Don't like single player WC Arena

mach81

Spaceman
Don't get me wrong:
I Love Wing Commander. I play the game since the early 90s. I collect the manuals in a folder. I have a Pentium 90 additionally to my normal pc to play the old Games in real dos. I was shocked when origin closed.
But:

Positive about WC Arena:
EA uses the franchise

NEGATIVE:
A mixed up, bad arcade game with only 40 megs of wasted harddrivespace.

Of course, its OK that people recognize the game again. But my heart is bleeding when I see what is done out of the license. EA should sell it to studios that use it right.
 
You should upgrade from Silver to Gold and play Arena with us, then you'll see what's truly enjoyable about the game. The single-player is just a warmup.
 
I know that WC Arena is a fun multiplayer game. All I say is that the great WC name is wasted by a arcade game. That makes me angry. When I see era-mixed-up ships and upgrades ... hmpf. Nothing against the programmers, they did a fine job in creating that arcade game. The Problem is the publisher.
I should upgrade to gold and show you how to fly (c;
 
Wing Commander has always been and will likely always be an arcade game. I don't see what's wrong with that. If it's fun, it's fun.

The ship eras aren't mixed up - fighters didn't enter and leave service wholesale each time a game was released. All of these basic airframes served concurrently, although the specific variants showcased in Arena are newer.

You should definitely upgrade your account to Gold anyway, just because it's pretty inexpensive and offers you a lot more to do with your 360, but you know all of us would welcome to opportunity to give you flight lessons anytime.
 
You should upgrade from Silver to Gold and play Arena with us, then you'll see what's truly enjoyable about the game. The single-player is just a warmup.

[Hawk]Absolute truth.[/Hawk]

I know that WC Arena is a fun multiplayer game. All I say is that the great WC name is wasted by a arcade game. That makes me angry.

Couldn't be half as angry as I get when I see people trying to make a WC game, past or present, into something it isn't, and then judging it (or another WC game) on that incorrect assumption.

WC has always been arcade-ish. If you want "space simulator", look at Elite or Independence War (or I-War in some markets).

When I see era-mixed-up ships and upgrades ... hmpf.

Only "mixed-up" if you make the incorrect assumption that the ships plain old don't exist before they're introduced in the games. Never mind the non-game references (Academy TV show that puts the Arrow as an available ship in 2654, movie and the Confed Handbook, non-game novels), we know the Scimitar is well over 100 years old as of 2654.

Nothing against the programmers, they did a fine job in creating that arcade game. The Problem is the publisher.

Yeah, damn that stinking EA for not just throwing out wave after wave of quickie shit-tacular game since 1997 to cash in on name recognition, or to just totally drop the franchise and never even take another look at it... and let's not forget the sheer audacity of buying Origin in the first place, giving them the resources to make the FMV games and keep Origin from just puttering along and never get anywhere. :rolleyes:
 
A mixed up, bad arcade game with only 40 megs of wasted harddrivespace.

The 40 meg bit for Arena is incredible. Spyglass Boardgames, this week's new XBLA title, is a larger download than Arena, and all it is is a plain checkerboard with tokens for Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala.

Of course, its OK that people recognize the game again. But my heart is bleeding when I see what is done out of the license. EA should sell it to studios that use it right.

If you're just basing this off Meteor Storm or Proving Grounds, then you don't have all the information here. That mode is a cheeky tribute, not the real meat of the game. Lining up for a large scale capship strike or being saved from certain death by a formation of Arrows flown by your friends is what Arena's all about. When you realize what all's in there, then you're more free to just go and play some of the training modes without freaking out over what you think Arena is and isn't. Meteor Storm was actually the mode I ended up playing the most on launch day I think though.

When I see era-mixed-up ships and upgrades ... hmpf.

When I see people think that Arena has mixed-up-era ships, I'm alll... grehghrnmpf.

People really need to understand that Confed/Kilrah has a ton of different ships in operation at all times throughout the entire series. They don't only have four fighters in 2654 or 2669 or at any time. Every one of Arena's ships has already coexisted in prior Wing Commander products. The Arrow has been dated back prior to even WC1. The Broadsword is still in service in 2669 in Privateer. The Rapier, which is the newest of the three, is still in service in The Price of Freedom several years later. Obviously all three Kilrathi ships were present in 2669 (although we now have a newer Dralthi). Arena also features Centurions and Longbows in the background that were also present then. So what sort of mixed-up eras are we talking about? The history of Arena is that the Nephilim War was devastating, so we're now seeing a frontier area that is flying a patchwork of older fighters. That alone is reason enough to pull designs from anywhere in the series, but all the fighters they pulled coexisted not long before. People shouldn't be inventing these nonsense things to be mad at Arena about. Just imagine all the whining there'd be if they created all new contemporary 2701 designs for us to fly. You just can't win.
 
I feel kind of bad because I rather enjoy Meteor Storm and Gauntlet. I mean, I will enjoy Gauntlet now because I don't have to pay attention anymore to my hull strength. ;)

I don't have much time at hand these days, mostly 30-45 minutes windows and often I don't want to get into a MP game, waiting for it to start for 10 minutes or so. But I enjoy some quick and dirty blasting in a WC ship!
 
Too be honest, I so far kinda regret buying this game without doing the trail first, not to mention upgrading to gold for this game.
There is nobody playing! Hurrah! I can now see why they made the "Tiger claw" achievement for playing in a 16 player capital ship battle match. Cause it's nearly impossible actually finding one!
 
That's pretty odd, I don't think I've ever really had trouble joining a game that eventually got the full 16. Of course, no matter what you'd never have known whether that was the case from the trial, which doesn't allow the multiplayer missions.

I've got to assume, though, if you feel bad about upgrading to Gold, you might have some kind of innate problem with Xbox in general, and not just Arena.
 
That's pretty odd, I don't think I've ever really had trouble joining a game that eventually got the full 16. Of course, no matter what you'd never have known whether that was the case from the trial, which doesn't allow the multiplayer missions.

Yeah, if you're looking for the Tiger's Claw achievement, do the player match, not ranked capital ship modes. It seems like half the time I'm in player match capship battles, someone is hollering about how we just reached 16 and they got the achievement.

I've got to assume, though, if you feel bad about upgrading to Gold, you might have some kind of innate problem with Xbox in general, and not just Arena.

I'd also suggest coming by #Wingnut when people want to play. CIC visitors shouldn't have to really wait for games. Pop on irc, see if there's at least four people ready to go, and then log on and start your game.
 
I'd also suggest coming by #Wingnut when people want to play. CIC visitors shouldn't have to really wait for games. Pop on irc, see if there's at least four people ready to go, and then log on and start your game.

If you come in and no one answers it's probably because we are all playing Arena already :)
 
You should upgrade from Silver to Gold and play Arena with us

I will do

Wing Commander has always been and will likely always be an arcade game

I dont think so. WC arena is an arcade game. Wing Commander is an action-space-opera with complex storyline and a bit more complex gameplay.

The ship eras aren't mixed up - fighters didn't enter and leave service wholesale each time a game was released

Of course there were older ships which were still in service when a new game was released. And of course there was a technically based design break between WC 2 and WC 3 because of the low polygon count. And of course EA has to merge games like Super Wing Commander and Wing Commander with different designs together. But it just feels strange in WC Arena, lika someone has made a loveless
piece of software.

Have you downloaded and read through Star*Soldier, mach?

Not yet. But thanks, I will do.

The 40 meg bit for Arena is incredible. Spyglass Boardgames, this week's new XBLA title, is a larger download than Arena, and all it is is a plain checkerboard with tokens for Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala

I Still think that WC Arena may be a good arcade mutiplayer game, but as a "real" Wing Commander game, the 40 megs are wasted.

Folks, I only complain about that EA uses the WC license to make
an arcade game to earn some extra cash over xbox live. I dont believe in an new series of real Wing Commander games, its only fast money. I dont blame the programmers of arena, they shure did a fun arcade shooter.
 
Folks, I only complain about that EA uses the WC license to make
an arcade game to earn some extra cash over xbox live. I dont believe in an new series of real Wing Commander games, its only fast money. I dont blame the programmers of arena, they shure did a fun arcade shooter.

You're being an idiot. Naming your game 'Wing Commander' is in no way, shape or form asy money (if anything, it's the opposite) - you're just repeating unsubstantiated crap you heard on the internet. We all know the guys who developed this game... they worked hard to make sure it was full of Wing Commander material becauee they're fans. They certainly weren't trying to rip you off.
 
I Still think that WC Arena may be a good arcade mutiplayer game, but as a "real" Wing Commander game, the 40 megs are wasted.

See, the whole problem with this statement is that you follow it with this...

I dont believe in an new series of real Wing Commander games, its only fast money.

For whatever reason, you've already decided that no matter what the game is like - no future Wing Commander installment will live up to your nebulous personal standards, in which we should all agree to? How can we even bother to talk to you if you already have your head in the sand? If thats the way you want to live your life, then go ahead and do it - meanwhile, we'll all be having fun with one hell of a great WC game while looking forward to future installments..
 
I may be an idiot, but this is my opinion. I didnt want to insult anyone.
The guys who made arena did a fine job in what they did. But I think that EA sits on so many great franchises they will never use again. Or not use them right. Perhaps there will be a "The sims: Crusader" next year. And: Ididnt read that stuff up from the internet, I have an opinion of my own. This is actually possible.
 
Perhaps there will be a "The sims: Crusader" next year.

That would be an awesome game!

Why do people always use The Sims as an example of how EA does things wrong anyway... It's one of the best selling computer games of all time, so they must be doing something right.
 
For whatever reason, you've already decided that no matter what the game is like - no future Wing Commander installment will live up to your nebulous personal standards,

Ok,LeHah, this sounds better than

You're being an idiot

from Bandit LOAF.

Like I said, I got a little carried away in my first post. I can arrange with many things. I thought that prophecy was a great game, even if many people said that its not.

Nevertheless I am an idiot:
I think its great that there is such an active Wing Commander community.
I like you people even if we havent met.
I think its great that these things can be dicussed.

But you dont have to call me an idiot for my opinion.
I am glad that the franchise is used, I acknowledge that I was unfair to the game Arena. But only because I am really upset about the publisher.
 
This game is bollocks. I feel effin cheated. At any given time there is only 1 (!!!) game to pick from. Even though i've selected custom game with everything on "all" & "Any". And when I finally join the effin game I see everyone for 5 seconds before everyone just suddenly "left the game" leaving me flying alone. GREAT FUN!
So when I go back to the join game select screenagain, I again only see the game I was in just now with the same amount of people. Rejoining the damn game results in the same senario. My other options then? Singleplayer.
I dunno if this is some european/american different server thing but it sucks. I upgraded to gold for this game >_>

I've got to assume, though, if you feel bad about upgrading to Gold, you might have some kind of innate problem with Xbox in general, and not just Arena.
~~~ its more that I can't really bother playing the games that I have online anymore. Gears of wars was fun for a moment. Lost planet left Much to be desired. I'm done with Dead or alive for some time now.
I kinda hoped and expected this game to draw me back online again. But I guess it really fails in doing so consider the wealth of games I can join any given moment
 
But you dont have to call me an idiot for my opinion.
I am glad that the franchise is used, I acknowledge that I was unfair to the game Arena. But only because I am really upset about the publisher.

To be clear, though, opinions can be wrong (or idiotic). The idea that you decided - without evidence - that Electronic Arts was going out of its way to screw you over was... well, sad on some basic level. What the heck ever happened to enjoying things for their own sake? Look at what you did - you took a fun little game that oosts almost nothing and somehow twisted it into a self-serving way to be offended. I mean no offense when I say: that's idiotic. (Not only that, but you offended everyone who had anything to do with the game. We know for a fact how the release came about, and it had nothing to do with wanting to 'take advantage' of WC. It was a labor of love for a bunch of Wing Commander fans, who worked hard to make sure the game had all sorts of things from Wing Commander in it.)

Why do people always use The Sims as an example of how EA does things wrong anyway... It's one of the best selling computer games of all time, so they must be doing something right.

Not only that, but it's an incredibly fun game that everyone loves...

... and even more importantly, the success of The Sims didn't condemn Will Wright to a life of spinoffs. Instead, EA gave him the creative, budgetary (and apparently deadline) freedom to make one of the most ambitious and risky game projects ever (Spore).

(And even on some immediate level - although I don't care about buying an addon pack that adds clothes for dogs for my Sims... isn't it cool that people who love the game can do that? Was 'The Secret Missions' a horrible cash-in on the Wing Commander name? Sure, in exactly the same way - but it was also a fantastic game that I love. Try being happy that the next generation of gamers having fun rather than feigning offense to make a point. You'll live longer.)

This game is bollocks. I feel effin cheated. At any given time there is only 1 (!!!) game to pick from. Even though i've selected custom game with everything on "all" & "Any". And when I finally join the effin game I see everyone for 5 seconds before everyone just suddenly "left the game" leaving me flying alone. GREAT FUN!
So when I go back to the join game select screenagain, I again only see the game I was in just now with the same amount of people. Rejoining the damn game results in the same senario. My other options then? Singleplayer.

It sounds like you need to open your NAT.

After that, you should host games instead of trying to join them - they usually fill up pretty quickly. You can also add gamertags of various WC fans - we're always happy to dogfight. If I'm not on Arena at any given time (I pop in and out for a quick fix, usually), you can find me on #WingNut and ask me to play.
 
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