This *was* going to be a quick filler video after the last, with some new experimenting with effects and 3d models. But as I found out the hard way once the the project got bigger, my computer cant handle 3D animations! So all the tech visuals had to be replaced, and the video that was for last Friday is now here today. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to look at prices for computer parts and hope it's gotten better since last year. Edit: NOPE.
In Freespace 2 and its mods, I found the Ares most useful when I expected to deal with cruisers or convoys, especially when loaded with dual Maxim guns and two banks of tempests. But if I expected to deal with fighters and bombers, I picked the Erinyes with dual Kaysers as such a combo allows me to slice through enemy fighters and bombers like a hot knife through butter
@@RennieAsh Like the Japanese Zero, they could dish out damage, but not take very much of it before exploding into flames. Such is the norm of Shivan fighters
One of my favorite fighters from Freespace and the Herc 1 for me is still my go to between the mk1 and mk2 ... but when i can use the Ares i take that in a heartbeat. These videos are amazing and really show the love and dedication to this franchise and really excited to hear you tackle the Blue planet series cause even though it isn't canon, Volition said that if they did a continuation it would have been very similar to Age of Aquarius. Keep up the great work and videos
Thanks! I always thought any discussion of the Freespace universe would be incomplete if I didn't do something with the more lore-substantial mods available, regardless of their non-canon status. But Blue Planet will have to wait for now, I promised myself to cover Silent Threat (Reborn) before I get to the mods. Provided I stop slacking off on ST, lol.
@@MacsLore Very nice was hoping to hear about the Hades rebellion as it was quite the blow to the fledgling alliance at the time and wanted to hear your take on why it happened as these are great to listen to on long drives
I was thinking lately, another overlooked franchise that had pretty cool world building was Archimedean Dynasty. So if you ever run out of things to make videos of it might be worth exploring.
Isn't that a prequel to the Aquanox series? Speaking of prequels, there's the RTS Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, which was planned to be the prequel for the Imperium Galactica duology. Would even call the game "the anti-Homeworld." Just be careful with its hated stealth mission.
Freespace 1 and 2 are probably my most cherished games. I really love these lore videos and I hope you continue to do more from the freespace universe! I have not had a PC to play these in ages but I'm currently saving up and hoping to re-experience freespace 2 again one day
My favorite space flight simulator gets better and better with these videos. Thanks for putting the time and effort into this. I miss freespace a lot, a boy can dream that a 3rd one would be made.
If it wasn't for the damn sensor area I would say the Athena was a flat upgrade over the Herk 1 in the first game. Algorithm finally decided to give me some good freespace content.
i think the Ares, was a modified herc 2 to feel like the herc 1, Modded by pilots who piloted the original herc. command saw that and probably said fuck it we'll take it. and thus the Ares was born.
The Ares is the best craft for the endgame of 2, for the mere fact of it's 6 guns, generous weapon energy, and the ability to mount Trebuchet missiles in bulk (Which, lets be honest with ourselves, thats the only stat that matters in those last few missions)
It can only hold 4 more Trebs than the Herc II can though, and given the speed offset I find the Herc II to be superior right up until the end of the game. The Ares is strong, but it just feels so sluggish to fly, compared to the Herc II, and the firepower isn't sufficiently improved to offset that, at least for me.
@@SRosenberg203 I find the ares flatly better then the herc for offensive work, when you don't have much backup. For a lot of missions mind, the Herky bird is a superlative escort.
Nice vid. I find it funny that you started making videos of Earth/Starsiege where the mechs are named HERCs and now you make a video of this class of fighter and you even called it herc sometimes in the video. I am eagerly waiting your next video!
They aren't pretty, but like the B- and Y-Wings from Star Wars, they do their jobs quite well, and are thus favored because of it. Edit: Hope you'll explore the Loki and the Erinyes, the top GTI and GTVI craft of their time.
My question is, where does the Erinyes fit into the conversation? I know that during the Second Shivan War, according to the GTVA, they do not exist. But during the second post-war reconstruction, would they find a role in the new GTVA combined fleet vs. the Ares?
Even though the Herc was a mighty and sturdy son of a bitch in all its generations, in my opinion it's a shame that game designers took a full rest on its visual appearance. It looks like a some kind of a heavy household appliance with a fighter plane nose section attached to it, if I may say. Nevertheless, both FreeSpace games were fabulous and it's a great shame that modern gamedev companies don't do a stuff like that anymore.
I always wondered why did Herc MK1 look so boxy and ugly. Mk2 is super sleek and looks polished yet understated. Same with the Erinyes. Maybe Volition planned on the 2nd game way back when and decided: No! Boxy herc goee to FS1, then we bring out the coolest designs to FS2 to mimic the passage of 30 years time and the developments within Terran navy. You look at the Apollo and that ship looks pretty cool. Valkyrie could have been better though. Ulysees was an awesome design. Hard to believe that these fighters and herc were from the same era.
I loved the Herc on Freespace 1.
Me too, the Herc in FS2 looks like a flee.
I like the Apollo too.
@@KapiteinKrentebol it looked too rounded off in Freespace 2.
This *was* going to be a quick filler video after the last, with some new experimenting with effects and 3d models. But as I found out the hard way once the the project got bigger, my computer cant handle 3D animations! So all the tech visuals had to be replaced, and the video that was for last Friday is now here today.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to look at prices for computer parts and hope it's gotten better since last year. Edit: NOPE.
Hey, if you want someone to just render video I dont mind helping out. I've got a threadripper who loves eating evee renders for breakfast!
Hey Mac, Dekker here I moderate the general discussion board at hard light. Also the voice of orestes tactical from blue planet,
Great video 😋👍👍👍
All this time I never even thought that Ares is based on Hercules, TIL
In Freespace 2 and its mods, I found the Ares most useful when I expected to deal with cruisers or convoys, especially when loaded with dual Maxim guns and two banks of tempests. But if I expected to deal with fighters and bombers, I picked the Erinyes with dual Kaysers as such a combo allows me to slice through enemy fighters and bombers like a hot knife through butter
Astaroth fighter does its orbit with broadside facing you.
One pew and it blows up lol
@@RennieAsh Like the Japanese Zero, they could dish out damage, but not take very much of it before exploding into flames. Such is the norm of Shivan fighters
One of my favorite fighters from Freespace and the Herc 1 for me is still my go to between the mk1 and mk2 ... but when i can use the Ares i take that in a heartbeat. These videos are amazing and really show the love and dedication to this franchise and really excited to hear you tackle the Blue planet series cause even though it isn't canon, Volition said that if they did a continuation it would have been very similar to Age of Aquarius. Keep up the great work and videos
Thanks! I always thought any discussion of the Freespace universe would be incomplete if I didn't do something with the more lore-substantial mods available, regardless of their non-canon status. But Blue Planet will have to wait for now, I promised myself to cover Silent Threat (Reborn) before I get to the mods. Provided I stop slacking off on ST, lol.
@@MacsLore Very nice was hoping to hear about the Hades rebellion as it was quite the blow to the fledgling alliance at the time and wanted to hear your take on why it happened as these are great to listen to on long drives
Hercules Combat Doctrine: We need more missile pods
I was thinking lately, another overlooked franchise that had pretty cool world building was Archimedean Dynasty.
So if you ever run out of things to make videos of it might be worth exploring.
Isn't that a prequel to the Aquanox series?
Speaking of prequels, there's the RTS Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, which was planned to be the prequel for the Imperium Galactica duology. Would even call the game "the anti-Homeworld." Just be careful with its hated stealth mission.
you my friend are one of, if not the only, youtuber i know that makes videos of freespace of this style and i want more! keep em comming
Freespace 1 and 2 are probably my most cherished games. I really love these lore videos and I hope you continue to do more from the freespace universe! I have not had a PC to play these in ages but I'm currently saving up and hoping to re-experience freespace 2 again one day
Just binged most of your content dude. Excellent work. Hope your channel blows up. Keep it coming.
My favorite space flight simulator gets better and better with these videos. Thanks for putting the time and effort into this. I miss freespace a lot, a boy can dream that a 3rd one would be made.
Yes, we can only dream.
If it wasn't for the damn sensor area I would say the Athena was a flat upgrade over the Herk 1 in the first game.
Algorithm finally decided to give me some good freespace content.
i think the Ares, was a modified herc 2 to feel like the herc 1, Modded by pilots who piloted the original herc. command saw that and probably said fuck it we'll take it.
and thus the Ares was born.
The Ares is the best craft for the endgame of 2, for the mere fact of it's 6 guns, generous weapon energy, and the ability to mount Trebuchet missiles in bulk (Which, lets be honest with ourselves, thats the only stat that matters in those last few missions)
It can only hold 4 more Trebs than the Herc II can though, and given the speed offset I find the Herc II to be superior right up until the end of the game. The Ares is strong, but it just feels so sluggish to fly, compared to the Herc II, and the firepower isn't sufficiently improved to offset that, at least for me.
@@SRosenberg203 I find the ares flatly better then the herc for offensive work, when you don't have much backup. For a lot of missions mind, the Herky bird is a superlative escort.
@@captainjeep-eep6180 That's fair. I guess I prefer the slightly higher speed of the herc to the slightly higher firepower of the Ares.
thx commander :)
The Hercules series, is basically what you get if Jeremy Clarkson designed a starfighter
Well, not really. It's missing half of "Speed and Powah"
@@RennieAsh Have you seen the size of those engines? You cannot tell me Jezza didn't pick those
@@weldonwin yes but it's like putting a V8 in a loaded school bus - it just isn't going to be "fast" :)
MK2 was dead to me when it only had Four gun ports. Ares was amazing.
The Ares is the best one I like that ship
I believe there's a Herc mkiii model somewhere that a fan made
Ah. the best ship of the fleet.
I prefer the Herc I more than its successor. And for me honestly, the real successor of it is the Ares.
'handles like a potato'
Just like the Star Wars Y-Wing. Maybe even the B-Wing.
Always love your work mac! Keep it up
Nice vid. I find it funny that you started making videos of Earth/Starsiege where the mechs are named HERCs and now you make a video of this class of fighter and you even called it herc sometimes in the video.
I am eagerly waiting your next video!
You know it's funny, I was thinking almost the same thing when I was doing the recording for this.
They aren't pretty, but like the B- and Y-Wings from Star Wars, they do their jobs quite well, and are thus favored because of it.
Edit: Hope you'll explore the Loki and the Erinyes, the top GTI and GTVI craft of their time.
My question is, where does the Erinyes fit into the conversation? I know that during the Second Shivan War, according to the GTVA, they do not exist. But during the second post-war reconstruction, would they find a role in the new GTVA combined fleet vs. the Ares?
That's...a good question.
The Herc is always my go to for big battles. You could do the Interceptor line (GTF Angel, GTF Valkyrie and the GTF Perseus) too? Loved this video 😁
Now there's an idea.
The Perseus was my favorite fighter in the game, and IMO should have been the mainstay space superiority fighter over the Myrmidon.
Even though the Herc was a mighty and sturdy son of a bitch in all its generations, in my opinion it's a shame that game designers took a full rest on its visual appearance. It looks like a some kind of a heavy household appliance with a fighter plane nose section attached to it, if I may say.
Nevertheless, both FreeSpace games were fabulous and it's a great shame that modern gamedev companies don't do a stuff like that anymore.
I always wondered why did Herc MK1 look so boxy and ugly. Mk2 is super sleek and looks polished yet understated. Same with the Erinyes. Maybe Volition planned on the 2nd game way back when and decided: No! Boxy herc goee to FS1, then we bring out the coolest designs to FS2 to mimic the passage of 30 years time and the developments within Terran navy.
You look at the Apollo and that ship looks pretty cool. Valkyrie could have been better though. Ulysees was an awesome design. Hard to believe that these fighters and herc were from the same era.