i kinda liked Zelda and i watched my daughter with interest playing it on her Switch)

Things like the stations and settlements sometimes reminds me of Overwatch. I love Overwatch, but it's obviously "cartoony" compared to a Battlefield game.

Empyrion doesn't quite cut it either.

Me neither. Space Engineers does a much better job at looking more realistic, though it too suffers from small planets that have a Minecraft-like feel at certain altitudes. However, when down on the ground, these planets look quite realistic. My biggest problem is that they are also somewhat bland. Elite's planets are the same way - realistic but bland and incredibly empty (except the occasional canyon / mountain range, something SE also has). While NMS may be far from realistic, it does bring a "joy" to exploring that I find missing in those games that focus on realism first. That said, I do not want Elite turning into NMS. Each game has its place in my library, and each one scratches a separate itch.

 

[d8veh]

This is the reason I didn't get NMS so far despite their great track record of improving the game.
I cannot be helped but after seeing Space Engine all other space games look meh in depth and richness of environment, shame it has no real gameplay.

You don't notice the graphics once you get embroiled in the gameplay. NMS is very addictive if you liked ED how it used to be. NMS is more a game to have fun with than be serious. Even the simple things like feeding all the wild animals hanging around your base before you do your work can give you a warm feeling. One thing it doesn't do is give you a chance to hone your combat skills. Combat is basically I win. I would some it up as a survival strategy game, where you have to juggle resources while you rank up your ability to survive, with a Meccano set added on to build whatever you can imagine.

After 8000hrs with ED, I found NMS to be much more uplifting, say escapism, a bit like watching Tom and Jerry, where you know they're not a real cat and mouse, but it's still very enjoyable.

If you laugh at this, you might have fun with NMS:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlDgBPqNKRQ

 

[Northpin]

That said, I do not want Elite turning into NMS. Each game has its place in my library, and each one scratches a separate itch.

Yeap, that's my point too.
NMS is not a replacement for Elite and Elite is not a replacement for NMS.

They are totally different games.

 

[Northpin]

If you laugh at this

Now, that was enjoyable

 

[Space Menace]

I can rightly say I love most of the space games mentioned here.

But.
Space games you can build and fly your own ship in, surpass the others in my view. But that is because I like building my own space ships. Its a massive part of the game for me.

 

[Old Duck]

I can rightly say I love most of the space games mentioned here.

But.
Space games you can build and fly your own ship in, surpass the others in my view. But that is because I like building my own space ships. Its a massive part of the game for me.

One can argue that Elite and X4 allow this to an extent, in that at least you can customize your weapons, engines, shields, and other modules, along with making a ship role-specific (like my passenger bus T7).

I would love to see a game that lets you design ships that look like those in Elite and X4 (or Star Wars) rather than something that's more Lego-oriented like SE and EGS, even if this means using a bunch of prefab parts such as wings and engines and such. I'm actually tempted in learning how to design my own ships for X4 using Blender or whatever modders use to do this, because then I could have a proper-looking ship rather than a Lego ship to fly, yet it will still be my own.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

The beavers are coming. And they're angr... cute. Timberborn is a post apocalyptic builder (just to explain where the humans went, periodic drought are another thing to deal with in gameplay) where you lead evolved beaver population. It is a classic builder, 3D, you can build vertically! Fluid physics, destructible terrain. And every map has a river.

You know what that means, beaver, we're building dams.

 

[Jezzah]

I have been smashing out hours playing New World. I've not played an MMO proper since Eve Online and while you couldnt get two more different games, I dabbled with WoW and guild wars and ESO so I'm not talking from a complete out of perspective point of view.

It's a great game, really enjoying every aspect of it. I love the combat options, the crafting and gathering is very natural and doesnt feel like make work tagged on to fill out time.

I'd say if anyone is looking for a decent time filler then this could be it.

 

[Space Menace]

Everyone has their own standards in this regard. For me, it's all about the feeling of flying a spaceship, and that requires at least a minimal physically correct approach.

Not sure what you can't do in Space Engineers or indeed Empyrion.

 

[Space Menace]

One can argue that Elite and X4 allow this to an extent, in that at least you can customize your weapons, engines, shields, and other modules, along with making a ship role-specific (like my passenger bus T7).

I would love to see a game that lets you design ships that look like those in Elite and X4 (or Star Wars) rather than something that's more Lego-oriented like SE and EGS, even if this means using a bunch of prefab parts such as wings and engines and such. I'm actually tempted in learning how to design my own ships for X4 using Blender or whatever modders use to do this, because then I could have a proper-looking ship rather than a Lego ship to fly, yet it will still be my own.

I don't think SE or EGS is very lego like. But I never played with lego, so there you go.

 

[CMDR Correa]

EDIT: So I'm bored of E after playing less hours of it then almost any other game I've bought in the last two years. I find myself going back to older games and reliving the excitements.

So what are ya'll playing to hold you over? What are you waiting for that will bring you back to E?

Me: Coh2, Sim city 5, a little bf4 and some Heroes and Generals

Star Wars Racer for the N64.
That damn Abyss track....

 

[Old Duck]

Not sure what you can't do in Space Engineers or indeed Empyrion.

IMO Space Engineers has a much more realistic flight model than ED or X4, though obviously it's not perfect.

I don't think SE or EGS is very lego like. But I never played with lego, so there you go.

The idea is that we're working with a set of 3x3 meter (large grid) blocks, which greatly limits what we can make, ascetically-speaking. I can't make an accurate Cobra, for example, but I could probably make a "Lego Cobra" like some people do IRL. Even when you use half-blocks or armor plating, these still take up a "block space" that nothing else can occupy. So you end up with jets and things that look like Lego toys:

Spoiler

With a bit of creativity (and a few mods), one can do a bit better than that, but it's never going to look or feel like a ship / jet / vehicle from Elite or X4 or Star Citizen, it will always feel "blocky" on some level.

It dawns on me while I'm typing this that a game does exist that meets my criteria of using a vast collection of prefabricated parts to assemble ships and vehicles - Kerbal Space Program. But I just haven't really gotten into that game yet, since it seems solely focused on getting from point A to point B, whereas I'm looking for more - trading, exploring, combat, expansion, etc. KSP 2 might scratch some of those itches with settlements and other things. Give me some space pirates in KSP (along with better graphics) and I might just get hooked.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

....

If you laugh at this, you might have fun with NMS:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlDgBPqNKRQ

I was and am always rooting for Tom.

 

[Northpin]

come on, Jerry with upper teeth out and pointy ears is killer

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

come on, Jerry with upper teeth out and pointy ears is killer

Yes, but too smug and cocky.

 

[Chase Quinnell]

I was and am always rooting for Tom.

Always Tom. Poor kitty.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Always Tom. Poor kitty.

Unless the episode features Spike. Spike is the best.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

There was also one of Germany's most popular chansonnier doing the title song. They really knew how to buy quality stuff for the translations back then.

 

[gazelle]

There was also one of Germany's most popular chansonnier doing the title song. They really knew how to buy quality stuff for the translations back then.

Ähem, Udo Jürgens was from Austria.

And I'm looking forward to play Outcast 2 and Elex II.

 

[Space Menace]

IMO Space Engineers has a much more realistic flight model than ED or X4, though obviously it's not perfect.


The idea is that we're working with a set of 3x3 meter (large grid) blocks, which greatly limits what we can make, ascetically-speaking. I can't make an accurate Cobra, for example, but I could probably make a "Lego Cobra" like some people do IRL. Even when you use half-blocks or armor plating, these still take up a "block space" that nothing else can occupy. So you end up with jets and things that look like Lego toys:

Spoiler

With a bit of creativity (and a few mods), one can do a bit better than that, but it's never going to look or feel like a ship / jet / vehicle from Elite or X4 or Star Citizen, it will always feel "blocky" on some level.

It dawns on me while I'm typing this that a game does exist that meets my criteria of using a vast collection of prefabricated parts to assemble ships and vehicles - Kerbal Space Program. But I just haven't really gotten into that game yet, since it seems solely focused on getting from point A to point B, whereas I'm looking for more - trading, exploring, combat, expansion, etc. KSP 2 might scratch some of those itches with settlements and other things. Give me some space pirates in KSP (along with better graphics) and I might just get hooked.

I think your right about the flight model in SE, best around.

However, the blocks are 8'x8' so not quite 3mtrx3mtr (large block). Yes the pic makes the ship look blocky, but you could ease that via paint and texture, i.e. get rid of the block look, try the stone or other one coat type texture/paint. It can make a difference.

KSP, I like it, but I can't play it for very long. I like the challenge of building using no pre-made parts, just blocks/shapes.