henryVK wrote on 2024-02-26, 14:05:

I started playing Sierra's Conquest of Camelot and, which is rare for me, played it nearly all the way through to what I assume […]
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I started playing Sierra's Conquest of Camelot and, which is rare for me, played it nearly all the way through to what I assume is the final section. However, turns out that in classic adventure game manner I overlooked a room in the starting location (castle Camelot) where you were supposed to talk to Merlin and receive an item to solve one of the final puzzles. So, basically I've been walking-dead all the way through this otherwise lovely game. Most infuriatingly, this otherwise lovely game literally kills you if you leave the starting location without performing some other tasks that, as far as I can tell only provide you with some very mild hints, but it totally let's you go into an unwinnable without the item in question... aaaarrrghhh.

Anyway, great SCI game with beautiful EGA graphics, puzzles/riddles are entertaining and not too hard but then there's the stereotypical bad game design.

I also started playing a title published by Sierra, the ungainly titled Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact. Having neither read the manual nor gotten past the first stage, I can say that it's either a hard game or that I'm approaching it wrong. Manoeuvering as the mecha feels responsive enough and it's pleasing to just let the laser weapon mow the enemies down while backpaddeling but controlling the fighter jet is less than intuitive, especially since the down arrow turns you back into the mecha no matter where you are in space.

You can choose between the low resolution 320x200 MCGA and high resolution 640x200 EGA mode which uses dithering to display the extra colours. I think this makes the game look very unique for a DOS title and very, for lack of a better word, MSX-y. Apparently the studio's other DOS titles (Zeliard and Thexder 1) use the same graphics mode. Come to think of it, I want to say that New World Computing's Tunnels and Trolls also uses the EGA highres mode and dithering, as well as Legend Entertainment's and Magnetic Scroll's graphical text adventures.

Fun (??) fact: Fate of Atlantis also supports EGA highres. Who knew.

Some more info on the topic.

I agree with you about these old Sierra games. I've only completed Space Quest I through IV and King's Quest I, and would like to play the rest of those series. However, I no longer have the patience to deal with unfair puzzles, especially with a backlog consisting of thousands of games. While there are hint books available, I don't want to reach a section of the game and find out from a clue that I'm missing a key object that I can't get anymore. I think the best solution would be checklists of needed items that you could consult before leaving a given area. That way you're still solving most problems yourself, but can hopefully avoid having to start over repeatedly. I'm not sure if anything like that exists unfortunately.

megatron-uk wrote on 2024-02-26, 16:26:

henryVK wrote on 2024-02-26, 14:05:

You can choose between the low resolution 320x200 MCGA and high resolution 640x200 EGA mode which uses dithering to display the extra colours. I think this makes the game look very unique for a DOS title and very, for lack of a better word, MSX-y. Apparently the studio's other DOS titles (Zeliard and Thexder 1) use the same graphics mode. Come to think of it, I want to say that New World Computing's Tunnels and Trolls also uses the EGA highres mode and dithering, as well as Legend Entertainment's and Magnetic Scroll's graphical text adventures.

That probably comes from the fact that the developers were originally targeting the PC-88 which had a similar hi-res mode. A lot of games of that era which started out in Japan would have been written for relatively hi-res, but low colour depth systems. It's a trait that continued throughout the PC-98 era as well. It probably contributed to the traditional hi-res dithered display of a lot of later titles.

That's right, these Game Arts titles (Thexder, Zeliard) are originally for the Japanese systems. Interesting that they also offer MCGA as the 256 colour low-res alternative which you don't see too often with Western games either.

The fascinating thing is not just the higher resolution, though, but the custom colours from the 64 colour EGA palette. That's what makes the Legend and Magnetic Scrolls look so unique imo:

I wish more developers had used this display mode (and shown as much artistic sensibility).

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2024-02-26, 19:38:

henryVK wrote on 2024-02-26, 14:05:

I started playing Sierra's Conquest of Camelot and, which is rare for me, played it nearly all the way through to what I assume […]
Show full quote

I started playing Sierra's Conquest of Camelot and, which is rare for me, played it nearly all the way through to what I assume is the final section. However, turns out that in classic adventure game manner I overlooked a room in the starting location (castle Camelot) where you were supposed to talk to Merlin and receive an item to solve one of the final puzzles. So, basically I've been walking-dead all the way through this otherwise lovely game. Most infuriatingly, this otherwise lovely game literally kills you if you leave the starting location without performing some other tasks that, as far as I can tell only provide you with some very mild hints, but it totally let's you go into an unwinnable without the item in question... aaaarrrghhh.

Anyway, great SCI game with beautiful EGA graphics, puzzles/riddles are entertaining and not too hard but then there's the stereotypical bad game design.

I also started playing a title published by Sierra, the ungainly titled Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact. Having neither read the manual nor gotten past the first stage, I can say that it's either a hard game or that I'm approaching it wrong. Manoeuvering as the mecha feels responsive enough and it's pleasing to just let the laser weapon mow the enemies down while backpaddeling but controlling the fighter jet is less than intuitive, especially since the down arrow turns you back into the mecha no matter where you are in space.

You can choose between the low resolution 320x200 MCGA and high resolution 640x200 EGA mode which uses dithering to display the extra colours. I think this makes the game look very unique for a DOS title and very, for lack of a better word, MSX-y. Apparently the studio's other DOS titles (Zeliard and Thexder 1) use the same graphics mode. Come to think of it, I want to say that New World Computing's Tunnels and Trolls also uses the EGA highres mode and dithering, as well as Legend Entertainment's and Magnetic Scroll's graphical text adventures.

Fun (??) fact: Fate of Atlantis also supports EGA highres. Who knew.

Some more info on the topic.

I agree with you about these old Sierra games. I've only completed Space Quest I through IV and King's Quest I, and would like to play the rest of those series. However, I no longer have the patience to deal with unfair puzzles, especially with a backlog consisting of thousands of games. While there are hint books available, I don't want to reach a section of the game and find out from a clue that I'm missing a key object that I can't get anymore. I think the best solution would be checklists of needed items that you could consult before leaving a given area. That way you're still solving most problems yourself, but can hopefully avoid having to start over repeatedly. I'm not sure if anything like that exists unfortunately.

And Space Quest I-III don't do the player as dirty as Camlot does.

Universal Hint System is probably the closest thing to what you are looking for. It provides several levels of hints that won't spoil your game right away. Sometimes they have more general "What do I need to get in section x" hints too.

Unfortunately, for Conquest of Camelot you need the UHS software but Sierra does provide the file with the content: http://www.sierrahelp.com/Games/ConquestsSeri … amelotHelp.html

I've recently started playing NFS III again, and for the first time in my life I'm playing it with a steering wheel 😁 Bad news is I'm stuck half way in Knockout mode, the game gets impossibly hard really fast 🙁

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 08:57:

I've recently started playing NFS III again, and for the first time in my life I'm playing it with a steering wheel 😁 Bad news is I'm stuck half way in Knockout mode, the game gets impossibly hard really fast 🙁

Playing on Expert difficulty? Expert is pretty bs, turns the difficulty sky high half way through the tournament and the random track configuration doesn't help any. Really fun trying to win a race driving backwards on a track that has been also been mirrored during the night against AI that not only rocket away like missiles but also try to kill you at the same time.

I personally stick with beginner even though it's extremely easy. Still beats extreme frustration.

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 08:57:

I've recently started playing NFS III again, and for the first time in my life I'm playing it with a steering wheel 😁 Bad news is I'm stuck half way in Knockout mode, the game gets impossibly hard really fast 🙁

i've always wanted to like racing games but they always seem to be so far removed from the actual sensations of driving as to be too abstract

i know that going to be true of all games (especailly fps!) but it seems to jar more in driving games

would a wheel and pedal make enough difference? i used to find early NFS games frustrating in the sensation of not being quite attached to the ground, occasional odd physics and competitor* AI. i did enjoy NFS Undergound though, some improvements there. Even recent games like driveclub, which i played on ps4, have similar frustrations despite being newer and having much refined dynamics

*one thing i cannot stand in racing games is the physics of hitting a competitor in some (not all) racing games. If you hit one pixel you lose almost all momentum somehow and / or spin out, but they are largely unaffected!

Also, and more to my lack of skill, the best way to win in some racing games (second only to spending 10 years practicing and learning every track) is to basically use the barriers and other cars as a kind of equivalent of bowling bumpers 😀

Sombrero wrote on 2024-02-27, 10:57:

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 08:57:

I've recently started playing NFS III again, and for the first time in my life I'm playing it with a steering wheel 😁 Bad news is I'm stuck half way in Knockout mode, the game gets impossibly hard really fast 🙁

Playing on Expert difficulty? Expert is pretty bs, turns the difficulty sky high half way through the tournament and the random track configuration doesn't help any. Really fun trying to win a race driving backwards on a track that has been also been mirrored during the night against AI that not only rocket away like missiles but also try to kill you at the same time.

I personally stick with beginner even though it's extremely easy. Still beats extreme frustration.

Actually, it's on Beginner 🤣 Yeah, I suck... The AI being rocket fast and trying to ram you off the road is still true even for Beginner tho!

gerry wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:17:

i've always wanted to like racing games but they always seem to be so far removed from the actual sensations of driving as to be […]
Show full quote

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 08:57:

I've recently started playing NFS III again, and for the first time in my life I'm playing it with a steering wheel 😁 Bad news is I'm stuck half way in Knockout mode, the game gets impossibly hard really fast 🙁

i've always wanted to like racing games but they always seem to be so far removed from the actual sensations of driving as to be too abstract

i know that going to be true of all games (especailly fps!) but it seems to jar more in driving games

would a wheel and pedal make enough difference? i used to find early NFS games frustrating in the sensation of not being quite attached to the ground, occasional odd physics and competitor* AI. i did enjoy NFS Undergound though, some improvements there. Even recent games like driveclub, which i played on ps4, have similar frustrations despite being newer and having much refined dynamics

*one thing i cannot stand in racing games is the physics of hitting a competitor in some (not all) racing games. If you hit one pixel you lose almost all momentum somehow and / or spin out, but they are largely unaffected!

Also, and more to my lack of skill, the best way to win in some racing games (second only to spending 10 years practicing and learning every track) is to basically use the barriers and other cars as a kind of equivalent of bowling bumpers 😀

Haha, I know what you mean. I love it when I can tear through a garbage can or a street sign, or even a masonry wall (Forza Horizon anyone?) like knife through butter, but somehow a flimsy cactus or shrub stops me dead in my tracks 🤣

I play with a really cheapo Tracer wheel and pedal setup so it's probably nowhere near the stuff that Fanatec makes, but it's still surprisingly fun, especially for the kind of money I spent on it (like around $12 used maybe?). Of course, it's not exactly like driving a real car, but like I said, it's still loads of fun!

The physics department in driving games is very hit-or-miss, isn't it? NFS III is better than NFS II (which was basically like an arcade game), but way worse than the first NFS, which arguably had the best physics of the "classic" NFS games from before Y2K.

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:19:

Actually, it's on Beginner 🤣 Yeah, I suck... The AI being rocket fast and trying to ram you off the road is still true even for Beginner tho!

Heh, alright then. NFSIII doesn't really strike to me as something where a steering wheel would help, maybe it's making things harder for you even if using it is fun.

Sombrero wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:36:

NFSIII doesn't really strike to me as something where a steering wheel would help, maybe it's making things harder for you even if using it is fun.

Could be, NFSIII is pedal to the metal 99% of the time, so a keyboard is more than adequate to win I guess. Still, I'm hell-bent on beating it with a (cheap) steering wheel, haha! 😀

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:48:

Sombrero wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:36:

NFSIII doesn't really strike to me as something where a steering wheel would help, maybe it's making things harder for you even if using it is fun.

Could be, NFSIII is pedal to the metal 99% of the time, so a keyboard is more than adequate to win I guess. Still, I'm hell-bent on beating it with a (cheap) steering wheel, haha! 😀

"Pedal to the metal" is not the relevant aspect, is it? A steering wheel (or any controller with analog axes) should help keeping the wheel fixed at some intermediate position, which is something you cannot really do on a keyboard.

dr_st wrote on 2024-02-27, 12:25:

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:48:

Sombrero wrote on 2024-02-27, 11:36:

NFSIII doesn't really strike to me as something where a steering wheel would help, maybe it's making things harder for you even if using it is fun.

Could be, NFSIII is pedal to the metal 99% of the time, so a keyboard is more than adequate to win I guess. Still, I'm hell-bent on beating it with a (cheap) steering wheel, haha! 😀

"Pedal to the metal" is not the relevant aspect, is it? A steering wheel (or any controller with analog axes) should help keeping the wheel fixed at some intermediate position, which is something you cannot really do on a keyboard.

Correct, games that require more refined steering would probably benefit from an analog-capable input device. In contrast, a keyboard is well enough for NFSII and most probably NFSIII. I'd really like to give the first NFS a go with a steering wheel though, the problem is I can't get it to run under Win98 and my steering wheel is USB only. Maybe I should try the PS1 version via emulation? Just thinking out loud here.

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 12:44:

Correct, games that require more refined steering would probably benefit from an analog-capable input device. In contrast, a keyboard is well enough for NFSII and most probably NFSIII. I'd really like to give the first NFS a go with a steering wheel though, the problem is I can't get it to run under Win98 and my steering wheel is USB only. Maybe I should try the PS1 version via emulation? Just thinking out loud here.

NFS1&2 both have pretty stiff steering, never tried a steering wheel with those but I really can't see any actual benefit (other than plain fun) in using one. In NFS3&4 cars actually turn better than a bathtub but still were designed keyboard in mind and are very playable with one, though the winter tracks in NFS4 with weather on start to test my own personal keyboard-taekwondo. Still haven't tried NFS5 but that could possibly be easier with a steering wheel.

Honestly I'd personally rather play games like Colin McRae Rally 1&2 and Rally Trophy with a steering wheel.

Sombrero wrote on 2024-02-27, 13:16:

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 12:44:

Correct, games that require more refined steering would probably benefit from an analog-capable input device. In contrast, a keyboard is well enough for NFSII and most probably NFSIII. I'd really like to give the first NFS a go with a steering wheel though, the problem is I can't get it to run under Win98 and my steering wheel is USB only. Maybe I should try the PS1 version via emulation? Just thinking out loud here.

NFS1&2 both have pretty stiff steering, never tried a steering wheel with those but I really can't see any actual benefit (other than plain fun) in using one. In NFS3&4 cars actually turn better than a bathtub but still were designed keyboard in mind and are very playable with one, though the winter tracks in NFS4 with weather on start to test my own personal keyboard-taekwondo. Still haven't tried NFS5 but that could possibly be easier with a steering wheel.

Honestly I'd personally rather play games like Colin McRae Rally 1&2 and Rally Trophy with a steering wheel.

I agree, NFS III and IV (High Stakes) work well with digital steering devices like a keyboard or gamepad. Porsche Unleashed (Porsche Challenge outside of North America) does indeed play better with an analog controller of some kind. I've had good results with a Logitech Rumblepad's dual analog sticks, the tilt controls on the Logitech Wingman Extreme, and the analog stick on the Gravix Xterminator.

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 12:44:

Correct, games that require more refined steering would probably benefit from an analog-capable input device. In contrast, a keyboard is well enough for NFSII and most probably NFSIII. I'd really like to give the first NFS a go with a steering wheel though, the problem is I can't get it to run under Win98 and my steering wheel is USB only. Maybe I should try the PS1 version via emulation? Just thinking out loud here.

I have only played NFS1 and NFs2 extensively, and I recall that I completely agree with you. I recall never feeling limited by the keyboard in NFS2 with its arcade-y feeling.

NFs1, on the other hand tries to be much more "accurate", and the cars just feel so heavy and sticky on the steering. I coughed blood to get my best times on what (to me) was almost perfect runs in "Lost Vegas". Then I downloaded a demo recorded on a steering wheel, and realized that I am not even close to that guy's lap times, and there is nothing I can do about it, since a keyboard does not allow me to "freeze" the wheel in a gentle curve trajectory. Instead I have to keep "tapping" which directly leads to speed loss.

But by then I lost interest in the game, so I never tried that 'what if'.

I never played NFS: Porsche when it was released and only played it for a couple of minutes a few weeks ago. With a keyboard! Felt like driving a tank on an ice rink 🤣 Should be interesting with my toy wheel, I'll definitely try that at some point in the future.

dr_st wrote on 2024-02-27, 13:45:

But by then I lost interest in the game, so I never tried that 'what if'.

Haha, I only beat NFS last year, took me exactly 25 years 🤣

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 13:55:

Haha, I only beat NFS last year, took me exactly 25 years 🤣

Hah. I'm only 19 years into GTA: San Andreas, and probably about 70% done. If I get my act together, I might just beat it in 6 years or so. 🤣

revolstar wrote on 2024-02-27, 13:54:

I never played NFS: Porsche when it was released and only played it for a couple of minutes a few weeks ago. With a keyboard! Felt like driving a tank on an ice rink 🤣 Should be interesting with my toy wheel, I'll definitely try that at some point in the future.

From what I remember, this behaviour was in the name of realism since the 356 and 911s are prone to oversteering due to having a rear engine.

Porsche was the only NFS title I played extensively, we used to sometimes play it at lan parties too, usually late at night. Ah, good times.

henryVK wrote on 2024-02-26, 14:05:

I started playing Sierra's Conquest of Camelot and, which is rare for me, played it nearly all the way through to what I assume is the final section. However, turns out that in classic adventure game manner I overlooked a room in the starting location (castle Camelot) where you were supposed to talk to Merlin and receive an item to solve one of the final puzzles. So, basically I've been walking-dead all the way through this otherwise lovely game. Most infuriatingly, this otherwise lovely game literally kills you if you leave the starting location without performing some other tasks that, as far as I can tell only provide you with some very mild hints, but it totally let's you go into an unwinnable without the item in question... aaaarrrghhh.

Classic Sierra 🤣

Having fun with this fairly new Quake 1 campaign/mod: https://poppyworks.itch.io/episode-enyo