dr_st wrote on 2023-12-01, 08:41:

Seems I can even get widescreen resolution support with something called Deus Exe.

I've looked that up and it seems the current version requires Windows Vista or newer. This means that you won't have native EAX support.

While not exactly earth shattering, the EAX implementation of Deus Ex provides improved positional audio (works great on 5.1 speakers) which helps if you're using stealth. Hearing enemy footsteps before they come into view is pretty neat.

Creative's ALchemy might be able to restore EAX in Deus Ex on later Windows versions, but I'm not sure how that compares to native support under Win9x and WinXP.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-12-01, 10:21:

I've looked that up and it seems the current version requires Windows Vista or newer. This means that you won't have native EAX support.

While not exactly earth shattering, the EAX implementation of Deus Ex provides improved positional audio (works great on 5.1 speakers) which helps if you're using stealth. Hearing enemy footsteps before they come into view is pretty neat.

Creative's ALchemy might be able to restore EAX in Deus Ex on later Windows versions, but I'm not sure how that compares to native support under Win9x and WinXP.

According to PCGamingWiki, version 5.3 is still out there with XP support.
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Deus_Ex#Deus_Exe

The only computer I have at this point that has a Creative card is that P4 desktop with Audigy 2 ZS. It's connected to a 4:3 monitor, so I wouldn't need widescreen at all, as long as I can get 1600x1200.
I used to have an X-Fi Xtremegamer card on my Vista (now W7) desktop, with ALchemy set up, but it started malfunctioning so I took it out.

dr_st wrote on 2023-12-01, 13:25:

The only computer I have at this point that has a Creative card is that P4 desktop with Audigy 2 ZS. It's connected to a 4:3 monitor, so I wouldn't need widescreen at all, as long as I can get 1600x1200.

That should work fine. Deus Ex supports 1600x1200 and even scales the UI accordingly by default.

Here's a 1600x1200 screenshot that I recently took on my Core2 system. Note that the game doesn't include gamma adjustments when taking a screenshot. It looks much brighter in person.

appiah4 wrote on 2023-11-29, 10:59:

Flamesuit ON: System Shock 2 is everything Deus Ex is and more.

This is on my list of what to play next, I have had my system shock 2 box sitting on the shelf for a few years now, but I am getting ready to play it once deus ex is finished.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-11-29, 22:09:

I recently played through the three bonus missions of the original Splinter Cell that were added by official patch 1.3. Props to Ubisoft of old for giving away content for free. The Ubisoft of today would likely charge $5 per mission and require a permanent internet connection to play through them, despite this stuff being purely single-player.

Anyway, the missions are pretty decent for a freebie. They can be quite challenging, which makes them a good fit for Splinter Cell veterans. Plot wise, you end up going after the last remnants of the bad guys from the main game. This includes locating the hacker who was responsible for the IT attacks and infiltrating a stolen submarine.

There's about 2-3 hours of extra content here and it's pretty solid. It even features some new voice overs by the main cast, which is always appreciated. Good stuff.

Thats neat, I didnt know there were more missions. I'll have to install that on my pentium 4 . I did however find a demo disk for xbox which had extra DLC missions for Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, I wonder if thats completely different or the same missions.

Law212 wrote on 2023-12-01, 14:21:

I did however find a demo disk for xbox which had extra DLC missions for Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, I wonder if thats completely different or the same missions.

From what I understand, the Xbox and PC versions of Splinter Cell have the exact same bonus missions.

However, the PlayStation 2 release might have different ones. It's been ages since I played that version, so I'm not 100% sure.

Yesterday I've finished ELEX.

Total time: 75:45
Achievements unlocked: 32/50
Player character level: 43

Got the low cold ending. There aren't much left as end game content. I can go hunting, grinding out the remaining skills. The only two things left is Law of the Berserkers which probably gets me to be kicked out of Goliet, explaining myself to the barkeep girl in Tavar, but I don't have any speech option for that and killing the cleric scientitst for Logan, but I'm not short on money.

The power scaling is really good in this game, starting from the point where you can't fight anything, but the most basic enemies up to the point where even the hardest enemies are no threat.

It also looks like the game might have a decent replay value. Some of the choices are a little bit fake-ish, scaring you that they'll have far reaching consequences regarding the story, in reality, they only change the ending slide show. Others however really have consequences throughout the game. There are also a lot of skill checks early game during dialogues which require specialization. Sometimes it also matters which meat shield you bring with you giving you more favorable results with respected companions or unfavorable with gun happy ones.

The companions themselves are mildly interesting, but not very developed. I'd like more interaction with them besides their companion quests. Romancing however is completely pointless. It adds nothing to the game other than one cut scene (after which I forgot to reequip my armor and was wondering why combat suddenly became more difficult) and some difference in the ending slide show. After you beat the game, I don't know if there is any way to improve their opinion about Jax.

I also like that the fate of the Hybrid is not a simple choice at the end, but rather a fixed choice based on who you are. What I dislike that instead of it being an amalgamation of your choices throughout the game, like it is with the Domed City, it's only based on your cold level which you can manipulate by going for a low-cold run and consuming enough elex to get the desired outcome.

Over all, the game is indeed a little bit unpolished, but in the role playing department, it beats a good chunk of the AAA action RPGs.

Currently playing some old classic mac retro flight sims F/A-18 Hornet Classic and the follow up version F/A-18 Hornet 2.0, managed to get Classic running under the SheepShaver emulator and Hornet 2.0 under Qemu (m68k). Have them working with my hotas setup and been sticking some vids up on youtube.

Had no idea how good they were for their time, (tbh I never though of the retro mac as having good flight sims) until I went down a bit a of a sim rabbit hole trying to get F-117a stealth fighter 2.0 (mac version) working, which is surprising different from the pc version. Each sim/emulator combo has its strange foibles so it takes a bit of work to find the best playing experience.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

I like to keep in mind that a lot of game developers from the 80s and early 90s were basically counting on players to call the helpline or buy the hint book: https://www.sierragamers.com/hint-books/

The games were, if you will, not necessarily "meant" to be completed by the average player.

There are always exceptions like, say, Loom but I feel like it's true for the best part of old adventure games.

I give the puzzles a fair shot but if I spend an hour without progress I use the Universal Hint System: https://www.uhs-hints.com/hints/

I feel like it's better than a walkthrough because you can get incremental hints to specific problems without accidentally spoiling your game. Like, there's a scene in this text adventure where you need to catch a mouse. The first hint is "You need to trap it", the second hint tells you the materials for the trap and the third which bait to use.

henryVK wrote on 2023-12-04, 11:08:

I like to keep in mind that a lot of game developers from the 80s and early 90s were basically counting on players to call the h […]
Show full quote

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

I like to keep in mind that a lot of game developers from the 80s and early 90s were basically counting on players to call the helpline or buy the hint book: https://www.sierragamers.com/hint-books/

The games were, if you will, not necessarily "meant" to be completed by the average player.

There are always exceptions like, say, Loom but I feel like it's true for the best part of old adventure games.

I give the puzzles a fair shot but if I spend an hour without progress I use the Universal Hint System: https://www.uhs-hints.com/hints/

I feel like it's better than a walkthrough because you can get incremental hints to specific problems without accidentally spoiling your game. Like, there's a scene in this text adventure where you need to catch a mouse. The first hint is "You need to trap it", the second hint tells you the materials for the trap and the third which bait to use.

That looks like a great resource. Thanks!

Having recently put together a retro Win XP x86 rig, I turned the clock [way] back and played 32-bit 3D "Space Cadet" pinball!

I finished The Simpsons hit and run , and started a GTA 3 playthrough. I have never finished GTA 3. I did finish Vice City though way back.

Law212 wrote on 2023-12-04, 21:40:

I finished The Simpsons hit and run , and started a GTA 3 playthrough. I have never finished GTA 3. I did finish Vice City though way back.

Good luck. When the games were new, I recall starting GTA3, bailing out in the middle, switching to Vice City, finishing it, then coming back and finishing GTA3. It is more clunky than VC, so the extra skills I developed playing the easier (and more fun) VC, really helped me grind it to the end.

Never did finish San Andreas, even though I kept coming back to it many times. It's just so darn big and long.

dr_st wrote on 2023-12-04, 21:45:

Law212 wrote on 2023-12-04, 21:40:

I finished The Simpsons hit and run , and started a GTA 3 playthrough. I have never finished GTA 3. I did finish Vice City though way back.

Good luck. When the games were new, I recall starting GTA3, bailing out in the middle, switching to Vice City, finishing it, then coming back and finishing GTA3. It is more clunky than VC, so the extra skills I developed playing the easier (and more fun) VC, really helped me grind it to the end.

Never did finish San Andreas, even though I kept coming back to it many times. It's just so darn big and long.

Ya it is a bit clunky. its fun though and I think it still looks fantastic. I remember when I first say the trailer on TV for GTA 3 I was blown away and I thought, theres no way this is actual gameplay.

Law212 wrote on 2023-12-05, 14:25:

I remember when I first say the trailer on TV for GTA 3 I was blown away and I thought, theres no way this is actual gameplay

Yes, lots of people had a similar reaction. People who played some GTA1 and GTA2 were amazed that a 3D world of comparable size could exist in a video game. The trilogy (3,VC,SA) still holds a special place in my heart.

The recent talk of Deus Ex made me want to revisit that universe. I replayed the original game a few years ago, so I decided to install its infamous sequel Deus Ex 2: Invisible War. I don't think I've touched that game since it came out, and it's certainly not among my favorites, but I decided to go through it one more time for completeness sake.

First, I'd like to bring up some positives about this game, the few that I could find. For starters, the voice acting is better than in the original, even for the less prominent NPCs. The music is pretty decent as well, though maybe not quite as memorable as it was in the first game. The shooting mechanics are also greatly improved, and the protagonist can now actually hit the broadside of a barn without needing to stand completely still for 10 seconds. The graphics are much better as well, but the character models are not as detailed as in some other games which also use Unreal Engine 2.

Now for the negatives. For me, the most egregious one is universal ammo. By what logic do a pistol and a flamethrower use the same ammo type is beyond my understanding, but the developers somehow thought it was a good idea. Then there's the complete removal of skills, so you're only left with biomods to "level up" your character. And finally, we have the incredibly small size of the areas, which feature a loading screen every 50 meters or so. From what I gather, this was done to fit the maps into the limited memory of the original Xbox, and the devs did nothing to improve that on the PC.

The story is ok, though not quite as strong as in the original. It takes place 20 years after the first game, and you play as a new character. What baffles me is that, canonically, all three possible endings from the original Deus Ex somehow happened. Without spoiling anything, that simply makes no sense, and anyone who has played the original game knows why. I do like the setting though, and seeing how the world changed after so much time has passed was interesting.

Anyway, I just started my playthrough and I'm glad that the game runs smoothly at 1600x1200 while fully maxed out. There are no stutters or slowdowns, and the loading times are pretty fast as well. From what I remember, Deus Ex 2 ran very poorly on contemporary PCs. Replaying it on my overpowered WinXP rig is certainly a much better experience.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-12-05, 19:34:

The recent talk of Deus Ex made me want to revisit that universe. I replayed the original game a few years ago, so I decided to install its infamous sequel Deus Ex 2: Invisible War. I don't think I've touched that game since it came out, and it's certainly not among my favorites, but I decided to go through it one more time for completeness sake.

The tiny levels and the odd one size fits all-ammo bothered me too, but what I disliked the most was how none of your choises matter at all. You can go against a faction at every step of the way during the whole game and still take their side at the end with zero consequences. I don't hate the game, but like people often say, it's ok but when compared to the original...

I've been waiting for a Deus Ex mood to hit myself and I'll be playing this one too, I don't think I've played it since release either. Maybe I'll finally check out Mankind Devided too.

Sombrero wrote on 2023-12-06, 08:13:

The tiny levels and the odd one size fits all-ammo bothered me too, but what I disliked the most was how none of your choises matter at all. You can go against a faction at every step of the way during the whole game and still take their side at the end with zero consequences. I don't hate the game, but like people often say, it's ok but when compared to the original...

Heh, I almost forgot about that. It always feels weird when a game keeps giving you choices during your entire run, only to make them completely irrelevant in the finale. Terrible design decision, and it's sad to see it repeated in many modern games.

That said, the original Deus Ex had something similar as well, but it felt a bit more natural there. You also weren't strictly working for any faction by choice in that game, unlike in the sequel.

Warcraft II BNE on Win98 and Picross E3 on a 3DS.
Just finished The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past on a GBA.

Quake II with RTX

MegaRace on 3DO FZ-1