"Good Old Games"

[Vesper]

I have many fond memories of the Ultima Underworld games. I was a bit worried about how my memories vs. reality would hold up, but maybe I’ll give them a try. UU1 had an awesome dungeon design where you had to go all the way to the bottom and then back up. You could hear stuff through walls you wouldn’t see for a long time.

[BrianRubin]

I’ve actually never played the UU games, but they sound quite appealing based on what y’all are saying.

[DTG]

It’s funny, I remember playing System Shock and Terra Nova from Looking Glass, and really getting into the SZXC system and thinking it was ergonomically brilliant once you got used to it (much more comfortable for sitting at the keyboard with than the arrow keys I was used to from Doom). A few years later, Valve introduced WASD in Half Life and I thought, “oh yeah, they’ve nicked that idea from Looking Glass, except they’ve shifted it up a key, and actually it’s even more ergonomic that way because it’s easier to bash the space bar with your thumb”.

I wonder if Valve did consciously nick it or just came up with the general idea independently? Does anyone know the real facts behind that curious little corner of gaming history?

I don’t know the facts of the history, but the first thing I’ve done in every single PC game I’ve played since SS is go into options and reconfigure the keyboard as SZXC. Including Half-Life. SS burned it into me.

[Chuck]

And here’s where UU drops the ball. I can understand not being able to map keys in a game this old, but to ignore us Lefties and not support arrow-key movement is a harsh toke.

It wasn’t until Dead Space that I would again encounter this slight.

[BrianRubin]

Today’s release is Magic Carpet, a game I somehow barely remember playing and don’t feel compelled to get yet.

This also is apparently the last release in the “first batch” of EA games they plan to release. Poo.

[JDSIDD]

Today’s release is Magic Carpet, a game I somehow barely remember playing and don’t feel compelled to get yet.

This also is apparently the last release in the “first batch” of EA games they plan to release. Poo.

It was a good first batch. I remember Magic Carpet too but only in a vague sense. Anybody know if this holds up today? I remember liking it and being able to mess with terrain but not much else.

[Rock8man]

It was a good first batch. I remember Magic Carpet too but only in a vague sense. Anybody know if this holds up today? I remember liking it and being able to mess with terrain but not much else.

I have no idea if it holds up today, but I do remember it a bit more than you two. I remember it being a Descent-like game long before Descent. You controlled a magic carpet and shot at giant float worms in the sky while flying around a terrain where the fog of war was pretty darn close.

We’ve come a long way since then. I loved it back then, but today, I’d say play Just Cause 2 instead.

[BrianRubin]

As awesome as JC2 is…it doesn’t have spells or a flying carpet!

It does have helicopters, gets and lots of splodey bits though…

[Fugitive]

I only vaguely remember it, but I’m also hearing that Magic Carpet 2 is an improvement in pretty much every way, so it might be worth holding out for that instead.

[peterb]

Magic Carpet always struck me as more of a technology demo than an actual game. I don’t think I’d pay for it again.

[flyinj]

I have no idea if it holds up today, but I do remember it a bit more than you two. I remember it being a Descent-like game long before Descent. You controlled a magic carpet and shot at giant float worms in the sky while flying around a terrain where the fog of war was pretty darn close.

We’ve come a long way since then. I loved it back then, but today, I’d say play Just Cause 2 instead.

I remember a bit more. There was definitely a Populous-like metagame occurring during each level. You used the terrain manipulation to destroy enemy structures and flatten land so your own would thrive. I believe this fed an overall mana pool, allowing you to get better and better powers as your pool increased.

It’s definitely a unique game with interesting mechanics, many of which have never been replicated to this day.

It’s also absolutely nothing like Just Cause 2.

[Rock8man]

Good memory flyinj. I didn’t remember any of that. I retract my Just Cause 2 comments.

[gurugeorge]

AAAAARGGGHHH!!! I’ve just discovered that GOG has Realms of the Haunting. Any of you guys ever play it? If you haven’t, give it a shot, it’s a real classic. One of those great games (like Looking Glass’ Terra Nova) that was sadly overlooked because of the new, shiny Quake/Voodoo revolution.

It’s a vast game that has a solidly weird/creepy/mystical atmosphere. It has elements of fps, puzzle, adventure and rpg. It even has some cutscenes that are actually quite good and advance the story. A real epic.

[Rock8man]

AAAAARGGGHHH!!! I’ve just discovered that GOG has Realms of the Haunting. Any of you guys ever play it? If you haven’t, give it a shot, it’s a real classic. One of those great games (like Looking Glass’ Terra Nova) that was sadly overlooked because of the new, shiny Quake/Voodoo revolution.

It’s a vast game that has a solidly weird/creepy/mystical atmosphere. It has elements of fps, puzzle, adventure and rpg. It even has some cutscenes that are actually quite good and advance the story. A real epic.

Wow, thanks gurugeorge. I’ve never heard of it. I’ll give it a look. Will it stand up today though? Does it have mouse-look?

[flyinj]

I wish GOG let you download manuals before purchasing the game.

After looking at screenshots of Magic Carpet, more is coming back to me. There are two opposing fortresses that exist in the game as well. I seem to remember that you had to destroy the enemy fortress while reinforcing your own to win a level.

It actually had a Herzog Zwei vibe going on as well, as you could deploy forces to attack the enemy fortress or enemy forces at your current location.

I’m going to have to pick this up to play it again. I remember really enjoying it at the time.

[flyinj]

Wow, thanks gurugeorge. I’ve never heard of it. I’ll give it a look. Will it stand up today though? Does it have mouse-look?

It’s 640x480 SVGA. There is mouselook, but you have to hold a button down to use it. I believe it definitely holds up today. Some great atmosphere and sound design, great story, interesting RPG and adventure game mechanics for a game that seems on the surface to be an FPS.

I’d say it falls much more comfortably on the Ultima Underworld side of coin than the Blood/Duke Nukem. It’s an adventure/exploration game first, and an FPS second.

Definitely worth the price.

I believe there is also a post on the GOG forum that explains how to get as close to WASD-mouselook as possible given the game’s remapping limitations.

[Charlatan]

Magic Carpet was great, just spring for it you cheapskates.

And Realms of the Haunting - I remember that. Very creepy, very well done.

[scharmers]

Magic Carpet is…well, better consigned to nostalgia, I think. The tech is barely there (draw distances are nasty) and like many Bullfrog titles after the initial rush of “hey, this was a great idea!” the game levels degenerate into grinds. MC2 is a lot better.

[Mysterio]

Today’s release is Magic Carpet, a game I somehow barely remember playing and don’t feel compelled to get yet.

I have fond memories of this game, and can recall where and when I played it to death, along with Masters of Magic. Where has the time gone? :-(

[Marcin]

Good memory flyinj. I didn’t remember any of that. I retract my Just Cause 2 comments.

Same. All I remembered was the worms and the endless flying and shooting.

'course I had no manual with the thing, so I might not even have been aware of the strategic overlay, because I have zero memory of it.