[headdie]

Played the demo of fs1 from a pc format demo disk age 12, i had to evict my sister off her computer as my graphics card was not up to starting the game and played it whenever i could. got the game + st in one box, played the fs2 demo and bought fs2 in about 01 when one of my mates claimed i nearly had an orgasm when i spotted it

[Tantalus53]

Descent 1 came with my Windows 95. Purchased and played Descent 2 and 3 in interplay's height. Interplay went down, my copy of descent 3 broke, purchased Freespace 1. Played through FS1, went looking for FS2, (didnt know about HLP at the time) and had to save up $80+ for the sci-fi sim of the year edition. Only for CD1 to be scratched and not install. Purchased a lower quality version, installed, couldnt play. Tried the Sci-fi sim of the year disks. they played. Discovered HLP when i first beat FS2, and wondered about there being a FS3. at first, I was disapointed to find out no, but the alternative being this massive modding community, as well as the SCP made it just as satisfying. Who needs FS3 with all these campaigns and epic visual enhancements? 

[Sushi]

Got the OEM CD with my joystick, played it for years, then got the full game.

That way for me too. The joystick is broke now (Logitech), but I am eternally grateful to them

+1 for this track. Got an OEM CD of FS1, it sat around unused for a while, I finally got bored and tried it out. Wasn't impressed at first, stopped after a couple of missions. Later, happened across a glowing review of FS1, decided to give it another shot. Once the Shivans appeared, I was hooked.

I wasn't actually too concerned about FS2 when it came out: at the time, I was too obsessed with Descent 3. At some point, though, I found out about FRED and the possibility of custom campaigns, then went looking for some, then noticed that all of the discussion and new campaigns were for FS2... so I ordered FS2, played through it once, and dived into the modding scene.

[dragonsniper]

Found a PC magazine with BtRL in it, at the same time that I found an article on FS2 from another website. After trying BtRL, I was blown away, stumbled on Turey's downloader, downloaded everything, played through FS2, and was instantly hooked. Then I found this place... that was nearly 2 years ago. About 5 months ago I stumbled on a $2 copy of FS1 at a pawn shop, bought it and am immensely enjoying it also. 

[MetalDestroyer]

I heard the game in 98/99 within a PC magazine call Joystick or it was PC Force. And since, in the past, the only games I played was all kind of modern Simulator (space, modern air combat, etc...), I could only be interested about Conflict: Freespace.

However, in the same time, there was Wing Commander V: Prophecy, another space opera with better graphics, with a lot of cutscenes. It was pretty hard to choose between those 2 games. And finally, I choose Conflict: Freespace. However, it was pretty hard to find this game to the retailer.

[Titan]

My joystick that I had used for Microsoft CFS and a couple of arcade emulators broke I got the OEM version with that Logitech joystick that I never use, played it for a few years. Back when I was around 9 or 10, I got home one day, and my dad was on the computer, and when I went to say hi to him, I saw that he was installing FS2 for me. Finished installing after dinner. I remember, I stayed up until 10 playing. Got up to the chess/artemis missions. That was about two hours later then any other time I've stayed up playing video games.

I also remember the OEM version would get all screwy when I tried to use the joystick it came packaged with. 

[NGTM-1R]

I read the FS1 strategy guide.

Years later, they had the game by the checkout at Fry's Electronics.

[Dark Hunter]

Why did you have the strategy guide and not the game?

[NGTM-1R]

Why did you have the strategy guide and not the game?

I said I read it. I didn't say I bought it. I remember reading the mission description for saving the Plato in the store and a picture of a couple of Apollos.

[Enigmatic Entity]

My parents bought it (FS2) for me (I was 9-10). In 2004 I was bored in computer class and decided to "see if anyone else knew about FS2".

I discovered the main SCP site.
I wondered what this "Source Code Project" meant.
I also found a wiki (what's a wiki?) that "seemed to be called Hard Light Productions".

I think the first new ship I downloaded was the Orion Mk II, which led me on a huge search for VPView after it didn't work due to lack of tables.

After it finally worked and I had learned to activate beams in FRED2, I HAD to get more ships, and so things went on...

[tinfoil]

FS:2 Colossus came with that Logitech joystick, which I received when I was about 4. Played it for probably about 6 years and then realized there might be more to this thing that I could get a hold of. Then I found the SCP. I still find bits of my shattered jaw on the floor to this day.

[High Max]

;-)

[Scourge of Ages]

Well, I've played X-Wing and Descent ever since they made computers with CD-ROM drives.
I'm not sure how I obtained a copy, but I got FS1+ST mostly because of the "Descent" name. I found it was an excellent game, so I beat it a few times and forgot about it. Some time later ('02-'04?) I learned that there was a Freespace2! I decided I had to have it so I eBayed it for a song. Beat that a few times and forgot about it.

Around '07, I stumbled upon Shadows of Lylat and Fate of the Galaxy and started following. A little while after that, I found out that they were built on a super upgraded FS2 engine, so I downloaded it, played through the main campaign, and forgot about it.

Then I remembered about it, upgraded late to 3.6.10, and just beat it again a few months ago. After that I decided to play a mod for the first time ever. It happened to be Blue Planet. That made me decide that I wanted to be a part of the whole community, which is why it seems like I've only recently arrived on the forum at large.

P.S. I have the FS1 and FS2 CDs still, I've gone through about 5 joysticks all together (now I'm using a Wingman Force 3D), and have between one and three demo discs.

[High Max]

;-)

[Polpolion]

I stole my brother's copy when I was in third grade. Played it all the way to CotT II and thought to myself "this game is way too long," stopped playing, and gave back the CDs. Five years later, I downloaded the HOTU version (hell yeah!) and had a blast with it.

[High Max]

;-)

[esarai]

One of the first flight combat sims I remember playing was this game called "Starfighter 3000."  My dad and I would play it together before I was even large enough to operate the space bar and the arrow keys at the same time.  So I got to do gunnery while he did navigation (I was more than a little trigger happy.  There are hundreds of blown-up powerups and allied craft littered throughout that game thanks to me).  When we had to upgrade our computer, SF broke.  I felt like I would never forgive my parents for murdering my game. But then Descent popped up, and that satisfied me for a while.  I was still pissed as hell about SF3000 going down.  One Christmas I open a present and there's Descent: FreeSpace - TGW.  I thought "huh... it's got Descent in the name... can't be all that bad... it's kinda like SF, might be good, but I doubt it."  And then I installed it on our PC, watched the intro and was
 
I forgave my parents for upgrading our computer and doing in SF.
Needless to say, I spent the next several years FSing out with a keyboard.  Tried joystick, but found it was too strange.  Went back to keyboard until my private computer went and crapped itself and I realized I had lost the install CDs.  Not happy.  Then, coming out of my youthful naivete, I thought "I wonder if there ever was a FS website."  Found it.  Just hearing the in-game mission-launch sound used on the website was like an eargasm.  Then I learned there had been a FS2 and was really really happy, but by that time they had stopped selling it  .  I got it from a friend who was something of a program ninja, and was pleased.  When going through and packing up old toys, I found my old FS1 CDs and flipped several *****es.  Did not get any homework done that weekend.  Discovered SCP and HLP a little later while doing some background research on the whole FS franchise in general.  

Still have the original FS1 disks in the Typhon folding case, and still fly with a keyboard.

[Gortef]

Back in the days I... .. err... now how was it. I guess it was like this.

Right.

I've been a fan of space shooters/sims since X-Wing (and Wing Commander, I played that on my friends pc. I think I also had Elite too... not sure anymore though).
Then my friend got the FS1 (Conflict: FreeSpace) and of course since it was a space sim I had to try it out... and hoo boy did I get hooked. Of course I had to get it myself too and when FS2 came (so did I) I didn't take long to get that one aswell. I also found out about VBB when FS2 was quite new and registered, and I'm still here.

I even made a short campaign for FS2 (that did suffer a minor issue of Battle of Endor Syndroma in some missions) but it did have a full voice acting (thanks to my friends).

[Snail]

TYPHON FOLDING CASE OMG HIGH-RES SCANS NAO

[Herra Tohtori]

TYPHON FOLDING CASE OMG HIGH-RES SCANS NAO

You mean one of these?