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[Joseph Merrick]

Do such old games of this type run smoothly these days?

I could forgive/like their ancient visuals as long as they don't run with like 10-20 fps or similar.

Although I'm not into sims at all, just for future reference and for other more arcadey games.

it's very smooth and nice. not sure about the fps, maybe 30. fraps doesn't say. it's not choppy or problematic in any way. I know what you mean about old games and fps, regardless of getting dosbox to output a really fast framerate you'll sometimes have the game running too fast. but at least with apache longbow this is not a problem.

I like how good dosbox is with getting joysticks to work properly. thought I had to maybe go into the dosbox remapper. but it mostly works perfect right from install. I could use some of the keyboards commands on the joystick though, so will probably remap a few things. but those are for all the extra buttons on the joysticks, the map screens and whatnot, the essentials are all there by default.

 

[subversus]

I played Apache at 10 fps and thought it was the way it should be played.

 

[Sinatar]

We seem to be having a bit of a run of releases turning up completely out of the blue.

Apache Longbow

As is usual with flight sims, I'm drawing a complete blank. All I can really say is that I think I've heard of this one.

(Random aside: I wonder if Overlord and its ilk might happen sometime. They were rather fun)

Also note that today's the last day for the D&D promotion, and tomorrow's the last day for the "Buy one get one 10% off" promo for Feb. And no, those don't stack.

That is not Janes Longbow 2. Weak.

 

[Prophane33]

Darn, was hoping for Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars today, the only one in the series I was interested in buying.

 

[cicero]

Also note that today's the last day for the D&D promotion, and tomorrow's the last day for the "Buy one get one 10% off" promo for Feb. And no, those don't stack.

In case other people didn't notice this sale or the thread here, Dungeons & Dragons Anthology: The Master Collection (Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 + Expansions, Icewind Dale 1 & 2 + Expansions, Planescape: Torment, Temple of Elemental Evil) only $6.78 on Gamersgate. They are using GOG installers for the games too.
http://www.gamersgate.com/DDB-DBAMC/dungeons-and-dragons-anthology-the-master-collection
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464749

All of the extras included with the games on GOG is great, but this is an insane deal.

 

[wazoo]

I have found a few windows programs, which are very helpful for very old windows 95 games.

DxWnd and D3Dwindower (maybe D3Doverider does the same also). I use one or the other depending on the game.

They send your game to a window, which is quite good to get good renditions of old 640X480 games that otherwise are stretched (at least they are on my 16x10 laptop).

It also helps for compatibility.

I succeeded with Sanitarium, Blade Runner, NightLong, Claw, Get Medieval

The only who did not work is Heart of Darkness which only goes to fullscreen.

Blade Runner in a small 640x480 screen looks very good.

 

[Alexios]

They send your game to a window, which is quite good to get good renditions of old 640X480 games that otherwise are stretched (at least they are on my 16x10 laptop).

If that's the main reason you use it, you should be able to change your GPU's scaling mode for video games to either not upscale at all, and thus play them letterboxed with black space all around them, or only scale while maintaining the aspect ratio, so that you get black bars only to the sides (if your screen is wider) with the whole image magnified properly.

 

[Glaurungr]

Today's release is Still Life 2.

 

[subversus]

I heard the first game was great.

 

[peakish]

I heard the first game was great.

Nah, it's pretty mediocre. Okay story but a lot of wandering about to find which character or object will trigger the next dialog or puzzle and a bit too few puzzles overall. Puzzle difficulty is inconsistent, some quite tricky ones mixed in with stuff like the "three glasses" classic.

Going by my memory at least. Maybe the second one is better.

Edit: That said I have an irrational desire to try Post Mortem by the same developers some time. Guess I'm a sucker for murder mysteries.

 

[StarEye]

I loved the story and atmosphere in the first, and been wanting to find out how the story continues, so I will probably pick this one up at one point. Unfortunately, I've heard it's not a particularly good game, but I just want to see the story.

 

[epmode]

Today's release is Still Life 2.

More like Still Not Anachronox... 2 AMIRITE?

 

[Joseph Merrick]

I heard the first game was great.

yeah, the first one and its prequel postmortem are both very nice. still life 2 is pretty good, even more awkward than stilllife1 in its conversations/script/voiceover but still very enjoyable. but quite buggy. I encountered two game killing bugs trying to play it, thats trying to play it once getting more than halfway through into bug I cant get past. it also ruined all my saves. then started from beginning and getting a bit further, I checked against a faq and was about 80% through. different game destroying bug. saves ruined again. and then I killed myself. hehe

 

[wazoo]

If that's the main reason you use it, you should be able to change your GPU's scaling mode for video games to either not upscale at all, and thus play them letterboxed with black space all around them, or only scale while maintaining the aspect ratio, so that you get black bars only to the sides (if your screen is wider) with the whole image magnified properly.

sometimes, it improves the stability as well, like for sanitarium.

I may have to look to what you in the Ati Control Center as well.

 

[gabbo]

yeah, the first one and its prequel postmortem are both very nice. still life 2 is pretty good, even more awkward than stilllife1 in its conversations/script/voiceover but still very enjoyable. but quite buggy. I encountered two game killing bugs trying to play it, thats trying to play it once getting more than halfway through into bug I cant get past. it also ruined all my saves. then started from beginning and getting a bit further, I checked against a faq and was about 80% through. different game destroying bug. saves ruined again. and then I killed myself. hehe

I must say I was infuriated by the baking puzzle in the first game, but I am contemplating a double dip on Still Life 2 for future proofing purposes (have it from Gamersgate currently).
I'm not great at some of the puzzles that require pixel hunting and leaps of logic (imo) to comprehend, but I really get pulled into the stories.

 

[Shadow Hog]

Incidentally, all Cyan games are 50% off this weekend.

Pretty sure I have copies of the games lying around the basement somewhere, though (barring RealMyst). Although, admittedly, that's because my parents played them; I myself have never played Myst. Ever. Probably should, one of these days...

 

[AndyMoogle]

I haven't played any of the Cyan games. Which are worth getting?

 

[Stumpokapow]

I haven't played any of the Cyan games. Which are worth getting?

RealMyst, Riven. No need to play Manhole, no benefit to playing Myst Masterpiece over RealMyst, and while you can make an argument that Uru is worth playing it'll take you a while to get through Myst and Riven so play those first and if you feel like you want to go further with the series, try to track down Myst 3, 4 or play Uru.

 

[Of All Trades]

I haven't played any of the Cyan games. Which are worth getting?

If you buy RealMyst today you can beat it by Sunday and decide if you want to play the less-playable* Riven. You'll need to take notes as you play but I was able to fit all the notes on 1.5 pages of a Blizzard Games notepad (the ones they give you for free in their games), and that's only because the last "puzzle" needs a bit of space to write down. I had to use Gamefaqs one time because I didn't realize I could click on something but outside of that it's a really easy and short game. For reference, I just started Gabriel Knight 1 and it's much harder.


*the 3D movement in RealMyst makes "mazes" far easier because you aren't at the mercy of confusing camera angles and the sense of space is far easier to grasp.

 

[Suairyu]

I haven't played any of the Cyan games. Which are worth getting?

Riven is one of the best 'living' puzzles every made. It's pretty much one giant puzzle. I'd say 90% of your time in that game is working out how to solve this one, hugely intricate puzzle that lets you at the final 10% of the game.

And that's not a bad thing.

You will need:
- notepad and pencil
- a keen ear and eye
- patience; lots of it.

You might spend hours, even days, in this game, as to try to soak up every detail of the environment in order to work out what it is you need to do. Make no mistake: this isn't an unfair, pixel-hunt, "work out the designer's mad train of thought that makes an umbrella start a car engine" style of game, but it will try you grey matter and observational skills. But if you're able to be that person who does those things, you will find no better game of its genre. The atmosphere and art direction is gorgeous.

However, for story reasons, I really suggest you play either Myst or realMyst first.

 

[SteveWinwood]

I beat myst forever ago as a kid. I didn't know there was a story. Annoying people in intentionally staticy fmvs, yes. Was that a story?

 

[AndyMoogle]

Thanks for the recommendations. I got RealMyst and Riven. They are quite cheap after all, and I don't think I'll play them right away, so I bought both.

 

[mclem]

Riven is one of the best 'living' puzzles every made. It's pretty much one giant puzzle. I'd say 90% of your time in that game is working out how to solve this one, hugely intricate puzzle that lets you at the final 10% of the game.

Spoiler

The marble grid?

The feeling of elation when I conquered that one was just... phenomenal.

I beat myst forever ago as a kid. I didn't know there was a story. Annoying people in intentionally staticy fmvs, yes. Was that a story?

It was a component of the story. It's a bit like the story in the Metroid Prime games - you aren't told it directly, but you learn it by examining the environment. There's a reason for the annoying people in the intentionally staticy FMVs. There's a reason for each of the worlds, and in particular there's a reason for certain rooms in each.

 

[cicero]

I am getting Riven: The Sequel to Myst, and I plan on getting RealMyst as well. I guess I am just wondering if Myst: Masterpiece Edition is worth purchasing too. Is there any specific reason to play Myst: Masterpiece Edition instead of or after RealMyst? Is the experience that different as to make it a worthwhile purchase?

Also, I realize the online portion is gone, but is Uru: Complete Chronicles as broken offline as I have heard, or is it worth the $5 even in its current state?

 

[zkylon]

RealMyst, Riven. No need to play Manhole, no benefit to playing Myst Masterpiece over RealMyst, and while you can make an argument that Uru is worth playing it'll take you a while to get through Myst and Riven so play those first and if you feel like you want to go further with the series, try to track down Myst 3, 4 or play Uru.

I'll take your advice too. Had Myst on my wishlist for a lifetime and never knew which version to get. I'll go for RealMyst and Riven.

 

[Of All Trades]

I am getting Riven: The Sequel to Myst, and I plan on getting RealMyst as well. I guess I am just wondering if Myst: Masterpiece Edition is worth purchasing too. Is there any specific reason to play Myst: Masterpiece Edition instead of or after RealMyst? Is the experience that different as to make it a worthwhile purchase?

Also, I realize the online portion is gone, but is Uru: Complete Chronicles as broken offline as I have heard, or is it worth the $5 even in its current state?

The only myst game to get is Realmyst. Other versions of myst are unnecessary.

 

[wazoo]

Riven is hardcore Myst. It did not sell that well despite a lot of anticipation. at that time Myst was at COD height of fame. it was the defacto bundle with CD player.

It also had a lot of clones in the 90s which did make me quit PC gaming.

Myst was fun, short and rewarding for everybody gamer and grandma. More Myst, better Myst (like more difficult puzzles or adding stories, which is basically 'anti-Myst' but so "what can we do now in Myst 2.0 ?") was really a boring part of PC gaming. 5 years later, that genre was basically dead.

 

[faceless007]

Riven is my favorite adventure game ever. It's alive and cohesive and complete in a way no other game world is, even though it's all pre-rendered shots and animation. Play RealMyst (short and not as impressive today as it was), but it'll introduce you the story and how Ages work. Then settle in for Riven and get lost in it.This LTTP thread on Riven does a great job explaining the beauty and execution of it.

Riven is hardcore Myst. It did not sell that well despite a lot of anticipation.

It was the best-selling game of 1997, selling 1.5 million

 

[Typographenia]

Even though I wasn't wild about Still Life, I'm really glad they finally got Still Life 2 up. I was starting to think they might never get it!

 

[Polk]

Thanks for the recommendations. I got RealMyst and Riven. They are quite cheap after all, and I don't think I'll play them right away, so I bought both.

oh, and cheat on music puzzle in original Myst. It was so stupid.

 

[Suairyu]

I'm actually considering purchasing a digital copy of Riven. I have a gorgeous Myst boxset that has everything but unfortunately Riven comes on 5 CDs and needs constant switching.

 

[Coop]

I heard the first game was great.

First game is alright, too linear for my taste. I couldn't play the second one for more than 40 minutes, it was horrible.

 

[cicero]

Great feedback, thank you. That LTTP thread that faceless007 mentioned is fantastic.

I went with RealMyst, Riven: The Sequel to Myst, and Uru: Complete Chronicles.

 

[BassForever]

I already owned Myst Masterpiece and Riven so I picked up Real Myst and Uru. My GoG back log is getting crazy lol so glad it's spring break so I'll have time to hack away at some of these.

 

[Suairyu]

Fuckit, caved and bought Riven. My bank account isn't going to miss £1.88 and at least now I'll never have to swap CDs constantly.

 

[cicero]

Apparently the restarted Myst Online: Uru Live is F2P and basically is comprised of Uru Complete Chronicles but with even more Ages available plus the online cavern and coop play, but for free. You can donate to help them keep running, that is it. I guess the only downside to not buying Uru Complete Chronicles now and going with the F2P Myst Online: Uru Live instead is that they might die again due to lack of donations or interest and you would have to buy it from GOG at full price if you wanted to play.

 

[mclem]

The sequence of apparently bizarre unexpected releases continues.

Robin Hood: The Legend Of Sherwood

(It gets worse: at first glance I thought I was looking at Conquest of the Longbow. Now there's a game I'd like Gog to get.)

 

[wazoo]

It is ont really bizarre.

This is spring, usually slow period for sales, they prefer to catch up to Dotemu now.

 

[mclem]

Fair point. and it does mean that every release is a surprise!

 

[szaromir]

The sequence of apparently bizarre unexpected releases continues.

Robin Hood: The Legend Of Sherwood

(It gets worse: at first glance I thought I was looking at Conquest of the Longbow. Now there's a game I'd like Gog to get.)

I don't get the hate... It's a solid Commandos clone (more Commandos 2/3 than Commandos 1) that's very appealing if you're into Robin Hood and similar themes (I was at the time of its release).

 

[mclem]

I don't get the hate... It's a solid Commandos clone (more Commandos 2/3 than Commandos 1) that's very appealing if you're into Robin Hood and similar themes (I was at the time of its release).

Oh, sorry! I wasn't really disparaging the *game*; just the somewhat pot-luck release schedule (although, as above, there's nothing really *wrong* with that)

 

[wazoo]

They have teased that "big releases will come back in the next few weeks"

I am ok that some games from Dotemu are also on GOG, I would like to have Postmortem and a Vampire Story for example.

 

[Miletius]

The sequence of apparently bizarre unexpected releases continues.

Robin Hood: The Legend Of Sherwood

(It gets worse: at first glance I thought I was looking at Conquest of the Longbow. Now there's a game I'd like Gog to get.)

I thought it was the Sierra adventure game at first, and was really excited. This game looks decent but not enough so that I'd pay $9.99 for it.

 

[gabbo]

Anyone want to guess what will be on tap for tomorrow/later today?

 

[subversus]

System Shock 2

 

[Perkel]

System Shock 2

we all agreed that this isn't gonna happen

 

[SteveWinwood]

Grim Fandango

 

[subversus]

we all agreed that this isn't gonna happen

I did not.

 

[wazoo]

Grim Fandango

will not happen without a big neverending tease about getting Lucas as a publisher. Most likely at E3.

 

[Joseph Merrick]

I thought it was the Sierra adventure game at first, and was really excited. This game looks decent but not enough so that I'd pay $9.99 for it.

it's not only decent, it's great. probably the best commandos clone. it's too bad they didn't go 6 dollars for it, but 10 dollars is understandable enough since that's about the same price it is on dotemu, gamersgate and steam. aka. everywhere else.