clueless1 wrote on 2022-01-06, 17:47:

RandomStranger wrote on 2022-01-06, 15:26:

Before you get to the point where you can use the better equipment. Once you get there, you generally get better loot than what […]
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clueless1 wrote on 2022-01-06, 11:12:

What do you mean by "in advance"?

Before you get to the point where you can use the better equipment. Once you get there, you generally get better loot than what you can buy.

You might want to explore this for your own on a first playthrough.

You are close to getting the second best combat and best non-combat armor (SEVA suit) for free (well there is the exoskeleton, but you can only loot it from a stash in Pripyat), as well as guns which you can carry you to the endgame (TRs-301, GP-37, SPSA-14). It's also better to hold onto the unneeded artifacts until you get to Yantar.

Trading is generally pointless in SoC in my experience.

Gotcha. Thanks, man. At least trading can net you money in place of added weight. 😉

Playing Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. I like it that the game has an in-game map and that the turning of the character is slightly animated. Oh, and it's got Patrick Stewart.

Joakim wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:42:

Playing Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. I like it that the game has an in-game map and that the turning of the character is slightly animated. Oh, and it's got Patrick Stewart.

Great game. Nice soundtrack too, especially with General MIDI. Have fun 😀

Finished Commander Keen 4 and 5. Started episode 6.
It was funnier when I was a kid. I hadn't played as many games yet and it all seemed so new.

Joakim wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:42:

Playing Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. I like it that the game has an in-game map and that the turning of the character is slightly animated. Oh, and it's got Patrick Stewart.

I am also considering embarking upon a playthrough of this.

Originally played it back in the 90s upon release, but not since then.

Related: A week ago, I had an hour-long revisit to Eye of the Beholder II, and it was strangely fun. Like riding a bicycle, the memory of shunting around the labyrinthine corridors (even without an automap!, pre-LoL) returned quickly. The key-and-switch fun, the putting rocks on pressure tiles, etc. Just, some of the technical limitations (like no digital sound) are slightly grating.

And Lands of Lore is technically that much better, of course. I still remember how exciting the LoL release was, after growing up on SSI Goldbox/Blackbox games, then having this souped-up Westwood creation of wonder drop into our laps.

Nexxen wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:59:

Finished Commander Keen 4 and 5. Started episode 6.
It was funnier when I was a kid. I hadn't played as many games yet and it all seemed so new.

I also need to revisit a Keen game. I have been playing many top (console) platformers in recent years, and am curious to see how the old Keen mechanics stack up. The pogo stick is a somewhat unique mechanic. But is it still fun? Does the level design still stand up? The difficulty?

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-01-06, 23:06:

Nexxen wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:59:

Finished Commander Keen 4 and 5. Started episode 6.
It was funnier when I was a kid. I hadn't played as many games yet and it all seemed so new.

I also need to revisit a Keen game. I have been playing many top (console) platformers in recent years, and am curious to see how the old Keen mechanics stack up. The pogo stick is a somewhat unique mechanic. But is it still fun? Does the level design still stand up? The difficulty?

It is still fun, but you have to ramp up difficulty to make it challenging.
I started with normal but I'm going to play it again at hard level. Hard was harder, but not impossible. I beat it when I was 11, I can safely guess I can beat it again. I remember I had to save quite a lot to go through a level taking all the points (candy bars etc).
I'm sure there are "full ransack" videos on YT, where it all looks easy but it isn't. 😀

Edit: I didn't always make it full points, and I didn't know about secrets. I really feel something for the players that go through all levels with no saves.

Finished the Terminator: Resistance 'Annihilation Line' DLC. Shorter than the main campaign, but imo it packs more punch. Some serious Hollywood studio backlot moments.

Anyway, if anyone is interested I have kept a bug and optimization log over at GOG's forums with some videos attached. Messaged the dev with the info. Nothing game breaking by any means, but I felt I should mention it nonetheless. Highly recommend this one to any sci-fi fan. The light RPG elements are a welcome addition to this high action FPS. I can't say it enough, but the audio and graphic artists have really outdone themselves with this game. It's absolutely beautiful and the set lighting is some of the best I've seen in a game. Cheers!

I just finished playing the storyline of Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration.

I will probably go back and do all the extra side missions and try to get the rest of the gear I missed the first time around.

Well, I wrapped up Heretic Episode 3, which I largely consider to be "completing" Heretic since Episodes 4 and 5 were kind of a retail only soft expansion.

I did start Episode 4 however, and wow does it ever come out the gate swinging. A room full of Iron Liches on the first level. A Maulotaur on the second level. I routinely run out of nearly all ammo. The levels are also far more deviously designed. The second level especially had these teleports activate, and I was rather unclear what I did to do it. Did I run over a spot on the floor? Did I have to kill a certain enemy? I have no idea. I just ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, zigging and zagging, hoping to find more ammo somewhere to deal with all the enemies hurling fireballs at me.

If I get bored or distracted now, it won't particularly bother me. I keep trying to work up the motivation to spend more time with Panzer General again.

clueless1 wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:51:

Joakim wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:42:

Playing Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. I like it that the game has an in-game map and that the turning of the character is slightly animated. Oh, and it's got Patrick Stewart.

Great game. Nice soundtrack too, especially with General MIDI. Have fun 😀

Soundtrack is nice. I play it on general midi with MP32L. The artwork is very impressive. Look at the lighting and shadows in this picture.

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-01-06, 23:06:

I am also considering embarking upon a playthrough of this.

Originally played it back in the 90s upon release, but not since then.

It is my first playthrough. I made eye of the beholder a test drive but as I never played a 1st person rpg before, I found it very hard to orient myself. Maybe it is something you get used to so I thought I would try something a little more vanilla to begin with before I dip into the older stuff.

I see these games being praised here and want to see what I have been missing all these years.

Nexxen wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:59:

Finished Commander Keen 4 and 5.

Did you find the secret levels? I also found the quasi-puzzle to beat the last level of 5 to be kind of fun.

to much Solitär from Win3.11

liqmat wrote on 2022-01-07, 01:05:

Finished the Terminiator: Resistance 'Annihilation Line' DLC. Shorter than the main campaign, but imo it packs more punch. Some serious Hollywood studio backlot moments.

Anyway, if anyone is interested I have kept a bug and optimization log over at GOG's forums with some videos attached. Messaged the dev with the info. Nothing game breaking by any means, but I felt I should mention it nonetheless. Highly recommend this one to any sci-fi fan. The light RPG elements are a welcome addition to this high action FPS. I can't say it enough, but the audio and graphic artists have really outdone themselves with this game. It's absolutely beautiful and the set lighting is some of the best I've seen in a game. Cheers!

wasteland_vista.jpg

I was gonna get this game on the Steam winter sale but the price still isn't right in my mind, got Titanfall 2 instead. Maybe next year.

dr_st wrote on 2022-01-07, 10:02:

Nexxen wrote on 2022-01-06, 22:59:

Finished Commander Keen 4 and 5.

Did you find the secret levels? I also found the quasi-puzzle to beat the last level of 5 to be kind of fun.

I found the pyramid secret level by accident. I was trying to find the door to it but failed. I found it by accident playing with the worms. Happy kid 😀

Level 5 I didn't back then but I tried hard this time and almost wanted to give up when I accidentally found the secret part that leads to secret level.
The last two levels are better than the others, IMHO.

Episode 6 I'm still playing but not dying to find any secrets. It is entertaining though 😀

I want to try mods, I'm sure there are very nice designs to play.
I'd like to make my own but it's not too simple. We'll see. 🤣

JAVA POP

Supposedly works with touch controls on phones as well. Pretty nifty.

liqmat wrote on 2022-01-07, 15:58:

JAVA POP

Supposedly works with touch controls on phones as well. Pretty nifty.

Works 😀

Nexxen wrote on 2022-01-07, 21:52:

liqmat wrote on 2022-01-07, 15:58:

JAVA POP

Supposedly works with touch controls on phones as well. Pretty nifty.

Works 😀

Nice!

liqmat wrote on 2022-01-07, 15:58:

[Prince of Persia] with touch controls on phones

Hmm, is that a feature, or a torture?? 😁

Impressive little project, though!

liqmat wrote on 2022-01-07, 15:58:

JAVA POP

Supposedly works with touch controls on phones as well. Pretty nifty.

It's an impressive implementation. A nice touch is that you can specify the level, time and health in the URL. It allowed me to jump around and test some levels.

It is fairly accurate compared to the DOS version, which it is based on, and the controls are quite responsive. As you play a bit, you start seeing discrepancies, though. Jump alignment is not as tight (the DOS version compensates so that if you press jump a bit to soon, it still aligns you to the end of the platform). This makes some sections difficult - the platforming on level 12 in particular feels broken.

Combat timing is different - it feels like it skips some frames. I felt it made the regular fights harder, but somehow the harder opponents (the fat guard and Jaffar) are easier. Also you cannot run through spikes that have risen out of the floor already - this is a behavior change from the original game.

This is what I noticed so far. Can't quite see how touch controls would be comfortable for this implementation. 🤣

I read about it a few days ago (no idea what article) and thought it was worth a mention here.

Edit: Found it