I never tried the I-war multiplayer, so I can't comment on ops' comment.

Given your comments on ship-to-ship combat, the X-wing/TIE Fighter games probably aren't good examples of what you're looking for. The Wing Commander games (especially #3) did a reasonable job (given the limits of technology at the time) of telling a story that changed (slightly) depending on how well you did in the cockpit. Elite was another game which did a good job of depicting the Great Black Yonder (hmm, think I'll (tm) that... ), though there was a large emphasis on space combat.

Another game you could look at would be Privateer, but I've never played that, so I can't really tell you if it'd be of help to you.

Quote:Original post by sergeant_x
I'm doing a little research for a space based game I'd like to design. I'm wondering, could you all tell me if there are any space/adventure games (PC or platform) that focus on the actual experience of being on a ship in space. I'm looking for something where most of the action tales place IN the ship, with players moving about and taking care of the various tasks/challenges from a first person POV.

Create it and you will be the first. Nothing like this exists. And I mean nothing. There were a lot of quirky SF games in the 80s and 90s, but most were solo and all either focused on puzzle solving or combat.

The Wing Commanders did (a mostly pathetic job) of trying to give you a bit of interactivity onboard a space carrier, but it was mostly FMV cutscene choices based on two or three dialog options. The Star Trek Elite Force games have a bit of running aboard Voyager, spontaneously solving engineering problems, Fedexing items from one character to another, and listening to crew reveal story, but those games are dyed in the wool first person shooters.

Everything else, from the Star Wars & Star Trek games to the I-Wars, the X's, Battlecruiser 3000, the Freespaces and Freelancer/Privateer all focus on combat.

Quote:
My ideas are still quite vague, and I apologize for that, but I'm most interested in a game that really captures the excitement of being 'out in the black'. I'm specifically looking for something that moves the focus away from ship-to-ship combat or removes that element entirely. Just wondering what games have covered this territory well and how they did it.

One of the difficult things you're going to have to address is how to bottle up whatever it is you do into a repeatable game loop. Not a lot of developers are interested in what you propose as yet because it involves figuring out an alternative to combat that's just as interesting as combat.

I've been exploring this area for a bit now, and FWIW, I think you should think strongly about what sort of aesthetic you're after. Do you want chapters of scripted missions where you somehow interact with the crew? Do you want a simulation where you fiddle with a starship? Do you want to try to steer character interactions and relationships toward a certain outcome?

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(and, yes, Firefly is a major inspiration if it isn't overly obvious)

I LOVED that show, btw! If you're trying to capture this aesthetic, consider a game where you tie minigames involving keeping the ship running with fixed missions which develop the characters. Maybe the ship minigames optimize the missions you can go on, which in turn help enhance or reveal the relationships and private stories of the crew? Just a thought.