Having played constantly since Beta I took a few months off this year as I grew a little weary of the game, when 2.1 hit I made an attempt to come back but it didn't last long - purely down to a better interest in other games at the time.
But then one day after one or two little updates from FD I managed to get an hour in, just floating about in my FDL wondering what the hell this Engineers malarky was all about....it looked so confusing I jumped in my Asp and ran away on an Expedition for a few weeks to hunt out ELWs (only found two....pitiful!).
A roughly 1 month 12k round trip later (slow going) and I return home to Kachian to re-jig my FDL and take a proper look at this game again, before I know it I've seen the bait and mouth wide open crunched onto the hook line & sinker later I'm loving every moment I can spend in game again...just like the (not so) old days.
The current highlights amongst the already decent history of why I love this game:
- The Mission system - since I last used it - is now a delight, seeing the albeit 2D faces does add a sense of belonging, the Missions themselves are no longer too tedious and there is much more variety. The Twists & Turns they throw up every now and then add a bit more longevity, plus the rewards actually feel like rewards and not a "favour" you're doing for some bloke down the pub.
- The AI are finally difficult, no more taking out 3-winged attacks in 1minute, no more facing a Deadly opponent with ease...they now kick MY backside and I've been caught out many a time, I find them challenging and therefore much more fun to fight against if a little daunting when my Hull is down to 12%. Haz Res actually feel really Hazardous now, before I could enter one of these with ease and pick out random targets and walk away with some hardcore cash, now I have to pick my battles much more carefully and tend to avoid Haz Res if I feel it's too risky, so right there for me the game is working as intended!
- Engineers? I'm still yet to look into it properly,think I'll need a Beginners Guide on that one.
- Finally the 2.2 announcements got my juices flowing even more, not so much the big additions to the game but more the little touches, the upgraded Route Planner, the System Map showing Planets details instead of the wire frame - those little things go a long way in my book and just add to the overall experience. Even the mass debate (ooeerr!) over the Instant Ship Transfer has been, I dunno, exciting to follow I guess in a weird sorta way, kinda got me into thinking about the game when I'm not playing it so I enjoy it even more when I do.
Anyway enough of this self-indulgent love in from me, back to Space!
But then one day after one or two little updates from FD I managed to get an hour in, just floating about in my FDL wondering what the hell this Engineers malarky was all about....it looked so confusing I jumped in my Asp and ran away on an Expedition for a few weeks to hunt out ELWs (only found two....pitiful!).
A roughly 1 month 12k round trip later (slow going) and I return home to Kachian to re-jig my FDL and take a proper look at this game again, before I know it I've seen the bait and mouth wide open crunched onto the hook line & sinker later I'm loving every moment I can spend in game again...just like the (not so) old days.
The current highlights amongst the already decent history of why I love this game:
- The Mission system - since I last used it - is now a delight, seeing the albeit 2D faces does add a sense of belonging, the Missions themselves are no longer too tedious and there is much more variety. The Twists & Turns they throw up every now and then add a bit more longevity, plus the rewards actually feel like rewards and not a "favour" you're doing for some bloke down the pub.
- The AI are finally difficult, no more taking out 3-winged attacks in 1minute, no more facing a Deadly opponent with ease...they now kick MY backside and I've been caught out many a time, I find them challenging and therefore much more fun to fight against if a little daunting when my Hull is down to 12%. Haz Res actually feel really Hazardous now, before I could enter one of these with ease and pick out random targets and walk away with some hardcore cash, now I have to pick my battles much more carefully and tend to avoid Haz Res if I feel it's too risky, so right there for me the game is working as intended!
- Engineers? I'm still yet to look into it properly,think I'll need a Beginners Guide on that one.
- Finally the 2.2 announcements got my juices flowing even more, not so much the big additions to the game but more the little touches, the upgraded Route Planner, the System Map showing Planets details instead of the wire frame - those little things go a long way in my book and just add to the overall experience. Even the mass debate (ooeerr!) over the Instant Ship Transfer has been, I dunno, exciting to follow I guess in a weird sorta way, kinda got me into thinking about the game when I'm not playing it so I enjoy it even more when I do.
Anyway enough of this self-indulgent love in from me, back to Space!
