Bioware now has at least 5 games in development. This one is an MMOG.

[Soln]

while we're there.... I've been looking for something to help me install and run Darklands.  Anyone got DOS? 

[schild]

It won't run on the DOS emulator du jour?

[Morfiend]

What I wouldnt gave to play an updated version of Phantasy Star 1 or 2, not this PSO crap game they have now.

[WayAbvPar]

while we're there.... I've been looking for something to help me install and run Darklands.  Anyone got DOS? 

That game would have been HUGE if it was released after the advent of widely available broadband. It was such a great game, but in such DIRE need of a couple of patches...

[Megrim]

while we're there.... I've been looking for something to help me install and run Darklands.  Anyone got DOS? 

DOS Box mang, DOS Box.

[Soln]

It won't run on the DOS emulator du jour?

I was lazing for a recommendation other than FreeDos.  Never mind, I'll do it, right after I take out the garbage.

[Strazos]

Baldur's Gate was the first PC DnD RPG that I loved.

And yeah, I played pretty much all of those games listed by Schild. I liked most of them, but I still liked BG more. I was never a huge fan of the early console RPG battle systems (too damn grindy, even before the term really existed), and I despised the early first-person dungeon crawl RPGs (I'm looking at YOU, Gold Box series) - I could never get into them. I would just see the interface and think, "Gah, lame. I want to see my characters!"

Also, never played Wasteland, and I doubt I ever will. For Fucks Sake, I was about 4 years when the game was first released. I was busy pwning Zelda and Castlevania.


NOTE: I am still Very on-board with even the concept of a MMG developed by BioWare. Alpha plzkthx?

[HaemishM]

Also, never played Wasteland, and I doubt I ever will.

You are depriving yourself, young N00bler. There is nothing quite like unloading wildly into a crowd of rampaging cyborg-like things with the only clip for your Uzi you're ever likely to find while your arms rot off from radiocativity in 4 glorious colors. At least, that's what I remember.

[Yegolev]

It won't run on the DOS emulator du jour?

I was lazing for a recommendation other than FreeDos.  Never mind, I'll do it, right after I take out the garbage.

Meg was right, just without link: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/

[edit] Doesn't handle System Shock too well, but there are ways to do that otherwise.

[Lantyssa]

Wasteland was awesome.  I must have played through it a dozen times.

[Bunk]

The topic of this thread makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[Strazos]

I don't even think I could find a way to run Wasteland at this point, even if I wanted to. Apple II? lol, the only thing I played on the Apple II was a computerized voice program.

Sticking silly hockey player names into the program, and watching it butcher the pronunciation, is pretty funny on an off day.

[Lantyssa]

It was also released on DOS if you can locate that version.  I have not actually tried to load my copy with DOS Box, although I do not recall any weird copy protection that should stop it (ala Syndicate Wars ).

[HaemishM]

Wasteland ran on DOS. I imagine getting an emulator for it would be as hard as getting any other emulator.

[Big Gulp]

You are soulless.

I think this is the one and only instance that I've ever agreed with Schild, but the Ultima franchise did nothing for me either.  C'mon, Lord British?  Even at the tender age of 12 I knew that that was the most jackass name ever given to a fantasy character.  It was enough of a deal breaker that I just could never get past it.

Then there's the tendency to name critters things like "mongbats", Garriott's obvious batshit insanity, etc, and I've just always felt justified in ignoring Ultima.

[Murgos]

I think this is the one and only instance that I've ever agreed with Schild, but the Ultima franchise did nothing for me either.  C'mon, Lord British?  Even at the tender age of 12 I knew that that was the most jackass name ever given to a fantasy character.  It was enough of a deal breaker that I just could never get past it.

Then there's the tendency to name critters things like "mongbats", Garriott's obvious batshit insanity, etc, and I've just always felt justified in ignoring Ultima.

You see, that's almost the exact reason why the Ultimas were so cool at the time.  The whole premise of the games was that you were some normal kid sucked into an alternate dimension where you lived out this fantastic hero life, the silly names are all a part of that.  It was pure fantasy and seeing Lord British put himself into the game as the King was just that little thing that said, yeah, he gets it.

There is a reason the protagonist was named "The Avatar" and all the characters welcomed you back each game like an old friend.  Looks like you missed it entirely.

[schild]

When you look back at RPGs pre 1992 or so, you have to look at them like this:

How much am I willing to suffer through?

There wasn't exactly a world of streamlining in old RPGs. They were tedious, required notetaking, and for the most part had absolute shit for stories (there are some notable exceptions). Some people suffered through the gold box stuff, some people suffered through Ultima, some people suffered through the first JRPGs on the Nintendo. None of them were really "fun." We were all easier to entertain back then. Gaming was new. If EQ1 or something like that had come along back then we all would have collectively shit ourselves. I can't go back and play Pool of Radiance. It's not fun anymore. Not even as a nostalgia trip. Neither is Dragon Warrior. Hell, the original King's Quests aren't even fun for me anymore. And as much as I'd like to, I can't be bothered to play Maniac Mansion or Sam & Max again. I've tried multiple times with A Boy and His Blob and it's never like it used to be.

The question is, how objective are we willing to be when we remember our first great gaming experience. In retrospect, mine sucked. Sure, SMB1-3 was there. So was Zelda, Loom, and other shit like that. But better versions or better games now exist for every known genre. Indigo Prophecy is just about the best adventure game ever made. It didn't hit me like Day of the Tentacle did when I was younger, but as I said, entertaining me was a LOT easier. Same thing with Neverhood, I'd never played anything like it. Half-Life 2 is probably the best single player FPS in existance. But when I was 12 or so, Doom was THE SHIT. HL2 was never THE SHIT. It was just another gaming experience.

And that's just how gaming goes. Me saying I didn't like Ultima is just admitting that I wasn't willing to suffer through it. Great, you were. I don't see how we missed the point if first generation games didn't entertain us. The question is, if they remade the Ultima's with modern technology, would they be worth playing? Nah, not to me. None of them were that compelling. Hell, if they remade the gold box games I wouldn't be interested. Just about the only titles I'd be interested in remakes of are FFIV, VI, and VII. And that's more because of story than gameplay. Only stories survive the test of time. Great gameplay and quality survives in memory. On that note, I've found consoles have a longer shelf-life than PC titles in terms of replayability down the road. I can pick up and play SMB3 any day of the week, but there's nothing that came out during that time on the PC that I'd even be remotely interested in booting up.

I've forgotten where I was going with this... Oh, right. "Little Touches" don't make a mediocre RPG good. Being young (in gaming years) and/or new to the genre makes a mediocre RPG good.

[Murgos]

When you look back at RPGs pre 1992 or so, you have to look at them like this:

How much am I willing to suffer through?

...snipped...

I've forgotten where I was going with this... Oh, right. "Little Touches" don't make a mediocre RPG good. Being young (in gaming years) and/or new to the genre makes a mediocre RPG good.

I think that between beginning and end you forgot where you started and where you were going to.  The Ulitmas were amazing simply because they had never been done before, you are absolutely right there, they were some of the first games to attempt to invoke a feeling of alternate reality that was such a promise of computers (and the push to that is directly responsible for MMOGs) and they did it graphically.  Were they the first faltering steps on the road?  Sure, but that doesn't mean they were mediocre.  The best at the time is still the best at the time, retroactively applying modern standards that have evolved from those first games doesn't make them lesser games it just means you have issues with determining cause and effect.

[schild]

The best at the time is one thing. The thread started with telling someone how much they missed. Ultima isn't something I put on that list. I can't tell someone to go back and play Ultima, they simply won't appreciate them. They had a time and a place. In terms of Now, it does make them lesser games. Other stuff has held up better. Some people are capable of going back and playing old shit and still being completely overwhelmed by it. I'm not. I'm fairly sure VickeVire, the person we're trying to convince otherwise would think we were whack if we said "Go back and play ultima." It's simply not something that can convince someone of the point we're trying to make. It's like telling someone to play EQ1 now that World of Warcraft is out. It's all about context.

[Strazos]

Wasteland ran on DOS. I imagine getting an emulator for it would be as hard as getting any other emulator, while at the same time not getting bombarded with maleware Bullshit from the kind of Warez sites you would have to peruse.

Fixed it for you. I spent two hours reviving a friend's machine because he Had to have a SNES emulator. No thanks.

[Lantyssa]

DOS Box is on Sourceforge.  Probably some other emulators, too.  They should be relatively safe...

[HaemishM]

Wasteland ran on DOS. I imagine getting an emulator for it would be as hard as getting any other emulator, while at the same time not getting bombarded with maleware Bullshit from the kind of Warez sites you would have to peruse.

Fixed it for you. I spent two hours reviving a friend's machine because he Had to have a SNES emulator. No thanks.

Yes, that's one reasons I just don't cruise Underdogs or other emulator sites. I'm not a big nostalgia gaming fan, but Wasteland was fun. There are a few games from the past I'd love to be able to boot up again, but I'm not sure I could take the antique graphics and the emulation issues, especially not when I have a ton of games still unplayed that are modern.

However, I do believe if someone remade the Ultimas with modern graphics and engine sensibilities (instead of some kind of glossy direct port), they'd still hold up today as great games.

[Murgos]

However, I do believe if someone remade the Ultimas with modern graphics and engine sensibilities (instead of some kind of glossy direct port), they'd still hold up today as great games.

Like this http://www.u5lazarus.com/?  I haven't played it yet but several people in this (or a related) community were involved in it.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, something like that, only with a game engine more interactive than Dungeon Siege.

[Soln]

So Underdogs is full of malware?  Anyone got another linkie for a repository of old games?  It's where I got Darkfall, Fallout, but still trolling for Planescape.  thx


[Edit]  While we're discussing, can I propose a sub-forum for Classic Games or Games Well Esteemed or something that can hold a good list of games no longer on the radar but deserve  ?  I want to get a separate box set up with Mule and these DOS'y jewels.  Thank f13 you're greatest!  :-D

[Daeven]

So Underdogs is full of malware?  Anyone got another linkie for a repository of old games?  It's where I got Darkfall, Fallout, but still trolling for Planescape.  thx

Amazon.com. $13.95 or less.

sheesh.

Btw, Planescape still has one of the best stories I've found in a game yet. Someone make *that* MMOG / Sequel / Whatever

[Strazos]

Btw, Planescape still has one of the best stories I've found in a game yet. Someone make *that* MMOG / Sequel / Whatever

Newb, don't tarnish a great thing.

[Soln]

So Underdogs is full of malware?  Anyone got another linkie for a repository of old games?  It's where I got Darkfall, Fallout, but still trolling for Planescape.  thx

Amazon.com. $13.95 or less.

Dude a lot of them are no longer available.  Point taken, however.

[Strazos]

Anyone know if Planescape is burnable? I'm serious.


I would usually HATE on such a thing, especially when one of my precious BioWare games is the subject of said copying, but...

It's been out of print for years, but people still should be able to play it.

[schild]

I'm not entirely sure people who missed Planescape deserve to play it in retrospect. It might be too good for them.

[Strazos]

Perhaps you are right. Disbelievers do not deserve nice things.

[Signe]

You can buy it!

Now you don't have to lose sleep at night feeling guilty for stealing it. 

[Glazius]

Anyone know if Planescape is burnable? I'm serious.

I would usually HATE on such a thing, especially when one of my precious BioWare games is the subject of said copying, but...

It's been out of print for years, but people still should be able to play it.

Burnable?

Hell, the noCD crack consists of _changing the INI file_.

Got Planescape in a 2pack with Drinkcoaster, I mean Soulblighter, slapped it on my HD and have been running nice ever since.

--GF

[Strazos]

Burnable?

Hell, the noCD crack consists of _changing the INI file_.

Got Planescape in a 2pack with Drinkcoaster, I mean Soulblighter, slapped it on my HD and have been running nice ever since.

--GF

Already knew about changing the .ini file, but that doesn't answer my question....

A question that seems to be moot at this point. Have fun.