Starcat wrote on 2025-09-13, 15:09:

Cool, thank you! Eliminating the CD check for convenience would be nice. It never occurred to me that you could do that.

Change the byte at 0x5302C: 53 → C3

dr_st wrote on 2025-09-13, 15:28:

Starcat wrote on 2025-09-13, 15:09:

Cool, thank you! Eliminating the CD check for convenience would be nice. It never occurred to me that you could do that.

Change the byte at 0x5302C: 53 → C3

Thank you, dr_st! That worked!

Glad I could help. 😀

BTW, I ended up beating all DOS Mortal Kombats yesterday - MK1, MK2, MK3 and MK Trilogy. Though in Trilogy I used the overpowered Motaro, because I didn't feel like dealing with the overpowered cheating AI. 😜

dr_st wrote on 2025-09-14, 18:56:

Glad I could help. 😀

BTW, I ended up beating all DOS Mortal Kombats yesterday - MK1, MK2, MK3 and MK Trilogy. Though in Trilogy I used the overpowered Motaro, because I didn't feel like dealing with the overpowered cheating AI. 😜

D-a-y-u-m, now that was a proper Mortal Monday tribute! I'm not skilled enough to do that, I'm just a gamepad masher. 😀

Starcat wrote on 2025-09-17, 19:21:

D-a-y-u-m, now that was a proper Mortal Monday tribute! I'm not skilled enough to do that, I'm just a gamepad masher. 😀

In the absence of an arcade stick, Mortal Kombat is supposed to be played with a keyboard. It sucks on gamepads because of tap-based moves. 😉
And you are also correct - Mortal Kombat is much harder to beat with simple button mashing, compared to, say, Street Fighter. 😜

Starcat wrote on 2025-09-17, 19:21:

dr_st wrote on 2025-09-14, 18:56:

Glad I could help. 😀

BTW, I ended up beating all DOS Mortal Kombats yesterday - MK1, MK2, MK3 and MK Trilogy. Though in Trilogy I used the overpowered Motaro, because I didn't feel like dealing with the overpowered cheating AI. 😜

D-a-y-u-m, now that was a proper Mortal Monday tribute! I'm not skilled enough to do that, I'm just a gamepad masher. 😀

From MK 2 onwards the only way to beat the CPU is by exploiting it's bugs.
It's so bizarre that once you learn it's patterns the game ends up being easier when playing on the highest difficulty because the CPU behavior is more predictable that way (on easier difficulties the CPU may just randomly not respond to certain actions). Easy mode in classic MK games doesn't mean the CPU will be easier, just that it will let you win a few more matches before it goes full ape shit on you 😁.
It may be fun playing those classic MK games with that software tester mentality and trying to exploit the CPU, but if you try to play it like normal, embrace yourself for pure frustration... nothing feels worse than losing 20 times to a single character just to see it suddenly becoming brain dead and letting you win on the 21th attempt 😠.

I play MK1 on the default, medium. I can usually win 4 or 5 matches and then it becomes impossible to win. What's really frustrating is that I never make the leader board.

Dwarf Fortress, via Winlator, on a 90$ android tablet.

Because I can!

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-09-13, 07:32:

I'll chime in and say that I still prefer the Sega MegaDrive version of MK1 for its unique soundtrack. That's what I first experienced as a kid, and it has always sounded the best to me.

Of course, the arcade original has better graphics and a richer OST. And the FM synth music in the floppy version on the PC isn't half bad either. But for me, the MegaDrive release is where it's at.

I could say the same thing about the Amiga version of Street Fighter 2! That's the version I grew up with, and I may be viewing it through rose-tinted beer goggles, but despite it being near unplayable on Amiga's single-button joystick, the sample-based tracker soundtrack friggin' ROCKS maaaan compared to the bland elevator music FM synth soundtracks the arcade and console versions had.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-09-13, 07:32:

I'll chime in and say that I still prefer the Sega MegaDrive version of MK1 for its unique soundtrack. That's what I first experienced as a kid, and it has always sounded the best to me.

Of course, the arcade original has better graphics and a richer OST. And the FM synth music in the floppy version on the PC isn't half bad either. But for me, the MegaDrive release is where it's at.

The MD version of the soundtrack is simply amazing, and I prefer it to every other version of the game even though I didn't have a MD back then.

Someone released a ROM hack of the MD game that seriously beefs up the sound effects, animation, and graphics... but of course does not change the perfect soundtrack:
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6558/
It actually runs perfectly even on an original system... it's truly the version of the game we should have got back in the day.

So I finished the campaign in the new Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries: Shadow of Kerensky DLC. Absolutely fantastic. If you played Mechwarrior 5: Clans, you'll notice a lot of the improvements. Phenomenal cut scenes, all the same Clan Mechs from MW5:Clans base game, amazing character models. But I think this is actually their best DLC campaign yet. Starts off on rails, goes open world for a bit, then goes back on rails for the finale. I really appreciated that middle section of freedom allowing you to loot more Clan tech, or rest and refit, before you go finish the story.

Fighting the Clans is terrifying, probably even more so than in Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries where the mission just ends when the Clans show up and you just get captured. This has a pirate hunt turn into a frantic escape, one which I barely pulled off. It gets easier after that rough introduction, with more repair bays in missions to top off your armor after each wave of Clan assaults. You also learn more strategies about how to deal with the Clan's insane range and accuracy. Like Gauss, lots and lots of Gauss. All in all it felt like it has fewer difficulty cliffs than any of their previous campaigns.

The economy is really tight, and Clan tech is prohibitively expensive in salvage points, and repair and refit costs. If you take a lance of Clan mechs out every mission and bring them back with all their armor sandblasted off, you'll go bankrupt in no time. I actually really appreciate this. Makes you actually weigh whether it's worth it to deploy your best Clan equipment on a particular mission, or if you'd rather just let your IS chassis take the punishment. Keeps the game from being too easy with the introduction of such obviously superior clan equipment.

Even before this DLC came out, I considered MW5: Mercs to be the best Mechwarrior game ever made, and ever likely to be made. This DLC raises it to even another level. Whenever Piranha loses the license, it's going deep into Microsoft's IP vault, and it probably won't see the light of day again unless it can be monetized to a truly disgusting degree. It's why we never saw another HBS Battletech game, Microsoft priced the license out of their affordability for a second outing.

Playing the "Legacy of Rust" episode for the original Doom over on Steam, never played it.

It's included with the Doom + Doom II pack. Very fun! Love me some new old Doom. 😜

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280/DOOM__DOOM_II/

After who knows how long really, I'm finally done with playing the NES port of Elite:

gaffa2002 wrote on 2025-09-18, 19:24:

From MK 2 onwards the only way to beat the CPU is by exploiting it's bugs.

MK2, though, the pattern game still looks somewhat like reasonable combat. A good mix of offense, defense and counter-attacks will usually get you there, if not immediately, then eventually. MK3, UMK3 and MKT are a whole different thing, though.

gaffa2002 wrote on 2025-09-18, 19:24:

It's so bizarre that once you learn it's patterns the game ends up being easier when playing on the highest difficulty because the CPU behavior is more predictable that way (on easier difficulties the CPU may just randomly not respond to certain actions). Easy mode in classic MK games doesn't mean the CPU will be easier, just that it will let you win a few more matches before it goes full ape shit on you 😁.

You are correct. I recall reading a thorough explanation on exactly how the difficulty in MK games works, by someone who reverse-engineered the algorithm. It is basically a difficulty variable that is increased as you progress further up the ladder, and decreased after a certain number of consecutive losses.

Further more, IIRC, choosing the longer ladders in MK3/UMK3/MKT makes them not longer, but harder as well (the base difficulty is set higher). This is also frustrating, because the game is conflating two variables that should have been independent (global difficulty setting, ladder length).

In MK3, at least when playing on the short ladder - I find that most characters will succumb to long-distance projectile spamming, either immediately or on the 2nd/3rd attempt. In UMK3, after a few battles, I found no strategy as reliable as timer abuse - if you are lucky, you can get a hit or two in so that you are ahead, then lock the CPU in an infinite walk towards/walk away pattern until the time runs out.

Starcat wrote on 2025-09-19, 14:59:

I play MK1 on the default, medium. I can usually win 4 or 5 matches and then it becomes impossible to win. What's really frustrating is that I never make the leader board.

Well, to make it onto the leaderboard, all you have to do is to play 2-player matches against no one over and over again. This is also the best way to get to the higher-level "test your might" challenges, because the single-player ladder only gives you three of those. 😀

I always play MK1 on "very hard" - from the same reason that the CPU patterns are more consistent and predictable that way. Defeating the CPU is best achieved by a mixture of jump kicks from the correct distance and strong defense. For example - jump kick the CPU. You will either knock it down or will get blocked. If blocked, hold block immediately, because the CPU will counterattack, frequently with a special move. If it does, you block the move and can usually punish with a roundhouse, then jump away quickly, and repeat. Against certain characters like Kano, Raiden, Liu Kang - a good strategy is to just stand and block. Eventually they will be tempted to attack you with a cannonball/torpedo, and if blocked, you can always punish these, etc.

StriderTR wrote on 2025-09-19, 18:49:

Playing the "Legacy of Rust" episode for the original Doom over on Steam, never played it.

I should play this as well, but I have so many Doom episodes I want to play, not sure what to start with. 😜

DracoNihil wrote on 2025-09-20, 05:32:

After who knows how long really, I'm finally done with playing the NES port of Elite:

That's what Commander Jameson looks like? Wow, never imagined him this way. 😁

dr_st wrote on 2025-09-20, 07:18:

That's what Commander Jameson looks like? Wow, never imagined him this way. 😁

NES Elite has the portrait changing overtime as you ascend the Elite ratings. It also changes in response to your legal status, and even reacts to you being on Condition RED. (i.e. about to get your ship destroyed due to low energy)

I wouldn't count on the portraits being "lore canonical", but I don't really know much about the written lore and universe behind the game itself.

newtmonkey wrote on 2025-09-19, 16:06:

The MD version of the soundtrack is simply amazing, and I prefer it to every other version of the game even though I didn't have […]
Show full quote

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-09-13, 07:32:

I'll chime in and say that I still prefer the Sega MegaDrive version of MK1 for its unique soundtrack. That's what I first experienced as a kid, and it has always sounded the best to me.

Of course, the arcade original has better graphics and a richer OST. And the FM synth music in the floppy version on the PC isn't half bad either. But for me, the MegaDrive release is where it's at.

The MD version of the soundtrack is simply amazing, and I prefer it to every other version of the game even though I didn't have a MD back then.

Someone released a ROM hack of the MD game that seriously beefs up the sound effects, animation, and graphics... but of course does not change the perfect soundtrack:
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6558/
It actually runs perfectly even on an original system... it's truly the version of the game we should have got back in the day.

Yeah, that ROM hack is great. Adds a lot of missing sounds and even restores the Sub-Zero standing animation! Shows how good the port could have been if there were no time or cartridge size limitations to consider (the hack is twice the size of the original).
The mega drive version is the one I grew up with, only years later I was able to see the arcade version, and even later got to play one of the floppy versions on PC.

StriderTR wrote on 2025-09-19, 18:49:

Playing the "Legacy of Rust" episode for the original Doom over on Steam, never played it.

It's included with the Doom + Doom II pack. Very fun! Love me some new old Doom. 😜

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280/DOOM__DOOM_II/

Hm, nice system requirements. KEX Engine...first time I hear of it.

They even started using the heavy AV1 codec for videos on Steam website. The 1080p videos now run at less than 1 FPS for me. xD

Edit: OK, there's still a fallback to H.264. Guess I'm better off disabling media.av1.enabled, I assumed leaving enabeld would be the best, thought I'd miss something the other way.

revolstar wrote on 2025-08-13, 14:50:

I've recently realized that it's been 25 years since the much-anticipated release of DIABLO II... This sure brings back memories […]
Show full quote

I've recently realized that it's been 25 years since the much-anticipated release of DIABLO II... This sure brings back memories...

T'was the summer of 2000. I had just finished my entrance exams for high school. The whole rigamarole with a new school and a new stage in life somewhat overshadowed my anticipation for the sequel to my favorite game: DIABLO!

Oh man was I anxious! All the leaks about an open world and the ability to climb trees (WTF??) and cow levels had my head spinning. I dreamed about that sequel at night (I mean ... I still do. Once in a while, I have a dream where I'm playing my perfect Diablo sequel, which, by the way, doesn't really look like the actual D2).

So there I was in the summer of 2000. On the one hand, I was barely admitted to high school due to my not-so-stellar exam result. On the other hand, my PC was a Pentium non-MMX overclocked from 133 to 166 MHz with 32 MB of RAM and a 1.2 GB hard drive. My parents were facing layoffs from their jobs, so I was pretty broke. The only thing that met the requirements was my trusty Voodoo2 card.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel: my family from Copenhagen gave me some old computer parts, including a Pentium 233 and 64 MB of RAM. But I was still short on hard drive space. Months passed, my friends were all playing Diablo II, and I was missing out on the fun.

Finally, in early 2002, after a complete failure of my first-ever PC in the summer of 2001 and several months without any computer, my parents managed to scrape together some money for a new system. It had a Duron processor, 128 MB of RAM, and, finally, a 60 GB HDD. The graphics card was my old s3 Virge + Voodoo2 combo. I could finally run Diablo II! The problem was that a lot of time had passed since its release, my passion had faded a bit, and I didn't have much time to play as I had to brush up my chemistry and maths grades 😜 . In the end, I didn't even get past Act I.

Fast forward to 2008. My girlfriend's younger brother was playing Diablo II, yeah with all the ladder and Battle.net shebang. He reminded me of the game, and I decided to finally finish it, and with the Lord of Destruction expansion too! I played it through with the Paladin and... that was it. Over the years, I've returned to my beloved Diablo I several times, but Diablo II just didn't hold my interest...

Until today! I reinstalled it on my Windows 98 rig, this time playing as the Barbarian. I'm absolutely delighted with the 5.1 surround sound — something I never got to experience back in 2002 and 2008.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling, wish me luck on my third and (hopefully) full playthrough of this gem! 😀

For the record, I've finished LoD last night. Taking out Baal takes a shitton of clicking, phew. This concludes my sentimental journey back to the summer of '00, as I most probably won't be playing Diablo 2 on higher difficulty levels cuz grinding for better gear seems like a tedious task for me (I've done my share of this in D3 thank you), ain't got time for that now. Might be tempted to do a playthrough with a different class though at some point in the future...

Now on to some Mortal Kombat or Virtua Fighter...

I played Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 for the first time in two weeks the other day. It was nice to get back into it, but it took me awhile to figure out what I had done and needed to do next. My wife had spinal fusion surgery 2 weeks ago, so my time has been a little...occupied. 😀 She's doing great, and hopefully long-term it will improve her quality of life.

clueless1 wrote on 2025-09-24, 11:13:

improve her quality of life.

All that matters.