by RedSwirl » Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:11 am
Okay I just tried out New Kind for like a minute. Nope.
I was expecting some kind of modern-windows up-port where they'd maybe modernized the interface and fitted the game with today's PC controls, or maybe something where I could select all the functions with a mouse. Nah bruh. From what I can tell this is the game exactly as it was played in 1984, except it runs on today's PCs without requiring an emulator.
The old-ass PC controls are there, from the era before people figured out context-sensitive buttons. All the screens are controlled by all 12 F keys which I'm not going to remember. And every single function is a different obscure key on the keyboard, like / to slow down or A to fire lasers. Man whatever. I was able to bear with it in Ultima Underworld because that game at least did a lot of stuff with the mouse to make itself a little user friendly. This here just makes me realize I actually prefer the NES version despite its wireframe graphics (New Kind has solid color graphics) and low framerate, because the NES controller forced Elite to be a lot more intuitive.
That Unknown game on iOS is cool though, with all the functions as touchable buttons. While playing NES Elite I felt the urge to have it on a portable device and Uknown fulfills that. The touch screen piloting controls take getting used to but otherwise it's a great fit for iOS.
On to Oolite.
Edit: After trying out Oolite I'm starting to realize the NES version makes one tiny but crucial design decision that greatly impacted my opinion of Elite.
As I'm learning, in most versions of Elite you can't "supercruise" or put your ship into fast flying mode if basically any object is on your radar, be it a ship, asteroid, planet, whatever. In the NES version on the other hand, you CAN supercruise past any object smaller than a planet or space station... as long as those objects are non-hostile. Basically, only planets, stars, space stations, and hostile ships stop you from supercruising in the NES version. This means in the NES version I could, for the most part, almost instantly dash towards a planet upon coming out of hyperspace and immediately auto-dock, which considerably quickens the pace of the game. Now I understand why somebody made that Elite Dangerous trailer parodying how long it takes you to fly through space, and why all the planets in No Man's Sky will be right up against each other. This is what makes the difference between Elite being a fun game or a sterile simulator. If I ever am forced out of supercruise in the NES version, I immediately know I've entered a combat situation which is an inherently interesting event.
Oh, and space stations rotate a lot more slowly in Oolite, making manual docking not a "That's not possible. No. It's necessary" type of endeavor.