HunterZ wrote:

I loved SS2 as well, and also don't find Bioshock to be much of a successor nor very engaging. System Shock 2 was much more of a Metroidvania FPS, while Bioshock feels more like a conventional highly-scripted corridor shooter. Honestly SS1 feels more interesting to me; I really need to play all the way through that one.

I actually like both the first and second System Shock games equally, but for different reasons. SS2 has the better story and stronger shooting elements, but SS1 has stronger exploration aspects. I suppose SS2 inches ahead by having better minigames, but then SS1 catches up thanks to cyberspace. ;)

HunterZ wrote:

Basically, the original Deus Ex ruined FPS games for me over a dozen years ago by showing me that the genre had/has more to offer.

See, this is where things get interesting. I'm not a fan of the original Deus Ex either, not because it's a bad game by any means, but because it's a lot more complicated than I want out of a game like that. I get frustrated with it when I play it because whenever I run into trouble it can take a ton of trial and error trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. x_x;

Speaking as a game designer myself, it's tricky finding that perfect balance between role playing and straight-up shooting. I should note, between my two games: PixelShips and PixelShips Retro, Retro is the better game for sure, but it has slightly less role-playing elements than the original, and as such, some people prefer the original despite Retro having sound, music, better balancing, and stronger gameplay overall.

HunterZ wrote:

Basically, the original Deus Ex ruined FPS games for me over a dozen years ago by showing me that the genre had/has more to offer. I haven't been able to play a lot of conventional FPS games ever since (Half-Life 1-2 being a notable exception).

That seems like a pretty restrictive mindset to take up.

It's like not liking a screwdriver makes a poor hammer.

SquallStrife wrote:

It's like not liking a screwdriver makes a poor hammer.

It's more like not wanting to go back to a steak knife after using a Swiss Army knife.

I think a big issue for me is that I really, really enjoy exploration. Being guided on a tour through a very narrow path with at most a few short branches here and there tends to get boring after a while and make me wish I was watching the story as a movie instead of a game.

The only shooter i've seen Deus Ex influence soon after its release is..... Chrome. There was even early hype about that game "THIS COULD BE DEUS EX 2" 🤣

HunterZ wrote:

SquallStrife wrote:

It's like not liking a screwdriver makes a poor hammer.

It's more like not wanting to go back to a steak knife after using a Swiss Army knife.

I think a big issue for me is that I really, really enjoy exploration. Being guided on a tour through a very narrow path with at most a few short branches here and there tends to get boring after a while and make me wish I was watching the story as a movie instead of a game.

Oh, I get what you're saying.

When you said "conventional FPS" my mind went along the lines of Team Fortress 2 or Quake 3.

Comparing those to Deus Ex is like comparing a screwdriver to a hammer, I think.

But single-player FPS'es, yeah, definitely.

HunterZ wrote:

I loved SS2 as well, and also don't find Bioshock to be much of a successor nor very engaging. System Shock 2 was much more of a Metroidvania FPS, while Bioshock feels more like a conventional highly-scripted corridor shooter. Honestly SS1 feels more interesting to me; I really need to play all the way through that one.

Basically, the original Deus Ex ruined FPS games for me over a dozen years ago by showing me that the genre had/has more to offer. I haven't been able to play a lot of conventional FPS games ever since (Half-Life 1-2 being a notable exception).

I still want to try to force myself to play through Bioshock 1 & 2 at some point, since I bought them (albeit at $5 or so each) and a lot of people liked them. I need to finish the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs and then go back to Dragon Age: Origins first, though.

Playing System Shock 2 and HeXen did that to me since I played Deus Ex: Invisible War before playing the first game. Still like Invisible War even after beating the original by the way. Anyways, those introduced a game that is more than just pure action like Doom or Duke Nukem 3D which I grew up with, there is a form of exploration with those games and they introduced elements that require you to think before you act.

Yeah, DX:IW was a decent game. If it wasn't labeled as a Deus Ex game, it would have been well-received (except for the console-ized UI on the PC version). It just didn't live up to the high standard set by the original.

HunterZ wrote:

Yeah, DX:IW was a decent game. If it wasn't labeled as a Deus Ex game, it would have been well-received (except for the console-ized UI on the PC version). It just didn't live up to the high standard set by the original.

At the worst in a numeric score I would give it a 4 out of 5. I subtract a number because of the size alone compared to the original. That wasn't a big enough of an issue to make me hate it though since it still had the gameplay that made the original pretty good. Heck I am even welcome to the universal ammo concept that many people complained about. It fits in the with futuristic setting of the game and considering how Invisible War was taking place well past the time the original game took place, it makes sense that something like that came about. Still though, the original game is the best in my opinion.

Speaking of Hexen, while going through some really old stuff in my bedroom I finally uncovered a CD I had been looking for awhile back that has a demo version of Hexen 2 on it. :O

Two more days of living here... in three days I move. All that's left to pack is about a quarter of my bedroom, my kitchen, and my little computer corner down here in my basement which I'm typing this from...

While packing I even came across my Duke Nukem subway token keychain, which I never took out of the little plastic packet it came in when I bought Manhattan Project. I finally did and seriously considered using it for my keys now... still considering actually. I'm just worried the black paint may flake off in the long run, even though it's solid metal. :P

What version is that demo? 0.42? If earlier, i'd like to know

leileilol wrote:

What version is that demo? 0.42? If earlier, i'd like to know

Err... I forget where I packed it. XD

I'll try and find it after the move and let you know. ^_^;

Or, if you have the means to look this info up: It came on a CD that was packed with a magazine. Three games I KNOW are also on this same CD are Zork: Grand Inquisitor, IF-22, and Worms 2.

The inclusion of a Worms 2 demo would put it really late 97, so it's possibly 1.11 then

leileilol wrote:

What version is that demo? 0.42? If earlier, i'd like to know

Came across the disc just now. Turns out I hadn't actually packed it yet. ^_^;

I installed the demo and ran it. The version in the corner is 0.42, though if you type "version" into the console, it reports the following:

Hexen II Console wrote:

Version 1.07
Exe: 02:48:22 Aug 28 1997

The CD itself is the PC Games.EXE December 1997 disc.

Let's Plays were brought up somewhere on the last page, and I half thought of chiming in to say I never really "got" the idea, because concise reviews are just so much more entertaining and useful. Then I suddenly run into these two examples that bring me around:

• A playthrough of Spear Resurrection (SDL port) by original mapper AReyeP, with all these little "author's commentary" bits (it's still ongoing, but here's part 1)
• A 100% blind LP of The Ur-Quan Masters by a first-time player (part 1) - pretty neat to rediscover your favorite game through someone else's eyes

...so I guess there's something for everyone.

Well, the move is mostly over with. I'm typing this from my father's computer at his house and all my stuff is here.

That's the good news.

...the bad news is that there's still lots of work to do. Dad didn't clean his floors at all so the floors in the basement are absolutely filthy. Once I've had a bit of a break, I'm gonna be taking a mop down there to make things walkably clean. (Five rooms worth of floors and a hallway down there...) I've already cleared away all the spider webs, though there's still probably some spiders floating around.

I can't use my own computer yet because we had to leave the screen at my place temporarily. We'll be picking that up tomorrow, as well as clearing out a bunch of junk still cluttering the unfinished part of the basement back there.

Overall, things went well, there's just lots more to do. :|

Eww spiders.

HunterZ wrote:

Eww spiders.

At least they're typically easier to handle than flying insects, ants, bedbugs and cockroaches. I'd rather deal with spiders than any other insect-like creature. :P

Still don't have my main system up yet, though we should be getting the cheque for the sale of my house sometime today, which means tomorrow I'll be able to start getting my new computer components. If I'm VERY lucky, every piece I intend to buy will be available right from the local TigerDirect store and I won't have to have any shipped from online. :)

I expect to have my current system ready to go by tonight, then I can get back to work on ADG. Plus, we did indeed pick up a USB WiFi adaptor for the thing so I don't have to rely on Dad's wonky system for internet access.

At this rate, I'll probably be a day late with the next ADG episode.

I spent three hours today clearing away vines that were severely overgrowing next to my bedroom window. So much so that they actually pushed the window out of its socket. o_O

I got that fixed, washed out the windows and replaced them, and now the seal between them and the outdoors is perfect. So far, no more spiders getting in my bedroom from there, though I don't want to jinx it. ^_^;

Next ADG is almost ready, but not close enough that I'll be able to get it uploaded tonight. It should be up around mid-day Sunday EDT, maybe closer to the evening.

The following ADG episode should be on-time. ;)

Ancient DOS Games Episode 111 - 3D CyberPuck is FINALLY online. ^_^;

I'm gonna do my best to never be this late ever again, but let's keep in mind I was having to pack up nine years worth of living in a house in just two weeks... >_>;

The other bit of news is that Jeff Sinasac, the actor who made Caverns of Xaskazien which I covered in Episode 94, released a set of Let's Play videos regarding the sequel he's working on, so those of you who were interested in the sequel may wanna take a look and see how it's coming along: http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtuaSinner

Released in 1992, yet it rips off the GSTONE texture from Doom? :D