Why do you play space sims?

[Vasea Azure]

When I was growing up my parents introduced me to Stanislaw Lem and Philip K. books. After that came Star Wars and Space Odyssey movies and contact with some older space games original Elite included. From that I grow interest in astronomy and space travel. Apart from that I was allways in to flight simulators (starting from Janes F-15).
So having the ability to dive in a space game worlds is a joy for me, if its a role playing game like Mass Effect, or a "software" like Space Engine or a sim like Orbiter, or games in question like Elite Dangerous.

 

[lysan]

For many reasons, I'm a sucker for Sci-fi in general. I love space and everything that goes with it.

My dream is to immerse myself into a world where I can do what I want without too many walls. Something like DayZ's looting mechanic pared with the witchers rich world of NPCs. All in space of course.
I don't know why, maybe because I'm old, however Blade Runner keep popping up when I play ED, It just lack a lot of the atmosphere.

Spoiler

[video=youtube;nx02tM0os7k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx02tM0os7k[/video]

 

[chapelzero]

Wow, this is some amazing feedback, thanks guys. I'll drop a link in this thread when the feature goes up!

 

[bkrownd]

Hey guys, I'm thinking of writing a feature about why games like Elite are experiencing a renaissance. I'd love to hear why you guys are still playing/interested in space sims in 2016, and if you give a damn about No Man's Sky. Do you consider it a proper space sim? Are you planning on picking it up?

I'm not only into the space ships - I also play games based on 4WD trucks, 18th Century sailing ships, early 20th Century warships, etc - they're all fun and full of eye candy. In the case of this game the simulation is pretty good, the stations and planets look gorgeous, and the scale of the galaxy available to exploration is intriguing.

 

[Flash_Baggins]

To seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go, where no gamer has gone before!

 

[Hellhawk666]

I cannot possibly imagine NOT playing space games - any space games.

Since as far back as I can remember I've been fascinated by space and longed to travel beyond the confines of this planet. My earliest toys that I actually asked for were ray guns. I had a metal scale model of Thunderbird 3 and one of Fireball XL5. Later I built plastic kit models of the luner lander and the Enterprise.

My favourite cartoons were all to do with space and every time the Bugs Bunny show was on I'd pray that it would have one of the episodes with the Martian (where was the kaboom?) or (Daffy) Duck Dogers. The first film I saw by myself on the big screen at a real cinema was 2001 : a Space Odyssey when I was 10 years old.

My dad was a space nut too and he and I used to watch Forbidden Planet religiously every time it was on TV. We used to watch all the old B-grade 50s SF movies together as well - they are some of the happiest memories I have of the old man. The earliest memories I have of being read to at bedtime are of dad reading me Jules Verne stories. He let me sit up late at night to watch the liftoff of Apollo 11, and let me wag school the day the Eagle landed on the moon, so I could watch it happen.

I can recite verbatim more of the original series Star Trek episodes dialogue than is healthy for any person, and have a collection of over 200 SF films on DVD & Blu-ray.

Then in the 1980s I discovered Elite, and later the Frontier games, and just about every other SF game set in space you can name. At last, I could not only watch and pretend, I could interact with space in the closest way that will ever be possible for me.

And you ask why I play space sims? - Like Sir Edmund Hillary, because they are there

 

[Sir.Tj]

I cannot possibly imagine NOT playing space games - any space games.

Since as far back as I can remember I've been fascinated by space and longed to travel beyond the confines of this planet. My earliest toys that I actually asked for were ray guns. I had a metal scale model of Thunderbird 3 and one of Fireball XL5. Later I built plastic kit models of the luner lander and the Enterprise.

My favourite cartoons were all to do with space and every time the Bugs Bunny show was on I'd pray that it would have one of the episodes with the Martian (where was the kaboom?) or (Daffy) Duck Dogers. The first film I saw by myself on the big screen at a real cinema was 2001 : a Space Odyssey when I was 10 years old.

My dad was a space nut too and he and I used to watch Forbidden Planet religiously every time it was on TV. We used to watch all the old B-grade 50s SF movies together as well - they are some of the happiest memories I have of the old man. The earliest memories I have of being read to at bedtime are of dad reading me Jules Verne stories. He let me sit up late at night to watch the liftoff of Apollo 11, and let me wag school the day the Eagle landed on the moon, so I could watch it happen.

I can recite verbatim more of the original series Star Trek episodes dialogue than is healthy for any person, and have a collection of over 200 SF films on DVD & Blu-ray.

Then in the 1980s I discovered Elite, and later the Frontier games, and just about every other SF game set in space you can name. At last, I could not only watch and pretend, I could interact with space in the closest way that will ever be possible for me.

And you ask why I play space sims? - Like Sir Edmund Hillary, because they are there

Enjoyed reading that and the other posts the community has made..

Still sulking about not being born for the moon landings mind you...

 

[Flimley]

Because I am locked under the stairs for three years with only a PC bread and water.

 

[Ian Phillips]

And you ask why I play space sims? - Like Sir Edmund Hillary, because they are there

George Mallory!

OK, I'll post a serious answer.

Growing up in the 60's and 70's was a time firstly of unbound optimism and possibilites where it was becoming possible to do things only dreamt of before, such as landing on the moon. The most watched live tv events were the apollo launchings and moon landings. All Firsts in history.

Later this bright future became darkened by the cold war and teenage years living with the idea of imminent nuclear war and sudden devastation. I've watched "The Watchmen" with my children and tried to explain how it captures the oppressive atmosphere of the later 70's and early 80's so well, but they simply cannot comprehend what I am trying to convey. Luckily!

Then computers became things that moved from the worlds of fiction or NASA into daily life and brought with them inventiveness and imagination in the form of games. Science fiction and fantasy were obvious ways to present a compelling new worlds where you could take part in some of the action. You could literally imagine something, and create a computer program to experience it.

Faced with a choice of being a half-elf warrior or a space pilot in a gritty universe, I tried the things I was familiar with. Having played D&D for many years the games based on fantasy realms were easy to get into, as I knew the trope well, and they were fun. Each for a while, until the story had unfolded or the puzzle was solved. Strategy games followed, and lasted longer as each game was a new story, but they all end the same way eventually.

Elite was my first space game and took me to those places I wanted to get to when I was a young boy. Why would I want to leave those places, having finally got there?

Other games are fun, but for me Elite Dangerous is fulfilling in a way that gives life to things that have been hiding in darkness for so many years that I had almost forgotten they still existed.

Liberation and freedom are good reasons to engage in any activity

 

[Winterwalker]

Enjoyed reading that and the other posts the community has made..

Still sulking about not being born for the moon landings mind you...

Don't worry TJ .. I was about 6 months old when Apollo 11 touched down and, though my mother told me she watched with me on her lap, telling me it was something historic, I don't have a massive recollection! What my 69 birthday did mean though, was when Star Wars A New Hope was released, I was eight years old .. arguably, optimum.

I'm not really a gamer (though I did try Sonic the Hedgehog once). The only other games I might be found to play are Dredd vs Death and Operation Genesis (Jurassic Park) because all those episodes of Tomorrow's World in the seventies maybe had an effect. I'm a sucker for "the future," in all the ways it can be, and has been imagined, as something to compare the present day to.

I work in renewables engineering and sustainable farming technologies, design working towards what I'd suggest to be the better future, where we make it to the stars as preferable over the dystopian one, where we all return to the mud. That's not to say I don't mind reading cautionary stories and the world of Elite (in fact any space game that I've noticed) the future isn't entirely utopian, but a frontier, where the gun still rules.

Procedural generated planets and stars are a major source of fascination for me. As is genaral astronomy, particle physics, theories on the formation of the galaxy and evolution on earth. Places I'll never get to go in the real world are massively inspiring, as is the model of it, extending through the concept designs of ships, stations and what I can guess about the programming of mechanics behind the game. I like things to be grounded though, science fiction as opposed to science fantasy, and in the game I spend a fair amount of time mining. This is really ordinary 'work' in a way, but (imo) my 'office' has an amazing view!

 

[Minonian]

Later this bright future became darkened by the cold war and teenage years living with the idea of imminent nuclear war and sudden devastation. I've watched "The Watchmen" with my children and tried to explain how it captures the oppressive atmosphere of the later 70's and early 80's so well, but they simply cannot comprehend what I am trying to convey. Luckily!

One of my faw superhero movies. Marvel's work much lighter and brighter, good for fun. But Wachmen? That's a serious piece of work!

Elite was my first space game and took me to those places I wanted to get to when I was a young boy. Why would I want to leave those places, having finally got there?

Aye!
We, were all waiting to that alien space ship from the last starfighter.

 

[dannysquid]

I don't particularly play space sims. Certainly no more than anything else. I backed ELITE because I loved it so much when I was 12 that I wanted to give something back now I'm middle aged.

But as a child of the seventies, I suspect STAR WARS caused my love of space and space travel. It's just nice to imagine you're out there. Particularly in a world of tax returns, refugees and the early stages of balding.

 

[Temple604]

My love of space sims started with wing commander/privateer series.
Still waiting for a game as great as privateer was.
Whats the closest game like that?

The immersion/details/story were so great at that time. You really felt like you were the character in the game.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Later this bright future became darkened by the cold war and teenage years living with the idea of imminent nuclear war and sudden devastation. I've watched "The Watchmen" with my children and tried to explain how it captures the oppressive atmosphere of the later 70's and early 80's so well, but they simply cannot comprehend what I am trying to convey. Luckily!

Funnily enough I had exactly the same conversation with my son a while ago, Trying to explain how we were overshadowed by the potential of nuclear war at any moment and the government information leaflets and films like When the wind blows for example almost became the norm for a while and I can remember having school drills on ducking and covering was the same for me very hard to convey the feeling of the world teetering on the edge of oblivion.

Cheerful bunch us mods.

Sorry back on topic.

Space is great.

 

[Hellhawk666]

George Mallory!

Mea culpa

 

[chapelzero]

Hey guys, thanks again for all the input, here's a link to the feature, if you're interested:

http://www.gamesradar.com/why-no-mans-sky-will-reignite-space-sim-renaissance/