I'm too lazy to check, but in my head I always put the 'start date' to
these threads as March 2006, which means that with this post we're
starting year 17 of this tradition. Raise your hand if you were here
from the beginning!

Given that I've recently gotten my Win9x machine up and running, no
surprise most of my games are tending to the "old" side of the
spectrum. Heck, I was probably still playing these games back when
this thread got started!


Hectic Monday Morning Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)


Lazy Sunday Afternoon Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't. For one thing, it was released way
back in 1999, and it's quite possible some of you weren't gaming back
then. But even if you were a huge PC gaming nerd, it's likely you
missed out on this import from the Netherlands. It was a small game
released by a small company, with a tiny marketing budget and an even
tinier market penetration. The developers - Davilex - created only a
handful of titles before they closed forever.

And I'd say that's a shame except that none of their games were
particularly notable. The best of their games were racing titles -
most sharing a common theme of zooming down national highways
("Autobahn Racer", "M-25 Racer", "A-2 Racer", "US Racer") and thus
were all fairly interchangeable (whenever the company did diverge from
the formula -such as with such classic titles as "AmsterDoom" or
"Speedboat Racer- it never went well for them). "M-25 Racer" was just
another of their forgettable games... except it was the first one I
encounter and I fell in love with it.

The game itself is... ordinary. It's an arcade racing game with
mediocre handling down a small handful of tracks , with unimpressive
AI and a tiny selection of unimpressive cars. Visually, it wasn't too
bad (its colored lighting effects give it a slight edge over 1998's
"Need for Speed III", even if its car models were less detailed). I
loved the game's sound, though; from its eclectic techno-rock
soundtrack, to the satisfying 'bong' when I ran over a speed camera,
to the quiet chirps of the birds as I raced through the countryside,
the soundscape really helped fill up the world.

The maps were fun too. There were only a half-dozen or so maps, but -
taken one after another - they toured you through all the tourist
spots of England: from Piccadilly Circus in London, down the eponymous
M-25 motorway, to Oxford, past ancient Stonehenge and through sleepy
English hamlets. It captured the essence of that island quite well and
even today - having come to know the reality of the place much better
- I still sometimes see it through the lens of that game.

The racing itself was fairly satisfying, if not particularly
challenging. The roads varied from narrow cobblestoned lanes to wide
highways, populated with plenty of traffic and unhappy policemen
waiting to chase you down. The AI was adequate at best, usually only a
threat when driving vehicles superior to yours. There didn't seem to
much in the way of rubber-banding, fortunately, but that also meant
that - once you got a significant lead on your opponents - it was
unlikely you'd lose unless you made some stupid mistake.

The game's biggest fault was that it was -as I said- rather small.
With only a handful of tracks and cars, you could play through the
whole game (the bulk of which consisted of three six-track
tournaments) in one or two sittings. Once you had done that, you could
complete various time trials or race down your favorite maps a few
more times, but after that? There just wasn't enough new content. And
with the lack of any multiplayer there was little reason to keep
playing.

Still, as short as it was, while it lasted the game was fun. It's
never going to be remembered as a classic, and it's not the sort of
game I could ever recommend anyone else hunt down to play themselves
(good luck finding a copy anyway; it's not available on any digital storefronts) but for its time? It was a good enough diversion between
the bigger, better games, and I'm glad to have spared it a few more
hours.



* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
"Terminal Velocity", the sci-fi flight sim from 1995, had one major
thing going for it: a tremendous sense of speed. Whizzing mere meters
above the jagged terrain was a thrill few games of its time could
match. The rest of the game was forgettable; not necessarily bad but
too simplistic to be memorable.

The "Boosted Edition", the 2022 remaster, weirdly lacks the original's eponymous velocity. While pushing back the fog layer - once necessary
to keep up framerates - makes the game's world look more expansive, it
costs the game the claustrophobic closeness that made it feel like you
were moving so quickly. With everything visible, you get a better idea
of how far away things really are... and how slow you're really
moving. By pushing back the fog, the developers cost the game its
soul.

Worse, they didn't improve any of the other parts of the game. The AI
is not only as predictable as ever, but - without the concealing haze
- you can see that it only reacts once you get within a certain
distance; otherwise, the ships just hover in place waiting for you to
get near. Because they can't dart back into the fog but instead are
always fully visible, the AI no longer seems as adaptable; no, instead
you see that they're just making big circles.

Meanwhile, the levels - although now featuring (slightly) upscaled
textures, feel all the more empty in their vastness. There's no
surprise to them, and with the original game already feeling fairly
repetitive after just a few levels, this only makes things worse.

I'm no fan of remasters in general, but this one is particularly
poorly done. The original game was lackluster to begin with, and this
remaster stripped away the one thing that made it special. If you have
a yearning to play the game, go with the original. It's not a great
game, but at least you could go fast.



* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
Don't get me wrong; "TIE Fighter" is a great game. It's been ranked as
one of the top (if not /the/ top) space-flight simulator games pretty
much since the day it was released, and it well deserves that
position. If you're going to create a new space-flight simulator game,
it will be compared - and probably compare poorly - to LucasArt's
seminal game.

But "TIE Fighter" isn't without its flaws.

"TIE Fighter 95" (a.k.a., the TIE Fighter Collectors CD-ROM edition)
utilizes the updated visuals of "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter" engine, and
the game looks surprisingly good, if a bit pixelated. The 640x480
resolution is a bit confining, largely because - with those the giant
pixels - it's harder to make out what you're looking at in the
distance - but it all still feels and looks authentically "Star Wars".
It sounds great too, although the digitized soundtrack - replacing the
all-MIDI iMuse system of the original - sadly lags behind the action.
Ten minutes after I kill the last bad guy and I still get victory
flourishes as the soundtrack struggles to catch up.

The game shows its ages in other curious ways too. For instance,
you'll want a joystick, a peripheral once common to PC gaming
computers but now much less used. I've argued that the "Wing
Commander" games can - with a little bit of practice - be played
enjoyably with a mouse, but don't even try it with "TIE Fighter". A
stick is an absolute necessity; preferably one with a hat, throttle
and rudder. You can play with a keyboard (if you're a masochist!) but
on a good stick with a plethora of buttons, the game becomes much
easier.

It can be nastily difficult at times, especially if you - like the
good Imperial pawn that you are - try to achieve all the bonus goals.
The missions are all heavily scripted, and there's an optimal route
through most of them; kill the wrong enemy too soon and you may end up
in a world of hurt; leave that same enemy until the end and the
mission becomes a cakewalk. It's a game that benefits - if not
outright requires - you to play and replay each mission.

Still, the game remains a triumph in design, especially if you
consider the limitations of its development. It's a long game, though
(partly due to the grindy nature of its levels) and, I admit, I didn't
actually get all the way through all its campaigns. After a few
battles, I started tiring of the repetitive battles. Games of the 90s
often confused quantity with quality, and it definitely shows in "TIE
Fighter."

But it's still one of the best of its genre, and if you haven't played
it, you really need to. It's one of the stalwarts of classic PC
gaming, up there with "Doom" and "Half Life" and "Kings Quest". It's
not perfect (and there are times you might even wonder how anyone ever
found it fun), but it earned its place as one of the greats.




* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)
Another classic, albeit one played on modern hardware. I'm still
working my way through this one, though; it's a long game and I'm in
no rush to finish it.

But is there anything need be said about this game that hasn't been
said hundreds of times before? It's a classic Bioware RPG (if
anything, SWKOTOR is the template on which all the other Bioware games
were based), and it's Star Wars. Those two facts tell you everything
you need to know about the setting and gameplay; everything else is
just details. KOTOR is - obviously - a more primitive version of later
Bioware releases, but it's still a fun adventure with lots to see and
do.

Well, maybe not /a lot/ to see and do. The game feels particularly
constricted; for all the visuals seem expansive, the maps are tiny and
there's only a handful of PCs with whom to interact. Similarly, there
is only a very modest number of sub-quests, and few require more than
one or two steps to complete. Even the combat is simplified; if
there's any difference between whacking on a goon with a lightsaber
versus a vibro-axe besides some damage modifiers, I can't tell.

But all this is excusable by the game's age and the fact that what
content is offered is well made. The game is steeped in Star Wars lore
and it's hard not to get swept up by the fantasy of being a jedi
fighting the good fight against those evil Sith imperialists. My
biggest issue is that - even after not playing this game in a decade -
I still remember too much of the plot for any of the story's twists to
shock me. Oh, that I might come into this game blind again.

Still, I can't help but ask myself: other than the nostalgic kick, is
there any reason to play this game? And honestly, as much as I love
it, I don't think there is. Oh, die-hard Star Wars fans will love it
(even if it is all been rendered non-canon by the new Disney regime)
but its gameplay feels old, and there are easier (and more fun) ways
to get your Star Wars fix. KOTOR remains more remarkable to me as the
game that cemented Bioware's position as a CRPG developer than
memorable for its gameplay. It's fun, but necessary.



---------------------------------------

So, that's my playlist this month; a good start to our seventeenth
year. And how did you do? That is to say...

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Last month, I mentioned Book of Demons and Diablo 4 public beta. Both
were good. I also played free Hellcard and Across the Obelisk on Steam,
but they were turn based card game and OK. I might go back to my
original Skyrim game later. I haven't touched it since 11/22/2022. I
hope I still remember how to play it. :P


Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm too lazy to check, but in my head I always put the 'start date' to
these threads as March 2006, which means that with this post we're
starting year 17 of this tradition. Raise your hand if you were here
from the beginning!

Given that I've recently gotten my Win9x machine up and running, no
surprise most of my games are tending to the "old" side of the
spectrum. Heck, I was probably still playing these games back when
this thread got started!

Hectic Monday Morning Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)

Lazy Sunday Afternoon Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't. For one thing, it was released way
back in 1999, and it's quite possible some of you weren't gaming back
then. But even if you were a huge PC gaming nerd, it's likely you
missed out on this import from the Netherlands. It was a small game
released by a small company, with a tiny marketing budget and an even
tinier market penetration. The developers - Davilex - created only a
handful of titles before they closed forever.

And I'd say that's a shame except that none of their games were
particularly notable. The best of their games were racing titles -
most sharing a common theme of zooming down national highways
("Autobahn Racer", "M-25 Racer", "A-2 Racer", "US Racer") and thus
were all fairly interchangeable (whenever the company did diverge from
the formula -such as with such classic titles as "AmsterDoom" or
"Speedboat Racer- it never went well for them). "M-25 Racer" was just another of their forgettable games... except it was the first one I
encounter and I fell in love with it.

The game itself is... ordinary. It's an arcade racing game with
mediocre handling down a small handful of tracks , with unimpressive
AI and a tiny selection of unimpressive cars. Visually, it wasn't too
bad (its colored lighting effects give it a slight edge over 1998's
"Need for Speed III", even if its car models were less detailed). I
loved the game's sound, though; from its eclectic techno-rock
soundtrack, to the satisfying 'bong' when I ran over a speed camera,
to the quiet chirps of the birds as I raced through the countryside,
the soundscape really helped fill up the world.

The maps were fun too. There were only a half-dozen or so maps, but -
taken one after another - they toured you through all the tourist
spots of England: from Piccadilly Circus in London, down the eponymous
M-25 motorway, to Oxford, past ancient Stonehenge and through sleepy
English hamlets. It captured the essence of that island quite well and
even today - having come to know the reality of the place much better
- I still sometimes see it through the lens of that game.

The racing itself was fairly satisfying, if not particularly
challenging. The roads varied from narrow cobblestoned lanes to wide highways, populated with plenty of traffic and unhappy policemen
waiting to chase you down. The AI was adequate at best, usually only a
threat when driving vehicles superior to yours. There didn't seem to
much in the way of rubber-banding, fortunately, but that also meant
that - once you got a significant lead on your opponents - it was
unlikely you'd lose unless you made some stupid mistake.

The game's biggest fault was that it was -as I said- rather small.
With only a handful of tracks and cars, you could play through the
whole game (the bulk of which consisted of three six-track
tournaments) in one or two sittings. Once you had done that, you could complete various time trials or race down your favorite maps a few
more times, but after that? There just wasn't enough new content. And
with the lack of any multiplayer there was little reason to keep
playing.

Still, as short as it was, while it lasted the game was fun. It's
never going to be remembered as a classic, and it's not the sort of
game I could ever recommend anyone else hunt down to play themselves
(good luck finding a copy anyway; it's not available on any digital storefronts) but for its time? It was a good enough diversion between
the bigger, better games, and I'm glad to have spared it a few more
hours.

* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
"Terminal Velocity", the sci-fi flight sim from 1995, had one major
thing going for it: a tremendous sense of speed. Whizzing mere meters
above the jagged terrain was a thrill few games of its time could
match. The rest of the game was forgettable; not necessarily bad but
too simplistic to be memorable.

The "Boosted Edition", the 2022 remaster, weirdly lacks the original's eponymous velocity. While pushing back the fog layer - once necessary
to keep up framerates - makes the game's world look more expansive, it
costs the game the claustrophobic closeness that made it feel like you
were moving so quickly. With everything visible, you get a better idea
of how far away things really are... and how slow you're really
moving. By pushing back the fog, the developers cost the game its
soul.

Worse, they didn't improve any of the other parts of the game. The AI
is not only as predictable as ever, but - without the concealing haze
- you can see that it only reacts once you get within a certain
distance; otherwise, the ships just hover in place waiting for you to
get near. Because they can't dart back into the fog but instead are
always fully visible, the AI no longer seems as adaptable; no, instead
you see that they're just making big circles.

Meanwhile, the levels - although now featuring (slightly) upscaled
textures, feel all the more empty in their vastness. There's no
surprise to them, and with the original game already feeling fairly repetitive after just a few levels, this only makes things worse.

I'm no fan of remasters in general, but this one is particularly
poorly done. The original game was lackluster to begin with, and this remaster stripped away the one thing that made it special. If you have
a yearning to play the game, go with the original. It's not a great
game, but at least you could go fast.

* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
Don't get me wrong; "TIE Fighter" is a great game. It's been ranked as
one of the top (if not /the/ top) space-flight simulator games pretty
much since the day it was released, and it well deserves that
position. If you're going to create a new space-flight simulator game,
it will be compared - and probably compare poorly - to LucasArt's
seminal game.

But "TIE Fighter" isn't without its flaws.

"TIE Fighter 95" (a.k.a., the TIE Fighter Collectors CD-ROM edition)
utilizes the updated visuals of "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter" engine, and
the game looks surprisingly good, if a bit pixelated. The 640x480
resolution is a bit confining, largely because - with those the giant
pixels - it's harder to make out what you're looking at in the
distance - but it all still feels and looks authentically "Star Wars".
It sounds great too, although the digitized soundtrack - replacing the all-MIDI iMuse system of the original - sadly lags behind the action.
Ten minutes after I kill the last bad guy and I still get victory
flourishes as the soundtrack struggles to catch up.

The game shows its ages in other curious ways too. For instance,
you'll want a joystick, a peripheral once common to PC gaming
computers but now much less used. I've argued that the "Wing
Commander" games can - with a little bit of practice - be played
enjoyably with a mouse, but don't even try it with "TIE Fighter". A
stick is an absolute necessity; preferably one with a hat, throttle
and rudder. You can play with a keyboard (if you're a masochist!) but
on a good stick with a plethora of buttons, the game becomes much
easier.

It can be nastily difficult at times, especially if you - like the
good Imperial pawn that you are - try to achieve all the bonus goals.
The missions are all heavily scripted, and there's an optimal route
through most of them; kill the wrong enemy too soon and you may end up
in a world of hurt; leave that same enemy until the end and the
mission becomes a cakewalk. It's a game that benefits - if not
outright requires - you to play and replay each mission.

Still, the game remains a triumph in design, especially if you
consider the limitations of its development. It's a long game, though
(partly due to the grindy nature of its levels) and, I admit, I didn't actually get all the way through all its campaigns. After a few
battles, I started tiring of the repetitive battles. Games of the 90s
often confused quantity with quality, and it definitely shows in "TIE Fighter."

But it's still one of the best of its genre, and if you haven't played
it, you really need to. It's one of the stalwarts of classic PC
gaming, up there with "Doom" and "Half Life" and "Kings Quest". It's
not perfect (and there are times you might even wonder how anyone ever
found it fun), but it earned its place as one of the greats.

* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)
Another classic, albeit one played on modern hardware. I'm still
working my way through this one, though; it's a long game and I'm in
no rush to finish it.

But is there anything need be said about this game that hasn't been
said hundreds of times before? It's a classic Bioware RPG (if
anything, SWKOTOR is the template on which all the other Bioware games
were based), and it's Star Wars. Those two facts tell you everything
you need to know about the setting and gameplay; everything else is
just details. KOTOR is - obviously - a more primitive version of later Bioware releases, but it's still a fun adventure with lots to see and
do.

Well, maybe not /a lot/ to see and do. The game feels particularly constricted; for all the visuals seem expansive, the maps are tiny and there's only a handful of PCs with whom to interact. Similarly, there
is only a very modest number of sub-quests, and few require more than
one or two steps to complete. Even the combat is simplified; if
there's any difference between whacking on a goon with a lightsaber
versus a vibro-axe besides some damage modifiers, I can't tell.

But all this is excusable by the game's age and the fact that what
content is offered is well made. The game is steeped in Star Wars lore
and it's hard not to get swept up by the fantasy of being a jedi
fighting the good fight against those evil Sith imperialists. My
biggest issue is that - even after not playing this game in a decade -
I still remember too much of the plot for any of the story's twists to
shock me. Oh, that I might come into this game blind again.

Still, I can't help but ask myself: other than the nostalgic kick, is
there any reason to play this game? And honestly, as much as I love
it, I don't think there is. Oh, die-hard Star Wars fans will love it
(even if it is all been rendered non-canon by the new Disney regime)
but its gameplay feels old, and there are easier (and more fun) ways
to get your Star Wars fix. KOTOR remains more remarkable to me as the
game that cemented Bioware's position as a CRPG developer than
memorable for its gameplay. It's fun, but necessary.

---------------------------------------

So, that's my playlist this month; a good start to our seventeenth
year. And how did you do? That is to say...

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

--
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." --1 Corinthians 1:25. Ant is no longer a COVID19 virgin b4 getting his 6th Moderna (2nd booster vaccine) & after hanging out with mostly
unmasked humans recently. Tests confirmed with April Fools.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew
Valley and some Serf City.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then Impossible,
then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid for two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me). On the NG+ playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given upon finishing Impossible, as
Impossible itself is very nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die
once -- mostly to see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this ending than you usually see, as there are several new and subtle dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending cinematic. If you aren't
a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a console game
as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2023-04-01, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

Hectic Monday Morning Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)

March hasn't been a great month for me and gaming, usual life gets in
the way yada yada....

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

Professor Layton - Katrielle and the Millionaires Conspiracy (Mobile)
I have played all the Layton games with my daughter on Nintendo D@, and
maybe the GameCube (!?). This is an old game came out on mobile a few
years ago. We're having nostalgic fun together going through the
puzzles, loving the graphics and dialogue. I like the time together as
much as the game. Wish Level5 would make more.

MS Flight Sim 2020 (PC)
My go to game to unwind and do some small plane flying on some bush
craft challenges. Learning to left hand the joystick so my right is free
to use mouse and keyboard. The aerodynamics of small planes is a bit off
so turbulence can still be an issue. Currently flying through the Nevada canyons.

Son is playing:
GTA V
FarCry 6
Watch Dogs 2

RenMas


--
Don't be afraid of the deep...
--[ bbs.bottomlessabyss.net | https | telnet=2023 ]--
--[ /query geeknix on libera.chat | tilde.chat ]--

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Adios
-----

This was a freebie from Steam although it was already on my Steam
wishlist. Now if you don't like walking sims then look away now. The
premise (no spoilers) is a pig farmer who at some point got involved
with the mob and allowing them to use his pigs to dispose of bodies but
now he wants out. It's basically a number of different scenes on the
farm between him and a hitman set to convince him not to do it. I
enjoyed all three or so hours of it as it was interesting to see the
backstory unfold with the conversations.

One minor complaint, to guide you between scenes the place white line
boxes on the screen with a distance. Not so great for immersion.

Something a bit more problematic, the regular price of £14. I find it
hard to recommend it at that price as it's both short and I don't see a
lot of re playability in it.

Books
-----

Selected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick ----------------------------------------

I picked this up as Philip K. Dick is an author that I've kept meaning
to read but never quite got around to so what better way than to get
about twenty short stories. I've read about six of them and it's rather
nice to have a book that you can pick up one evening, pick a story and
then finish it. It now goes next to Necronomicon which is a big old
collection of H.P. Lovecraft. You just have to remember to put a postit
note at the start so you know what you've read.

Raising Steam, Terry Pratchett
------------------------------

Yep I can't keep away from his books. Starting up railways, goblins
integrating with humans, leisure travel and dwarf zealots. What's not to
like.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

  Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid for
two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me).  On the NG+
playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very nerve-wracking at
points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to see the 'Alternate
Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this ending than you
usually see, as there are several new and subtle dialog voice-over
changes before the actual ending cinematic.  If you aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a console
game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

D.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 01/04/2023 19:49, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't. For one thing, it was released way
back in 1999, and it's quite possible some of you weren't gaming back
then. But even if you were a huge PC gaming nerd, it's likely you
missed out on this import from the Netherlands. It was a small game
released by a small company, with a tiny marketing budget and an even
tinier market penetration. The developers - Davilex - created only a
handful of titles before they closed forever.

I did have to chuckle when I realised the M-25 referred to the motorway.
The devs have obviously never used it as otherwise the game would have
been called M-25 Stop Start Traffic.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Sun, 2 Apr 2023 11:15:36 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 01/04/2023 19:49, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't.

I did have to chuckle when I realised the M-25 referred to the motorway.
The devs have obviously never used it as otherwise the game would have
been called M-25 Stop Start Traffic.

What what? This game is unrealistic? Next you'll be telling me a Mini
Cooper can do 250mph or that Stonehenge isn't five miles away from
downtown London. My entire understanding of England would be turned topsy-turvy! No, you must be mistaken. Never before has there been as
realistic a depiction of driving in the UK as this game. Why, look,
they're driving on the wrong side of the road* and everything! It MUST
be accurate! ;-)








* No, I'm sorry, all you people in the UK; it /is/ the wrong side of
the road you're driving on. Because it certainly isn't the /right/
side of the road you're on.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)
--
"Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples." --John 18:2. It's Psalm Sunday of Holy week after a nice quiet April 1st until its late night. Spring finally came late, but "summer" is next week. :O
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 02/04/2023 18:43, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 2 Apr 2023 11:15:36 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 01/04/2023 19:49, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't.

I did have to chuckle when I realised the M-25 referred to the motorway.
The devs have obviously never used it as otherwise the game would have
been called M-25 Stop Start Traffic.

What what? This game is unrealistic? Next you'll be telling me a Mini
Cooper can do 250mph or that Stonehenge isn't five miles away from
downtown London. My entire understanding of England would be turned topsy-turvy! No, you must be mistaken. Never before has there been as realistic a depiction of driving in the UK as this game. Why, look,
they're driving on the wrong side of the road* and everything! It MUST
be accurate! ;-)

Oh yet, it's was more that I found it somewhat strange the a group of
people sat down and agreed that was a good name for a game. Pretty much
nobody outside of the UK will have heard of it and for those in the UK
it doesn't exactly evoke racing. The M-25 even gets a mention in the
book Good Omens as Crowley the demon claims it was his invention.

* No, I'm sorry, all you people in the UK; it /is/ the wrong side of
the road you're driving on. Because it certainly isn't the /right/
side of the road you're on.

Yep it does seem a bit silly that we never changed although their is
some evidence I believe that it's slightly safer as most people's
dominate hand stays on the steering wheel.

To be honest though I think a large part of it is the little Englander mentality of we do it right and it's those continental Europeans that
have got it all wrong. You should have seen all the fuzz when it was
made mandatory that metric measures had to be displayed on goods sold.
The fact that it didn't mean imperial units couldn't also be displayed
and behind the scenes companies already predominately worked in metric
didn't matter. It was the big bad EU telling us what to do. Saying that
I am of an age that I struggle with metric measures to varying extents.
If someone tells me their body weight in kgs them I'm pretty much lost.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 02/04/2023 02:30, Geeknix wrote:

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

I've got both 1 & 2 free with Amazon Prime and yes I agree a nice way to
spend a few hours.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2023-04-03, Geeknix <usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

On 2023-04-03, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 02:30, Geeknix wrote:

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some
interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

I've got both 1 & 2 free with Amazon Prime and yes I agree a nice way to
spend a few hours.

There is a 2, a 2, Puzzle Agent 2. Ok that is on my purchase list now...

cheers for heads up.

bought and playing....

--
Don't be afraid of the deep...
--[ bbs.bottomlessabyss.net | https | telnet=2023 ]--
--[ /query geeknix on libera.chat | tilde.chat ]--

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2023-04-03, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 02:30, Geeknix wrote:

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some
interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

I've got both 1 & 2 free with Amazon Prime and yes I agree a nice way to spend a few hours.

There is a 2, a 2, Puzzle Agent 2. Ok that is on my purchase list now...

cheers for heads up.


--
Don't be afraid of the deep...
--[ bbs.bottomlessabyss.net | https | telnet=2023 ]--
--[ /query geeknix on libera.chat | tilde.chat ]--

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Mon, 3 Apr 2023 09:44:21 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 18:43, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 2 Apr 2023 11:15:36 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 01/04/2023 19:49, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it
at all, which you probably haven't.

I did have to chuckle when I realised the M-25 referred to the motorway. >>> The devs have obviously never used it as otherwise the game would have
been called M-25 Stop Start Traffic.

What what? This game is unrealistic? Next you'll be telling me a Mini
Cooper can do 250mph or that Stonehenge isn't five miles away from
downtown London. My entire understanding of England would be turned
topsy-turvy! No, you must be mistaken. Never before has there been as
realistic a depiction of driving in the UK as this game. Why, look,
they're driving on the wrong side of the road* and everything! It MUST
be accurate! ;-)

Oh yet, it's was more that I found it somewhat strange the a group of
people sat down and agreed that was a good name for a game. Pretty much >nobody outside of the UK will have heard of it and for those in the UK
it doesn't exactly evoke racing. The M-25 even gets a mention in the
book Good Omens as Crowley the demon claims it was his invention.

I think the name 'M-25 Racer' was only used for the UK release;
elsewhere it was - as mentioned - called "London Racer".

* No, I'm sorry, all you people in the UK; it /is/ the wrong side of
the road you're driving on. Because it certainly isn't the /right/
side of the road you're on.

Yep it does seem a bit silly that we never changed although their is
some evidence I believe that it's slightly safer as most people's
dominate hand stays on the steering wheel.

<shrug> I don't really care one way or the other; I was just making
the tired joke ("if you're not driving on the right side of the road
you must be driving on the wrong side, hahahaha bet you never heard
that one a million times before, oh you have, bummer") that UKsians
are probably sick of. In some ways I actually prefer the left-hand
drive since - as a driver - you can see more of the landscape rather
than having half your view taken up by oncoming traffic. Who wants to
pay attention to that? ;-P

At least the UK has delineated 'sides' and people stick to them, which
is more than can be said about drivers in other parts of the world.
Really, so long as traffic laws are obey universally and sanely, it
doesn't really matter to me which side you drive on.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna stop the "haha, UK drivers are on the wrong
side" comments though. I'm a sucker for bad jokes. ;-)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/2/2023 10:02 PM, Ant wrote:

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew
Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)

Screen captures from a long running TV series.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Geeknix <usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some >interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

A Nordic town would be in Scandinavia or Finland, outside the jurisdiction
of the American FBI. It's actually set in a fictional town located
in Minnesota.

--
l/ // Ross Ridge -- The Great HTMU
[oo][oo] rridge@csclub.uwaterloo.ca
-()-/()/ http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca:11068/
db //

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Mon, 3 Apr 2023 08:29:44 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/2/2023 10:02 PM, Ant wrote:

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew >>> Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)

Screen captures from a long running TV series.

Oooh, I smell an "Eastenders" fan-site in the making! ;-)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/3/2023 11:53 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 3 Apr 2023 08:29:44 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/2/2023 10:02 PM, Ant wrote:

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew >>>> Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)

Screen captures from a long running TV series.

Oooh, I smell an "Eastenders" fan-site in the making! ;-)

What is an "Eastender"?

:P

No, different show, 'Stargate: SG-1'.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Sons of the Forest

It's quite good.. most games in this genre, with the exception of
Valheim, didn't grab me but this one did.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
...

No, different show, 'Stargate: SG-1'.

I need to resume watching that. I stopped after S3 E8. :(
--
"Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier
had visited Jesus at night." --John 19:38-39. Slammy coldy windy colony Holy Mon. after a mostly quiet weekend & sleeping >7 hrs.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/2/2023 10:02 PM, Ant wrote:

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew >> Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)

Screen captures from a long running TV series.

Which one?
--
"Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier
had visited Jesus at night." --John 19:38-39. Slammy coldy windy colony Holy Mon. after a mostly quiet weekend & sleeping >7 hrs.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 03/04/2023 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 3 Apr 2023 09:44:21 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 18:43, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 2 Apr 2023 11:15:36 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 01/04/2023 19:49, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

* M-25 Racer (replay)
You may know this game also as "London Racer", if you've heard of it >>>>> at all, which you probably haven't.

I did have to chuckle when I realised the M-25 referred to the motorway. >>>> The devs have obviously never used it as otherwise the game would have >>>> been called M-25 Stop Start Traffic.

What what? This game is unrealistic? Next you'll be telling me a Mini
Cooper can do 250mph or that Stonehenge isn't five miles away from
downtown London. My entire understanding of England would be turned
topsy-turvy! No, you must be mistaken. Never before has there been as
realistic a depiction of driving in the UK as this game. Why, look,
they're driving on the wrong side of the road* and everything! It MUST
be accurate! ;-)

Oh yet, it's was more that I found it somewhat strange the a group of
people sat down and agreed that was a good name for a game. Pretty much
nobody outside of the UK will have heard of it and for those in the UK
it doesn't exactly evoke racing. The M-25 even gets a mention in the
book Good Omens as Crowley the demon claims it was his invention.

I think the name 'M-25 Racer' was only used for the UK release;
elsewhere it was - as mentioned - called "London Racer".

* No, I'm sorry, all you people in the UK; it /is/ the wrong side of
the road you're driving on. Because it certainly isn't the /right/
side of the road you're on.

Yep it does seem a bit silly that we never changed although their is
some evidence I believe that it's slightly safer as most people's
dominate hand stays on the steering wheel.

<shrug> I don't really care one way or the other; I was just making
the tired joke ("if you're not driving on the right side of the road
you must be driving on the wrong side, hahahaha bet you never heard
that one a million times before, oh you have, bummer") that UKsians
are probably sick of. In some ways I actually prefer the left-hand
drive since - as a driver - you can see more of the landscape rather
than having half your view taken up by oncoming traffic. Who wants to
pay attention to that? ;-P

To be honest here I've heard a few people say we drive one the wrong
side of the road (they seemed to be serious about that, which was
strange) but that's actually the first time I've heard that joke.
Admittedly it didn't help that I had to pause to think which side of the
road we do drive on and I feel by then the moment had been lost!

At least the UK has delineated 'sides' and people stick to them, which
is more than can be said about drivers in other parts of the world.
Really, so long as traffic laws are obey universally and sanely, it
doesn't really matter to me which side you drive on.

Something I have heard which seems plausible is that compared to its
peers UK drivers are less aggressive and more considerate. If that's
really true I don't know.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna stop the "haha, UK drivers are on the wrong
side" comments though. I'm a sucker for bad jokes. ;-)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 03/04/2023 12:00, Geeknix wrote:

On 2023-04-03, Geeknix <usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

On 2023-04-03, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 02:30, Geeknix wrote:

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some >>>> interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to >>>> spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

I've got both 1 & 2 free with Amazon Prime and yes I agree a nice way to >>> spend a few hours.

There is a 2, a 2, Puzzle Agent 2. Ok that is on my purchase list now...

cheers for heads up.

bought and playing....

Hope you enjoy it.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 03/04/2023 19:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 3 Apr 2023 08:29:44 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/2/2023 10:02 PM, Ant wrote:

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 4/1/2023 1:21 PM, Ant wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Not much because I've been busy with another project. Just some Stardew >>>> Valley and some Serf City.

Project? ;)

Screen captures from a long running TV series.

Oooh, I smell an "Eastenders" fan-site in the making! ;-)

You're not my mother; yes I am.

Then the famous drum beat.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

   Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid for
two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me).  On the NG+
playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given
upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very nerve-wracking
at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to see the 'Alternate
Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this ending than you
usually see, as there are several new and subtle dialog voice-over
changes before the actual ending cinematic.  If you aren't a hardcore
deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a console
game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/4/2023 4:55 AM, JAB wrote:

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

   Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid for
two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me).  On the NG+
playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given
upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very
nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to
see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this
ending than you usually see, as there are several new and subtle
dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending cinematic.  If you
aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it is a
bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a
console game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the
series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

I've played it from the very beginning and I do agree there's focus on character development which is my very best favorite thing to do. There
is a storyline and a ton of side quests. Magic casting is very good and different characters have been added with the updates. For now, I am
Mary J Blige, a tiefling/sorceror/wild mage.

The world now is somewhat limited until the full release in August, bit
I've certainly gotten my moneys worth...

D.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
...

You're not my mother; yes I am.

"I'm your father."
--
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." --John 20:19. :) Warner Bro(ther)s is a century/100 yrs. old now. :O
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

* GTA 3

I finished it and like I gushed last month, the driving model is just perfection. Otherwise the game gets tedious fast. It's great how much
ammo you get from weapon pickups but... Combat is clumsy and weapons are
weak. Pistol, machine pistol, assault rifle actually have the same
damage. I'm missing a cover mechanic.

The better assault rifle, sniper rifle, rocket launcher do nice damage
but aren't available except until later or if sneaking into the areas
not really allowed in early game. I don't know for sure if it's actually possible to do that in this new version.

Did some side missions, I worked through 100 cab fares to get the fast "Borgnine" taxi spawning but in the end, the location where it spawns is inconvenient so kind of pointless. Except for the fun of the driving
model :)

I tried the ambulance missions since completing that gives infinite
spring which is handy sometimes, to sprint away from enemies if you lose
car or something. Almost managed it but this should be done early, later
on when the Mafia and Triads have become hostile it's hard. So I quit
trying.

Final mission was a bit of a let down, I went through the trouble of
collecting all 100 hidden packages which got me a bunch of weapon
pickups in my hideout, especially a rocket launcher and sniper rifle.

* GTA Vice City

I don't know who I was kidding when I thought GTA 3 would be enough
GTA. Well, no.

Did the ambulance missions here right at the start. Actually got
arrested when I finished but that didn't matter, I got my infinite
sprint and that's all that mattered.

Driving model isn't as much fun as GTA 3. It was handy that I could
slide around in the ambulance but normal cars just slide way too much.

Love the 80s radio stations. Of course.

Combat is better than GTA 3 and the weapons are different. Weapon
pickups are annoyingly stingy though, it's like 60 rounds. How long to
shoot 60 rounds with an automatic weapon? And Ammonation has nothing in
stock.

I think I'll finish this quickly and move on to San Andreas. There are
actually things I remember fondly and want to do again. Gang wars, one
specific mission going up a mountain, probably some others I've
forgotten.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:26:29 +0300, Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

* GTA 3

I finished it and like I gushed last month, the driving model is just >perfection. Otherwise the game gets tedious fast. It's great how much
ammo you get from weapon pickups but... Combat is clumsy and weapons are >weak. Pistol, machine pistol, assault rifle actually have the same
damage. I'm missing a cover mechanic.

The better assault rifle, sniper rifle, rocket launcher do nice damage
but aren't available except until later or if sneaking into the areas
not really allowed in early game. I don't know for sure if it's actually >possible to do that in this new version.

Did some side missions, I worked through 100 cab fares to get the fast >"Borgnine" taxi spawning but in the end, the location where it spawns is >inconvenient so kind of pointless. Except for the fun of the driving
model :)

I tried the ambulance missions since completing that gives infinite
spring which is handy sometimes, to sprint away from enemies if you lose
car or something. Almost managed it but this should be done early, later
on when the Mafia and Triads have become hostile it's hard. So I quit >trying.

Final mission was a bit of a let down, I went through the trouble of >collecting all 100 hidden packages which got me a bunch of weapon
pickups in my hideout, especially a rocket launcher and sniper rifle.

* GTA Vice City

I don't know who I was kidding when I thought GTA 3 would be enough
GTA. Well, no.

Did the ambulance missions here right at the start. Actually got
arrested when I finished but that didn't matter, I got my infinite
sprint and that's all that mattered.

Driving model isn't as much fun as GTA 3. It was handy that I could
slide around in the ambulance but normal cars just slide way too much.

Love the 80s radio stations. Of course.

Combat is better than GTA 3 and the weapons are different. Weapon
pickups are annoyingly stingy though, it's like 60 rounds. How long to
shoot 60 rounds with an automatic weapon? And Ammonation has nothing in >stock.

I think I'll finish this quickly and move on to San Andreas. There are >actually things I remember fondly and want to do again. Gang wars, one >specific mission going up a mountain, probably some others I've
forgotten.

GTA:VC remains my favorite of the bunch. Between its neon-soaked
visuals, the fun story, and that awesome soundtrack, it's hard to
beat. It took everything about the original and gave it some necessary
polish, and then used it in a great setting. Mechanically, "San
Andreas" is a better game (and arguably a stronger story), but its
setting was far less enjoyable, and its soundtrack couldn't compare.

Still, the original holds a special place in my heart too, largely
because it /was/ the original. While games like "Driver" had a hand in
creating the open-world formula, it was GTA3 that took all the
ingredients and mixed it into the genre we now know and love. Its mix
of first-person (third-person) action and driving, all set in a giant
open world that's a satirical reflection of reality, still forms the
basis for most open-world games today. It's a rough game to play for
modern audiences - lacking so many conveniences we take for granted -
but it really was a revolutionary title on launch. I have a fondness
for the trendsetters, even if the follow-ups usually do it better.

Plus, it had a metro. Sometimes I fire up GTA3 just so I can ride the
train and watch its world zip by. That's one thing I really missed in
"Vice City". ;-)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11:50:17 AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

I'm too lazy to check, but in my head I always put the 'start date' to
these threads as March 2006, which means that with this post we're
starting year 17 of this tradition. Raise your hand if you were here
from the beginning!

Not here here but I was adjacent in RGFD since 02, and CSIPGR since
05, and made a couple 'What have you been playing recently' threads
around the time of the start of these threads there.

* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
The game shows its ages in other curious ways too. For instance,
you'll want a joystick, a peripheral once common to PC gaming
computers but now much less used. I've argued that the "Wing
Commander" games can - with a little bit of practice - be played
enjoyably with a mouse, but don't even try it with "TIE Fighter". A
stick is an absolute necessity; preferably one with a hat, throttle
and rudder. You can play with a keyboard (if you're a masochist!) but
on a good stick with a plethora of buttons, the game becomes much
easier.

That's what keeps me away. Looks like it's hundreds to get a
halfway decent flight stick, then there's the difficulty of getting it to
work with the game on a modern machine.

There's a total conversion mod which looks like it addresses
some of the janky oldness and mission issues.

https://www.moddb.com/mods/tie-fighter-total-conversion-tftc

But it's still one of the best of its genre, and if you haven't played
it, you really need to. It's one of the stalwarts of classic PC
gaming, up there with "Doom" and "Half Life" and "Kings Quest". It's
not perfect (and there are times you might even wonder how anyone ever
found it fun), but it earned its place as one of the greats.

I believe I had tried X-Wing but couldn't get into it, it just seemed
like a very bad 2nd ran compared to wing commander.

Of course there's my old favorite vector arcade game which was one of
my favorites, though I was never really good at it, I did manage to blow
up the death star a few times. That one was a real quarter muncher,
and the controls inevitably seemed to be if not completely broken
then at least not working quite right, so I didn't play it a lot.

* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)

Still, I can't help but ask myself: other than the nostalgic kick, is
there any reason to play this game? And honestly, as much as I love
it, I don't think there is. Oh, die-hard Star Wars fans will love it
(even if it is all been rendered non-canon by the new Disney regime)
but its gameplay feels old, and there are easier (and more fun) ways
to get your Star Wars fix. KOTOR remains more remarkable to me as the
game that cemented Bioware's position as a CRPG developer than
memorable for its gameplay. It's fun, but necessary.

Please tell me of these easier and more fun ways, it's true I haven't
played it in a long time, but it was still long after it's release, and
I put it up there with the top CRPGs. I played it in 2009, after FO3
and thought it was way better than FO3 then.

So, that's my playlist this month; a good start to our seventeenth
year. And how did you do? That is to say...

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

**** Elden Ring
*** Steel Salvo (FREE)
* Learn to Fly 3
* Sokpop S08: helionaut
*** Cell to Singularity
**** Void Scrappers

**** Elden Ring
What more can I say? I was enjoying my replay much more than the
first time. Possibly due to having some idea of what I'm doing this
time, possibly due to not feeling any pressure to finish it. Much
more co-op? A lot of bug/exploit fixes?

I did eventually put it down at the Haligtree as the platforming /
bubble guys were killing me horribly. You can't really dodge on the
tree or you fall off and die, and some of the enemies hit far too
hard to tank them, which leaves sniping, but they have very long
range powerful attacks too, and I was running out of mana doing
that. I'm on the verge of going back as I'd like to 100%, but taking
a break for the moment. The trick is to stay away long enough
I'm refreshed, but not so long I can't remember how to play/what
I was doing.

*** Steel Salvo FREE
This is a fun weird little indy action/mech game. It's very short
only one area/level beyond the tutorial. It took me all of 22 minutes
to finish it. You can play it again at higher difficulties, but I didn't
feel the need. It's free on steam so might be worth a quick play
if you like action/mechs and don't mind indy graphics and
jankyness.

* Learn to Fly 3
Penguins launch into space, this feels like a mobile game, enough
said.

** Sokpop S08: helionaut
This is a weird space exploration / small world indy game. I feel
like I should've given this a bit more time, but I found the controls
for fighting was nearly impossible. You're walking around a little tiny
3d world with an overhead view. The view seems to flip around as if
you were in camera mode on a flat plane at points as if you were
looking up in a typcial fps/3rd person game. Just aiming where you
want to shoot the reticle jumps around a good 4 degrees and never
seems to be exactly the way you're traveling. The graphics are really
bad 3d, normally it wouldn't bother me, but there's no shaders, and
everything is really bright and glaring. It's a bit sad as otherwise
this is an interesting game, but the problems are just too off-putting.
$2.99 so I didn't spend much, but still only got about an hour out of
it, so I can't give this a recommend even at that price.

*** Cell to Singularity (FREE)
While I got this on steam as it looked cool, it turns out it is a mobile
game. It turned out to be a clicker with time gated earnings. It is
really really good for what it is, and I may pick it up on mobile,
but it was sucking too much time on PC, and too addictive. You
are basically earning dna to evolve animals which produce more dna
additional modes/paths are unlocked like the dinosaur mode where
you evolve dinosaurs and then destroy the world with a meteor and
have rogue like upgrades for your next dino world. I'd rate this higher
if it wasn't an addictive mobile game with microtransactions.
After the first few hours, if you don't mind waiting a bit offline to accumulate dna I don't see that spending anything on it is necessary
though.

**** Void Scrappers
This is being called a Vampire Survivors type game in a 2d top down
space game (asteroids essentially.) While it's fairly short too,
I put about 30 hours into it, but beat the final boss probably 10 hours
in, and 100% probably about 20 hours, then unlocked everything else.
I wish there was more to it. It has a long way to go to become
something like VS, as it's a much simpler game, only 9 characters,
only one play area, only really 4 types of weapons with upgrades for
them. If you found VS a bit too intimidating though this is much
more approachable. $4 and well worth it at that price.

- Justisaur

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/5/2023 1:18 PM, JAB wrote:

On 04/04/2023 12:00, DMP wrote:

On 4/4/2023 4:55 AM, JAB wrote:

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

   Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid
for two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me).  On the
NG+ playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are
given upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very
nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to
see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into
this ending than you usually see, as there are several new and
subtle dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending
cinematic.  If you aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it
on youtube as it is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a
console game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the
series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes
of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line
and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

I've played it from the very beginning and I do agree there's focus on
character development which is my very best favorite thing to do.
There is a storyline and a ton of side quests. Magic casting is very
good and different characters have been added with the updates. For
now, I am Mary J Blige, a tiefling/sorceror/wild mage.

The world now is somewhat limited until the full release in August,
bit I've certainly gotten my moneys worth...

I can get around the whole character development thing as I understand
that's what a lot of people like but I do wish games would give players
like me a more streamlined character generation scheme so something like
it was selecting main and sub archetypes. If I end up with a bit of a
rubbish build then that's what the difficult level is for!

How are the sub-quests, do they have a bit more plot/intrigue to them or
are they more kill everyone and be rewarded with the loot?

The side quests are varied and sometimes affect the story and sometimes
not. Sometimes they involve a puzzle. For instance in one of the
locations, there are 4 stands each requiring an individual rune. Three
of the stands are activated by clicking on them. However, the 4th
requires a rune that you must steal. You must rescue an important
character in the game and only then can you use the 4 runes to open an underground cache of valuable items to use in the game. Some are smash &
grab, and others give rise to recipes and other tell tales of a story
line that is just fun.

D.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 04/04/2023 12:00, DMP wrote:

On 4/4/2023 4:55 AM, JAB wrote:

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

   Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid
for two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me).  On the NG+
playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given
upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very
nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to
see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this
ending than you usually see, as there are several new and subtle
dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending cinematic.  If
you aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it
is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a
console game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the
series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes
of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line
and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

I've played it from the very beginning and I do agree there's focus on character development which is my very best favorite thing to do. There
is a storyline and a ton of side quests. Magic casting is very good and different characters have been added with the updates. For now, I am
Mary J Blige, a tiefling/sorceror/wild mage.

The world now is somewhat limited until the full release in August, bit
I've certainly gotten my moneys worth...

I can get around the whole character development thing as I understand
that's what a lot of people like but I do wish games would give players
like me a more streamlined character generation scheme so something like
it was selecting main and sub archetypes. If I end up with a bit of a
rubbish build then that's what the difficult level is for!

How are the sub-quests, do they have a bit more plot/intrigue to them or
are they more kill everyone and be rewarded with the loot?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 10:18:23 AM UTC-7, JAB wrote:

On 04/04/2023 12:00, DMP wrote:

On 4/4/2023 4:55 AM, JAB wrote:

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid
for two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me). On the NG+ >>>> playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given
upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very
nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to
see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this >>>> ending than you usually see, as there are several new and subtle
dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending cinematic. If
you aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it >>>> is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a
console game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the
series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes
of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line
and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

I've played it from the very beginning and I do agree there's focus on character development which is my very best favorite thing to do. There
is a storyline and a ton of side quests. Magic casting is very good and different characters have been added with the updates. For now, I am
Mary J Blige, a tiefling/sorceror/wild mage.

Magic being good, and it's turn based from what I saw awhile ago. Both
of those make we want to give it a try.

The world now is somewhat limited until the full release in August, bit I've certainly gotten my moneys worth...

I can get around the whole character development thing as I understand that's what a lot of people like but I do wish games would give players
like me a more streamlined character generation scheme so something like
it was selecting main and sub archetypes. If I end up with a bit of a rubbish build then that's what the difficult level is for!

I haven't played it yet, but it's based on 5th edition D&D which is still somewhat 'build a character' based with races, abilities, feats, sub-class archetypes, skills, multiclassing etc. I don't know how much of that is
kept in the PC game.

I know some games provide default or 'choose for me' builds, but typically those are very much inferior. On the plus side since it's based on 5e there will probably be optimized builds posted everywhere already and one
could just follow one of those.

- Justisaur

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 05/04/2023 18:32, DMP wrote:

I can get around the whole character development thing as I understand
that's what a lot of people like but I do wish games would give
players like me a more streamlined character generation scheme so
something like it was selecting main and sub archetypes. If I end up
with a bit of a rubbish build then that's what the difficult level is
for!

How are the sub-quests, do they have a bit more plot/intrigue to them
or are they more kill everyone and be rewarded with the loot?

The side quests are varied and sometimes affect the story and sometimes
not. Sometimes they involve a puzzle. For instance in one of the
locations, there are 4 stands each requiring an individual rune. Three
of the stands are activated by clicking on them. However, the 4th
requires a rune that you must steal. You must rescue an important
character in the game and only then can you use the 4 runes to open an underground cache of valuable items to use in the game. Some are smash & grab, and others give rise to recipes and other tell tales of a story
line that is just fun.

Ta for the info, it's possible that I'm almost being a bit to much in a
I'm not going to like this game mode as Divinity:OS I thought was just
ok so I expect I'll have the same issues with this.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/5/2023 2:27 PM, Justisaur wrote:

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 10:18:23 AM UTC-7, JAB wrote:

On 04/04/2023 12:00, DMP wrote:

On 4/4/2023 4:55 AM, JAB wrote:

On 02/04/2023 12:08, DMP wrote:

On 4/1/2023 6:13 PM, rms wrote:

What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2023?

Dead Space Remake
This got its hooks in me good: I played through on Hard, then
Impossible, then Impossible NG+, in a little over a month (I paid
for two months of EA Plus, so $33, which is fair to me). On the NG+ >>>>>> playthrough I used the Hand Cannon super-weapon that you are given >>>>>> upon finishing Impossible, as Impossible itself is very
nerve-wracking at points -- game over if you die once -- mostly to >>>>>> see the 'Alternate Ending'; the devs put a bit more effort into this >>>>>> ending than you usually see, as there are several new and subtle
dialog voice-over changes before the actual ending cinematic. If
you aren't a hardcore deadspace fan, just watch it on youtube as it >>>>>> is a bit underwhelming.

Not sure what I'll play next -- perhaps start Portal RTX, or a
console game as I've been ignoring the ps5 for months.

rms

BG3 and loving it even tho it's early access. I'm a sucker for the
series.

Also playing The Witcher 3 and ES V

Having been a big fan of BG:1/2 I'm still following BG:3 but I don't
have high hopes for it. Not that I think it's a bad game as such but
instead due to the developers I expect the focus will be on the likes
of character builds and combat and less on an interesting story line
and sub-quests.

I'll probably wait until some full reviews come out before deciding
whether it's worth buying.

I've played it from the very beginning and I do agree there's focus on
character development which is my very best favorite thing to do. There
is a storyline and a ton of side quests. Magic casting is very good and
different characters have been added with the updates. For now, I am
Mary J Blige, a tiefling/sorceror/wild mage.

Magic being good, and it's turn based from what I saw awhile ago. Both
of those make we want to give it a try.

The world now is somewhat limited until the full release in August, bit
I've certainly gotten my moneys worth...

I can get around the whole character development thing as I understand
that's what a lot of people like but I do wish games would give players
like me a more streamlined character generation scheme so something like
it was selecting main and sub archetypes. If I end up with a bit of a
rubbish build then that's what the difficult level is for!

I haven't played it yet, but it's based on 5th edition D&D which is still somewhat 'build a character' based with races, abilities, feats, sub-class archetypes, skills, multiclassing etc. I don't know how much of that is
kept in the PC game.

I know some games provide default or 'choose for me' builds, but typically those are very much inferior. On the plus side since it's based on 5e there will probably be optimized builds posted everywhere already and one
could just follow one of those.

- Justisaur

The character builds consist of all those characteristics you mention,
races, abilities, feats, etc all of which become more powerful as you
progress. Another neat thing about the magic is "Metamagic". There's a multistrike ability; metamagic from a distance, melee etc.

Dialogue choices are also different and align with your choice of
character, subclass, race etc. The character creation and how you can
make your build appear is very well done. I must admit to being a
fanboi. ;-)

I has some fun and asked Bard.AI how to develop my
tiefling/sorceror/wild mage. The damn thing was pretty spot-on.

The Pally/oathbreaker is also a newer character that was recently
released in a update and is also fun to play.I must have indulged myself
in the creation of at least 10 differeny combos and am still not done.

D.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wed, 5 Apr 2023 09:06:32 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

On Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11:50:17?AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

I'm too lazy to check, but in my head I always put the 'start date' to
these threads as March 2006, which means that with this post we're
starting year 17 of this tradition. Raise your hand if you were here
from the beginning!

Not here here but I was adjacent in RGFD since 02, and CSIPGR since
05, and made a couple 'What have you been playing recently' threads
around the time of the start of these threads there.

There actually were earlier attempts at "What Have You Been Playing"
threads in c.s.i.p.g.a. (under a variety of names), but those never
lasted very long. This current series has been running uninterrupted
since 2006 though. I think that's a pretty good run.

* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
The game shows its ages in other curious ways too. For instance,
you'll want a joystick, a peripheral once common to PC gaming
computers but now much less used. I've argued that the "Wing
Commander" games can - with a little bit of practice - be played
enjoyably with a mouse, but don't even try it with "TIE Fighter". A
stick is an absolute necessity; preferably one with a hat, throttle
and rudder. You can play with a keyboard (if you're a masochist!) but
on a good stick with a plethora of buttons, the game becomes much
easier.

That's what keeps me away. Looks like it's hundreds to get a
halfway decent flight stick, then there's the difficulty of getting it to >work with the game on a modern machine.

There's a total conversion mod which looks like it addresses
some of the janky oldness and mission issues.

https://www.moddb.com/mods/tie-fighter-total-conversion-tftc

But it's still one of the best of its genre, and if you haven't played
it, you really need to. It's one of the stalwarts of classic PC
gaming, up there with "Doom" and "Half Life" and "Kings Quest". It's
not perfect (and there are times you might even wonder how anyone ever
found it fun), but it earned its place as one of the greats.

I believe I had tried X-Wing but couldn't get into it, it just seemed
like a very bad 2nd ran compared to wing commander.

X-Wing and Wing Commander were too very different games. X-Wing (and
TIE Fighter after it) trended more towards the "simulation" angle
(ignoring the fact that its space combat is completely fictional)
whereas Wing Commander was always more arcade. The former required you
to spin a lot more plates - energy management, shield balancing,
damage management, ordering allied units, multiple mission objectives
- whereas the latter was almost entirely focused on the immediate:
shoot the bad guy in front of you. As such, a comparison between the
two was never really valid.

Despite its fan, its obvious that many considered the "Wing Commander"
series more /fun/ - probably because it was a lot more accessible -
and as the series progressed, you started seeing many of the systems
in the X-Wing games become simplified

(although, at the same time, Wing Commander also became a bit more
complex, borrowing some systems from X-Wing).

The most popular iteration of the series - the Rogue Squadron games -
did away with almost all of the complexities entirely.

Of course there's my old favorite vector arcade game which was one of
my favorites, though I was never really good at it, I did manage to blow
up the death star a few times. That one was a real quarter muncher,
and the controls inevitably seemed to be if not completely broken
then at least not working quite right, so I didn't play it a lot.

It's a fun game, but after a few cycles it becomes stale. How many
times do I need to blow up the death star anyway? But chasing after a
high score was never entertaining to me; others, obviously, felt
differently.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 5:33:42 AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

The most popular iteration of the series - the Rogue Squadron games -
did away with almost all of the complexities entirely.

Maybe I need to check those out, I don't remember ever playing them

It's a fun game, but after a few cycles it becomes stale. How many
times do I need to blow up the death star anyway?

At least 3 according to the current movies. :)

- Justisaur

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thu, 6 Apr 2023 08:39:19 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

On Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 5:33:42?AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

The most popular iteration of the series - the Rogue Squadron games -
did away with almost all of the complexities entirely.

Maybe I need to check those out, I don't remember ever playing them

Purists will argue that the "Rogue Squadron" games are not part of the
X-Wing series, and I guess they are correct. They were developed by an
entirely different group ("Factor 5 Games", and are much more
action/arcade games than the LucasArts/Totally Games products. The
most obvious difference being that the Rogue Squadron games are
intended to be played in third-person (where you see the outside of
your spaceship), as opposed to the in-cockpit views of
X-Wing/TIE-Fighter. Many of the missions were planet-bound too, as
opposed to the totally space-based X-Wing series.

The Factor 5 games were fun, and much more successful than the X-Wing
games. They spawned a host of sequels and spin-offs (off the top of my
head, Rogue Squadron 1, 2, and 3, Starfighter, Jedi Starfighter, and
Battle for Naboo all shared common themes, even if they werent' all
developed by the same group or used the same engine). They were
largely aimed at the console market but - except for Rogue Squadron 2
and 3, all had PC ports as well. I remember drooling at the "Rogue
Squadron 3" graphics; only available for the Gamecube, they pushed
that console's hardware to its limits.

It wasn't until "Star Wars: Squadrons" that a "simulator" style X-Wing
game returned to PC.

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On 04/04/2023 16:44, JAB wrote:

On 03/04/2023 12:00, Geeknix wrote:

On 2023-04-03, Geeknix <usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

On 2023-04-03, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 02/04/2023 02:30, Geeknix wrote:
I've got both 1 & 2 free with Amazon Prime and yes I agree a nice
way to spend a few hours.

There is a 2, a 2, Puzzle Agent 2. Ok that is on my purchase list now... >>>

bought and playing....

Hope you enjoy it.

(Puzzle Agent 2)
Just completed it. Good quick little puzzles, not to trying just a nice diversion. Entertaining story line to go with. All round a nice kick
back, feet up kinda game.

--
Don't be afraid of the deep...
--[ bbs.bottomlessabyss.net|https|telnet=2023|ssh=2222 ]--
--[ Remove the fruit and digits for valid email address ]--
--[ usenet <at> apple.geeknix135.net ]--

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On 08/04/2023 11:40, Geeknix wrote:

Hope you enjoy it.

(Puzzle Agent 2)
Just completed it. Good quick little puzzles, not to trying just a nice diversion. Entertaining story line to go with. All round a nice kick
back, feet up kinda game.

It's something I like about Amazon Prime. I end up playing games that I wouldn't have otherwise bought but I do enjoy playing them, well for a
bit anyway. There's probably also a part that I'm more forgiving as the
game was 'free'.

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On Sun, 02 Apr 2023 01:30:03 GMT, Geeknix
<usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

On 2023-04-01, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

Hectic Monday Morning Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)

March hasn't been a great month for me and gaming, usual life gets in
the way yada yada....

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some >interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to
spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

*--

I have PA2. Thanks for the reminder!

Maybe one of them is available for the iPad. Going to check to see if
I can play it in bed or downstairs.

-pw

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On Sun, 09 Apr 2023 21:45:15 -0600, PW
<iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

On Sun, 02 Apr 2023 01:30:03 GMT, Geeknix
<usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

On 2023-04-01, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

Hectic Monday Morning Summaries
---------------------------------------

* M-25 Racer (replay)
* Terminal Velocity Boosted Edition (replay/new)
* Star Wars TIE Fighter 95 (replay)
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (replay, in progress)

March hasn't been a great month for me and gaming, usual life gets in
the way yada yada....

Puzzle Agent (Steam)
A small puzzle adventure set in some Nordic town were you play an FBI
agent sent to investigate mysterious goings on. A short game with some >>interesting unique puzzles, some hard some not so much. A good game to >>spend a couple of hours on in a comfy chair.

*--

I have PA2. Thanks for the reminder!

Maybe one of them is available for the iPad. Going to check to see if
I can play it in bed or downstairs.

-pw

*--
Bought it (2) for the iPad! $3. Now I can play it wherever.

-pw

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