Videogames: New Year, New Thread

[Toth]

21 hours ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

The X soubdtrakc was good, this was back when some fanes (like X-Wing V Tiefighter) had their soundtracks saved as mp3 so if you put the game disk in a CD player, it would olay the music. Wierdly, the one track I ripped and still have calls itself Redemption’s Son by Joseph Arthur, and even has that song’s image.

And you are only talking of the original X, right? You haven't even gotten to the Alexei Zakharov soundracks from X3 onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi1M747Iw48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFXKBTTY1OE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cpGZN4L0CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAfJuQaXWgk

[Werthead]

6 hours ago, IlyaP said:

I managed to find a copy of Starlancer, Wert. Did you play it on a modern system? I'm getting a mixture of crackly audio, extreme color banding, and no mouse control whatsoever - on my Windows 10 system. 

StarLancer is best played with a joystick or a gamepad. It is playable with a mouse - I think they were prototyping the mouse control system from Freelancer two years later, but it was a bit flaky, and I believe under Windows 10 it's almost impossibly to get the mouse controls working.

I think GoG has been trying to get Starlancer and Freelancer for years so they can fix them up and get them properly working on modern systems, although I think Freelancer does play more nicely with modern systems because it has a more active modding scene (some of the Freelancer mods are absolutely amazing, massively improving over the bare-bones base game).

It's unclear what's going on with GoG, except that Microsoft's apparently been hard to play ball with regarding older games.

[IlyaP]

6 hours ago, Werthead said:

StarLancer is best played with a joystick or a gamepad. It is playable with a mouse - I think they were prototyping the mouse control system from Freelancer two years later, but it was a bit flaky, and I believe under Windows 10 it's almost impossibly to get the mouse controls working.

I think GoG has been trying to get Starlancer and Freelancer for years so they can fix them up and get them properly working on modern systems, although I think Freelancer does play more nicely with modern systems because it has a more active modding scene (some of the Freelancer mods are absolutely amazing, massively improving over the bare-bones base game).

It's unclear what's going on with GoG, except that Microsoft's apparently been hard to play ball with regarding older games.

This has been my observation with Freelancer. I'm still playing the game as there are so many mods out there that add new stories, new worlds, new, well - everything. It's quite remarkable. A cursory glance seems to suggest the Starlancer mod scene isn't quite as big. 

And ye gods, the opening of the game was nearly ten minutes long. As I sit there and wonder: "so, uh, when can I play the game?"

[IlyaP]

11 hours ago, Ran said:

This may help.

Looking at gameplay footage of Starlancer, it's a very dark and grimey sort of space shooter. Reminds me of FreeSpace a bit in that regard. Freelancer is a bit brighter.

 

YES! 

It hadn't occurred to me at the time, but you are on the spot with that observation. Even the in-ship hud just feels so...dark. Like it's part of the DCEU or something!  

[IlyaP]

Does anyone know how GoG organises arrangements with companies to sell old games like Starlancer and Freelancer? @Werthead you mentioned that MS has been playing hard ball with them, but to what end? Surely it's in everyone's interest if a classic game is made available and works properly without much fuss (looking at you, Voyager: Elite Forces, you lovable buggy mess!). 

I've been out of the video game industry professional now for over ten years, so I don't know the pecularities that exist within this space.

[IlyaP]

8 hours ago, Toth said:

And you are only talking of the original X, right? You haven't even gotten to the Alexei Zakharov soundracks from X3 onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi1M747Iw48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFXKBTTY1OE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cpGZN4L0CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAfJuQaXWgk

Upon purchasing the first X game, it appears that the entire score is made available - albeit as *.wav files, which can of course be easily converted to *.mp3 format. That said - Zakharov said the X1 score was packaged in with the X3 score? Which I purchased but it looks like it's...just a few legacy tracks? 

Is my assessment correct, @Toth? Or not quite? 

[Werthead]

54 minutes ago, IlyaP said:

Does anyone know how GoG organises arrangements with companies to sell old games like Starlancer and Freelancer? @Werthead you mentioned that MS has been playing hard ball with them, but to what end? Surely it's in everyone's interest if a classic game is made available and works properly without much fuss (looking at you, Voyager: Elite Forces, you lovable buggy mess!). 

I've been out of the video game industry professional now for over ten years, so I don't know the pecularities that exist within this space.

I think it's because it's less than a rounding error on Microsoft's balance sheets, so they don't give a shit.

When Neo-Lucasfilm Games reached a deal with GoG to put all their old Star Wars games on the service, they announced it with a massive fanfare because they knew current gamers would get excited and buy those games in their millions (which they did) and make a small but nontrivial profit (which they did). The same, to a lesser scale, with all the old LucasArts adventures etc.

With StarLancer and Freelancer, Microsoft finding the source files (which may not exist any more, or might be on an old ZIP drive sitting in one of half a million boxes in a storage facility somewhere someone has to go and physically dig out) would probably be more trouble than it's worth for them given that releasing them on GoG would probably result in no more than a couple of thousand sales and a profit so tiny they wouldn't even notice it. The same with other Microsoft games like Crimson Skies.

[Ran]

Speaking of space sims, one that very few people have heard of, near as I can tell, apparently went full open source years ago: Shatterstar: The Gathering Storm. (This page has some added tips for playing it.) I played it many years ago when it was released, lured by the idea of its fully dynamic campaign system along the likes of Falcon 4.0. You start out as a fighter pilot but over time can be promoted, eventually moving into command of capital ships all the way up to a carrier fleet. Very ambitious for its time, and while it was a "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of thing, it was interesting.

It definitely had flaws -- the AI had trouble with landing fighters, for example, and sometimes cap ships would just zoom off into minefields -- but nothing that really killed the experience. I remember once running "silent" to get past an enemy picket so I could attack a strategic target before they knew what was happening. The pings and updates and constantly checking radar and maps to see if I'd been spotted or not worked nicely.

Re: Sales, apparently some 20k+ people have noted their interest in buying Starlancer or Freelancer on some page GoG has for community wishlists. But yeah, that's still not a lot of sales.

[IlyaP]

1 hour ago, Ran said:

Speaking of space sims, one that very few people have heard of, near as I can tell, apparently went full open source years ago: Shatterstar: The Gathering Storm. (This page has some added tips for playing it.) I played it many years ago when it was released, lured by the idea of its fully dynamic campaign system along the likes of Falcon 4.0. You start out as a fighter pilot but over time can be promoted, eventually moving into command of capital ships all the way up to a carrier fleet. Very ambitious for its time, and while it was a "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of thing, it was interesting.

Does it play more like Freelancer or like X-Wing/Wing Commander? Could I play it using a keyboard/mouse setup?

[Ran]

6 hours ago, IlyaP said:

Does it play more like Freelancer or like X-Wing/Wing Commander? Could I play it using a keyboard/mouse setup?

It's not really like either of them at all. It's more of a "hardcore" military sim. Mouse can work, but you need to fiddle with settings to virtual joystick. Capital ships are not controlled the same way as the fighters, you click to set bearing and they ponderously turn as directed.

Interestingly, it allows you to change the flying physics in the setting -- straight Newtonian, pure arcade, or a mix between the two. 

[Toth]

18 hours ago, IlyaP said:

Upon purchasing the first X game, it appears that the entire score is made available - albeit as *.wav files, which can of course be easily converted to *.mp3 format. That said - Zakharov said the X1 score was packaged in with the X3 score? Which I purchased but it looks like it's...just a few legacy tracks? 

Is my assessment correct, @Toth? Or not quite? 

I'm confused. You mean purchasing X1 digitally (on GOG?) gives you the soundtrack up to X3? I don't know, never looked into any soundtracks and I only own X4 digitally anyway. I got X1, X2 and X3 as CDs/DVDs.

[Heartofice]

Royal Court DLC arrives tomorrow for Crusader Kings 3. I’m very excited. I think it’s a great addition, they’ve realised the great power of the game is it’s ability to create stories and characters. It’s amazing how many characters I’ve bred in the game have kind of stuck with me and how involved I’ve felt in family dynamics. 
 

Although Warhammer 3 is coming out soon after, and it looks cool and all, it’s not a coincidence that it’s a CK3 add on that’s got me most hyped 

[IlyaP]

5 hours ago, Toth said:

I'm confused. You mean purchasing X1 digitally (on GOG?) gives you the soundtrack up to X3? I don't know, never looked into any soundtracks and I only own X4 digitally anyway. I got X1, X2 and X3 as CDs/DVDs.

Sorry, should have been more clear.

X1 included all the music files, so you can technically assemble the soundtrack from those files (which are all *.wav) files.

That said, the composer said for those who wanted the official X1 soundtrack, those tracks would be included on the official X3 soundtrack album.

[aceluby]

On 2/5/2022 at 11:23 PM, Ramsay B. said:

I finally took my Oculus out and decided to use it. I’m a total VR noob as I never played anything before. I tried Vader Immortal ep 1, and it’s really short but cool as hell. It was seriously kind of intimidating the first time Vader makes his appearance and walks up to you. He’s huge.

Anyone have any recommendations? I was gonna get Resident Evil 4. That could be an intense one(loved the original).

Beat Saber, RE7 (not sure if this is on oculus), and Superhot would be my recommendations 

[The Anti-Targ]

Just saw the trailer for the Halo TV series. Never played Halo, because FPS, but it always sounded like an interesting universe lore and story-wise.

It looks like they are going to do a Judge Dredd with Master Chief, which I imagine would be mandatory from a game fans perspective.

[aceluby]

Path of Exile console league start is today.  This should last me until Elden Ring later this month and will be a good break from Hades

[Corvinus85]

When I started playing Expeditions: Rome I didn't know how long of a game it was going to be. Almost 60 hrs in and I just now started Act III. I got one more week to finish it because Total War: Warhammer III is coming.

I also didn't know how immersive it could feel at times, as it touches on various aspects of Roman society, and yet at the same time be extremely liberal with history. I had to accept I was in a totally different reality where the civil war between Pompey and Caesar never happened. In fact, the game has so far fastidiously stayed away from mentioning Julius Caesar, despite having so many other historical figures from the period. I've begun to wonder if my character isn't secretly Caesar and will be revealed at the end. 

I ended Act II by having Cleopatra murdered and later gaining the governorship of Egypt which gave me a big lump of money to add to my wealth when starting Act III. 

[Fez]

27 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

When I started playing Expeditions: Rome I didn't know how long of a game it was going to be. Almost 60 hrs in and I just now started Act III. I got one more week to finish it because Total War: Warhammer III is coming.

I also didn't know how immersive it could feel at times, as it touches on various aspects of Roman society, and yet at the same time be extremely liberal with history. I had to accept I was in a totally different reality where the civil war between Pompey and Caesar never happened. In fact, the game has so far fastidiously stayed away from mentioning Julius Caesar, despite having so many other historical figures from the period. I've begun to wonder if my character isn't secretly Caesar and will be revealed at the end. 

I ended Act II by having Cleopatra murdered and later gaining the governorship of Egypt which gave me a big lump of money to add to my wealth when starting Act III. 

Regarding Julius Caesar, early act 1 spoilers

Spoiler

You did meet him, he was on the ship with you at the beginning and got killed in the mountain path ambush on Lesbos. Whereas in history he was merely captured by pirates in the Aegean sea. Basically the entire game is an alt history stemming from "what if Caesar was killed young? and a few other changes"

I'm early in Act III myself, having taken a break from the game for a little while. I also killed Cleopatra but did not end becoming the governor; not sure what variable might've changed that.

From what I understand, Act III is shorter than Act II. But then there's an Act IV, which also isn't too long but is when things really pop off.

[RumHam]

I ran through Stellaris again, securing my second victory. I wanted to play again before they change it up so you can't just boost administrative capacity and expand across half the galaxy without any penalty. 

I was being good until the Unbidden were wiped out really early by a fallen empire next to mine. The other fallen empire then awakened to fight the crisis that had already been destroyed. I realized they would win if I remained peaceful so I built a death star and finished off the weakened empire that'd done most of the work against the Unbidden, then provoked the awaken guys into attacking me for the +40% fire rate in your territory in a defensive war bonus.

The war started really badly, but I was able to build ships much faster than them, and mostly focused on death starring their planets while they took my starbases one by one. Got them down to one planet, but they invaded Earth and another of mine because I got sloppy and was so focused on cracking their worlds. So my last blow against my final enemy was death starring my own home world. But hey I won. 

My most important takeaway: they've mitigated the late game lag. I never had to stop using the "fastest" speed so the game could run. I'll definitely play again after the changes to empire sprawl / administrative capacity. Crazy how much this game has changed since I first played it. 

[Corvinus85]

1 hour ago, Fez said:

Regarding Julius Caesar, early act 1 spoilers

  Hide contents

You did meet him, he was on the ship with you at the beginning and got killed in the mountain path ambush on Lesbos. Whereas in history he was merely captured by pirates in the Aegean sea. Basically the entire game is an alt history stemming from "what if Caesar was killed young? and a few other changes"

I'm early in Act III myself, having taken a break from the game for a little while. I also killed Cleopatra but did not end becoming the governor; not sure what variable might've changed that.

From what I understand, Act III is shorter than Act II. But then there's an Act IV, which also isn't too long but is when things really pop off.

I never made the connection. 

Spoiler

I also missed when he died and later after rescuing Catto, there's mention of Gaius's death and I had to scratch my head on it. The game sometimes does its announcements really fast when finishing something and I can't read all of it.

On Egypt

Spoiler

I did the Senate meeting twice to see if it was possible to get the proconsul position. First time I acted more or less humble and Catto was given the position. The 2nd time I straight up asked for it as the conqueror's reward and Pompey backed me up and I got it.

You get 10k denarii at the beginning of Act III as a result.

I suppose I won't be able to finish it in a week.