I put together a review of Planet X3:

https://youtu.be/7oZMxcKCCLM

root42 wrote:

I put together a review of Planet X3:

https://youtu.be/7oZMxcKCCLM

Thanks for the review; you did a great job covering most technical sides of it. For future videos, going into a bit more depth about game mechanics would be useful. I have watched several videos on this game now, by the creator and other reviewers but I still have no idea about how it plays (i.e. how buildings are built, resources are gathered, units are produced, controlled, whether there is a tech tree or advancement, how it handles multiple units, etc. etc.) Cheers 😀

appiah4 wrote:

root42 wrote:

I put together a review of Planet X3:

https://youtu.be/7oZMxcKCCLM

Thanks for the review; you did a great job covering most technical sides of it. For future videos, going into a bit more depth about game mechanics would be useful. I have watched several videos on this game now, by the creator and other reviewers but I still have no idea about how it plays (i.e. how buildings are built, resources are gathered, units are produced, controlled, whether there is a tech tree or advancement, how it handles multiple units, etc. etc.) Cheers 😀

Yeah, feedback is appreciated. This game is more interesting from a technical viewpoint for me. Actually I could talk 20 more minutes about the gameplay. Maybe I will in the future... My main gripes with Planet X3 are:

1) It is made for PCs from 1982/1983. This shows in the fact that gameplay is way less complex than in more modern games
2) It is real time. I think if it were turn based, a lot more game mechanics would have fitted, since the PC can basically take as much time for thinking as needed.
3) There is no tech tree. You only have four units (builder, tank, heavy tank, frigate). The buildings you can build are base, factory, smelter, power plant and solar panels, radar station, missile silo. Plus the walls to defend your base. Again, no tech tree here.
4) You can't group units or give them commands so they autonomously execute them. Again, this would have been no issue if it were turn based -- think Battle Isle. But with real time strategy in MY *opinion* you need to be able to delegate tasks to the computer. YMMV. Even in Z the units at least defend themselves, even if they don't act autonomously.

That being said if you take the game for what it is, it still is fun and challenging. After the first 5 minutes you are quickly swamped by enemies, so make sure to build up your defences early in the game.

However once you have set up all the resource gathering buildings, there is no need to care for resources anymore, but then you go scouting, searching for the enemy bases. Finally you finish those off with a volley of nukes or some heavy/light tanks. Defending your resources can become more difficult in later levels, but the strategy remains the same.

Overall the game is fun and well worth the money (especially with the big box, not necessarily the digital download), but it is NOT Battle Isle and it is NOT Warcraft or Dune2. I definitely like those games better, but then again it is a game done by enthusiasts. Although with professional backgrounds in coding, composing and art design. But I think NOT in game design. And that is the spot where Planet X4 could take this to a whole other level and become a true, completely professional retro game for retro machines: either drop the support for ancient PCs or make it turn based. Either way you can make the game more complex and fun.

Scored a nice collection of microsoft software (games / microsoft home / operating systems / office stuff) in the beginning of this year.
Now that I am able to run it on time-period correct hardware I'm really looking forward to giving them a spin.

Especially looking forward to

• MS Flight Simulator 3.0 (IBM XT ?)
• MS Word 4.0 (IBM XT ?)
• MS Dogs (486 with windows 95 ?)
• Entertainment pack for Windows (386 with windows 3.1)
• Encarta 98 (early pentium).

Also have an HP NetServer E30 (pentium 166) that I think would be perfect for Windows NT 4.0

Here's the complete list of titles included in the haul :

• Microsoft Flight Simulator 98
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator WW II Europe Series
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator II WW II Pacific Theatre
• Microsoft Flight Simuator 3.0
• Microsoft Flight Simuator 2000
• Microsoft Encarta 98
• Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows v1.0
• Microsoft Access v1.0
• Microsoft Word v4.0
• Microsoft Office 97
• Microsoft Office 95 Upgrade
• Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Upgrade
• Microsoft MS-DOS 4.01 (non-boxed)
• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server
• Microsoft Site Server
• Microsoft Backoffice Server
• Microsoft Windows NT 3.5 Upgrade
• Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Upgrade
• Microsoft Home - Dogs
• Microsoft Home - Wine Guide
• Microsoft Home - Fine Artist
• Microsoft Home - Dangerous Creatures
• Microsoft Home - AutoRoute Express
• Central Point Software - Copy II PC Delux Option Board

https://youtu.be/sos_gGk2rKs

I have done a short video on DEC PDP-11 processor line with discussions of different bus types, internal architecture of the processors and some performance data.

Computer History: PDP-11 CPUs and Architecture

Really happy to have picked up this IBM 5160. Great machine in great condition with only 1 problem: it does not start 😀

In this video I'll show you how I diagnosed the issue, ended up finding the culprit (the diskdrive), and how I fixed it.

In a follow-up video I'll go into more detail on the machine itself, but here I just wanted to show you how I ended up fixing it so that the machine would boot

https://youtu.be/rFhOEuXodQc

Found some time to go over my IBM 5160. Next steps : Running some software and comparing it to my IBM 5150

https://youtu.be/2FcsJiSfktI

@RetroSpector78 very nice videos, thanks!

I just did an overview of the 3dfx cards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B0jUj3nNGw

mwdmeyer wrote:

@RetroSpector78 very nice videos, thanks!

Seconding that! Thanks for a very informative and high quality video.

Play games! I'm playing probably my favorite game in the Might and Magic franchise: Might and Magic 7!

Retro-gaming: Might and Magic 7 - Ep. 1

I've re-done this one, I did not like how it turned out the first time.

Two more gameplay videos, this time from Settlers III, playing the Asians campaign.

Mission 1 - Part 1
Mission 1 - Part 2

Atari 2600: Composite Mod and Gameplay

https://youtu.be/mM7Y40HEWEM

root42 wrote:

Atari 2600: Composite Mod and Gameplay

https://youtu.be/mM7Y40HEWEM

I loved it. I had missed your videos 😀

An old 386 paired up with an Atari monochrome monitor that needed lots of fixes... enjoy...

https://youtu.be/IRVZC8z2fJE

A thank you to the first 254 subscribers! And also a little giveaway contest: Enter for a chance to win the MUS1099 sound card!

https://youtu.be/8w-9aCKyUFA

root42 wrote:

A thank you to the first 254 subscribers! And also a little giveaway contest: Enter for a chance to win the MUS1099 sound card!

https://youtu.be/8w-9aCKyUFA

I see you are already at 2^8 so great job. 😀

I got Tandy 1400LT in perfect working condition added to my collection so I took a bit of time to do some exploration. A NEV V20 @ 7.16Mhz laptop with a 8087 !

Computer History: 1987 Tandy 1400LT (A Hidden Gem)

There's just something about installing games off a big stack of original floppies. (Monkey Island 1 unbox,install,and play)

https://youtu.be/P5i-zRFYqFQ

Let's Code VGA Text Mode & MUS1099 Competition Winner!

https://youtu.be/U4oRY8c4Jg4