WC Platform

[Sgt_thomson]

Hi i was just wondering what other fans thought about which platform gives the best WC experiance? I know the pc is great at playing all the games but when you consider that playing on a console means that you dont have to worry about the games not working on modern computers what is the best? Personaly i love WC3 + 4 on the playstation. Do you think any new installments should be on the PC or on a conslole?

 

[ChrisReid]

We ran a poll like this a while back. Although most people preferred the PC, a good chunk preferred it on the XBox followed by the Playstation 2. The poll was obviously biased by questioning only PC owners, and these days you generally stand to have your game perform much better on consoles. Clearly a multiplatform release would probably be in order, and I'd probably personally play it primarily on XBox Live.

 

[Porthos]

PC! PC! PC! PC!

Everybody sing!!

If ever a new WC game is made, it had better be for PC. A good joystick is way better than a console controller.

 

[Sgt_thomson]

I agree with the fact the you have more choice with controllers and add ons and such with the PC but when i think about all the old WC games i cant play anymore because of my computer specs being to advanced it makes me sad.

 

[AKAImBatman]

but when i think about all the old WC games i cant play anymore because of my computer specs being to advanced it makes me sad.

As opposed to all those old Nintendo games you can't play because your Nintendo gave up the ghost?

Unfortuantely, technology keeps marching on.

 

[Sgt_thomson]

actually i still have my first nintendo and it still works fine.

 

[ChrisReid]

If ever a new WC game is made, it had better be for PC. A good joystick is way better than a console controller.

And a good joystick is not something you just get for PCs.

XBox Steel Battalion Controller:

PS2 Ace Combat V Flight Stick & Throttle:

People just like to stick to what they know. That's all. My first Wing Commander experiences were with the Super Nintendo controller and the PC keyboard. That's what I took to naturally and it was great. If you put a SNES controller in my hand to this day, I'd be able to automatically execute the combinations required to do everything the PC counterparts were able to do. I didn't even get a proper joystick until 1999. There have been console joysticks with custom layouts for console Wing Commander games. A joystick is by no means a required element for Wing Commander games, and joysticks are not restricted to PC gaming.

 

[Porthos]

How many hundred dollars is that setup?

Good points, though. And yes, a joystick is not required, but it makes it sooooo nice. I just started playing prophecy again, but this time with my new logitech wingman. Having an extra axis for rolling is so wonderful. Makes me like the panther more and more, and the vampire is just death on jets.

 

[ChrisReid]

I have a new Logitech PC joystick now too, and it's quite nice, but I first played through both Prophecy and Secret Ops with just the keyboard and loved them. The console setups above don't cost any more than their PC counterparts would be. The XBox one is $150, including a game which would otherwise be $50. The PS2 one was $100-130, and also came with a game that sold for $50 separately.

 

[Aron Figaro]

Those are both reasonable, considering my PC Afterburner 2 ran me (in a rough US conversion) around 75 dollars. GREAT stick though, definitely my recommendation for anyone who can't afford a Cougar ("and who the HELL can these days...")

 

[Nomad Terror]

This is making me think that a Wing Commander Saga port to a console would be amazing

 

[Confed]

PC! PC! PC! PC!

Everybody sing!!

If ever a new WC game is made, it had better be for PC. A good joystick is way better than a console controller.

btw when are they going to put a mouse on the consoles? How can you play a FPS with a controller? answer : very badly!

I'm never buying a console as long as they don't put a mouse on it.
I just hope they don't stop bringing out games on PC in the future!

The controller on a console is designed with games that use combo's in mind. I hate games in wich everything depends on how fast you can ram the buttons repeatedly in a specific order.
There are too much of these games on consoles & not enough games of the type I like.
And a lot of the good ones are adapted to make it possible, albeit still awkward, to play with a friggin' console.

 

[ChrisReid]

I agree, & btw when are they going to put a mouse on the consoles? How can you play a FPS with a controller? answer : very badly!

I'm never buying a console as long as they don't put a mouse/joystick on it.
I just hope they don't stop bringing out games on PC in the future!

Just like joysticks, consoles have had mice for many years.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Logitech_Optical_Mouse_for_PlayStation_2/930904-0403/p/256084

Again, people are going to just go with what they're used to. I can't stand FPS games with a mouse. People talk about being able to aim more accurately, but that's just because they have more practice. I seriously think any games where you walk/move/shoot can be much more precisely handled via controller. I can't imagine walking in Splinter Cell with a mouse and keyboard. Any advantage gained by precise mouse controlls is completely offset by horrible movement controls. WASD doesn't compare to an analog stick with 360 degrees of motion and 256 levels of sensitivity. Just barely nudge to tiptoe, jam the stick all the way to make a mad dash. Of course, it takes a little more practice to aim, but given equal practice time on PCs and Consoles, I'd certainly be able to move/circle strafe/maneuver much better with a set of dual analog sticks on a controller.

 

[Confed]

Just like joysticks, consoles have had mice for many years.

Chris, where can I buy a mouse for XBOX/PS2/Gamecube?
If they exist for NextGen consoles, I would consider getting one.

 

[Blackfaer]

Okay, so Ace Combat V... any good? I've got a PS2 and that joystick/throttle setup looks pretty... I'd try the WC games on my PS2 in a heartbeat if I had that setup. I've been looking at getting a throttle as it is for my PC...

 

[Nomad Terror]

The Sega Genesis also had a mouse

Apparently only one game ever really used it... and I had that game! If you could even call it a game.

Wacky Worlds was like Sega's answer to Mario Paint, and I thought it did beat it in a few ways.

 

[Pedro]

I've actually really come to like mouse and keyboard controls for FPSs. I'm a bigger console player than I am PC gamer, and I DO preffer Goldeneye style controls for the more stealthy of FPSs but it was only by using the mouse and keyboard that I was able to complete Halo on legendary.
But the Splinter Cell point is a valid one, oh sure is playable with mouse and keyboard but it simply isn't the same, there is no excuse for it not having provided gamepad support. I play titles like Prince of Persia: SoT, NFS2 and GTA:VC on the PC but using a control pad and it works wonderfully. I do think PC gamers need to get off their high horse and use gamepads...

Having said that I would still most definately rather have another WC title on PC because its a pain to get varied equipment for every system you own, I tend to just stick with a gamepad for consoles and save the specialist equipment such as Joysticks for the PC since you know it will outlive any console. Additionally the Joystick keyboard combo works well with really amounts to two extra peripherals, both of which unlike a gamepad need a place to rest. PCs are usually placed happily on a desk where you can keep the joystick rested and sit comfortably. Its not a major issue, and I'd certainly never put off buying the next wing commander game over, still it would tip the balance for me if it were ported to both PC and console.

 

[ChrisReid]

Chris, where can I buy a mouse for XBOX/PS2/Gamecube?
If they exist for NextGen consoles, I would consider getting one.

You can just use any regular USB mouse in a PS2. You need a USB adapter for XBox. Both systems have PS/2 adapters as well. http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3495&

Having said that I would still most definately rather have another WC title on PC because its a pain to get varied equipment for every system you own, I tend to just stick with a gamepad for consoles and save the specialist equipment such as Joysticks for the PC since you know it will outlive any console.

Wing Commander PC titles never prevented me from getting old equipment which doesn't get used anymore. I spent hundreds of dollars on specialized hardware for each release which is no longer relevant. Every day someone comes into #Wingnut talking about how they spent $250 on a RAM upgrade for Privateer or some such.

 

[Edfilho]

Well, I think that saying that any controller setup is always equally good is not very acurate... Most FPS games are usually better played with mouse+keyboard setup, and one of the evidence for this is that lots of console FPS games have lock-on features...

As for the analog stick vs the WASD, well, 256 levels in such a small "travel" is REALLY sensitive. 90% of the games employ just 4 to 12 levels, probably. It is quite easy and simple to simulate that like they did in Splinter Cell on the PC, where you can set Fischer's speed with the mouse well. We all just toggle between tip-toe and mad-dashes directly, anyway.

Even though it is more than POSSIBLE to play WC games on gamepad, keyboard and/or mouse, by my own experience I can say that the most intuitive and adequate interface device is the joystick, considering how they designed the game to be that way. I've played Wc1, 2, Priv and Academy for a long time with just the keyboard, and when I switched to joystick I just played a lot better, as I guess was the case with a lot of people....

And Chris, aren't those controllers to be used with just the game that came bundled (and a few others, released specially to work with them)?

I also played FPS games with just the keyboard for a long time, and I simply sucked, I even tried playing Dark Forces 1 with t joystick, but it was crappy too... Then I learnt about wasd+mouse, and I made progress by leaps and bounds...

I guess most kinds of games are playable with most kinds of controllers. But in most cases there are some controllers that are better than others.

 

[Aron Figaro]

Well, I'm a semi-n00b at FPS games. First time I played a FPS with a mouse was actually UT2004...and before that I'd tried a few times with a controller and it was nothing like it. The mouse just offers a wider sensitivity range and more physically natural motions.