Gemini000 wrote:

I can add one myself. I've put a sticky note on my desktop and I'll get it done either today or tomorrow! :B

Thank you, Kris.
And thank you for making the show.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCIZNt … 2ZYKUGWsYIQ8HW8 - Here we go! A playlist with none of the mature-rated eps so that it can be watched uninterrupted while logged out of YouTube! :)

Granted, for anyone who stays logged out because they hate the tracking YouTube does by default... you CAN turn it all off, though finding the settings to do so is not easy. Here's my method for finding them:

1. Log into YouTube.
2. Go to your "Account Settings" by clicking on the gear next to your username from the top-right avatar drop down.
3. On the initial page which shows up, click "View or change your account settings"
4. On the page which comes up, one of the sections is "Personal Info & Privacy". In this section, click on "Manage your Google Activity"
5. Scroll down slightly on the page which comes up and select "Activity Controls".
6. All the controls for turning on and off what Google (and subsequently, YouTube) keeps track of will be on the page which comes up, including YouTube watch history and search history among others. :B

It may be a day late, but the Season 4 Finale of Ancient DOS Games, Episode 200 - Star Control II, is finally up! :D

...and, I'm gonna be cutting the extra stuff short for this post this time around because I've been awake for over 20 hours straight now. I'll let this half-hour-long episode with lots of extra bits and guest voices stand on its own. :)

I will say the next filler video will likely be on the 29th instead of the 22nd. I have THREE things I have to attend next week which is going to cut into the time I have to do much of anything. :/

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Well done!

SC2 is probably still my favorite game, and I've fanboyed enough over it for the last 2+ decades, so I'll just mention a couple of things: first, the starmap is zoomable (since you were talking about some star systems being too close together to resolve on the map). Second, as for getting RUs... three words: Druuge Fuel Trick. 😁

VileRancour wrote:

the starmap is zoomable (since you were talking about some star systems being too close together to resolve on the map).

Really...?

*loads up the game and tries pressing every key on the keyboard*

...INSERT AND DELETE?? Seriously?! o_O

Given the fact that the game makes it a point to be 100% playable with a two-button joystick alone, I'm very surprised these zoom controls exist! :o

VileRancour wrote:

Second, as for getting RUs... three words: Druuge Fuel Trick. :D

I've never encountered the Druuge so I know little of how their mechanics work. The most I know is that you give them large amounts of crew members for reasons. :P

Gemini000 wrote:

I've never encountered the Druuge so I know little of how their mechanics work. The most I know is that you give them large amounts of crew members for reasons. 😜

Correct, which BTW is one way to increase crew costs at the starbase, since you were wondering about that.
Won't completely spoil discovering that Fuel Trick, but it can make you very rich and give you a good laugh in the process since it's probably the funniest moment in the game. 😁

Whoops! Forgot to post this last night... sorry about that. ^_^;

Anywhoo, Ancient DOS Games Filler #56 - Text Mode 2000 is online!

So... yeah, this was my secret project. It's available on my website now in its technically unfinished state here: http://www.pixelships.com/tm2k.html

I wrote up a huge amount of stuff on why I was abandoning the project and such which you can read on that page, but the basic gist is that I don't have the time anymore to make doing multiple small games viable compared to individual large games, so that's what I'm going to focus on next is spending a couple or so years working towards a singular game. :B

At the moment, it's a toss-up between PixelShips 2 and another idea of mine. I've actually been making unusually good progress on the PixelShips 2 design, so it has a pretty good chance of being the next game I try to tackle! :3

Ancient DOS Games Filler #57 - How The Patreon Screens are Made is online!

A little bit of a behind-the-scenes sort of thing this time around, complete with QBASIC code and graphics work using an ancient copy of Paint Shop Pro 7! ;D

...yeah, not much more to say about this one. :B

Do you have a list of all games reviewed sorted by released date?

feipoa wrote:

Do you have a list of all games reviewed sorted by released date?

I don't and making such a list would be tricky because sometimes I can't narrow down the release dates of these games. Some games have an exact release date posted somewhere, but some are only accurate to the month, some to the year, and some I can't even get an accurate year on, made even trickier when you consider that release dates can vary by reigon, sometimes on the order of years.

So... yeah... making a list of eps by release date isn't impossible, just annoying and time consuming. :P

Sorted by year would be nice, even if it is +-1 yr accurate.

Ancient DOS Games Filler #58 - Warpath is online!

I had another filler planned for today, except it still needs a bunch of work done, mostly because my initial script for it wasn't very good so I need to rewrite it to be better. :P

But yeah, with very little time left to put out a video I put it to a vote on Twitter and the majority wanted to see some Windows 3.1 stuff, so after botching a script on Windows 3.1 itself I decided to look at an old Windows game I used to play all the time. :)

...and if I sound kinda different in the video it's because I literally did the voiceover seven hours ago, just a short while after waking up, then editted it all together following. Yeah, after two failed scripts I was REALLY pressed for time to get a video out. Since finishing Episode 200, my brain's slowly been going into a hardcore relaxation mode and it's been kinda hard to concentrate on things. I get bits and pieces of stuff done every day, but trying to be creative for more than a half hour or so at a time is really hard right now and writing a decent script often requires 2 to 5 hours without interruptions. :P

thank you for playing Warpath you CAN send us money i mean but you don't HAVE to but , it's your choice..... thanks again for playing bye

leileilol wrote:

thank you for playing Warpath you CAN send us money i mean but you don't HAVE to but , it's your choice..... thanks again for playing bye

I see someone here's played this thing before... ;)

Ancient DOS Games Filler #59 - Sound Blaster Revisions is online!

Here's something I suspect a number of people will be interested in, given the sheer number of different Sound Blaster cards which came out in the days of DOS gaming. This was mostly meant to cover the technical differences, not the history, as I'm not very good at the whole history thing and a bunch of people already know the history behind these cards anyways, so I felt looking at it from the technical specs would be more interesting, not to mention I learned a TON of stuff I didn't before thanks to special guest host Brendan from RetroSwim! (aka: "SquallStrife" as he's known here!)

Great episode! Thanks Kris and Brendan.
SquallStrife has South African accent, cool!

James-F wrote:

SquallStrife has South African accent, cool!

🤣

Great episode dudes.

Nice dual episode!!! Keep them coming.

Though only 2 games supported the dual OPL2 on the Sound Blaster Pro? It supported at least quite a few more. Some Microprose titles come to mind: Fleet Defender, Gunship 2000, Formula One Grand Prix, DragonSphere, B-17 Flying Fortress...and i'm still forgetting a few. Not sure if F-15 Strike Eagle III supports SB Pro 1 but i think it does. I'm sure it supports the original PAS at least.

carlostex wrote:

Though only 2 games supported the dual OPL2 on the Sound Blaster Pro? It supported at least quite a few more. Some Microprose titles come to mind: Fleet Defender, Gunship 2000, Formula One Grand Prix, DragonSphere, B-17 Flying Fortress...and i'm still forgetting a few. Not sure if F-15 Strike Eagle III supports SB Pro 1 but i think it does. I'm sure it supports the original PAS at least.

I was having trouble researching this and I found two different things, both a blog and a post here on VOGONS, which only listed the two games mentioned in the video as having 2xOPL2 support.

Gemini000 wrote:

I was having trouble researching this and I found two different things, both a blog and a post here on VOGONS, which only listed the two games mentioned in the video as having 2xOPL2 support.

The blog, which i assume is Nerdly Pleasures, must for sure list the games i mention. If not, it's a terrible flaw.

EDIT: Did some search and i assume you got the info from the "Unique PC Hardware & Game support" post from Nerdly Pleasures 28th April 2012:

Mediavision Pro Audio Spectrum […]
Show full quote

Mediavision Pro Audio Spectrum

Feature - Stereo FM/Dual OPL2

1990 Christmas Card - The Seasoned Professional
B-17 Flying Fortress
Castle of Dr. Brain
Conquests of the Longbow
David Leadbetter's Greens
DragonsSphere
EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus (patch)
F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter 2.0
Formula One Grand Prix
Gunship 2000
Harrier Jump Jet
Hoyle's Official Book of Games Volume 3
Jones in the Fast Lane
King's Quest V (patch)
Leisure Suit Larry 5
Leisure Suit Larry 1 VGA
Lord of the Rings Volume 1
Lord of the Rings Volume 2
Mixed-up Fairy Tales
Mixed-Up Mother Goose (patch)
Pirates! Gold
Police Quest III
Quest for Glory II (patch)
Return of the Phantom
Sid Meier's Civilization
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon Deluxe
Space Quest I VGA
Space Quest IV (patch)
Special Forces
Strike Commander

Explanation : The Pro Audio Spectrum was the first card to offer stereo FM music. It has two OPL2 chips on board, one for the left channel, one for the right channel. Creative later used the dual OPL2 setup in its first Sound Blaster Pro. The early Sierra 256-color titles listed above will support stereo FM music using the Pro Audio Spectrum Driver only. The other games support both cards. Later Pro Audio Spectrums, including the Plus and 16s, will not work either as they use one OPL3 chip. The Pro Audio Spectrum is compatible with Adlib, but in mono only.

Alternative : Use SB Pro 1.0 in games supporting it. None of the Sierra games support stereo on the SB Pro 1.0. There may be fan-made patches floating about the Internet for the Sierra titles, but require an OPL3 card like the SB Pro 2.0 or later.

Sound Blaster Pro 1.0

Feature - Stereo FM/Dual OPL2

Hi-Octane (also Pro Audio Spectrum 16)
Ultima Underworld

Explanation : See above, this game supports dual OPL2 only on a Sound Blaster Pro 1.0.

Alternative : Use DOSBox SBPro1 emulation.

BTW, i confirm that F-15 Strike Eagle III also supports dual OPL2 from both the Sound Blaster Pro 1.0 and Pro Audio Spectrum.