What is the fascination with Tribes?

[sygyzy]

I don' t know a single thing about Tribes or the series. The closest I have come is playing Starsiege which I really enjoyed and mostly played as single player or 1v1 against a friend. I don't know the timeline or history or what makes Tribes a great series.

Can someone explain the history/timeline for me and what are some of the key things that give this game an almost cult following? Tribes 2 was released some time ago yet there are still some very active sites for such an old game. Even moreso than modern multiplayer games. Why?

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

It's not about 1v1. This series had vehicles very early for FPS's (not sure if it was the first multiplayer fps to have them or not). It also has different roles you can play on a team, and various mechanical things you can build/interact with. It's just good team based multiplayer that's been around for years.

Some probably know more than I though, I just played Tribes 2 for a couple months.

EDIT: Oh, and a jetpack is something you don't commonly get to use in multiplayer FPS games.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Jetpack and the Spinfusor

Then add in vehicles, different classes, and open maps

R0x0rz

 

[Tea Bag]

Renegades!!! Man, the orignal Tribes was awesome...

 

[MrChad]

I followed the original Tribes heavily back when it first came out. The original game was one of the best I've ever played. It was really a combination of the team-based gameplay and flexible 3D engine (which allowed for mixed indoor and outdoor environments) that made the game so fun to play. An open-ended scripting engine allowed for custom HUDs and game macros, and the gameplay lent itself perfectly to online ladder tournaments (e.g. OGL).

Tribes 2 was a major disappointment for many hardcore followers of the original. Competitive CTF play in the original became a test of coordination, super-speed runs and precise shooting. The developers crippled many of these features in the sequel to bring the focus back to vehicles and stricter player roles (no more "heavy o" -- heavy armored offensive players). It didn't help that the game was released too early and was almost unplayable before being patched numerous times.

So anyway, not a big fan of Tribes 2, but a huge Tribes 1 fan.

 

[shinryuu]

I am also a long time Tribes Player.

I like FPS shooter games in general, but Tribes was the first game that gives you full 3D control. Games like Quake 1,2,3, Doom 1,2,3, HalfLife, Counterstrike, Unreal, etc... limit you mostly to Forward/Backward + Left/Right movements.

With Tribes, you have a jet pack on your back, so in addition to F/B, L/R, you also can freely move Up and Down. Also, there was a feeling of SPEED in Tribes. You can fly through the air at very fast speeds, and mid-air combat was a thrill that people look forward to.

The different armors and their roles mixed with seemless indoor/outdoor movement was new at the time as well.

Tribes 1 is still my favorite game, and none of the other Tribes games compare to gameplay. Give it a try, once you learn how to ski (to increase your speed down slopes), learn to jet and fly at fast speeds, you'll never look back.

 

[suklee]

Check out the demo:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=tribes

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: Tea Bag
Renegades!!!

Yes, I loved C&C Renegade too.