[est1895]

I know there is a free download version of FS2, but I can't find it.  Help please?

[Droid803]

Too bad for you then.
You'll just have to buy it then, won't you.

[Mongoose]

In other words, since the game is currently available from GOG.com for a very reasonable price, HLP doesn't support copies of the game obtained illegally, nor do we allow discussion on where to find such copies.

[General Battuta]

There are no legal free copies of FreeSpace 2.

[est1895]

I thought for sure there was one made a long time ago.  Oh Well, thanks for the help guys!

God Bless

[karajorma]

At one point HLP distributed FS2 because no one was selling it legally. As soon as a legal option became available, we took it down and stopped supporting it.

[Mongoose]

And the only reason we allowed linking it at that time was because the only other way to get the game was to pay $80 or so on eBay.

[Kon]

What about the Home of the Underdogs version? I thought that was all okay, since HOTU doesn't host illegal material. I know some of the audio and cinematics were missing in order to get the OK.

EDIT: It seems that the HOTU Freespace 2 page now has a link to the GOG store instead of their old edited version.

[General Battuta]

What about the Home of the Underdogs version? I thought that was all okay, since HOTU doesn't host illegal material. I know some of the audio and cinematics were missing in order to get the OK.

The HotU version was uploaded during the era when FreeSpace 2 was not available. With GoG now selling FS2 at a great price DRM-free, HotU is out of the game.

[headdie]

why are you guys worrying about finding a free pirate copy when GOG which is a reputable website will legally sell you FS2, with NO Digital Rights Management! no limits on the number of times downloaded, no spyware, for $5.99, that is £3.77, 4.50 euro, 5.76 Australian Dollars.  Seriously if you don't have a bank account/paypal, find a friend or talk to a family member about paying for it for you.

the price is not an offer or anything that is its normal price on the site.

seriously why is this "discussion" still going?

[General Battuta]

I don't think the discussion is still going - everyone has made it clear there is no free way to get this game.

[karajorma]

What about the Home of the Underdogs version? I thought that was all okay, since HOTU doesn't host illegal material. I know some of the audio and cinematics were missing in order to get the OK.

That wasn't the reason. Both versions cut stuff out for space saving reasons.

You can trust me on that, I'm the guy who uploaded the second version HotU had.

[Polpolion]

  *sniff

I remember the HotU version... all of its missing VPs... such a pain in the butt...

[karajorma]

The original one was. The one I uploaded was much better.

[Veers]

I still enjoyed purchasing the Retail box.. Never opened. brand new. Which after being nearly 10 years old. I thought was a miricle. Eitherway, so excited when it arrived. (this was a few years ago).

[Wired]

I bought FS1 and FS2 on GOG as soon as they were available. For that price there's no point thinking about it. Even though I bought boxed copies on ebay years and years ago, it's just so convenient having easy to get digital copies as well.

[jr2]

There actually was a "free" version of FS2 on DVD, but it was an OEM bundle (FreeSpace 2: Colossus), which means it's not free, it's only free if you got it with some hardware (such as a sound card) as a sort of 'gift'.. a gift that encourages you to buy the whole version, as it's a sort of hybrid.  The game has more than the 2 or 3 mission demo you can download for free, however, it cuts off halfway through the game.  I remember getting Descent: Destination Saturn in this manner, as an OEM bundle with a Creative Sound Blaster 14.4 modem that my dad got.  It cuts off at level 15, whereas the full version of Descent has like 23 levels or somesuch.

Anyways, point being, it's not even legal to download said version of FS2... it's only to be distributed with the hardware that it's part of a bundle with.

Your only truly free version of FS2 is going to be the FS2 demo (with its 2 or 3 missions).  If you want that, I can get it for you and upload it somewhere if you can't find it.