Your Favorite "Kilrathi War" Wing Commander game?

F

Falcon988

Commodore
I've just finished my run through of the Kilrathi War. In February I played through Wing Commander 1, SM1, SM2, I finished WC2 and the Special Operations expansions at the end of May, and two days ago I successfully dropped the bomb on Kilrah. If anyone has never played the games in order, I highly recommend it. The final mission is so fitting after all that went before it.

Anyway, I'm hard pressed to say which of these I liked the most. If I had to make a decision I might have to go with WC1, just because it's the first one I played and is what got me into Wing Commander in the first place. Plus there were aspects of WC1 that I loved which I felt were slighted or skipped over in its sequels; notably, detailed briefings, detailed debriefings, funerals, and medal ceremonies. Oh sure WC2 and 3 had briefings and funerals but they just didn't feel the same. Maybe it's just because I like Colonel Halycon so much.

So before I go on to replay WC4 (and play it for the first time on a computer), I'm curious as to what's everyones favorite "core" Wing Commander game, by which I mean the ones dealing with Blair and the Kilrathi War. WC1, WC2, WC3 and expansions. Thoughts?
 
My first experience with the series was Heart Of The Tiger, so when you say Wing Commander I remember sitting in Mr Pureck's Modern American History class and drooling over the manual and being astonished that the game spanned four CDs.

All the games have their strengths - and I've yet to play the expansions. I'm currently playing WC1 (KS) and then will move onto Secret Missions 1 for the first time ever.
 
As for the total experience, I think WC3 impressed me the most. The actors, the cockpits... it was like a high-budget sci-fi/war movie and you were in it. First time out, when Hobbes mauled Cobra, I was all kind of sad and angry all at once. And the really fun part was the game lets you act on those feelings that very instant.

The order I got them in was WC1, WC3, and WC2, by the way, so I was totally clueless as to what was going on for the begining and the Angel love story.
 
I'd have to go with WC 3. Though it only narrowly beats out WC 2.

I actually purchased WC 3 before I had a computer up to date enough to play it. I remember spending months drooling over the box and the manual, waiting until we had enough money to replace the family computer with a new Pentium.

WC 3 isn't flawless. I was a bit disappointed that some of my favorite characters from other games - Doomsday, for example - didn't make an appearance. Having Hobbes turn out to be a traitor felt somewhat baffling and out of place, especially since they didn't include the cut scene that explained it. And I've always thought the whole Flint/Rachel choosing who to "make out with" idea was kinda dumb and immature, and just something that seemed jarringly out of place for the atmosphere of a Wing Commander game.

Nevertheless, I think the overall story and feel to Wing Commander III is particularly good, and I really came to enjoy some of the new characters it introduced. I remember being blown away by it the first time I played.
 
WC1, it had such a god military style with the briefing debriefing, and you weren't a hero back then. WC2 was like WC1 with more background story.
 
The Hobbes betrayal I always explained to myself like this. Hobbes just didn't sign on with Confed to help them blow up his homeworld. Plain and simple, his loyalties to the Confederation ended at the "total annihilation" mark.

I like that version better than this canon nonsense about his "personality construct". Bleh. As far as I'm concerned, Hobbes felt a deeper loyalty to his race and his people than he could possibly share with his friends in the Confederation. Hence I prefer that his betrayal was never explained in the original version, because I don't like the explanation that was given.
 
Hands down it has got to be WC1 for me. It was the first WC game I ever played. I was about six years old when I first played it and due to my age I did not play very well. Ejecting was my only skill :D . Still it has a special place in my heart because my father actually sat down and helped me play it even though he wasn't a computer game player. My father recently passed away and playing WC1 with him is one of my most happiest memories. Eventually I learned how to fly and land and the game just got better and better.
 
I've played WC1 SM1 on Nintendo and WC3 and WC4 (Which isn't war with the Kilrathi.. exactly). WC3 was the first one I played and it was also my favorite. I thought Tom Wilson was a great actor and he had a great sense for what was comical. I was also impressed with the other actors and couldn't believe how many famous ones were willing to act in a computer game.

The detailed briefings and debriefings as well as the fact that you were just another pilot and not some kind of superhero were the things I prefer about WC1. WC3 still wins out though due to superior graphics, flight engine, and live acting.

I originally was put off by the fact that it was a space flight sim as opposed to atmospheric flight since I was used to playing flight simulators and the Red Baron as well as working on my solo pilots license. I think the acting and cutscenes as well as the ability to communicate with your wingmen is what drew me in, and now I prefer space combat simulators over atmospheric ones.
 
The Hobbes betrayal I always explained to myself like this. Hobbes just didn't sign on with Confed to help them blow up his homeworld. Plain and simple, his loyalties to the Confederation ended at the "total annihilation" mark.

I like that version better than this canon nonsense about his "personality construct". Bleh. As far as I'm concerned, Hobbes felt a deeper loyalty to his race and his people than he could possibly share with his friends in the Confederation. Hence I prefer that his betrayal was never explained in the original version, because I don't like the explanation that was given.
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Actually... I rather like your explanation myself.

To me, that fits very well with Hobbes established character. If I recall correctly, we know he became disillusioned with the Kilrathi because his family was killed when a civilian transport was blown up. I could very well see him becoming just as disillusioned with the Confederation when he sees them trying to develop ways to destroy entire planets - and the millions of civilians on them - as a way to end the war.

Maybe it would have been enough to make him decide that Confed was no longer significantly better than the Kilrathi, and that he should just do whatever needs to be done to stop the most innocents from being killed.
 
Can't decide between WC1 or 2....

WC1 had the hard core millitary things which make the game extremely enjoyable.

WC2 was more into Blair's personal story which also was neat.
 
I have to say WC3 every time I've played it (finished it 3 times) I had a true response to characters dying, I truly cared what happened to them and when I lost them it felt almost like a real person died. That's one area where WC4 lacked on though because all the deaths were scripted. That and there was a sense of epicness (I know that isn't a word :p) throughout the whole game. Overall I give it a 100/10. :D
 
Lt.Death100 said:
I have to say WC3 every time I've played it (finished it 3 times) I had a true response to characters dying, I truly cared what happened to them and when I lost them it felt almost like a real person died. That's one area where WC4 lacked on though because all the deaths were scripted. That and there was a sense of epicness (I know that isn't a word :p) throughout the whole game. Overall I give it a 100/10. :D
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Oh I hear that. When Flint died on my wing towards the end of the game I was actually really sad about it. And what was almost equally depressing was at the end when I had to pick Flash to fly with me on the suicide mission to Kilrah, just because we were so low on pilots. I wanted him to survive, especially after his little speech about how surprised he was to have made it that far... then he died. :(
 
Dougly said:
To me, that fits very well with Hobbes established character. If I recall correctly, we know he became disillusioned with the Kilrathi because his family was killed when a civilian transport was blown up. I could very well see him becoming just as disillusioned with the Confederation when he sees them trying to develop ways to destroy entire planets - and the millions of civilians on them - as a way to end the war.

Maybe it would have been enough to make him decide that Confed was no longer significantly better than the Kilrathi, and that he should just do whatever needs to be done to stop the most innocents from being killed.
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Aside from this not actually being the reason, since the real reason is spelled out in the official guide, novel and versions of WC3 which include the filmed explanation scene, this logic doesn't hold up in the larger context. The Kilrathi already were destroying entire planets. Confed's planet-busters in WC3 are effectively just playing catch-up. From Fleet Action:

The Emperor laughed coldly.

"I am sick to death of this human scum and the potential for corruption that they present to us. I am therefore issuing the following order: all human prisoners that we still hold as well as slaves are to be slaughtered. Secondly, the new fleet is to be armed with thermonuclear weapons that are clad in strontium. These heavy weapons, when detonated in the atmosphere of a planet, will make uninhabitable. They shall be annihilated."

"Such an action will arouse them to a frenzy," Jukaga said. "They will fight as they have never fought before."

They are animals to be hunted," the Emperor replied.



Geoff watched the optical scan in silence, and then the first blossom of light snapped across the northern continent's surface. Seconds later hundreds of snaps of light erupted, blanketing the continent. the snake-like chain of islands in the southern hemisphere erupting as well.

"We are picking up thermonuclear air bursts in the five hundred megaton range. The nukes are emitting strontium ninety," the tactical officer announced, her voice hard-edged with rage.

"The bastards," Geoff whispered, "the damn bastards."

It had gone even beyond genocide. The planet was seeded with enough strontium 90 to wipe out the entire biosphere. The Kilrathi were destroying an entire planet simply as a demonstration of what was to come.
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So it's not really plausible for Hobbes to think defecting would really prevent innocents from being killed. On the contrary, he was smart enough to know that the opposite was more likely. So we get into this awkward position by creating our own theories that ignore and contradict the official timeline whenever we feel like it. If everyone did this, we'd have a crazy mish-mash of ideas and it'd be difficult to discuss things on common ground.
 
My favourite has to be WC1, playing that on my 286 was amazing for me (and finally looking in the manual and finding out I didn't have to eject to finish a mission, never thought of trying C...)
 
Dougly said:
I've always thought the whole Flint/Rachel choosing who to "make out with" idea was kinda dumb and immature, and just something that seemed jarringly out of place for the atmosphere of a Wing Commander game.
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Eh... It's the typical movie cliché: rebound/emotionaly-vulnerable-post relationship-relationship. I didn't have a problem with it... Besides, you don't have to choose either one.

On another note, I loved the Mission where you have to fly drunk and the controls keep reversing.
 
t.c.cgi said:
And then you get to punch Paladin right after!
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As strange little tidbit - the foley sound of Blair's fist hitting Paladin is removed from the Playstation version. You see the swing connect like in the PC version, but theres no sound of impact.
 
My all time favourite will have to be WC2. It's the music and the cutscenes that really drew me into the game world.
 
AD said:
On another note, I loved the Mission where you have to fly drunk and the controls keep reversing.
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Is that what happens if you keep drinking???? I can't BELIEVE I missed out on that!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Nu
 
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