Rebel Galaxy Outlaw takes swipe at Elite Dangerous

[Old Duck]

From RGO's page:

Some people are preoccupied with realism. We are preoccupied with explosions. Pulling hard turns and raking the hull of your target with 45mm lead while fire billows from their engine housing. Dragging a cluster of magna-mines into an imposing pirate cruiser. Seeing the glass crack on your windscreen as a minitorp detonates just off your port side. Flaming and sparking debris tumbling into the black. That's our thing.

Let's face it, space sims have always had a bit of a problem. Six degrees of freedom means lots of folks end up lost, and half the time you're spinning in a circle trying to find an angle on a deeply unsatisfying space joust. We think we've got a pretty good solution to that. Every ship comes with an autopursuit mechanism which can be engaged at will to get your target onscreen. Spend your time fine tuning your weapons lead and dodging wreckage, not spinning in circles like an idiot.

The focus here is on getting where you want, shooting what you want, and not having to screw around.

It seems this is aimed squarely at Elite Dangerous, because I'm not aware of that many games that have six degrees of freedom. Thing is, I'm one of those "people preoccupied with realism." Elite's 6 DOF is one of the reasons I prefer it over NMS or SWB2 (we don't have many space games on console). I was looking at RGO as a potential alternative to ED while it's in "buggy as hell" mode, but reading this description of RGO actually turns me off...

So I'm curious, are we the exception or the rule? Are there any other space games out there that have ED's 6 DOF and 'realistic' flight model? Is ED "doomed" because of 6 DOF, or does its approach to realism ensure it has a competitive place in the bigger space game genre that seems to be pandering to arcade-style gameplay? I'm just curious of your opinions.

 

[Lordxenu]

They also had a far more direct swipe at SC on a youtube vid their advert said along the lines of "If you want this game just send us $1000 and we'll send you a picture"

Double damage are a lot of fun I'm looking forward to RGO because:

A - It's a more light hearted space flight game
B - it's going to be on switch

Elite's flight model both saves and kills it I think it saves it because people like us just can't get the experience elsewhere and until we do we'll probably always keep coming back to it and it kills it because the more mainstream are into exactly what RGO describes!

 

[Nihila Vex]

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[Arioch]

I wonder if they’re going for the auto dogfight mechanism seen in COD Infinite Warfare and some of the Ace Combat games?

 

[clivewil]

Are there any other space games out there that have ED's 6 DOF and 'realistic' flight model? Is ED "doomed" because of 6 DOF, or does its approach to realism ensure it has a competitive place in the bigger space game genre that seems to be pandering to arcade-style gameplay? I'm just curious of your opinions.

i don't know about the earlier X-series games, but the later ones all have 6dof, and i'd guess there's others out there too

rather than being the 'doom' of the game, to me 6dof is a highlight - e.g. i play NMS a fair bit, but even now on occasion i'll hit my not-a-thruster key and then think "oh that's right, i can't do that in this game" - i do miss it when it's not there

 

[teh_pwnisher]

Considering that RBO is going to be an Epic Games exclusive, and Epic Games region locks (excludes) Korea, I'll stick with ED. I never had a problem with region locks on Steam.

 

[ChrisF0001]

I played Rebel Galaxy once. I liked the music.


As someone for whom ED isn't nearly simulator-y enough, I'd say it's very much the exception even in going as far as it does. Had it been the game I'd like to have seen - a sort of graphical overhaul of First Encounters with the physics engines from Martin Schweiger's Orbiter - it'd be a damn sight more niche than it is. But it does show much more courage in adopting a "look how big space is" kind of feel and allowing full(ish) movement around that massive game space.

There are plenty of arguments to be had about "mile wide inch deep" and the patterns that crop up in procedural generation, etc, and it won't be everyone's bottle of whisky; but for myself I'd far rather a huge open game space with basic procedural content than any number of beautifully hand-crafted environments that put everything into tiny space boxes like the X series; or restrict them to two-dimensional planes (Rebel Galaxy; any number of Star Trek strategy games).

That said, I'm a pretty good litmus test for how popular something's going to be. If I like it, I really wouldn't fancy its chances at making a long-lasting mark.

I try very hard not to like ED too much.

Very much this. If ED was simplified in any way it would greatly diminish the game for me, and this suggestion that RGO isn't even going to have 6 DOF really puts me off. That quoted statement almost reads like they think dumbing-down is a virtue...

 

[Lordxenu]

Very much this. If ED was simplified in any way it would greatly diminish the game for me, and this suggestion that RGO isn't even going to have 6 DOF really puts me off. That quoted statement almost reads like they think dumbing-down is a virtue...

It will be 6dof they've added the auto trackoption but there will be a game mode (I think a difficulty setting) twhere auto track isnt an option so you don't have to use it but it makes it a bit more accessible to a wider crowd.

Double damage are a tiny dev team so anything they can do to add appeal to the game is a sensible approach I think.

 

[Nihila Vex]

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[Phoenix_Dfire]

I hear good things about Rebel Galaxy but if they're not going to do a proper flight model (and I mean Elite: Dangerous, Freespace 2, I-War 2 or X-wing/Tie Fighter), then I guess I'll have to pass.

 

[Old Duck]

rather than being the 'doom' of the game, to me 6dof is a highlight - e.g. i play NMS a fair bit, but even now on occasion i'll hit my not-a-thruster key and then think "oh that's right, i can't do that in this game" - i do miss it when it's not there

I'm with you 100% on this. It's not "doom" for me personally, but I wonder if we 6DOF fans are a smaller minority that we originally thought, and that's why all these other "space sims" are giving their audience a dumbed-down flight model (if one can call it that).

 

[Lordxenu]

I hear good things about Rebel Galaxy but if they're not going to do a proper flight model (and I mean Elite: Dangerous, Freespace 2, I-War 2 or X-wing/Tie Fighter), then I guess I'll have to pass.

Definitely dont expect that level of flight model I think it's only just edging on the side of sim but is 90% arcade

 

[thistle]

I wonder if they’re going for the auto dogfight mechanism seen in COD Infinite Warfare and some of the Ace Combat games?

Pretty much, they were proudly showing off videos last year where they had implemented some sort of auto follow system so you didnt have to fly and shoot

 

[thistle]

Their flight model will I think be a more satisfying and complex version of NMS flight, but still an arcade flight mechanic.

 

[Jukelo]

The original RG was one of the worst space games I've played in all my years, so I guess it's a good thing these guys are obviously not trying to cater to my tastes.

 

[VR Jay Le Chardon]

For arcade style planes in space we have flight assist, but you still have the ability to control all 6 degrees of freedom, and for proper 6DOF flight we can turn flight assist off at will so I'd say in that respect Frontier nailed it with regard to the flight model(s). Although I personally disagree with ships having a maximum speed, I find it really irksome when in flight assist off and my thrusters stop responding to axial rather than rotational inputs, because I'm already at max speed, so I need to wipe some speed off one component of my vector to allow me to apply more speed to another element thereof, but I accept us 100% FAoff guys are an edgecase minority.

 

[Old Duck]

The original RG was one of the worst space games I've played in all my years, so I guess it's a good thing these guys are obviously not trying to cater to my tastes.

With that description of theirs, seems like they are trying to insult us instead! Not too smart IMO, seeing that we could have been potential customers...

 

[Mxpower76]

Kids with consoles that have ADD is the main target audience now. Simple controls with minimal learning curve is the norm.

I like that ED is realistic without being overly complicated. (DCS World) Just enough learning curve to keep things interesting but not mind numbingly steep that I wanted to give up. The flight model and ship engineering is what make the game for me.

 

[Codger]

I think that enjoying 6DOF takes a bit of work and skill, and not all players are interested in it. Even with ED's flight-assisted model, there's still quite a learning curve, especially if you've never, ever experienced 6DOF before. It was literally months before I started even using my lateral thrusters -- I flew my ship like an airplane for quite a while.

So I understand where the desire to simplify comes from, and I understand why developers would take that route. It's all about sales, eh?

It's SO worth it to learn 6DOF, though. The freedom and feeling of flight can't be beat. I still want to take it to the next level and learn FAOFF, but even for me that's a daunting thing. Just setting up the necessary flight sticks...well...anyway I have not gotten around to it after 3 years here

 

[Lordxenu]

Kids with consoles that have ADD is the main target audience now. Simple controls with minimal learning curve is the norm.

I like that ED is realistic without being overly complicated. (DCS World) Just enough learning curve to keep things interesting but not mind numbingly steep that I wanted to give up. The flight model and ship engineering is what make the game for me.

A bit dismissive no?

Have arcade type games not always been more popular? doom was more of a thing than ms flight sim

games have always been geared towards the mass market it's fine to not like those games or prefer something different but calling the millions of gamers "kids with consoles that have ADD" says a lot more about you than it does the people playing those games