Freelancer (video game) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulationvideo game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios.
It is a chronological sequel to Digital Anvil's Starlancer, a combat flight simulator released in 2. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1. Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually released in March 2. In the game, players take on the roles of spacecraft pilots. These characters fly single- seater ships, exploring the planets and space stations of 4. They also engage in dogfights with other pilots (player- and computer- controlled) to protect traders or engage in piracy themselves. Other player activities include bounty- hunting and commodity trading.
The single- player mode puts the player in the role of Edison Trent, who goes through a series of missions to save the Sirius sector from a mysterious alien force. In multiplayer mode, players are free to take on any role and to explore anywhere from the start.
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Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It is a chronological sequel to Digital Anvil's Starlancer, a combat flight simulator released. The Starport is a community site for all Freelancer game and freelancer multiplayer content by Microsoft Games Studio and Digital Anvil, listed as an official fansite from the game Freelancer. It contains Freelancer game.
Originally, Roberts promised features such as automated flight maneuvers, dynamic economies, and a multiplayer mode that could host thousands of players, but diminished versions of these features were implemented in the final release. The game's initial technical demos impressed reviewers, but after the Microsoft buyout and Roberts' departure from Digital Anvil, critics had doubts about the game. Reviewers judged the final product technically good but failing to fulfill their initial expectations.[citation needed]Freelancer's original designer Chris Roberts started a crowdfunding campaign in October 2.
Freelancer called Star Citizen, which is scheduled to be released in 2. Gameplay[edit]Players take up the roles of pilots who fly single- seat spacecraft, trading with merchants on space stations and planets, and engaging in combat against other vessels. Starting with a small spacecraft in a star system, the player's character explores the region, opening up new systems for further adventures. Each system provides opportunities to increase the pilot's wealth; aside from taking on jobs to ferry goods and hunting for bounties, the player character can engage in trade.[2] The player character's primary goal in the game is to accumulate money, so as to buy more advanced weaponry and equipment to upgrade his ship.[3].
In Freelancer, the spacecraft is controlled by pointing and clicking with the mouse. The game is played primarily through "pointing and clicking" with the mouse and a few keyboard commands. This system is also used to control the spacecraft, a breakaway from the traditional use of joysticks for space flight simulators.[4] Observing their spacecraft from the rear,[5] players fly their ships by moving the mouse in the direction they want the vessels to go.
Freelancer's spacecraft follow simplistic flight dynamics; [6] however, a dash of realism is implemented by allowing the vessels to cut power to their engines and turn to face any direction while drifting along their original path—conservation of momentum.[2] Clicking the mouse button shoots the ship's weapons at the location of the cursor.[4] The interface has no radar display; the location of objects not shown on the screen are indicated by pointers at the screen's edges. Targeting, communications, and navigation data are displayed in information boxes that can be minimized.[7]After the pilot docks with a space station or lands on a planet, the screen and its interface change to a rendition of the area he is visiting. The player moves the pilot to different locations and interacts with certain objects, such as reading a bulletin board and talking to other characters, by clicking on their graphical representations.[8]Freelancer's economy consists of buying and selling spacecraft, their armaments and components, and commodities.[9] Certain goods are considered contraband in some systems, and they have to be smuggled past police patrols to their buyers.
Computer- controlled characters (non- player characters or NPCs) in certain locations on the planets or stations offer quests and jobs.[7]Freelancer features a multiplayer mode, allowing up to 1. Multiplayer games are hosted on game servers; personal computers that meet the requirements for the game can act as a server. Gameplay is similar to the single- player mode, but is absent of story- driven quests. Because the server keeps individual records of the players' progress, they can resume their game when they next log on to it. A persistent virtual galaxy is thus maintained for them.[1.
Plot and setting[edit]The events in Freelancer take place 8. Starlancer (2. 00.
The solar system was engulfed in a civil war, fought between the Alliance and the Coalition. Facing defeat, the Alliance placed its people in stasis and sent them to the Sirius system, where they settled and transformed the surrounding space (the Sirius sector) into a region of political intrigue and opportunity.[1.
The rule of the sector is mostly split among four houses, each named after the sleeper ship that brought them to the system. Each house exhibits the culture of its terrestrial ancestor: Liberty of 1. United States, Bretonia of Victorian era United Kingdom, Kusari of Shogunate era Japan, and Rheinland of Second Industrial Revolution Germany.[1. The fifth sleeper ship, Hispania, suffered a malfunction en route and was abandoned in deep space (in the Omicron Alpha system).[2] The descendants of its crew became pirates.[1. Freelancer's planetary bodies and space stations lie close to a single plane in each system, although some are above or below this plane and ships can travel out of the plane.[1.
There are 4. 8 known star systems,[1. These systems are shown a 2. D map, however the jump gate mechanism actually provides no clear idea of how close each system is to others or spatial directions between them, so this map is just a simplified convention.[1. Within a system, spacecraft can travel in the trade lanes—a series of gates that connect to form a "space highway"—to quickly reach places of interest, such as planets, space stations, and mining operations. Asteroid and debris fields populate some of the systems,[4] and secret hideouts and derelicts with valuable items exist in deep space.[1. Merchant ships ply the trade lanes, carrying cargo from system to system and occasionally coming under attack by pirates. Patrolling the systems are police and large naval warships.[1.
Characters[edit]The player takes on the role of Edison Trent, a "mercenary freebooter",[1. Regardless of Trent's background, the player can play him in different roles, such as being a trader, pirate, or bounty hunter.[1. Throughout the story, Trent meets several NPCs, such as Liberty Security Force (LSF) commander Jun'ko Zane, xenoarchaeologist Professor Roland Quintaine, and head of a secret organization, Casper Orillion. Trent's relationships with these NPCs are pre- determined and illustrated by cutscenes; the player has no choice of import in Trent's interactions with these NPCs.[7]Most NPCs are aligned with a certain faction, such as the police, pirates, a company, or government.[2] Each faction has its own agenda, and the relationships among them are interlinked in a web of alliances and hostilities. Player characters anger a faction and its allies by destroying its ships. Likewise, they gain the favor of a faction—and, to a smaller extent, its allies—by attacking its enemies.
Player characters who have a bad relationship with a faction are attacked on sight by its forces and denied from docking with its stations. Paying bribes to a faction improves its attitude to the player character.[2] Several NPCs with major roles are voiced by professional voice actors, such as Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills, 9.
Jennifer Hale (Metroid games), George Takei (Star Trek), and John Rhys- Davies (Indiana Jones films and Sliders). These NPCs are excluded from the multiplayer mode because of its lack of a campaign story (scripted missions).[1. The plot of Freelancer's single- player campaign is illustrated with two hours worth of in- game cutscenes.[2.
The story is linear in structure—the player is unable to effect a different storyline—and broken down into stages. Cutscenes inform players of background events and the goals in a stage.
Most stages have no time limits for their completion, and players can put the main story on hold while taking on missions (jobs) not crucial to it.[6][1. However, players can only proceed to other regions of the Sirius sector, where more advanced ships, weaponry, and equipment are obtained, after completing missions that advance the story. Some stages are not introduced until the character has achieved a certain level (based on total worth accumulated), and it is not possible to gain sufficient levels just through the story itself, so players must spend at least some time on side missions to gain money to advance to the level required for the next stage of the story.
This is also necessary as some stages would be too tough with only the money and items collected in the story.[1. On starting single- player mode, a cutscene shows the destruction of space station Freeport 7 by unknown forces, leaving Trent without money or ship on the planet Manhattan. While waiting for his debtor, Lonnigan, to regain consciousness, Trent takes up employment with the LSF under Jun'ko Zane, who provides him with a small ship. Lonnigan refuses to pay Trent when he awakes[2. LSF. His death is later announced, and Trent is contacted by a thief who reveals that a mystery party destroyed Freeport 7 to get an artifact in the thief's possession.[2. An LSF officer kills the thief, and he is shot by Zane in self- defense as she arrives at the scene. Zane and Trent flee Liberty space, traveling across approximately half of the Freelancer world in their flight.[2.
Trent locates xenoarcheology expert Dr. Quintaine to learn more about the artifact.