hmm as another option to Exult does anyone know if Ultima VII is running under DosBox? If so you can probably tweak that to smooth out the pixel issue a bit(worked a charm on the Gabriel Knight games for me).
Demorve
5943
Has anybody else tried to run GOG dos games using dosbox for android? I tried running one of the old DnD gold box games. Got it to start but lost code wheel and didn’t have a bluetooth keyboard so I couldn’t play. Going to try Starflight to see if it works and since I have a bluetooth keyboard that works with my android tablet I might be able to have some fun at the mall my wife drags my ass to.
On a side note I kinda find it humorous that the manual to Starflight is almost as large as the game.
not sure on the android question, their forums are probably the best place to ask, and that is where i found that Ultima VII complete is indeed DosBox, so if you are concerned about those potential game breaking bugs in exult, you can always tweak the graphics effects within DosBox to get less jaggies that way.
50% off of Kalypso games this weekend. At first I was like LAME but then I was all CREATURES. Though I’m not sure if even just $3 is worth what would almost certainly be a 20 minute trip down memory lane, followed by intense boredom and then uninstallation.
I’m totally getting the Stronghold games just for their soundtracks.
The problem with Exult is that it’s an approximation of the original game - a very close one, but I’d rather play the original game, and Dosbox does the trick.
A little birdy told me Christmas sales are starting in 6 days, and doesn’t mind me posting that. It’s a little too early for their epic thing, so it’ll probably be some daily stuff.
I have Patrician 3 & Port Royale 2 on Steam - I think enjoyed them. If I liked them, would I like the previous games?
Giaddon
5949
Maybe, but why would you possibly need them?
As a collector, I understand the appeal. ;)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNND…
DRM, duh. Biggest reason right there.
To find out what exactly is going on in this GOG screenshot:
True, but I kinda thought that went without saying. :)
Tciecka
5955
This.
The combat mechanics are different between the two. The Exult folks still have not managed to figure out the U7/U72 combat formulas. They implemented their own interpretation of it. This means armor and weapons do not behave in the sames ways as far as damage reduction and output, so if this isn’t your first play through it may seem off to you.
Also, the game is meant to be played in 320 x 200. You see things you’re not supposed to, etc. when you beef it up to higher resolutions. The experience is far better if you can use DOSBOX to double the low resolution, than if you use Exult to increase your desktop size.
That said, I do recommend playing through once, using both DOSBOX then Exult. It’s still a great game!
Bluddy
5956
Combat mechanics didn’t really matter in the originals. It doesn’t really matter if they figured out the combat mechanics, since combat was a matter of randomly clicking until all the enemies were dead 3 seconds later – usually killed by your comrades. Honestly, combat was the only terrible part of U7/U72. Spells weren’t even needed or useful because everything was just a blur.
Exult makes the combat part of those games MUCH better. You get icons showing every character’s mana and health, which is a huge improvement in terms of situational awareness. More importantly, you can pause the game, so that the hectic blur of combat is actually more strategic. It doesn’t matter if they got the formulas exactly right – what matters is that they have formulas, and they actually have an effect since you can consider your next move.
Higher resolution modes allow you to actually see the surrounding enemies – another big limitation of the original, though this does come with the price of sometimes seeing too much. Exult in low resolution is probably better for this reason.
You also get recordings of the original MT-32 sound effects as they were meant to be heard, plus fixed bugs.
I’d say there’s no reason whatsoever to play the original versions. Play the Exult version and enjoy a game that’s superior in every way. Kinda like how it’s not worth playing BG in the original engine anymore.
Quitch
5957
Can you spawn unlimited summoned creatures in BG1 running under the BG2 engine yet? God I loved letting my gnoll army do the dirty work.
Gothic 3 is now on GoG. Was this the Gothic a lot of people thought was inferior (for reasons I can’t recall at the moment)?
G3 had “some” flaws at launch, but its pretty much patched up now, and with the community mods it is great.
“Anyone who comes to GOG.com and adds Empire Earth: Gold Edition to their carts a free copy of the game. Be sure to come by and pick it up before 10.59 GMT on the 14th of December, though, to get it for free.”
In other news, Good Old Games has started its 50% Off Holiday Sale.
Has the whole story of why they can’t seem to get hold of Alien Crossfire ever been revealed?
I know some people just like the original, but it wouldn’t be complete for me without the expansion, and the GOG attitude seems to be that people are labeled as ungrateful little snots when they ask about Alien Crossfire.
