Learn about the old game.
Privateer is a "space flight simulator" (well, more like an arcade shooter
) with strong adventure elements - you can roam anywhere, the freelancing part adds greatly to the gameplay. You may become a space mercenary, pirate, smuggler, merchant... and you don't "select your profession", you just do what you want Escort that fat freighter and defend if from pirates to get $, or blast it with your lasers and collect its cargo, debris and crew (!) to sell it later on the black market... even older gamers will naturally remember Elite or Frontier, younger ones may see similarities to contemporary MMOGs or games like X-Beyond the Frontier.I had trouble running the said game on my old Win98 system few years ago, let alone now. But now we're given a new possibility:
A remake
Yes, a bunch of maniacs... err.. I mean talented and laborious people have resurrected a 1993 game using modern engine from the game Vega Strike (similar one to Privateer). The Privateer Remake was born. As it featured some more or less drastic changes/additions to the original, another group of "purists" created "a mod to a mod"
which aims to recreate the old game even more closely: Privateer - Gemini Gold.I have discovered it only several hours ago - I've just installed it and flew a bit. The biggest difference - and on the positive side - is the fact that all objects are 3D now, instead of original 2D sprites. This allows for more "realistic" space dogfight, as you can observe enemy's flight trajectory and make leading shot, while previously you never knew when are they going to make another 45-degree turn (limited animation frames).
Just take a look at the Privateer in new clothes:
Sorry, gotta fly now!
Wing Commander Universe
http://sourceforge.net/projects/wcuniverse
Wing Commander Combat Information Center
http://www.wcnews.com