i was just reading a walkthrough for the Game LANDER
(game download here, ask if you're having troubles getting it runnning). and noticed the authors comparison, he compares it to descent, and basically says that descent is too easy.
check it out
(mentions of descent bolded&underlined):
<snip>...
A FLYING 'THIEF' GAME...
This game revolves around realistically controlling a lander craft in space
environments that use unforgiving physics. Unlike other games (*cough* Descent
*cough*), the computer doesn't help you auto-pilot or anything. The control is
complex and completely up to you to maintain. This will quickly piss off
players of fast-paced, 'frag-boy' games, as they'll slam around and blow up
before they know it. The end result is them blaming the game for their sloppy
piloting instead of accepting the fact that other games are simply more
forgiving (and less realistic) when it comes to controlling your 'character' due
to their cushioned game physics.
With that in mind, I can see why this game didn't do too well with FPS
crowds since the control requires a lot more effort, patience and finesse to
learn when compared to other FPS games (*cough* Quake *cough* Descent *cough*).
Unlike those games, the goal here isn't fast-paced killing sprees; it's careful
navigation through cramped tunnels and tactful engagement of enemies as you try
to keep your lander's momentum from plowing you into something you'd probably
regret (namely a wall or the ground).
So, for starters, don't treat your craft like an indestructible
juggernaut, slamming it around the environment trying to get the most frags as
fast as possible. Not only will that get you killed fast, but that's not even
the objective of the missions or the point of the game as whole. Instead, think
of your lander as a surgical instrument, with you being the highly skilled
surgeon performing tactical insertions. This mind set will prepare you for
Lander and you'll get far more enjoyment out of it as such. Just like the
'Thief' FPS games introduced less confrontation and more thinking/patience when
compared to the run-n-gun mentality of 'Quake' FPS games, this game is the same
way. If 'Descent' is the 'Quake' equivalent of flying games, then 'Lander' is
the 'Thief' equivalent of this genre. And since I'm a fan of the 'Thief'
series, I can think of no higher compliment then that.
PILOTING
Piloting is key to this game. No matter how bad-ass your lander or load-out is,
it isn't worth squat without solid flying. You don't have to be stunt pilot
material, you just have to learn to keep your craft steady and under control.
After you learn that, then you can add some speed and attempt to keep it steady
and under control.
Of the two things that can kill you, one being enemy fire and the other
being the scenery, slamming into the scenery is probably the bigger threat to a
beginner pilot. And this is mainly due to 1) holding down the thrusters instead
of tapping them, 2) going too fast too soon, 3) over-compensating the thruster
tilt during maneuvers. The end result is usually loss of control and a lot of
slams into the scenery. Hopefully these tips will help.
* IT'S ALL PHYSICS - This game uses a realistic physics model in that you can
gain momentum, drift, fall, etc. Unlike games like Descent, where the computer
subtly helps pilot your craft by drifting it to swift stops, auto-leveling it
when you let go of the controls, or hovering it in place while you think what to
do, in Lander, the controls are all you, so stay on them. If you burn the
thruster to go forward, you're going to have to tilt back and burn an equal
amount in order to stop. Equal and opposite actions counter-balance each other.
Beginners should focus on subtle changes in craft direction and momentum rather
then radical changes, which easily leads to over-compensation and loss of
control. Sure, some computer assistance in piloting would have been helpful in
the start, but when you get good at piloting you'll actually enjoy the realism,
the freedom, and the genuine sense of accomplishment when you pull off some
spectacular stuff (which some missions call for).
<snip>...
.i totally agree, you guys might think you're pretty hot playing descent, but you are pushovers. you'd all suck at Psygnosis Lander, that game requires real skill.
(That being like 10-15 years ago.)
)
