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[Kosta]

Feel free to comment and discuss this game here. Also, if you have any useful tips or tricks don't hesitate to share them with the others! Thanks!

Review & Download

[red_avatar]

The biggest problem with the game I found was that it hurt SC2. SC2 felt really epic - the Precursors were this ancient extinct race so you started to imagine great intelligent beings of power. Then along comes SC3 and it says "well, you know, that cow-like animal? That's a precursor." Thanks for really screwing that up! Basically I had to pretend SC3 never existed to keep SC2 fun.

SC2 was far darker, more real, with a time line that kept you on your toes. Omnious MOD music did wonders. It's one of my favorite games in fact. SC3 just did it all wrong ...

[a1s]

I have to agree. this game is actualy pretty decent. but it fails in comparison to it's predicessor. And as soon as you get to accept it the sooner you will be able to enjoy this stable 3.5 (no way is it 2!) game.

[Japo]

My review! At last!

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Red Avatar, but let's not spoil the experience for those who may read this and haven't played the game, giving away too much about the Precursors and so. :whistle:

EDIT: By the way, I don't know why they made up all that about the Eternal Ones if in SC2 there were already villains-to-be, the Orz. I bet they were introduced in SC2 so that they should be the villains in the sequel.

This game has its charms... I mean.. the K'tang are funny. They actually DID seem to grasp the Spathi, and the VUX where kind of amusing in it too...

However, whatever charms it may have do not weigh up to the fact that its an entirely unworthy sequel to the glorious Star Control 2. And completely inferior to its fantastic predeccesor. Not to mention that much of the good stuff in this game (K'tangs aside.) is directly ripped from SC2! Add to that the treatment of the Precursors, the Arilou, the Orz and a number of other races. That whole Eternal1 hooplah (all powerful spacegods, never seen THAT before.), the fact that at least half the new races just didn't even approach SC2 charm, the fact that that HAL-like thing basically gives you a walkthrough whilst playing the game and the fact that it lasts for maybe a day or two on your first try, rather then the month or two SC2 took me during my first try. And it just didn't work... (And I'm not even mentioning that thrice accursed 'League Ethics Council'!)


I heard there is word though that Fred Ford and Paul Reiche are hoping to make a true sequel if they can interest this company in the project. I signed a petition for it on-line. So maybe there'll be a real worthy followup to the majesty of SC2 someday.

[guesst]

Oooh. Japofran, I tried to be hopeful for this review since you announced you were doing it. But I gotta say you failed to win me over in the first paragraph. I'm gonna be critical here, but realize, this is only my opinion:

On the other hand, the first in the series, Star Control, doesn't have much plot relation with the sequels, but is nonetheless highly recommendable.

Are you kidding me? Star Control 1's story was integral to Star Control 2. It may not have been as integrated with the game play, but if you played the full gmae and read the manual Paul Reiche III's story telling excelence was more than adequately apparent.

The creators of the saga, Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford, left the second part's story purposely unfinished, but for some reason they didn't get to make the third part themselves.

Your "for some reason" leads me to believe you aren't enough of a Star Control fan. Now, if you already know why, then forgive me, but if you didn't know, well, sit back, relax, and prepare for a sordid story of intregue and deciet.

In making Star Control 2 Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III (FF & PR3) ended spending months over time and budget to craft their masterpiece. When SC2 did well, Accolade wanted them to make SC3, but for the same price as SC2, the price that left them months without pay to do their work. They said "No."

Accolade said "that's okay, we'll make it without you."

FF & PR3 said, "ah, but we own the rights to all the characters and locations we made up for this game."

Accolade then said, "That's okay, We own the name. We'll just make it so that by the end of SC3 anything you made will be entirely dismissable and we won't owe you another penny for Star Control 4+."

This little tidbit of information explains most of the rest of Star Control 3 and answers most of your "I don't know why" statements in the review.

... Reiche's drawings of the aliens...

*buzzz* Wrong. Paul Reiche III did not make a single drawing. They were the work of one George Barr. You can do a search for him online. He's really quite good.

Aside from that, you don't seem to like SC3, so you have my support.

[Japo]

Whoah, I didn't expect this fisking. I thought I heard about Reiche's making the drawings, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I heard it from someone who was wrong. Guess the review should be corrected. And I'm sorry if I'm not "enough of a Star Control fan". But, mind you, I volunteered to write this review, and nobody had before, not even a big Star Control fan. Your info was interesting, however.

Sorry for some advertise, but if you have a look at http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ you will fint the remake of the 2nd part (who is also available on the abandonia page).

But you will also find a link to a petition you can sign to beg for a new remake of SC3 by the original creators. More information on the given page.

Oh... and dont play the 3rd part. All in all, it just sucks...

[guesst]

Originally posted by Japofran@May 18 2006, 02:24 AM
Whoah, I didn't expect this fisking. I thought I heard about Reiche's making the drawings, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I heard it from someone who was wrong. Guess the review should be corrected. And I'm sorry if I'm not "enough of a Star Control fan". But, mind you, I volunteered to write this review, and nobody had before, not even a big Star Control fan. Your info was interesting, however.

I tried to keep it light, but you know, being an active member of the Star Control community (such as it is) on and off for more that a decade now, I can't help being uppidy about this stuff. Sorry.

Reiche was the story guy. All the settings and situations and most of the actual dialogue was written by Reiche.

For an interesting read here is an interview with George Barr about doing the art for Star Control. Here you can see and buy more of his artwork, as well as some higher resolution images of some of his Star Control work (unfortunately not for sale).

And, for general Star Control stuff including information on Star Control 3The Pages of Now and Forever is a manditory hang out. And as pointed out above, The Ur-Quan Masters project is where most of the Star Control community has flocked like a moth to the flame. But unfortunately no Star Control 3 stuff there.

[paulypoos]

over 54 MB! wow, hope this doesnt bankrupt Abandonia!
:w00t: