I-War 2 WTF?

[Suchy]

Just finished Privateer and Righteous Fire, still hungry for a space sim. Never played I-War 2 before, so I decided to give it a try. The premise is awesoem, but... can't get through the very first combat, still during tutorial. That Clay construct tells me to go to Touchdown station, so I do. After some chit-chat two enemy ships arrive and I'm supposed to kill them. The thing is, that after the cutscene they spawn right behind me, and I'm dead in three hits before I can even turn my ship. WTF? I tried instant-action, and I'm doing OK.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

The thing is, that after the cutscene they spawn right behind me, and I'm dead in three hits before I can even turn my ship. WTF? I tried instant-action, and I'm doing OK.

Have you tried turning around without changing movement direction? It may be much faster.

 

[Suchy]

My ship is stationary after the cutscene. Basically I start as a sitting duck with enemies firing at my butt, no chance to move or turn.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

My ship is stationary after the cutscene. Basically I start as a sitting duck with enemies firing at my butt, no chance to move or turn.

Everything is shit.

 

[DraQ]

I don't remember this particular encounter as it's been some time since I played I-War 2, my interest ran out somewhere near the end and I didn't really like it enough to attempt resuscitating it on this system where it crashes on startup.

However:

1. Edit your inis to bind your controls in somewhat sane manner, doubly so if you use just mouse and board - the defaults are just I don't even.

2. Find which key disables manoeuvring assist or whatever it is that activates autobrake and switch it off - it will make game much less user friendly (because of inertia and stuff), but will make you more maneuvrable. It will also allow you to roflbreak the AI because for some reason the programmers who made it didn't quite grasp the concept of Newtonian physics, so accelerating (manually) to high velocity and just coasting will make you invulnerable to all pursuit attempts because the AI is too derp to match velocities with inert object (you coasting with engines off and laughing your ass off).


3. You probably won't be able to find any mod that makes the HUD remotely usable, but try at least finding one that adds crosshair.

4. You know what? Try getting Frontier: Elite 2, FFE (necessarily with JJFFE or "russian mod") or Pioneer (currently alpha) instead.

 

[Suchy]

I'll try it without flight assist, though I doubt it will help, since I last about 3-5 seconds after the mission starts. Maybe I'll position my ship somewhere close to the space station, so that my rear would be blocked.

 

[DraQ]

I'll try it without flight assist, though I doubt it will help, since I last about 3-5 seconds after the mission starts. Maybe I'll position my ship somewhere close to the space station, so that my rear would be blocked.

Covering your rear is important in I-War, because that's the only place where shields don't reach (by design, remass coming out) - you know, soap and prison shower analogies, et cetera.

I don't remember particulars of this sequence, but you may try approaching the station backwards, braking with your main thruster.

Other than that - typical advice: keep moving (move first, ask questions later), move in unpredictable patterns, and only once you're moving, try to aim your ass away from the enemy. You'll generally want to not fly into projectiles fired into your projected course.

This is general bit of advice not just for I-War 2, but Frontier games as well, except in FFE you rarely have more than a second before game over during your n00b period (but you do rotate much more gracefully), you also merely dodge aim rather than projectiles, because lasers are effectively instant hit.

 

[Suchy]

Covering your rear is important in I-War, because that's the only place where shields don't reach (by design, remass coming out) - you know, soap and prison shower analogies, et cetera.

I know, that why I'm pissed that the enemies are spawned right behind me, while my ship gets stopped. I don't have enough time to rotate before I blow.
I've spent quite some time in FFE, I know how the combat works there.

 

[DraQ]

Covering your rear is important in I-War, because that's the only place where shields don't reach (by design, remass coming out) - you know, soap and prison shower analogies, et cetera.

I know, that why I'm pissed that the enemies are spawned right behind me, while my ship gets stopped. I don't have enough time to rotate before I blow.
I've spent quite some time in FFE, I know how the combat works there.

That's why you need to move first and rotate as you go.
As an FFE veteran you should know that.

 

[Suchy]

I DO know that, but these 3 seconds are not enough to accelerate from 0, nor turn. I'll see how it works without flight assist, and use side thrusters first.

 

[yellowcake]

4. You know what? Try getting Frontier: Elite 2, FFE (necessarily with JJFFE or "russian mod") or Pioneer (currently alpha) instead.

I wonder what would you say about the original I-War then. I'm about a dozen missions into it (playing it on a hardware GLide machine put up for that specific purpose), and I much like it although I can't say I have my ass torn off. I heard that the sequel was pretty good, if a bit more accessible.

F:FE still in the pipeline though.

 

[GreyViper]

I DO know that, but these 3 seconds are not enough to accelerate from 0, nor turn. I'll see how it works without flight assist, and use side thrusters first.

I wish I could tell you that it was the only case, but unfortunately there will be more situations where docking animation or just being docked will get you killed. BUT the turret fighters help somewhat by being distraction.
On the other hand you can went you frustration by observing how MEGA Freighters just randomly crash into stations.

When your done with I-War 2 see if you can find beta mod for Freelancer mod Privateer the Reckoning, should be fun minus the bugs.

 

[Suchy]

OK... I dusted off my joystick, spent half an hour setting up the controls in the ini file (why the fuck there's no in-game menu to do this?) and finally got through that fight - positioning myself butt towards the station solved it. Enemies spwaned behind the station and this bought me a moment to accelerate and turn.

 

[potatojohn]

If you've having trouble maneuvering with the storm petrel, you're going to love the next ship.

 

[DraQ]

4. You know what? Try getting Frontier: Elite 2, FFE (necessarily with JJFFE or "russian mod") or Pioneer (currently alpha) instead.

I wonder what would you say about the original I-War then. I'm about a dozen missions into it (playing it on a hardware GLide machine put up for that specific purpose), and I much like it although I can't say I have my ass torn off. I heard that the sequel was pretty good, if a bit more accessible.

Well, accesibility was one of my chief peevees in I-War 2 - this game has regen that's still at least five years ahead of the most advanced popamoles currently available.

GIven that the only aspects of I-War 2 I liked that weren't in the original are trade and piracy system, and new player ship models (possibly the music too), I'd probably enjoy the original much more.

F:FE still in the pipeline though.

Flush.

On the other hand you can went you frustration by observing how MEGA Freighters just randomly crash into stations.

IIRC they were crashing into each other when one was waiting at L-point and another emerged. Lots of lewt.

(why the fuck there's no in-game menu to do this?)

Because developers were clueless dolts?

If you've having trouble maneuvering with the storm petrel, you're going to love the next ship.

So true.

 

[Severian Silk]

I'm replaying this game right now. I don't remember it being this fucking hard though. Wait 5 minutes while you autopilot through the NAV points, start battle, die 2 seconds later, repeat. And some of the autopilot routes (such as Lucrecia's Base to Samarkand L-point, a route you will be using 90% of the time) take you through a planet's atmosphere where you instantly blow up.

I like the characters and the pirating, and the combat and equipment are fun.

 

[DraQ]

I'm replaying this game right now. I don't remember it being this fucking hard though. Wait 5 minutes while you autopilot through the NAV points, start battle, die 2 seconds later, repeat. And some of the autopilot routes (such as Lucrecia's Base to Samarkand L-point, a route you will be using 90% of the time) take you through a planet's atmosphere where you instantly blow up.

I like the characters and the pirating, and the combat and equipment are fun.

Combat and pirating are awesome, but the AI is bricks, UI stuff of horrors, stupidly rapid autorepair popamole, space backdrops derp, and the representation of space itself insufficient (no gravity or relative motion for one, also mode of travel).

I'll try installing that freeform mod someone mentioned in some other thread - if I manage to get IW2 running, that is.

 

[Severian Silk]

The game runs fine on Windows 7 x64. As a precaution install it on another partition or drive. I'm using a Xbox 360 controller which works okay.

[edit]

The lack of quicksaves is really killing me, though.

 

[GreyViper]

Colossus Freighter mod is a must to shorten the time sink. If you can, get Gatling guns early, should make start a bit easier and I have seen some freighters transporting them beginning of the game so its down to RNG luck.
As next endeavor I recommend Star Wolves Trilogy, its a bit different, but I have come to like it despite its faults.

 

[Raapys]

Star Wolves is great. Well, the first is great, the rest are decent. Doesn't really have anything in common with I-War though, 'cept the whole spaceships aspect.

Anyway, I don't think it's so much the weapons as the engines that makes the turning point in I-War2 difficulty. Once you get the new thrusters(not the cold jet stealth things) and engines things start looking up since you'll be better able to dodge and outrun both missiles and cannon fire. And yeah, definitely get the freighter mod and give Jaffs the biggest one. Else you'll be spending hours waiting for him to pick shit up, or alternatively running through the game with crappy equipment.

 

[DraQ]

As next endeavor I recommend Star Wolves Trilogy, its a bit different, but I have come to like it despite its faults.

Sorry, but only newtonian spasims are worthy of being mentioned in a newtonian spasim thread.

 

[Severian Silk]

LOL

I've had to retry a mission three times BECAUSE THE AUTOPILOT KEEPS CRASHING ME INTO OTHER SHIPS.

[edit]

The first Star Wolves was good. I did not like Star Wolves 2 much at all. They failed at "open world".

 

[Severian Silk]

So, I finally finished the game. It's still a good game, but with the lack of quicksaves, and the occasional random ship collisions or marauder attacks while docked to a station, I have a hard time recommending it to other players. The experience may have been more painful than enjoyable.

 

[Rabidredneck]

I loved I-War 2, it was one of the first games I ever seriously modded. This site (http://www.i-war2.com/assoc_mods.htm) is one I used extensively, GUI improvemets (loved the ingame MP3 player), a mod that let Jafs pilot larger freighters (really saved time) and some minor graphical tweaks, and an economy system that let you buy and sell stuff made finding upgrades much less tiresome.

Overall though, I really did enjoy the game for what it was.