clueless1 wrote on 2022-11-15, 02:17:

Still early on, but this is way more my speed than Ultima VI was.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! I wouldn't rank it up with the Wizardry games, only because combat becomes very simple and the dungeon layouts aren't great, but all three BT games are definitely worth playing. BT3 was actually very excellent, with by far the best dungeons in the series.

Steam reports that it took me just under 80 hours to complete all three, but the in-game clock says 44 hours at the end of BT3. I forced myself to save only at the Adventurer's Guild (like in the originals), so dying and reloading accounts for some of those hours. As for the rest, I must have left the game on in the background and forgot about it one night haha.

The QOL features of the Trilogy version really make it easy to jump in and out when you have time. The automap is really great, too.

My Final Fantasy XIV adventures continue, now placing me around 3/4 of the way through Endwalker. It's really good, but so far doesn't hit quite as hard as Shadowbringers. Maybe the last part of it slaps even harder but as of right now I have to break with majority consensus and say ShB continues to be my favorite expansion, not EW.

I've also started a new playthrough of AM2R, this time on my Steam Deck! It was a pain to get running and I ended up needing to ask for some help in the game's official Discord for a graphical glitch but once everything was properly set up it started working beautifully. But I only played for an hour or so and then set it aside for my trip next week. Finally going to give the Steam Deck a proper field test during my eight-hour trip out to see my family.
Depending on how well this thing works it might become my go-to for retro games that won't drain the battery so quickly. Being able to sit and work through some of my extensive backlog during thse twice-yearly trips rather than just playing whatever I happen to have gotten for the Switch would be a huge improvement.

Torchlight II
I enjoyed playing through Grim Dawn and Diablo so much, that I decided to go back to my game in progress here. I had completed Act I and just had just started Act II before getting bored and quitting the game, years and years ago. Now that I have a better understanding/appreciation for the subgenre, I've been plugging away and made some good progress in this... and reached Act IV just now.

Although I definitely prefer how Grim Dawn looks and sounds, I must say that Torchlight II plays better, at least when comparing the Normal difficulty levels between both games. Torchlight II is not hard on Normal, but it's also not completely braindead like GD is on the same difficulty level. There's definitely a greater focus on movement and avoiding attacks in Torchlight II, and that makes it more enjoyable to play moment to moment. I also like the pet system, which seems at first to be a gimmick, but actually is a pretty cool feature.

I also prefer how Torchlight II is laid out. Each Act has a central hub town and one or two open areas, each with several dungeons (basically, Diablo II). Movement is very quick, so traveling back and forth over these open areas to finish quests is actually not a headache. In Grim Dawn, the areas tended to be much more linear, with each area following each other from the hub area.

The biggest problem with Torchlight II for me (besides the art style, which is really not too bad) is that itemization is poor. Even unique item seem to be randomly generated without any rhyme or reason; you'll find stuff that is clearly meant for a spellcaster, but gives you a bonus to melee damage. It makes no sense. I'm playing as an outlander ranged character, and it's been very hard finding good weapons, so I've been mostly using the same thing the whole game. In a short game like Diablo I, using the same stuff is fine, but in a 40-hour game like Torchlight II, it can get boring.

A second issue with Torchlight II is actually clicking on enemies. I don't know if it's because there are so many tiny enemies all over the screen, or because the game moves so quickly, but I seem to have a lot of trouble clicking on the enemy I want to target. I had a similar issue with the first game, too.

I played both Torchlight games to end and I remember the sequel being pretty forgettable. I can't remember why but I did not enjoy it as much as the first game.

Torchlight II
I finished this just now. I really enjoyed this, possibly more than Grim Dawn! I completed it as an Outlander (archer) on Normal, and while it was easy, it wasn't as easy as Grim Dawn on Normal. The game only took 25 hours to complete, and I think this is a good length for a game in this sub-genre. It's long enough to feel substantial, but short enough to replay.

I much prefer how skills are handled here compared with the "skill trees" in games like Path of Exile or Grim Dawn. Instead of a skill tree, you just have a couple dozen of skills over three pages, and can purchase most of them at any time. You don't really need to have a build in mind from the beginning, and can just buy what you think might be useful as you level up.

Itemization wasn't great, but it did get better during the second half of the game. Individual items were not particularly interesting, but the upgrade system is pretty cool. It was exciting to get a cool gem to slot into a piece of equipment, or to stumble upon one of the random master enchanters in a dungeon (they can enchant equipment three times, compared with standard echanters in towns who can enchant an item only twice).

It's a fast game to play, and I liked how it was focused more on mobility and avoiding attacks than other games in the sub-genre. Most enemies telegraph their stronger attacks well in advance, allowing you to get out of the way. I did have some trouble targeting the smaller or quicker enemies (or even the larger enemies in big battles), which is not something I've experience in any other game in the sub-genre (besides the first Torchlight game).

Other than those minor gripes, this game was excellent! Completing the game gives you access to an in-game random dungeon generator and a "New Game+" option. Of course, you can also always play on a higher difficulty level with a new character, so there's plenty of replayability. I'll be playing something else next, but would definitely consider playing it again a couple years from now.

The Bard's Tale Trilogy Remastered
Holy crap I'm having fun with this one. I wish InXile could remaster the Wizardry collection similarly, but I'm sure that would be a licensing impossibility.

I'm almost 11 hours in with characters that are about to level up to 8. The first 6 level-ups, I didn't realize I should probably be save-scumming so my characters don't get random skill boosts in categories that are meaningless to them. 🙁 Oh well, in the long run they will all max out to 18s across the board anyhow. There is something so addicting (and very reminiscent of Wiz6/7) about the character creation and development process. And once you get past the difficulty of being a level 1 character (by L3 the combat starts getting more balanced), it becomes super satisfying to strategize how to approach each battle. I still have not spent much time in combat at night, but that should be my priority once I level my characters up to 8 and will speed up progress. I've pretty much explored the entirety of Skara Brae that I can reach as a beginner, and now have started killing the statues that guard various gates. I have not progressed the plot yet beyond. I think there are some cellars to explore, but I haven't come across them yet. It's crazy how much gold you accumulate so quickly from winning battles. I'm sure at some point there will be expenses that this will come in handy for, but at the moment I can't spend the money fast enough to stop it from growing. I could pay for healing and SP replenishment instead of doing it myself (via healing spells and walking around in the daylight) and I'd still be making more than I spend.

I played BT1 on my Apple II back in the day, but not very seriously. I think it was too brutal for my 15 year old brain. I was way more into Ultima back then. But doing some retrospective research, I'm so impressed that InXile kept it so true to its roots. Everything is nearly identical, even game and character art is the same (just spruced up mightily). It's like the original developer made the game with modern tools of the trade. Highly recommended!

System Shock! (for the first time, finally!) - finally got it working with my SC-55 and Sound Blaster. I was debating whether to go for the Floppy version before the CD version since it was the 'original experience' until I read that it was only by a few months and the Looking Glass team didn't even want it released but were forced by Origin.

infiniteclouds wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:05:

System Shock! (for the first time, finally!) - finally got it working with my SC-55 and Sound Blaster. I was debating whether to go for the Floppy version before the CD version since it was the 'original experience' until I read that it was only by a few months and the Looking Glass team didn't even want it released but were forced by Origin.

You're in for a treat. Some of the best MIDI music in DOS gaming history imo. Another great Looking Glass game with awesome MIDI music and gameplay would be Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri.

liqmat wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:08:

infiniteclouds wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:05:

System Shock! (for the first time, finally!) - finally got it working with my SC-55 and Sound Blaster. I was debating whether to go for the Floppy version before the CD version since it was the 'original experience' until I read that it was only by a few months and the Looking Glass team didn't even want it released but were forced by Origin.

You're in for a treat. Some of the best MIDI music in DOS gaming history imo. Another great Looking Glass game with awesome MIDI music and gameplay would be Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri.

Have you ever played it with a Joystick? I see the game has Joystick support andI do have a couple of CH Flightsticks/Joysticks but I'd only take the time to figure out how to get it installed and running if it allowed me to look up and down with the joystick (unlike the mouse which does not).

infiniteclouds wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:14:

liqmat wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:08:

infiniteclouds wrote on 2022-11-21, 03:05:

System Shock! (for the first time, finally!) - finally got it working with my SC-55 and Sound Blaster. I was debating whether to go for the Floppy version before the CD version since it was the 'original experience' until I read that it was only by a few months and the Looking Glass team didn't even want it released but were forced by Origin.

You're in for a treat. Some of the best MIDI music in DOS gaming history imo. Another great Looking Glass game with awesome MIDI music and gameplay would be Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri.

Have you ever played it with a Joystick? I see the game has Joystick support andI do have a couple of CH Flightsticks/Joysticks but I'd only take the time to figure out how to get it installed and running if it allowed me to look up and down with the joystick (unlike the mouse which does not).

I have not.

I may have to try to get in running for science then.

clueless1 wrote on 2022-11-20, 14:01:

The Bard's Tale Trilogy Remastered
Holy crap I'm having fun with this one. I wish InXile could remaster the Wizardry collection similarly, but I'm sure that would be a licensing impossibility.

I'm glad you've found an RPG you're enjoying! I had a lot of fun with this trilogy.
The cellar you need to find is hidden, so you might want to look up where it is if you end up exploring the whole town and can't find it.

If you ever want to play the old Wizardry games (1-5) with modern QOL features, you can play the original PC versions using the "Where Are We" automap mod (it also adds what is basically a modern UI around the game window). Alternately, you could emulate the PSX versions, which have an optional automap feature, no permadeath, etc. They are Japan only, but have an setting in the options to switch the interface and text to English. The Super Famicom version of Wiz 1-3 is alright, too, but imo changes too much (for instance, the games are out of order!).

Sorry for the double post.

I think I've settled on which PC games I'll be playing, possibly my last two for 2022!

Fable: The Lost Chapters
I had this back in the day on the XBOX, but was extremely disappointed with it as it was infamously a pale shadow of what had been promised in interviews, etc. prior to release. Revisiting it now, it's a decent little action RPG with a charming look and atmosphere. I remember being very disappointed back in 2004 that you were stuck traveling on paths and roads in the game and surrounded by insurmountable invisible walls, but I don't mind it now. It feels more focused than a sprawling empty open world.

However, at only a few hours in, I'm already noticing how limited character development is. You're either a fighter, archer, or wizard. There are thief skills, but the game is so combat-focused that I can't imagine a pure thief build working out very well. Outside of combat, you can buy property, flirt, and get married, but that stuff has zero interest for me in a game.

In order to even get this run on my PC (Win 10 64-bit), I have to switch my sound output to either my laptop's internal soundcard, or an external DAC I used for listening to music. Playing with my default device (Sound Blaster X5) causes the game to crash after loading. Other than that, it runs fine.

Exile: Escape from the Pit
I put a little more time into this. I do like it, but must admit that the interface is poor (worse than Gold Box games for instance). It is mostly controllable with the keyboard, but there are a handful of things that require using a mouse (aiming arrows or spells), so it feels very clunky. It does have a "party info" screen, but all it shows is each character's HP and SP. All other information is spread all over the place, across several (small) screens for each character. It also provides absolutely no information on equipment, which is a pet peeve of mine. Some of it makes sense (iron should be better than bronze), but I would have preferred more information.

Outside of the interface, though, I really like this! Great exploration, combat is alright, and party development is a blast. I've slowly been exploring west and north of the starting area, and found some good leads for quests. The game does a decent job of giving you just enough information to point you in the right direction, without spelling out what you need to do. One thing I really like is that there are certain tiles in the games with small white dots on them, which indicate that they have something there worth checking out, either some text or even an encounter. I stepped on one tonight, and it told me that I saw a swampy island to the SE with what seemed like people walking around on it. Later, I got a lead on a quest where someone wanted me to get something from a lizardman island SE from their fort. Bingo! It's not rocket science putting this stuff together, but it definitely feels better than the game just marking the objective on my map or whatever.

After watching a video by Ancient Electronics today, I got into the mood to replay the PC version of Final Fantasy VII. I'm using a YMF744 sound card which gives me Yamaha XG music, and passing the sound via SPDIF out to my Cambridge SoundWorks Digital speakers. As expected, it sounds magnificent.

For clarity, I've played and finished this game many times on the PlayStation, but I don't think I've ever completed it fully on the PC. Time to fix that, and experience the fabled XG soundtrack first hand.

Exile: Escape from the Pit
It took a while to get used to the interface and overall flow of the game, but I'm really enjoying this now! I did some exploring, got most of the starting island explored, and even tackled some dungeons/caves/forts/etc. Combat isn't anything amazing in this, but it's fine. I do like how useful spells are, and having two pure wizards has been very helpful; the "Haste" spell is crazy in this game. It's also cool how combat takes place right on the exploration screen when indoors, and making use of the environment to set up choke points, etc. is a valid tactic (for both you and the enemies).

It's always very satisfying to clear out a dungeon or solve some quest or whatever, and then head back to town to train, buy equipment, etc. There's always stuff to spend gold on, and even gaining a few points in a skill really does seem to make a difference. The only annoying thing is that not every town/fort has a trainer, sage (to ID equipment), or fence (to sell most things), so I've had to do a lot of trekking to get to the one fort so far that has it all.

Besides the somewhat clunky interface, my only complaint is how useless bows seem to be. I built one of my characters as an archer/rogue, and bows seem to be a complete waste of time/money. You need to buy arrows, which take up limited inventory space, and even after pumping up DEX and her bow skill, she is often just doing 2 damage per shot (compared with 15 damage per attack from my melee fighters). There must be something I'm missing (or maybe bows just really do suck).

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-11-21, 18:39:

For clarity, I've played and finished this game many times on the PlayStation, but I don't think I've ever completed it fully on the PC. Time to fix that, and experience the fabled XG soundtrack first hand.

I'm opposite. I've only ever finished it on my Win98 when it originally came out. I didn't have a PlayStation as a teenager. I spent a weekend at my brother's in early 1997 where I first played it and got hooked hard ( along with Symphony of the Night ). When the PC port was first announced I was super excited. My parents had a P166 that was just fast enough to play on the terrible software rendering, though my mom wasn't thrilled I spent so much money on a game and strategy manual. My same brother got me a Voodoo2 as a gift, which of course significantly improved the game experience. After playing at a higher resolution and with better music, playing it on a PS1 wasn't much of a draw.

I just finished re-working my Win98 machine, so I'm sure a quick jaunt through Midgar is warranted. Though I have to remember how to set up the MIDI banks between my SBLive and the included S-YXG70, which I never fully understood 20 years ago. After this, I may finally finish FF VIII ( still have that original port too ). But right now, my kids are busy flying X-Wings. They think these old games are a hoot.

Been playing Tomb Raider II on my Windows 95 PC as of late. Almost done with the game.

Exile: Escape from the Pit
Well, I saw down and read the "manual" (help file), and found out some very useful information!
- You can actually scroll the screen around during combat by clicking the borders of the main window. This means you can also target enemies outside your immediate view with ranged weapons and spells.
- The game actually includes somewhat detailed stats on all equipment, viewable in inventory.
- The only stat that affects damage is STR; I've been focusing only on DEX for my archer, so that's probably why she's doing so little damage.

With all that in mind, I spent a couple hours playing tonight and made some nice progress. I cleared out the largest "dungeon" I've found so far (three levels), and got some very nice equipment in the process. I think I've finally stumbled on the main quest now, so if I ever get tired of just exploring, I can head off in that direction. Great game! If this holds up, it's nice to know that I have five more games in the series to look forward to (plus remakes of the first three, plus re-remakes of those three!).

Jaron wrote on 2022-11-22, 16:34:

I just finished re-working my Win98 machine, so I'm sure a quick jaunt through Midgar is warranted. Though I have to remember how to set up the MIDI banks between my SBLive and the included S-YXG70, which I never fully understood 20 years ago.

If you have a reasonably fast CPU (around 1 GHz or more), you can use the S-YXG70 softsynth. But on slower machines, it's too laggy at the top settings. On the other hand, I think the SBLive should be able to utilize the game's custom soundfont for the music, which provides the proper vocals in Sephiroth's theme. I opted for the XG soundtrack simply because my Yamaha sound card supports it natively, so I don't have to deal with the S-YXG70 softsynth.

After this, I may finally finish FF VIII ( still have that original port too ).

Heh, I'm considering that one too. Not sure if I'll jump in straight after FF7 though. That game is huge, so I might go for a different genre afterwards (maybe a real-time strategy?) to cleanse the palate as they say.

Graphically impressive for its time. Also, interesting combat system. But unnecessary long journey and sparse combat makes it an uneventful, underwhelming experience.

I wish there are more enemies like this.