Talk:Freelancer (video game)

message: I didn't think that all the planets and stations being on the same plane was so strange.
I believe most celestial bodies in a solar system do tend to lie on the same plane, it's called the Ecliptic Plane. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.25.139.113 (talk • contribs) 
yea, that's true. but it would be impossible to put trade lanes between them, as their positions relative to each other do not stay constant/stable. they orbit their sun at different speeds and therefore the distances between them will constantly change. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.129.142.124 (talk • contribs) 
:Trade lanes and objects being in the same plane are two completely different things. With the exception of the Kuiper Belt Objects and maybe some comets, all of the bodies in the solar system are in the same plane. This trend is repeated in every solar system we currently know of. I don't see how including that tidbit about Trade lanes has anything to do with the possibility that Ecliptic planes aren't possible. Eccentricned 13:43, 17 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. As far as having stations being on the same plane, that's explained even easier - since most are artificial objects, the builders could've chosen to put them in such positions. As far as asteroid bases go, they could've been moved. However, it stands to reason that, if planets are in the same plane, so are large asteroids. Chronolegion 14:22, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Planets/Stations on same plane 

message: Openlancer is not a mod for freelancer, it'll hopefully one day become a sequel to Freelancer. I can see what mean with linkspam, but would you please consider leaving that link in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.66.194.63 (talk • contribs) 
:Until it does, it really isn't that notable enough to warrant a link of its own (especially when the link consists of but a small forum). Besides, The Lancers Reactor carries information on the project, should anyone request information on it. Nufy8 01:31, 8 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Can someone posts the link to Openlancer here. It should be on the main page. 165.21.154.114 04:23, 8 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: No, it shouldn't, and I've explained why. Nufy8 05:14, 8 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: www.openlancer.com - Blackhole, Lead Developer of Openlancer 24.16.25.230 10:20, 4 March 2006 (UTC)

text: I added Starlancer and Openlancer to the Similar Games section. Starlancer is a sort of prequel Freelancer so I'm I'm assuming that was an oversight. Openlancer has its own article and a direct link to the Openlancer website should not be added to the Freelancer article. I hope that resolves this issue. --MegaBurn 20:35, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

text: It's definitely a Sabre. It matches up with one of my own screenshots from the game.  --Keolah 23:38, 13 April 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  To Nufy8 

message: Please keep the links to the four that are there, they are the most relevant and there's no point in adding clan/mod/fansite pages. They only confuse people and spam the page, if you want to advertise your site please start a new page (if it warrants it).
Bronzey 10:27, 10 May 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: What is up with these YouTube music video links? Removed them. -- Kuroji 08:20, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

text: As already stated, Wikipedia is not a gameguide (WP:NOTGUIDE, WP:VG/GL) to help people play games.  Neither is it for the purpose of promoting sites/links (WP:SOAPBOX). Jappalang (talk) 22:35, 1 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Links

message: Technically, since the Corsairs have Greek and Italian influences in all of their things (ships, names, bases, etc.) couldn't we say that the crew on board the Hispania would be a conglomeration of Spain, Greece, and Italy? Or Mediterreanean nations, to make things easier.
Cowami, Worshipper of Qeueue 20:15, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: They are indeed Mediterranean nations; but the term Hispania refers to the Iberian Peninsula which contains Spain and Portugal. How did the Outcasts get so far from the Corsairs? Simple, they stayed on the Hispania as it drifted for years; when they found the planet to be named Malta the Hispania was coming to a dead stop. —Preceding unsigned comment added by FlieGerFaUstMe262 (talk • contribs)  Nicht Nein! 03:33, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

text: The "prequel" to this game is Starlancer; in it, France was defeated as a nation and was probably not able to finance a sleeper ship. —Preceding unsigned comment added by FlieGerFaUstMe262 (talk • contribs)  Nicht Nein! 03:33, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

text: Well, they do have some importance as Italy was defeated as well in Starlancer; most think that the little remaining population of those nations got on the Hispania. Nicht Nein! 02:36, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  About the Hispania 

message: In the section Strange Physics:
"The trade-offs involved in making a space simulation game that is actually playable has resulted in a set of physical rules that are completely at odds with the "real" world."
"For the most part this need not detract from enjoyment of the game. After all, if the physics were too much like the real world, it would take years to fly from one planet to another, not minutes, unless spaceship speeds were increased so drastically that space combat would become non-viable. Certainly aircraft-style dogfighting is extremely difficult and frustrating using Newtonian physical models, which is why they have been largely absent in space combat simulators since their introduction in Elite II."
Are these two quotes not POV?  Or at least Original Research?  I would correct them myself but right now I am having difficulty thinking of a proper replacement.  69.124.143.230 23:45, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  POV 

message: Sorry, but I dont think advertising links regarding multiplayer servers fit into the external links section.
There should be a special category for this.. or not? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.130.240.38 (talk • contribs) 
* Nope tis not encyclopedic. For christs sake people do we have to go back and delete your adverts every single time. As much as I love the mod community or you love your server it would be better suited pimping you stuff voer there @ Lacers Reactor. Ariolander 09:03, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Advertising Community Links 

message: I'm really curious about this because logically there should be a spot in the game where there is an empty space between trade lanes where the wreckage of Freeport 7 should be. Is the wreckage/location of Freeport 7 in the game, and if not, is it in a mod of some kind? --Doncroft 20:50, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Freeport 7's location 

message: This article is now 55KB long, if you have any improvement plans. Now would be the time. -Dynamo_ace Talk
I would suggest cutting down the amount of detail the Story section goes into. All it really has to do is list the main plot points and provide a general overview of the games story. I really don't think it needs to list every single detail about the plot, which is how it seems right now. Quite a few sections seem to go into excessive detail, using 30 words to say something that could be said in 10. The Kinslayer 11:35, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Please sign your posts. I agree, the sound-in-space thing needs to be removed. I don't get it when fans try to justify things like that. However, inaccuracies that are unique to Freespace should be left in the article (e.g. planet scale and static systems). Chronolegion 15:10, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Warning! 

message: Why is cloaking such a surprise to Freelancer characters? Did the Coalition not use cloaking extensively? In fact, that is how the war started. Chronolegion 15:10, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: While I do not deny that possibility, I do not think all colonists would have been that optimistic. I am sure at least a few of them understood that Earth's problems would follow them wherever they went and would try to preserve military technology. Chronolegion 12:52, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

text: I imagine a whacking great battleship suddenly appearing in front of you would be surprising anyway, familiar technology or not. 82.153.193.54 11:46, 14 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cloak 

message: If this game was released in 2003, how is it possible that it received awards in 1999? - Im.a.lumberjack 22:06, 24 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction 

message: Can we clean up those websites at the end?  BattleClinic focuses on EVE now so thats gone, FLWO is a couple of months old and has only recieved 1000 hits (not exactly notable, and several of them arejust advertising servers which can be found through Lancers Reactor main site. 62.30.138.247 04:40, 24 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Websites 

message: Does anyone know were these systems are? Clitton01 08:31, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Unknown Systems 

message: FYI, there are a bunch of 'jump holes' in that system, meaning that you can save a lot of time when you are trading or traveling long distance. Contralya 10:57, 13 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  About the alaska system 

message: Hi, I will be rewriting this entire article soon. I will be making major changes to befit Wikipedia and Wikiproject Video Games standards. The structure will be:
* Lead
* Gameplay
* Plot and settings
** Characters
** Story
* Development
* Reception
* References
* External links
Besides accordance with standard Wiki guidelines, the revised article will:
* be neutral in point of view WP:NPOV
* have verifiable sources WP:VERIFY WP:VG/S
* have contents that are mostly notable WP:NOTABLE
* not be a game guide as per WP:NOT#GUIDE
* not be an article entirely based on in-universe information without real world relevances WP:GAMECRUFT
* not be just lists of features and links WP:NOT#DIRECTORY
* not a compilation of indiscriminate information WP:NOT#IINFO
* not have materials which are of original research WP:OR
The aim is to achieve at least a B-grade article dealing with Freelancer the computer game, and not a Freelancer article about itself. Jappalang (talk) 02:13, 30 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Rewrite is done, but I would like to find out verifiable sales figures for this game. If anyone has them, please help out. Thank you. Jappalang 09:46, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  2007 Rewrite 

message: As usual, another fantastic article! I'm rating it at B for the moment, as I've found two unsourced statements: the first paragraph of Reception and the last sentence of the Characters section. There may be one or two more, but I've probably missed them. Otherwise, this article is - as far as I can see - nigh-on flawless. So source those couple of sections and press the GAC button. I salute you! Una LagunaTalk 18:02, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Thank you. I have added references for the first paragraph of the Reception. As for the last sentence of the Characters, I was extropolating from the "no story missions" in multiplayer angle. It is true without the story missions, one will never meet the unique NPCs (with professional voices). However I am unable to find a qualified article which explicitly states that fact. :-( As such, I am removing that statement, and submitting the article to GAC. Jappalang (talk) 03:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: [[WP:VG]] assessment

message: I have set up a dedicated Freelancer wiki on my site.  May I include the link on the main page?  Here's the link, by the way:  --Gaeamil (talk) 00:03, 10 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi, in regards to this, please refer to Wikipedia's policy on External links WP:EL. One relevant point there is "Links normally to be avoided #13: Links to open wikis, except those with a substantial history of stability and a substantial number of editors." I also believe past discussions on external links for video games tend to support the notion that unless the external link has substantial unique information, it is better to leave it out. That said, there are currently 446,000 Google hits for the terms "freelancer" and "wiki". Unless one particular wiki has substantial real-world information about the game than the rest, it would be hard to call it unique. Jappalang (talk) 01:04, 10 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Dedicated Wiki 

message: This article is of very high quality for a ga-nominee, and I'm happy to pass. A few things though; both the Reception and Development section are pretty dense text, even with images. Perhaps subsections might help? Also, some pople might take exception to the large amount of fair use images. David Fuchs (talk) 22:35, 9 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  GA pass 

message: Yes, you can do them, so I made a small edit to that effect. To do a barrel roll, you have to be in free-flight mode and have the auto-orient or whatever option enabled (I think). Fly around until you are upside-down, then hit the space bar. The spacecraft will barrel roll and there you go. This can be done while still or moving. -NordsternMN (talk) 15:55, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I believe you are talking about aileron roll as pointed out by barrel roll. In any case, unless there is a reliable source stating barrel rolls can be done in Freelancer, the source we have says players are unable to. Jappalang (talk) 18:20, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  I believe that I would be more useful if the link points to the barrel roll article rather than the aileron roll article. I changed the link on what I think is good grounds, but feel free to change it back if that is motivated. I'm not really an editor, so I might have missed out on something. 213.65.17.207 (talk) 21:59, 2 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  Unfortunately, the situation is that in the gaming industry, it is very common (or norm) to call "aerilon rolls" as "barrel roll"s (due to propogation of the term's misuse since Star Fox)..  Jappalang (talk) 01:20, 3 November 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Barrel Rolls and other maneuvers

message: The server has been officially taken down around late 2007-early 2008. I've updated the page to take note of this. FriendlyFire (talk) 22:05, 1 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Master Server down?

message: :Image:Fl box.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is  other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page.  Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.
BetacommandBot (talk) 19:44, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Issue resolved. Jappalang (talk) 20:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Fair use rationale for Image:Fl box.jpg

message: 75 references for a computer game? I'm sure the article can do with much less. --217.233.237.30 (talk) 19:53, 25 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  References 

message: A whole article on Freelancer without a single mention of Privateer, the previous game of this sort that Chris Roberts was involved with, let alone other seminal works such as Elite?!
There must be interviews somewhere where people involved with Freelancer discuss the older works they built on, what Freelancer took from them, and how, where, and why it differs from them.  If anyone knows of any, maybe they could use them as sources to add some information on this to the article. 78.105.167.145 (talk) 14:16, 20 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: There are materials where Roberts talked about Privateer but he casually only throws one statement in the line of "Privateer and Elite failed in this aspect" and "Well, I created Privateer" without directly connecting to Freelancer itself (i.e. it had an oblique influence at best). Roberts never stated Privateer was the predecessor for Freelancer. You might want to read through Stephen Butts of IGN interviewing Chris Roberts (it is among the references). Much of the Privateer-Freelancer connection comes from reviewers fanatical about Privateer and trying to establish a connection between the two. Even then, it is pretty much generic statements which amount to hype like "if you loved FFX, then you have found its successor". Jappalang (talk) 22:53, 20 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Inspirations 

message: This article seems to attack the game really.  Particularly the very last paragraph.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.119.185.104 (talk) 05:50, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: It is only reporting what the reviewers wrote—good game but did not quite live up to what was promised. Jappalang (talk) 06:41, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  article tone 

message: per the image user policies, animated images shouldn't be used in articles as you can't print them in a print version of the article. This should be split in to 2 images if necessary, but removed regardless.--Crossmr (talk) 07:54, 26 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Hmmm, along with this image, which could be effectively described in text (thus failing NFCC#1), I removed a few other excessive images.  Jappalang (talk) 08:57, 27 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  animated ship image 

message: I believe this is an important aspect of Freelancer. While it certainly doesn't deserve a full section on how to connect and all that (under WP:GAMEGUIDE), it deserves a mention in a single sentence. It's an important part of the game's history and has been for the better part of 2 years.
Oh, and modDB has editors that look over news. I would know: I used to be one. Dragonmaw (talk) 03:32, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Veriability is subjected to reliable sourcing, with a preference for secondary sources.  FLlistserver.com does not qualify as a reliable source; neither is it a third-party either.  Information on fan-created mods should be sourced by reliable third-party sources.  Is there any reason to remove mention of the 'The Next Generation, Crossfire and Discovery mods?  Jappalang (talk) 04:38, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

text: The point of Wikipedia is to present an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subjects it contains.  It is not meant to be a repository of fansite links or to teach players where to go to continue their gaming experiences (see Wikipedia:External links, Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not, and Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Article guidelines among other policies and guidelines).  Jappalang (talk) 02:49, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

text: Information about the community's ability to continue the online game was already in the article and sourced to reliable secondary sources.  Jappalang (talk) 03:38, 18 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Player-Created Global Server 

message: Why is there no mention of the many mods for this game? I think that's one of the most important part of it, that there are dozens of mods, some of which are total conversions. Also, I checked this page a few months ago, and it at least mentioned Freeworlds, if nothing else. So, what happened, and why is that missing from the article? Kevin (talk) 18:19, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: There is little mention because the gaming industry and the world at large never reported much about the mods.  Wikipedia is reliant on reliable sources, which many fansites (modsites) fail; they are either self-published or do not have the policies/reputation deemed necessary.  Similarly the articles are not for our own findings, but to summarize and articulate what reliable sources have covered of this game.  Jappalang (talk) 22:42, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  No mention of Mods? 

message: anyone who tried to start flserver knows that you can't set max players >128.
but my edit about that was reverted due to Wikipedia:PSTS since i posted a screen of the server's setup window as a proof. http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5396/11446621.png 
i took a closer look, so here goes:
Any interpretation of primary source material requires a reliable secondary source for that interpretation.
The screenshot is not an interpretation, it directly shows you the player limit, no guessing is required.
A primary source can be used only to make descriptive statements that can be verified by any educated person without specialist knowledge.
Verification of that screenshot does not require any special knowledge. You just have to have a copy of Freelancer, run the server and try to set the player limit >128.
Do not make analytic, synthetic, interpretive, explanatory, or evaluative claims about material found in a primary source.
None was made, i just wrote the number, that flserver shown me.
In my opinion in this case primary source is more reliable than the game review at a site. So i suggest the true number to be put into the article.
: Did a short search:
: Source 1 for freelancer supports only 128 players: http://everything2.com/title/Freelancer
: Source 2 for freelancer supports only 128 players: http://www.gamescore.com/index.php?action=reviews&reviewid=11
: Maybe that UGO source was talking about what you can do if you hack the server... But an unmodified Microsoft Freelancer Server can only handle 128 players --Nosfi (talk) 09:14, 7 May 2010 (UTC)
replies: text:  None of the two sources above qualify as "reliable", and a screenshot does not tell the build of the software or whether the application has been modified; however, I found the German issue of PC Gamer (April 2003) that conducted a test (review) of the game and it listed 128 as the maximum.  So, there it is.  Jappalang (talk) 14:17, 7 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  max players at a server 

message: How about linking to the Starport? Seems like the only community remaining really active. Cheers Horst-schlaemma (talk) 21:53, 31 March 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Links 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

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thread_title:  External links modified