Gog.com ~ Finally

I think I've mentioned Gog.com a couple of times and if I haven't, I probably should have.  Well, by the looks of it, both DRPOTTS and I have mentioned this video game consignment store (aka Take My Money) site before, but only in a rudimentary passing type of way, meaning that aside from links and little blurb, neither of us have seem to have brought this site up as extensively as it deserves.

So gog.com (Good Old Games) has been around since 2008 although I only became aware of the site since, maybe, the middle of 2012, who can say?  The point is, gog.com offers a lot of older PC games at frequently ridiculously low prices, which I won't specifically mention as I still sort of hold that stigma since our KDVS 90.3FM Freeform Radio days; non-profit radio cannot mention prices on air, at least we were told never to do mention prices.  They've also started offering newer games, possibly to compete with both Humble Bundle, Steam and Amazon's Indie Gaming Store.

I only bring up gog.com now, because a short while back, I picked up a game that I had heard about sometime last summer.  I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream is a psychological horror point-and-click game from 1995 that was based on a science fiction book of the same name and published in 1967 by Harlan Ellison.  While not available on Steam, gog.com had this game for, we'll just say exceedingly cheap.  Science fiction point-and-click psychological horror are three genres that I love, so it was really just a matter of not caring about spending less than $5.

After purchasing the game, I looked at my games shelf and was horrified at what I saw.  There were eight games on my shelf.  All said "New" in the upper right corner.  I immediately checked my credit card statement online as well as my email to see if I had accidentally purchase seven other games.  Now, if I had taken the time to actually look at the games, all my fears would have been alleviated.

These seven other games were free.  That's what the green banner across the upper left of the box art that spelled out "FREE" meant.  I didn't buy them, they just. . . came with my purchase?  These seven games are simply free from gog.com and you don't even have to sign up for an account, although by signing up, they are automatically added to your library.

Below will be a brief rundown of the games that were included with my purchase, because I want to find out about these games (and proclaim my ignorance publically) at the same time you find out, then feel free to shun me in whatever way you feel appropriate.

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar.

Now, I'm familiar with this game, but only by name and the cover art.  I recall seeing this game as an NES cartridge at DRPOTTS' house.  I never tried playing it, knowing his family's penchant for not playing someone elses save files, and by the time I knew of this game, I had already developed a fairly decent etiquette when it came to video game save files.  If this game is anything like the only Ultima game that I've played, Ultima: Exodus, then I probably won't make it too far.

Tyrian 2000.

This is a top down spaceship shooter that came out back in 1999 from Eclipse Productions.  It basically looks like a mash up between 1942 and Gradius, which is a good thing.  I had fun playing both games although I was never a wiz at them, but this still sounds like a lot of fun.

Dragonsphere.

Dragonsphere came out on the PC back in 1994 from MicroProse.  The game is a point-and-click fantasy adventure game that looks like it was ripped straight out of a Dungeons & Dragons module from the same era.  And hell no that's not a bad thing.  For me, that's pure nostalgic fun.  And apparently it's a cult classic, which is a sign that I think always bodes well.

Warsow.

Warsow, released in 2012 by Chausser De Bots, by only looking at it, sounds like a Team Fortress 2 type multiplayer battle royale with a sense for camp.  I'll probably give the game a go, being free and all, but this genre really isn't my pint-of-stout mainly because I don't want/like to deal with online rage douches, but it's worth a try.  And, I don't think the same mean spirited 12 year old boys will be playing Warsow instead of Battlefield 4: Co-op Enemy Massacre Revenge: The Return of the Camped Out Revenge Killing Part IIa

Treasure Adventure Game.

Treasure Adventure Game, released in 2011 by Robit Studios  looks exactly like it's title proclaims: a retro style 2D platformer with a less violent Super Meat Boy thrown in because that seems to be a thing now-a-days.  I'll give the game a spin, but if it's as frustrating as Super Meat Boy, I may have to just pass after, say, 30 minutes.

Beneath a Steel Sky.
Beneath a Steel Sky was released in 1994 by Revolution Software.  It is a point-and-click science fiction adventure game.  I know absolutely nothing about this game (as opposed to the other six games that I know nothing about) and, I'm going to take a stab in the dark here, looks a bit like the film Dark City and Brazil with something else thrown in that I can't quite pin down (Shadowgate meets Who Framed Roger Rabbit maybe??).  Either way, whatever this game is, it looks like something that I will end up loving or never finishing because it's too avant garde.  As long as Eraserhead's babby doesn't show up, I might be alright. We'll wait and see.

Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire.
Released in 1990 by Origin Systems.  I'm not even sure about this game.  I mean, the T-Rex's posture isn't correct and the flying reptile looks like it's a mix between Rhamphorhynchus and a Pteranodon.  Oh, and I guess the scantily clad savage woman next to the safari game-hunter seems out of place too.  So maybe an Ultima style game, but instead of high fantasy, it's high colonial steam-punk meats Journey to the Center of the Earth?  I am of course making some of this up.  I will of course try out the game.







One additional thing that I want to let shine on gog.com, is that even the free games often come with their own special features of sorts.  Ultima IV comes with an audio interview with Lord British, maps, manual and spell book; Warsow and Treasure Adventure Game both come with the soundtrack; I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream comes with a manual, soundtrack and a making of documentary pdf file.  This is a great place and I am sad that I only recently discovered how amazing it is, this land of the lost pc games.


~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian
Learning To Live

Nine days into June, and I'm posting again

Whelp, I've been busy lately, 



I'm going to take a moment to comment on the various things Jaquonian said in his previous post. Just 'cause. And I'm going to do it in reverse order.

Firstly, I guess I'm okay with Evangeline Lilly, until further notice. It makes sense that they'd want to have a character with a name who is an elf, given that in the Hobbit Book, the Mirkwood elves don't really have any distinguishing characters. It's kind of like how they expanded Haldir's character in LOTR.  Also, it makes sense that she'd be female, because there is a serious lack of female characters in Middle Earth.  

Personally, the thing I didn't like about the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was how bloody long it was. Granted, I expected it to be long when it was first announced, but I don't see the point now that it's been broken into three films. In addition, it felt much longer because of the directors insistence on regular 'edge of your seat' chase scenes. Over and over again, the characters were literally - and I do mean literally -  hanging from cliffs. It just made for a stressful viewing experience, especially for a movie based on a book that I find rather relaxing.  

I'm prepared to forgive non-canon moves, but when they contribute to an already over-long and stressful movie experience, then I'm not happy.  That said, I'm excited to see the Mirkwood scenes, and for god sake, SMAUG!  I mean... I have some pretty high expectations for that guy.   Benedict Cumberbatch is pretty awesome in Sherlock, and was great in Star Trek II.  Quick aside:  Star Trek II was not as good as Star Trek 1, though not particularly bad - just not particularly good.  It also suffered from the 'roller coaster ride' effect, like the Hobbit.  I guess that's just how it's done now.  I could have used much more dialogue from Cumberbatch. 

Topic Jump!

In retrospect, I wish I'd paid more attention to that first Humble Weekly Bundle.  Walking Dead has gotten great reviews, and I think it's mostly a point and click adventure.  And, what the hell, maybe Back to the Future is good too.  I think point and click is right about my speed these days, given I'm 30 going on 60.  Just kidding, but yeah, getting older sucks, especially the part where you have to work all day.  

As another aside,  my life has felt a bit like this scene from Ghostbusters.  "Dogs and Cats, living together!"

Bummer about Shadow of the Eternals.  However, their message does seem very hopeful, so even if they couldn't come up with the cash, maybe this will continue to lead to good things.  

-D


I'll leave you with a link:  Good old Games.  This is yet another digital gaming store.  The focus here is on retro PC gaming.  This is a pretty deep well for me, seeing as my years up until recently have been spent console gaming.  I'm particularly interested in giving a game called 'Planescape: Torment' a try.  

And you know, while I'm at it, here's another retro gaming link, Racketboy.  It's a really well designed retro site, where you can find great images, and well organized topics, and articles on a very extensive selection of gaming systems.   Except... so far, I haven't really enjoyed the writing.  I guess you can't have everything.  Check it out when you're in a retro mood. 

Emulator Hour: Real Ultima NES challenge!

After bouncing around between some 8-bit RPGs, I've settled on Ultima: Exodus (III).  This game has its hooks in me, and I find myself thinking about it when I'm not playing.  At any given time, when I've been gaming, I have these sort of nebulous game ideas floating around the borders of my consciousness.  These are usually influenced by what I've been playing lately, and there is definitely a distinctly Exodus flavor these days.  I probably spend more time daydreaming about this game than I do playing it. 

But I am determined to play it and to make substantial progress in this very difficult NES game.  After playing through a bunch of Final Fantasy, Ultima:Exodus is refreshing in its non-linearity, party customization and challenge.  And boy, is it challenging.  It really takes time to get some momentum in this game, and it makes Final Fantasy games appear to be positively coddling to the player.  For example: Inns.  There is one Inn in Exodus, and it serves only to save the game.  No free life points.  For that you have to shell out 200 gold to a doctor who will, in exchange, heal *one* of your party members.  This is a stiff contrast to Final Fantasy where Inns are in every town and cost pocket change to heal your entire party.  Oh, and did I mention nearly every treasure chest is booby trapped?  So even if the enemies are easy, you can be killed claiming your reward.   

Much of the early part of Exodus I have spent slogging around the overworld map, grinding, exploring and trying not to die. I routinely check each town to see if there's something I missed, some useful piece of the puzzle.  But as far as I can tell, my only mission at present is to rack up gold and xp and buy armor, so that I will be ready for the new slew of super-tough enemies when I level up. 

In this game the only way to level up is by cashing-in experience points with Lord British. 

At which point, I will need to find a new lead on gold, because killing enemies just doesn't do it.  I think what I need to do is hit the dungeons which are scattered around the map, and see if there isn't some loot in there.  Of course,  when I've paid these dungeons a visit, I haven't made it out alive.  I'm hoping that the boost to HP I will get when I raise my levels up will give me what I need to survive. 

I realize that I am accustomed to a JRPG pace, which is extremely steady.  Go out, grind a while, come back stay at the inn. Grind some more, buy weapons and armor, when your strong enough, move to the next area.  Repeat.  That is the basic JRPG progression, and as far as I can tell, it's been universal since the original Final Fantasy.  (I would say Dragon Warrior, but there was actually a bit less linearity to that game).  Ultima is much different.  The game guides you very little, and much of it is discovered through exploration.  And patience.  oh, so much patience.  

But I am resolute.  The very challenge of the game is what keeps me slowly moving forward.  I don't know how long I can last, but there are milestones that I'd like to achieve.  I'd like to get in and out of a dungeon and live.  I'm thrilled to say I just reached Ambrosia.  Next I need to collect some flowers and raise some of my stats.  Then start collecting marks, which means deeper dungeon success.  After that, I'm not sure what I need, but I'll most likely be consulting strategy guides along the way.  One step at a time, there's no getting ahead of yourself in this game.  If you get ahead of yourself, you will die.  Simple as that.  

Maybe I will play it until the end.  Maybe I won't.  But for the time being, this is the game that has occupied my attention.  I don't know what I'll be playing next, but I'm thinking about Planescape: Torment,  another Western RPG that gets lots of love. 

-D

Protips:  

• Cyclo DS Evolution is a great NES Emulator system for the Nintendo DS.  It's how I play all my old favorites.
• Use the 'Open' spell to avoid traps from treasure chests.  
• Also, press 'select' when the menu is open to see a different set of options, including ones that let you share food and gold.  
• And for God's sake, read the instructions!