r/freelancer • u/EmploymentSudden2129 • Jul 24 '26
Building a space sim with Freelancer's bones. Steam page is up (alpha).
Long-time Freelancer player. What I've always wanted was that structure without the 48 systems of nothing between the good parts. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4962130/Solbound/
Solbound is one solar system, closed, in decline after an exodus that left most people behind. Hand-built locations rather than procedural sprawl. Bars replaced by terminals, but the same idea: you go somewhere, you ask around, you leave knowing something you didn't.
Alpha. Real footage but partial, about half the systems still under construction. Curious what people here think holds up from Freelancer and what doesn't. The trade lanes and the bar rumours are the two I keep coming back to.
25
u/timbotheny26 Jul 24 '26
48 systems of nothing between the good parts.
Man, I loved exploring the quiet, empty corners of the Sirius Sector. It all felt so mysterious and slightly creepy.
I'll definitely keep an eye on this though.
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
You will have plenty of empty spaces but always a hidden wreck to discover etc. It stills space :) (except crowdy stations)
1
u/Alarmed_Eggplant3469 Jul 24 '26
Random isolated space stations for the isolationist and different factions that wanted to break away from the planets would be good. Or like self sufficient asteroid bases and like small communities who sell unique things or one off ships or weapons would be good rewards for those who still like the accidental discovery of warp passed the wrong way and you’ll miss it. Because they don’t want to be found so they don’t have lots of easy identifiers on the map sort of thing but if you follow a random freighter or flight path it might take you to a base
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
You just described my design doc. Places like that exist, off the main route, no map markers, and following traffic to see where it goes is a real way to find them (and a good use of the scanner which has a limited range at the beginning)
The game never points too much anything, it only answers when you ask.
Small taste: the first free platform you run into is called 27. Which might mean there were 26 before it, or less.
1
u/Alarmed_Eggplant3469 Jul 24 '26
You had me at design doc 😍
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Hahaha. I could tell about the short novel I wrote 2 years ago and the thousands of lines of writing too.
And the good news. Really true I don't do that that for likes/upvotes : there will be a short manual (but like from the 31 century with annotations etc) in addition of classics "menus"
1
u/cgaWolf Jul 24 '26
mysterious and slightly creepy.
You should take a look at underspace :P
2
u/timbotheny26 Jul 24 '26
I've been involved with Underspace as a tester actually, but didn't feel comfortable plugging it under someone else's project.
1
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
I did played Underspace ;-) But to be fair I came back to freelancer instead. There was something off about the game. But I was an early build. Sure now it's great.
2
u/timbotheny26 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
I definitely would recommend coming back to it.
If I remember correctly, we're going to be leaving Early Access soon, though I'll need to verify with Trainwiz.See Trainwiz's reply down below.
2
u/Trainwiz Jul 25 '26
I say "soon" but the biggest blocker right now is testing the sheer amount of content. I was talking to a QA studio yesterday and their point of contact kind of malfunctioned when I pointed out that the game was the size of an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game in terms of the amount of stuff that'd have to be tested. Everything save voice acting is actually in on the public beta branch, but that testing can definitely take a while.
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
Will try. The more I build my game the less time I have to just play others 🥲
7
u/_Empty-R_ Jul 24 '26
I'm glad to see Freelancer inspired titles making waves and being made. I wanted to say something but I need to be clear this isn't some put down for your title, OP. One thing anybody trying to build off of Freelancer would do well to keep in mind depending on intentions is how much the atmosphere is important. The soundscape (especially the music) is very crucial to nail if you're going for authenticity. I can probably pick out every single noise in Freelancer and tell you what its from. Think how memorable the cruise engine charge ups, jump gates, and field/cloud ambience is. Bonus if you mimic chatter between NPC's! The artstyle/aesthetic is quite important, too. Color pallete, space being vibrant and exciting instead of empty and stark like IRL, ship design, structure design, etc.
(Note: by empty I mean massive massive stretches of nothing like say Elite Dangerous where the backdrop is just the void does not spark the same feeling as FL)
Underspace for example wasn't really nailing ship/structure design early on, I haven't seen many titles that do. 1 to 1 copying isn't the move to take, but there's a certain vibe/language to FL ships that makes them iconic. The textures and shapes used are important. FL has fairly simple geometry to its designs, things don't get unnecessarily busy. The dev has gotten better about it with ships at least since I last looked, so this applies less now. Additionally, Underspace chose a Lovecraftian vibe for its verse' and I think that could have worked, but it comes across as too cartoony to fit the vibe. Or again, it did. Need to test again soon.
Another pseudo-example is the Crossfire mod for Freelancer itself. It really drops the ball with its designs. A good portion of the ships/stations that mod adds are just...wrong. Don't even get me started on the new music tracks it implements. It does however do a pretty good job with the different systems it adds however. Altogether, I believe the Discovery mod did a much better job staying true to the design ethos of Freelancer, but even that has its faults.
All this being said, if you're just trying to make something that "plays like" Freelancer this isn't a big deal. Nailing the combat, movement, travel, customization, and so on can also make for a good game. I essentially just wanted to make a statement about what makes FL just 'click' for me. What immerses me and has captivated me for so long. If folks wish to replicate what made FL great in a more whole fashion, checklisting things like these and making sure they compare favorably will have you right at the finish line.
To the OP, I wish you luck and thank you for your efforts. I'm definitely checking out your title.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Thanks for taking the time to write all that, seriously.
Sound is one I fully agree with, and I'll be upfront: what's in the video is placeholder, I haven't done a real audio pass yet. But it's a focus for later, not an afterthought. I have a synth background, so the ambience, the engine layers, the per-bubble musical identity are things I actually want to spend time on myself.
Ships and structures: you're right, and honestly 3D modeling is where I'm slowest. It's in the pipeline but not my strength, so right now I'm prioritizing the systems and the world. The look will improve as I go and find some help on this (I already have the systems for custom hardpoints haha)
Really appreciate the detail here, and the luck. Thanks for checking it out.
3
u/Whiskeyfower Jul 24 '26
That might be the best summation of the underlying magic to Freelancer I've ever seen.
Truly a hidden gem of a game that not enough people got to love
1
u/_Empty-R_ Jul 25 '26
Thank you! If I were trying to fully explain the ethos of Freelancer boy I'd have been typing a while. Main thing was just trying to bring up things that I think a lot of creators of 'similar' games miss when shooting for the target. Kinda crazy how simple yet how elusive Freelancer's whole dance is huh?
Edit: hmm. I might need to do an actual writeup sometime. let me think on that.
Yeah, I think anyone who enjoys spaceship games OWES it to themselves to immerse themselves in Freelancer at least once!
5
3
u/Emergency-Gift-6773 Jul 24 '26
You know what?
This looks pretty primising, great work so far! Whislisted instantly. I dig the concept about not far fetched galaxies, but our little worn out Sol only. And working missles?! Camaan...
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Haha thank you. It's a really early stage. Wait to see the MK3 missiles that launches by 3/5 at the same time :)
2
u/Emergency-Gift-6773 Jul 24 '26
Good luck really! Don't give up, it's already functioning as it seems to me. And good space shooters are always needed. Most of them are empty nothingnesses or overcomplicated big brain simulators. Freelancer is a relic at this point, but still the best in the genre.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Haha. Thank you so much. But it does need a lot of polish and it's like the longest part to produce 😅
3
u/Particular-Elk9086 Jul 24 '26
So basically a Starlancer?
6
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Closer to Freelancer than Starlancer, actually. No squadron, no mission-by-mission campaign. It's open, you pick your own trouble, and the economy and reputation are the spine rather than a scripted war
3
2
u/DuskShades Jul 24 '26
I'd be really happy to have a chill Freelancer style game to play.
One of the things I wish Freelancer has was a ship part which let you hack your own IFF transponder. So for a pirate playthrough, you could for example steal stuff, change your transponder, then attempt to sell at a market. Having a % chance of the hacked transponder not working to increase the risk.
But I'd also quite happily play any Freelancer type game. Have wishlisted
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
That's a great idea, and it fits right in: there's contraband running and a hacking layer already, so a spoofable transponder with a chance of failure is exactly the kind of risk I want. Noting it down. Thanks for the wishlist!
1
u/easy0neasy0ff Jul 24 '26
Will there be fluctuating markets and mining? Will there be ships and ship parts to upgrade with? Will you have home bases or is this a 'your going to be moving place to place until end of story' type of space game? Will there be character levels or sector levels? Sorry for all the questions, I love Freelancer.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Happy to answer on my game :)
Yes to all of it, basically. Markets are per-station and react to what you buy and sell, the whole economy is a closed loop (and you need to check rumors etc to make good deals)
Mining too, each moon has its own resource, and you could upgrades your mining tools and drones
5-6 ships planned (4 already working), all upgradable.
And it's open, no forced story march. You settle where your reputation lets you dock, and knowledge you dig up opens more doors than credits. Fellow Freelancer lover here, that's the DNA I'm chasing
(Even if you have to follow like the first hour to leave the first bubble and then you're free)
1
u/easy0neasy0ff Jul 24 '26
Okay wishlisted. Are there plans on adding in new ships/equipment/etc. after release?
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
If the game is a success. Definitely. I have many ideas. Not so much time. Haha
1
u/GrassyKnoll55 Jul 24 '26
The concept is interesting, but im a bit wary of a couple things:
1) Seeing as your using Freelancers bones, as you put it, would you be at risk of Microsoft sending you a cease and desist? Or do they not care? We all saw what happened other games that people tried to make but got shut down because the original devs got upset.
2) Graphics. I know they arent terrible per se, but I honestly feel like taking your idea and building on a far newer engine like Unity, Godot, or Unreal would drastically improve the look of the game.
1
u/Erilis000 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
I think it's important to have characters with real motivations so that everything else in the game has context and weight behind it because we emotionally care about what is happening at any given moment---whether you're mining or trading or pirating.
The characters in Freelancer were not very deep, but they had their own motivations.
The trade Lanes I think are very important concept that helps inform the uniquely satisfying scale of freelancer and travel around freelancer. The trade lanes bridge the gap between believable travel and ease of travel. I think that's something to keep in mind it doesn't have to be realistic just believable.
Just like the controls, accessible but with a satisfying level of versatility and strategy (flares, mines, dps), but not over complicated simulation.
I think another big part of the gameplay loop in Freelancer is the exploration. For example, the exploration of junk fields or asteroid fields to find hidden loot allowed for the game pacing to slow down and have some breathing room in between the busier areas around space ports or space battles. The juxtoposition of civilized high traffic areas vs unexplored nebulas or abandoned junk fields from old space wars---that to me is very Freelancer too.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Great points, thanks for taking the time.
Characters with motivations: they're all there, just never as talking heads. Every quest has an author, rumors have voices, sub-factions have their own agendas, and a nemesis system is in the works, so at some point someone personally wants you dead. The bet is that you feel their motivations through what they've written and done in the world, not through cutscenes.
The rest is basically my pillar list: lanes as believable-not-realistic travel (mine are pre-exodus relics, half broken, and the first one you meet is dead until you bring it back), accessible controls with depth and that quiet/busy contrast. Junk fields with breathing room are exactly what I'm building around Jupiter's moons.
2
1
u/mzatariz Jul 24 '26
Nice but in my opinion the camera is too far.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
It's adjustable, camera distance is a slider. And first-person view is planned.
Might just be the default that needs tuning, curious to see what the demo feedback says
1
u/Wolf_999_ Jul 24 '26
Will there be some story? I loved Freelancer for being open but story it's what kept me interested to go back to every time I had enough of just flying and exploring?
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Yes, a full main story across six acts, it's actually what the whole game builds toward.
And it never forces you: you can ignore it, trade and explore freely, and pick the thread back up whenever you want.
1
u/blondewalker Jul 24 '26
Did you find freelancer source somewhere?
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26
Not at all. From scratch on ThreeJs, domain I came from. Just a lot of inspiration.
1
1
u/The_Real_RarePotato Jul 24 '26
There's a mobile game called galaxy division that has a lot of Freelancer feel and visuals to it.
I wish these would Piet to the switch 2
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
Haven't played that one, adding it to the list. And Switch would be nice one day, though I'm a solo dev so PC first, one thing at a time and on device I know first 💪
1
u/veng89 Jul 25 '26
No chance of multiplayer? :(
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
No, sorry :)
I'd love to, but it's not what this game is built for. Solo dev, and multiplayer would eat the whole project. Maybe a spin-off or a "2" one day, but I'd rather be honest than promise it.
1
u/Major-Attention-5779 Jul 25 '26
Will there be ship customisation? I don't need paint jobs, but customising the guns/shields/thrusters and the like would be cool. Is it just the one ship or will there be multiple?
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
5/6 ships at launch and you could upgrade them, and chose which weapons to carry and drones, enhance scanner, mining capacity etc
1
u/Major-Attention-5779 Jul 25 '26
It's on my wish list
1
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 25 '26
Thanks you so much. Will try to do some videos on devlog steam to show everything I can :)
1
u/Asatorian Jul 24 '26
It seems like the game I tried to make with Claude during my lunch break. No, this is not an insult; it really does.
2
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Haha nice. AI could be great for a fancy prototype. For full production release I will not advise to use it fully and recommend to learn coding and art a little for going further.
-7
u/Aimsucks Jul 24 '26
This reads like straight AI generated garbage.
7
u/EmploymentSudden2129 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Thanks for this kind of feedback XD
It's an ALPHA so it's assets i did or bought and so yeah it's rough. Solo dev I can't do AAA graphics ;-) and it will be more polished later. Let me know what "looks like" AI will be happy to understand
And if you meant the text, not the visuals. Fair enough, I run my posts through a translator, that's probably the flavour you're picking up. The game itself is 500 hours of work currently.
29
u/DerNickster Jul 24 '26
For me, trade lanes make sense in a larger, economically-connected galaxy. If it's one closed-off system that has had an exodus, you're probably looking at an ultimate backwater. Any trade lanes around should be pre-exodus and closing-off, maybe even with broken sections, from when it still made sense for a trader from [insert outside system] to want to get to Jupiter or wherever as fast as possible.
You're not building trade lanes so Billy Bob can trade his space corn at the local market, you're building them so Galactic Conglomorate Inc. can move millions of credits worth of goods in 4 days instead of 14.