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Thread: JTL and X-Wing series... how similar are they?
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FuryoftheStars
Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:19 pm
#1
I haven't bought JTL yet, probably not going to either until after I am able to determine what JTL is like. Right now I'm looking for any information that can be provided from the players of JTL that have also played the X-wing series of games... how similar are they to one another? Specificly, how good are the options available to you for controlling your ship's systems (ELS settings, shield balance, etc). I know some stuff that is exclusive to JTL is in here, I read what I could from the skill blocks in game. But after reading them, they led me to believe that things like shield balance controls and ELS settings will be specific to which pilot profession you choose (rebel, neutral, imperial).
Another thing, I'm hearing that the targeting reticle leads your target, showing where your supposed to shoot. Is that the only option available to it? I remember that with X-wing the targeting reticle stayed fixed forward, but it would light up if you had a good chance of hitting your target. Not really sure which system I like better, but I almost seem to think that it would be annoying watching it move around all the time.
Also, if anyone could provide some screenshots for me showing what the HUD looks like that'd be great.
Thanks in advance.
Another thing, I'm hearing that the targeting reticle leads your target, showing where your supposed to shoot. Is that the only option available to it? I remember that with X-wing the targeting reticle stayed fixed forward, but it would light up if you had a good chance of hitting your target. Not really sure which system I like better, but I almost seem to think that it would be annoying watching it move around all the time.
Also, if anyone could provide some screenshots for me showing what the HUD looks like that'd be great.
Thanks in advance.
Message Edited by FuryoftheStars on 10-30-2004 07:19 PM
IonControl
Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:23 pm
#2
It's a good game and similar to the old X-Wing series in most ways. just go get it. It's only $30. If you had moved quickly, you could have gotten it at BestBuy for $25. Too late now.
Gruug
Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:33 pm
#3
JTL beats any of the Tie Fighter, Xwing vs Tie and Xwing Allaince games in all aspects. Played all of those for long periods of time and JTL is far far superior.
Dragon942
Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:59 pm
#4
Gruug wrote:
JTL beats any of the Tie Fighter, Xwing vs Tie and Xwing Allaince games in all aspects. Played all of those for long periods of time and JTL is far far superior.
I'd have to disagree and say XWA (and the rest of the series)is a much better game. The way the fighters feel, the AI, the capital ships, actual Star Wars ships instead of made up ones, the mission structure ll made for a much better game overall.
Where JTL succeeds is obviously the multiplayer aspect. Getting big groups together is a lot of fun and the multiplayer ships are an amazing experience.
If you are looking fora good space combat simulator with a good story, stick to the X-Wing series. If you want to fly around with your friends in a social atmosphere (not just kill each other, you can do that in XvT just fine), then pick up JTL.
Devin_Sholn
Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:59 pm
#5
I think you're a bit mistaken on the reticle information. Your targetting reticle doesn't move, but a lead indicator does when you have a ship targetted. Your aiming reticle remains centered while a little cross hangs out in front of your targets as they fly around. You aim at that and shoot (though you rarely will hit anything if you aim directly at the center of it, it's not perfect) and you'll likely hit the target. And you don't have the option to choose a "light-up" reticle like in the X-Wing series.
As for your ship systems, you have very limited control of energy distribution. You basically just choose the highest power reactor you can use along with the best capacitor you can find and stick them in your ship. Then you can load up weapons and shields and such as long as the mass and reactor energy can support them in your craft. The only way you can "control" the energy distribution is by choosing weapons that have a low energy cost per shot rating. You then have to compare that to the Capacitor you're using, since it has a set amount of energy you can fire with. If you have one weapon you can usually get along fine with some good Shipwright made stuff. If you use two or more weapons, you can drain your capacitor really fast then you can't shoot. There is no way to pour extra energy into the recharge while in flight, so you just have to wait on the capacitor to recharge. Shields have a set recharge rate, but there are some skills you can get, like in the Rebel Pilot tree, that allow you to momentarily divert power to the shields. However that skill causes your weapons to be disabled until it's done. And for engines, you are strictly limited by what engine you put in your ship. Some skills allow you to overcharge your engine for an extra boost in speed, plus you can equip boosters.
As for the shield balance, there are certain commands you can learn that you must put in a droid or flight computer, which you then equip on your fighter. But these techniques are still bugged, so it seems, so there's not much use to them. I don't use them, and the last I heard they didn't work right, so I may be wrong.
I hope that covers it. JTL is nothing like X-Wing in the terms of ship management, nor in the way missions work. That said, it's still an awesome game, and I think that it has some great potential in the future. If you have more questions I'll check back to answer them for you.
Message Edited by Devin_Sholn on 10-31-2004 12:02 AM
FuryoftheStars
Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:51 pm
#6
Thanks Devin, that did answer my questions for me. After reading the descriptions to the skills and their commands it did look to me like certain things such as the ELS settings (or similar) wouldn't be there. That's too bad. I was really hoping they'd at least have something similar... something that wasn't profession specific. Some of those things just seem to me like they'd be common pilot knowledge and not specific to whether you were a rebel or a privateer, like shield balance and engine 'overload', respectively.
Oh, and thanks for clearing up the issue on the targeting reticle. That sounds a lot better.
As for the potential of JTL, you mean the same kind of potential that the ground based SWG once had?
Once again, thanks for the answers. At least I can tell for sure that you read the whole post and not just the title.
I would have to say that those were my main concerns. Other things such as bugs and how missions work aren't so much on my top priority list for the time being. But the other ones were some of my "Is it worth it?" factors. Too bad only one of them came out positively. Maybe I'll go ahead and pick up the game anyways to see everything for myself... but I'm not sure if I want to spend the extra $30 just to be let down by SOE again.
Oh, and thanks for clearing up the issue on the targeting reticle. That sounds a lot better.
As for the potential of JTL, you mean the same kind of potential that the ground based SWG once had?
Once again, thanks for the answers. At least I can tell for sure that you read the whole post and not just the title.
I would have to say that those were my main concerns. Other things such as bugs and how missions work aren't so much on my top priority list for the time being. But the other ones were some of my "Is it worth it?" factors. Too bad only one of them came out positively. Maybe I'll go ahead and pick up the game anyways to see everything for myself... but I'm not sure if I want to spend the extra $30 just to be let down by SOE again.
FuryoftheStars
Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:05 pm
#7
Well, one other plus that I've seen now is that your maneuverability is affected by your speed (% of throttle)... at least they got that much from XWA.
Oh, and another question that I have thought of after reading someone else's post... can the weapons be fire-linked? (ie, X-wing fighter had single, dual, or quad fire-linked options for the lasers in X-wing series.)
Side note: Just noticed that spell check for the forums doen't recognize the word "maneuverability." I know it's spelt right cause I just copy/pasted it from an online dictionary.
Oh, and another question that I have thought of after reading someone else's post... can the weapons be fire-linked? (ie, X-wing fighter had single, dual, or quad fire-linked options for the lasers in X-wing series.)
Side note: Just noticed that spell check for the forums doen't recognize the word "maneuverability." I know it's spelt right cause I just copy/pasted it from an online dictionary.
Message Edited by FuryoftheStars on 10-30-2004 10:08 PM
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