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Reply 3300 of 5810, by Joakim

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I loved Gothic, buggy and ugly like a Fiat but it was a nice ride none the less. I loved the draw distance which imo made it feel very real.

I too never really fell for Morrowind, a game I never liked as much as it deserved... But I liked spelunking in old dwarven ruins so I probably spent a couple of hundred hours in it anyway. And don't get me started on the cliff racers...

Reply 3301 of 5810, by Joseph_Joestar

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Joakim wrote on 2021-09-17, 10:10:

And don't get me started on the cliff racers...

Relevant video 😁

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 3302 of 5810, by NovaCN

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Joakim wrote on 2021-09-17, 10:10:

I loved Gothic, buggy and ugly like a Fiat but it was a nice ride none the less. I loved the draw distance which imo made it feel very real.

I too never really fell for Morrowind, a game I never liked as much as it deserved... But I liked spelunking in old dwarven ruins so I probably spent a couple of hundred hours in it anyway. And don't get me started on the cliff racers...

I always played with a mod that removes cliff racers entirely. Thankfully there are still plenty of places to buy racer plumes so it doesn't mess with alchemy.

[Insert late-aughts overly-elaborate animated signature banner here]

Reply 3304 of 5810, by Joakim

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-09-17, 10:17:
Joakim wrote on 2021-09-17, 10:10:

And don't get me started on the cliff racers...

Relevant video 😁

!

dkD9NSfb.jpg
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Reply 3305 of 5810, by clueless1

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Now that I finished Kingdom Come: Deliverance:
Re: List the PC games that you have beaten
I'm deciding on my next game.

Time for a 20 hour FPS or two to take a break from 100 hour RPGs. Probably Metro: Last Light or Bioshock 2, or both (I've beaten Metro 2033 and Bioshock 1). Looking ahead to my next RPG, I'm also considering several sequels to games I've already beaten:
Realms of Arkania 3
Legend of Grimrock 2
Might & Magic 6
as well as Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

For now, I'm still roaming Bohemia in KCD, messing with DLC, side quests and just exploring areas I never got intimate with during my playthrough.

The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.
OPL3 FM vs. Roland MT-32 vs. General MIDI DOS Game Comparison
Let's benchmark our systems with cache disabled
DOS PCI Graphics Card Benchmarks

Reply 3306 of 5810, by kolderman

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Getting into the groove of Dragan Age Origins. Hide warriors around the corner, use an archer to draw enemies in the trap, position mage to case flame burst on the group of enemies just as they come round the corner. Then pile on one at a time. Almost at the top of the tower.

Reply 3308 of 5810, by RetroGamer4Ever

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I just installed the latest Daggerfall Unity build. This "port" keeps getting better and better and similar games like the Might & Magic series are being ported to Unity as well. I only wish it had actual MIDI output, but Unity doesn't support MIDI at all and it has to be shoe-horned in with a buggy SoundFont-powered experimental synth. Unfortunately, you can only use small SF2s with it and none of the large, HQ ones that enthusiasts love to use.

Reply 3309 of 5810, by DracoNihil

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RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2021-09-24, 21:58:

buggy SoundFont-powered experimental synth. Unfortunately, you can only use small SF2s with it and none of the large, HQ ones that enthusiasts love to use.

I really don't understand why they continue using whatever it is they're using for that. They should just figure out how to bind FluidSynth to their code project or something.

The only soundfont I got working with no issues was "Scc1t2.sf2" because that soundfont is more or less a "conversion" of GM.DLS to SF2, it doesn't use modulators or really any kind of special feature SoundFont 2.x allows for and I think that's why it works so well without problems.

Actually, I think what it might be being used is FMod's crappy attempt at loading SF2. Which is funny because Zandronum uses FMod and refuses to load a SF2, but will load a DLS just fine. But, I'm just going off by the fact pavucontrol shows Daggerfall Unity's client name as "FMod Ex".

“I am the dragon without a name…”
― Κυνικός Δράκων

Reply 3310 of 5810, by RetroGamer4Ever

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I don't know what they are using and I couldn't find anything specific on the forums beyond the basic how to use a Soundfont blah-blah, though the codebase on github probably has something there to divulge. Though users have requested full MIDI support for Unity, the community - such as the Unity devs define it - said that MIDI was old, lame, and that actual digital audio recordings is a better choice for all games and apps. The only thing that really came out of the discussion was the devs saying "We'll think about it." and it hasn't gotten anywhere. There are some Unity add-ons for MIDI controllers (knobs, switches, and such), but nothing really working for actual music.

Reply 3312 of 5810, by Joseph_Joestar

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Currently playing a bit of Transport Tycoon on my Pentium MMX rig. It's the original version, not the deluxe edition.

Such a nice and relaxing game, with a wonderful soundtrack. Funny thing is, even though I now have an AWE64 and a SC-155, I still prefer OPL3 music in this game, for purely nostalgic reasons.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 3313 of 5810, by Sombrero

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-09-28, 17:16:

Funny thing is, even though I now have an AWE64 and a SC-155, I still prefer OPL3 music in this game, for purely nostalgic reasons.

Nothing strange about that, I much prefer the original OPL soundtrack over the enhanced CD soundtrack Alone in the Dark got with its CD release. Same thing with Mortal Kombat, the later CD version is way closer to the original arcade version but the floppy version is the one that sounds right to me. Better ain't always better and nostalgia is one helluva drug.

Reply 3314 of 5810, by Joseph_Joestar

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Sombrero wrote on 2021-09-28, 17:39:

Same thing with Mortal Kombat, the later CD version is way closer to the original arcade version but the floppy version is the one that sounds right to me. Better ain't always better and nostalgia is one helluva drug.

I'm fully with you on Mortal Kombat as well. Arcade accuracy be damned, I just want to listen to the FM synth tunes that I experienced as a kid.

OTOH, I enjoy playing Doom, Duke3D and Descent music on my SC-155. Same with most of my other DOS favorites. But for Transport Tycoon, Mortal Kombat and Tyrian, it just has to be OPL3 for me.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 3315 of 5810, by Sombrero

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-09-28, 18:04:
Sombrero wrote on 2021-09-28, 17:39:

Same thing with Mortal Kombat, the later CD version is way closer to the original arcade version but the floppy version is the one that sounds right to me. Better ain't always better and nostalgia is one helluva drug.

I'm fully with you on Mortal Kombat as well. Arcade accuracy be damned, I just want to listen to the FM synth tunes that I experienced as a kid.

OTOH, I enjoy playing Doom, Duke3D and Descent music on my SC-155. Same with most of my other DOS favorites. But for Transport Tycoon, Mortal Kombat and Tyrian, it just has to be OPL3 for me.

I think Tyrian was originally composed with OPL3? Sounds best to me too and I didn't even play it as a kid so no nostalgia messing with me.

Reply 3316 of 5810, by Joseph_Joestar

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Sombrero wrote on 2021-09-28, 18:16:

I think Tyrian was originally composed with OPL3?

Very likely. On the flip side, it does sound pretty decent on an AWE card too, but my nostalgia demands OPL3. It just feels right for that game.

Damn it, now I want to replay Tyrian too! 😁

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 3317 of 5810, by Namrok

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Well, I rebuilt the nostalgic 1997, P233 MMX/Riva 128 machine I (eventually) had as a child again. To christen it I finished off the final episode of Ultimate Doom I hadn't previously felt obligated to beat in order to say I "finished" Doom.

I mean, at the end of chapter 3 it says "The End". Who cares about chapter 4?

Anyways, it felt kind of perfunctory. I think the only slightly inspired level is one that it turned out Romero made when I looked it up.

I started playing Shogo on the same computer. It has some chop at the lowest settings, especially when too many enemies get on screen at a time. I keep thinking 1997 was a horrible time to buy a computer expecting to play 3d games. Checking old ads in CGW, $2500 got you a P233 MMX, a 1st gen 4MB 3d accelerator and 32 MB of RAM. Although I guess you got all the trimmings too. CRT monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, sometimes a joystick. Still, 3d games coming out in the first half of 1998 really need a Pentium II and a Voodoo 2 to run remotely smooth.

It's just a super hard transition with the enormous leap in performance from the Voodoo generation of cards to the Voodoo 2 generation of cards, as well as the enormous leap in gaming performance from Pentium to Pentium II. So of course now I'm resisting the urge to build a Pentium II machine. Maybe I'll try to beat Shogo before I go any further down that rabbit hole.

Win95/DOS 7.1 - P233 MMX (@2.5 x 100 FSB), Diamond Viper V330 AGP, SB16 CT2800
Win98 - K6-2+ 500, GF2 MX, SB AWE 64 CT4500, SBLive CT4780
Win98 - Pentium III 1000, GF2 GTS, SBLive CT4760
WinXP - Athlon 64 3200+, GF 7800 GS, Audigy 2 ZS

Reply 3318 of 5810, by badmojo

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Still working my way through Gothic 1 here but I'm in no rush, it's such an atmospheric game that some play sessions are spent just exploring. Exploration is rewarded for the most part but I've come across the occasional cave that's empty. I'll forgive the devs some unfinished areas though because there's so much detail packed into the towns and interactions with NPCs, it's incredible really. All Piranha Bytes games that followed - Gothic 2 and 3, Risen 1/2/3 , and Elex - follow the formula laid out here.

Gothic-Mod-2021-09-24-08-11-12.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-24-17-34-22.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-26-19-45-13.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-27-21-32-07.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-28-08-02-12.jpg

If anyone's interested then here are my notes for bringing G1 up to scratch for these modern times - no gameplay changes, just visual and control updates.

-- install the GOG version, this includes patch 1.08k 

-- gothic1_playerkit-1.08k.exe

-- Gothic1_PlayerKit-2.8.exe

-- G1Classic-SystemPack-1.8.exe (check that this is still the latest: https://github.com/GothicFixTeam/GothicFix/releases)

-- copy Carnage_Graphics_patch.VDF to ..\Gothic\Data\

-- copy 'Texture Pack By Artemiano Gothic I.vdf' to ..\Gothic\Data\

-- copy GD3D11 files to \system (check if you have the latest version first https://github.com/Kirides/GD3D11/releases)
- extract 'G1_NP_UPDATE.rar' (get here https://the-gaming-den.com/table/) to the \system\GD3D11\replacements\ folder
- copy the 'ZENResources' folder to \system\GD3D11\
- copy 'UserSettings.ini' to \system\GD3D11\

-- copy 'SystemPack.ini' to C:\Games\Gothic\system dir, this allows G2 controls and extends draw distance, etc

-- copy Gothic.ini into the /system folder to save time with key mappings

-- rename C:\Games\Gothic\_work\DATA\video\logo1.bik

-- install Reshade with these shaders: FXAA, Vibrance, Lumasharpen
- copy 'G1.ini' to \system and select via the reshade interface in-game

-- use "C:\Games\Gothic\system\GothicStarter.exe -start" to run the game

Files referenced above:

Filename
ZENResources.zip
File size
969 Bytes
Downloads
35 downloads
File license
CC-BY-4.0
Filename
UserSettings.ini
File size
891 Bytes
Downloads
34 downloads
File license
CC-BY-4.0
Filename
SystemPack.ini
File size
1.72 KiB
Downloads
33 downloads
File license
CC-BY-4.0
Filename
Gothic.ini
File size
4.79 KiB
Downloads
31 downloads
File license
CC-BY-4.0
Filename
G1.ini
File size
1.39 KiB
Downloads
31 downloads
File license
CC-BY-4.0

Life? Don't talk to me about life.

Reply 3319 of 5810, by Joakim

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badmojo wrote on 2021-09-28, 22:12:
Still working my way through Gothic 1 here but I'm in no rush, it's such an atmospheric game that some play sessions are spent j […]
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Still working my way through Gothic 1 here but I'm in no rush, it's such an atmospheric game that some play sessions are spent just exploring. Exploration is rewarded for the most part but I've come across the occasional cave that's empty. I'll forgive the devs some unfinished areas though because there's so much detail packed into the towns and interactions with NPCs, it's incredible really. All Piranha Bytes games that followed - Gothic 2 and 3, Risen 1/2/3 , and Elex - follow the formula laid out here.

Gothic-Mod-2021-09-24-08-11-12.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-24-17-34-22.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-26-19-45-13.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-27-21-32-07.jpg Gothic-Mod-2021-09-28-08-02-12.jpg

If anyone's interested then here are my notes for bringing G1 up to scratch for these modern times - no gameplay changes, just visual and control updates.

-- install the GOG version, this includes patch 1.08k 

-- gothic1_playerkit-1.08k.exe

-- Gothic1_PlayerKit-2.8.exe

-- G1Classic-SystemPack-1.8.exe (check that this is still the latest: https://github.com/GothicFixTeam/GothicFix/releases)

-- copy Carnage_Graphics_patch.VDF to ..\Gothic\Data\

-- copy 'Texture Pack By Artemiano Gothic I.vdf' to ..\Gothic\Data\

-- copy GD3D11 files to \system (check if you have the latest version first https://github.com/Kirides/GD3D11/releases)
- extract 'G1_NP_UPDATE.rar' (get here https://the-gaming-den.com/table/) to the \system\GD3D11\replacements\ folder
- copy the 'ZENResources' folder to \system\GD3D11\
- copy 'UserSettings.ini' to \system\GD3D11\

-- copy 'SystemPack.ini' to C:\Games\Gothic\system dir, this allows G2 controls and extends draw distance, etc

-- copy Gothic.ini into the /system folder to save time with key mappings

-- rename C:\Games\Gothic\_work\DATA\video\logo1.bik

-- install Reshade with these shaders: FXAA, Vibrance, Lumasharpen
- copy 'G1.ini' to \system and select via the reshade interface in-game

-- use "C:\Games\Gothic\system\GothicStarter.exe -start" to run the game

Files referenced above:
ZENResources.zip
UserSettings.ini
SystemPack.ini
Gothic.ini
G1.ini

I played gothic 1 and 2 (and maybe 3) a few years after launch. I have fond memories of them. But I did not have the hardware for Risen at the time and never played it.

Thanks for the info I might just pick it up again.