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Post by Redbirdy on Apr 22, 2003 11:06:53 GMT -5
Well one thing I'm NOT playing (at least as much as I once was) is EverQuest. Finally hit the wall with that I guess, and it's taken me a lot longer to do so than I thought it would when I started.
To fill in some of the EQ-gap I started playing Silent Hunter 2. I bought it a long while back but never really got into it. Seems nice but the campaigns appear scripted and I prefer the open campaigns of the original.
I've also played a bit of Call to Power 2, another game that I toyed with when I first got it but never delved into too deeply. I loved the original of this one as well and though there are many additions to the sequel, I had more fun with the first one.
Yesterday I ordered Galactic Civilizations, Master of Orion 3, and Civilization 3. They should be here before the end of the week.
-J
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Apr 22, 2003 17:25:39 GMT -5
Well, I recently downloaded the free game SPWW2, all 440MB of it on a 56K connection and have it installed. I'm just about to uninstall Nascar 2002 Season. I'm not really a racing fan but it was fun for a short while. I'm not into much online play and my DUN connection is not the greatest.
In it's place I'll be re-installing an old favorite, SimTower and give that a go for a while.
I'm still playing a few demos that I've had for some time.
One game that has been on my HD for nearly 5 years since I got this computer is a old DOS game from Wesson International called RAPCON. It's a old CGA air controller game. I rarely play any of the other flight sectors in the game and just keep playing the one around Edwards AFB. This game mixes private, commercial and military aircraft and despite it's limtations in graphics it is sill pretty challenging. More than once I've had a game end with a mid-air collision in a congested area of the scope. I like playing this game when I tire of all the clickfest game and want something a little slower paced. While I can use the mouse, I prefer to use the keyboard to issue flight commands in this old game.
I keep getting my usually monthly freebie, but for the most part these are games I'm just taking because I don't see anything else that currently interests me on their list. The sysop doesn't keep track of things to well and often I don't get my games for a couple months at time and then he accidently sends me a dupe of one I have gotten, so I've got two The Thing, two Die Hard, two Soldiers of Anarchy, two Real War Rogue States, and two Empire Earth Art of Conquests.
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Post by Redbirdy on Apr 23, 2003 9:37:44 GMT -5
I have SPWW2. I downloaded it as well and it DID take some time with my connection, hehe. I didn't play it as much as the original though, which seems to be the case with most sequels I buy. It's still a great game, and the price is certainly right.
SimTower... I really should give that another try. When I first bought it my computer really wasn't up to the task so it ran very slow, and my patience finally gave out.
I recall you mentioning that flight-controller game before. It just goes to show that a game doesn't need to have all the bells-and-whistles to be good. Too many game companies feel that if a game doesn't stretch the limits of current computer technology then it won't sell.
-J (P.S. I'm also playing Emporer: RMK again. I never did finish all the campaigns.)
P.S.S. Why isn't my message thingie updated at the top of the screen? All I ever see is "Hey JWin, you have 0 messages, 0 are new."
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Apr 23, 2003 18:25:32 GMT -5
The "messages" referred to at the top of the page are private messages sent by other board users.
If you have SimTower make sure you have the 1.1 update patch too. I installed it last night and played it for a few hours. It runs much quicker on this computer than it did on my old 486/33. Before when I started a game I had about 5 seconds to use the startup money cheat, now the game runs so fast that I have to turn off the FAST MODE option and even at that it's already at 12noon game time before I can even scroll the map to place the lobby underground for the money cheat. I usually have to restart a new game and just so I don't lose half the first game day, but it's till too quick to use the money cheat. I guess I could use MOSLO if I really needed to. I don't really need the cheat which doubles your startup money.
The work on the beta patch for Emperor has been done for more than a month, closer to two, and we're still waiting for it's release. It's being localized into all the other languages, but people are getting nasty about it and if it takes to much longer no one is going to care about the patch because everyone will have moved on. Despite all the annoying bugs that still slipped through in the release version the game still is pretty good and well worth finishing.
The interesting thing is that not that many people are playing it online. After all those years of being badgered by users to make a MP city builder and no one plays. I was never a big fan of online games anyway so I don't miss it. A lot of people are computer illiterate and don't know how to setup their systems for online games. Many don't know how to adjust their firewalls, routers, or WinXP settings to allow online play so they get frustrated and give up trying.
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Post by Redbirdy on Apr 23, 2003 20:55:16 GMT -5
Ahhh... I thought the "messages" at the top was referring to replies to posts. I guess I just have to check the boxes underneath for that.
I probably have the 1.1 SimTower patch since I'm usually a stickler for keeping up with the latest versions. Speaking of which, I WAS wondering about the absence of an Emperor patch...I was surprised when I checked and didn't see one available yet. I agree though: it's fun even with the bugs.
I don't play online games (EverQuest notwithstanding). I like the more relaxed pace of playing against the computer; especially now that there are some semi-decent AIs floating around now.
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Apr 24, 2003 13:55:56 GMT -5
The problem I find with online games is the sheer hassle of actually getting a game up and going. First you either have to spend time getting a game scheduled with your friends or hang about in the lobby until you get a few people willing to play. Then you have try to help people that are new get their system working so they can actually play the game. Then you have to get everyone into the game and out of the main lobby and finally hope no one drops out of the game or quits while the game is in progress. I think I've spent more time in the lobby than actually playing the game merely because everyone is too intimidated to play or their computers aren't setup right.
This board will notifiy you if anyone replies to a message you post. As you noted you have to check the boxes below the text box before you click the POST button.
I've been sending an occasional "reminder" email to the developers about the patch hoping to get things kick started. Actually, it's out of their hands and into the hands of VU/Sierra which is the major bottleneck, but the developers have the connections to those people and I hope they pass my messages along.
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Jul 21, 2004 17:31:19 GMT -5
Hi Phil, I know you have a hard time reading the small text so this should help.
On-line play is like pulling teeth. It just hasn't been a big draw for me for the reasons above and the fact that I'm still on a dial up.
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Post by Redbirdy on Jul 21, 2004 23:42:46 GMT -5
I'm still using a dial-up as well. It now takes about 10 minutes for EQ to get up and running once I log-on but once actually in the game there is no lag...which surprised me considering my connection rate. Same with Diablo 2, which I've now been playing a bit online as well: there's no noticeable lag once playing, even with several in the group and spell effects/monsters everywhere.
There's never any lack of people available for grouping in EQ, though you have to be careful as some undisciplined players can get you (and everyone else) killed in record time. I never play in EQ pick-up groups anymore for that reason.
Since Frank Boesch (you should remember Frank, Keith) quit EQ I've been playing even less than previously.
-J
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Jul 22, 2004 6:09:03 GMT -5
I have never played Diablo 2 or Everquest. They sound like fantasy FPS games to me. I'm more in to the "reality" FPS type games myself like SWAT 3 and Counter Strike Condition Zero. If I had the time I'd download one of the demos of the WW2 FPS games or the one the U.S. Army has out. They're just too big to download.
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Post by Redbirdy on Jul 22, 2004 16:14:07 GMT -5
Technically I suppose you could call both EQ and Diablo FPS games, though there is certainly much more to them than the standard FPS. Actually Diablo uses an overhead view so perhaps you can't call that one a FPS and be strictly honest, although the theme is the same.
Yes both use a "fantasy" setting and I find that less depressing than some of the "real life" FPS out there: I did try Jagged Alliance 1 and 2 and liked those but many others are just plain Gloom & Doom.
-J
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Post by Keith Heitmann on Jul 22, 2004 17:36:15 GMT -5
You should try SWAT 3 (SWAT 4 is planned) then. It's a FPS but in this one you actually score better if you arrest rather than kill the terrorist. You do better when you work with your men than going it solo. You want to keep them, the terrorists, and hostages alive, especially the hostages.
Counter Strike Condition Zero's DELETED SCENES section is solo play and you are pretty much on your own in this one with the occasional aid of friendlies. It's a more typical FPS but I wouldn't say it was Doom and Gloom oriented. I was just playing through a few missions before logging back on here. I played through the Russian Missile Silo mission and a SAS Building Recon mission. The motiom mapping of the characters is very nice in this one. I love it when I shoot a guy on a roodtop or upper floor window and he does his hollywood stuntman tumble down to the ground.
The only overhead view games I have tried other than games like Steel Panthers and the citybuilders is the demo for Beyond the Call of Duty and Close Combat demos. I suppose you could say that Combat Mission games are overhead view too.
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;D