Slashdot Mirror

So this Slashdot article mentions that GameSpot ran an article saying how nice it would be if a new Descent game was released.

How about some actual news, about something that has actually happened in the last three months (from the time of this article being posted)?

Descent 2 @ Steam has been made available for $9.99 (on February 19, 2014). Related videos have also been released: Descent 2 video @ Steam: Opening
Descent 2 video @ Steam: Game Play ... or, for those who wish to get even greather value per penny spent: Descent 1 and Descent 2 @ GoG.com (one payment of $9.99 covers both games). Descent @ Steam ($6.99) is also available.

For Descent 3, once again GoG seems like it may have an edge:
Descent 3 with Expansion, @ GoG.com ($9.99)
Descent 3 @ Steam ($9.99)

So, regarding this parent post recommending:

For those of us who still have the binaries around

... for those of us who have suffered hard drive crashes, floppy disk damages, or were just too cash-strapped as youth, there are now some convenient, legal ways to get access to those binaries.

Descent 2 Source Code @ Descent Developer Network (DDN) @ Descent2.com,
Descent 1 Source Code @ Descent Developer Network (DDN) @ Descent2.com. The code for Descent 1 includes the MINER level editor. It does not include some of the code that was copyrighted by someone else, such as low-level code related to serial port (including modem) handling, and sound libraries. The license says non-commercial use only. A forum post indicates that there are some troubles with those download links, and recommends the Icculus D2X Project for source downloads. That website has Source Code for Descent 1 for PC @ Icculus.org, Source Code for Descent 1 for Mac @ Icculus.org, Source code for Descent 2 @ Icculus.org, plus the source code for the Icculus D2X project, and other downloads like shareware versions and Descent 2 game patches, and references to resources like Descent Developer Network (DDN) which might be of interest to anyone wanting to enhance the source code. Hyperlinks to download official updates/patches for the second game were found at that site, but not for the first game. However, patches for the first game are available, and may be found at TOOGAM's page of Retail Games: section related to Descent (my site which has hyperlinks to download from Interplay, and also hosts the game patches in case Interplay stops hosting those downloads), and mentions other projects like MacDescent3Dfx, and D1X Project.

The web page for the D2X-XL project, a project mentioned by this parent post, starts with a giant banner that states, “This Project Needs Funding”. (That seems very questionable, as it may be running afoul of the non-commercial clause of the source code release...) The Descent Level Editor (DLE) on the same website, does not have that same funding-se

So this Slashdot article mentions that GameSpot ran an article saying how nice it would be if a new Descent game was released.

How about some actual news, about something that has actually happened in the last three months (from the time of this article being posted)?

Descent 2 @ Steam has been made available for $9.99 (on February 19, 2014). Related videos have also been released: Descent 2 video @ Steam: Opening
Descent 2 video @ Steam: Game Play ... or, for those who wish to get even greather value per penny spent: Descent 1 and Descent 2 @ GoG.com (one payment of $9.99 covers both games). Descent @ Steam ($6.99) is also available.

For Descent 3, once again GoG seems like it may have an edge:
Descent 3 with Expansion, @ GoG.com ($9.99)
Descent 3 @ Steam ($9.99)

So, regarding this parent post recommending:

For those of us who still have the binaries around

... for those of us who have suffered hard drive crashes, floppy disk damages, or were just too cash-strapped as youth, there are now some convenient, legal ways to get access to those binaries.

Descent 2 Source Code @ Descent Developer Network (DDN) @ Descent2.com,
Descent 1 Source Code @ Descent Developer Network (DDN) @ Descent2.com. The code for Descent 1 includes the MINER level editor. It does not include some of the code that was copyrighted by someone else, such as low-level code related to serial port (including modem) handling, and sound libraries. The license says non-commercial use only. A forum post indicates that there are some troubles with those download links, and recommends the Icculus D2X Project for source downloads. That website has Source Code for Descent 1 for PC @ Icculus.org, Source Code for Descent 1 for Mac @ Icculus.org, Source code for Descent 2 @ Icculus.org, plus the source code for the Icculus D2X project, and other downloads like shareware versions and Descent 2 game patches, and references to resources like Descent Developer Network (DDN) which might be of interest to anyone wanting to enhance the source code. Hyperlinks to download official updates/patches for the second game were found at that site, but not for the first game. However, patches for the first game are available, and may be found at TOOGAM's page of Retail Games: section related to Descent (my site which has hyperlinks to download from Interplay, and also hosts the game patches in case Interplay stops hosting those downloads), and mentions other projects like MacDescent3Dfx, and D1X Project.

The web page for the D2X-XL project, a project mentioned by this parent post, starts with a giant banner that states, “This Project Needs Funding”. (That seems very questionable, as it may be running afoul of the non-commercial clause of the source code release...) The Descent Level Editor (DLE) on the same website, does not have that same funding-se

"I think the crux of your problem is you don't like the methods companies have chosen to ensure that their games aren't stolen. That's the main reason for many of those things."

But you don't get it corporations have ALREADY STOLEN from the people the public domain, as well as the right to own,modify,preserve, things they pay good money for. Piracy is just the correct response for software developers having taken away peoples RIGHT TO OWN WHAT THEY BUY. Consecrations and business hacks have come up with all sorts of bullshit legal concepts and laws to brainwash people like yourself. You should go look at the history of intellectual property, it didn't just fall out of the sky. It was organized by the money powers to gain monopoly it is really a form or rent seeking in many instances when you get down to it. That just hurts tinkerers and innovators everywhere.

http://www.ipocracy.org/

Things like this and this should be possible - whenever you BUY a game you should GET the source-code.

D2X-XL (a descent 2 open source project)
http://www.descent2.de/

Freespace 2 open
http://scp.indiegames.us/

That means that a lot of awesome stuff like this can't happen because kids aren't allowed to learn and tinker because of the walled gardens.

Remade FS2 open trailer (all work done by community).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhAR8rWPluQ

So we have clueless people like you walking around the planet supporting this corporate suffocation of cultural innovation and inventiveness because you are clueless about history and are indifferent to games. You are EXACTLY the kind of person I'm talking about. This is why my post is lost on you.

Now look at what happens when companies release incomplete games or badly coded games the community cannot fix them. There are a plethora of games with problems that enthusiasts/tinkerers could fix but we can't because we live in an IP aristocracy, with a feudal model of ownership for the lords, none for the paying serfs.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/973/973368p1.html

Demigod BTW is one of my fav games and I dislike that I can't fix/modify/update it/make it better. Even though I paid money for the game and I have no recourse against companies like this in our little IP aristocracy.

"Not really a free market; since you don't have to pay for the product."

Given the whole theft of the public domain we can say piracy is a counterbalance to this overwhelming corporate theft of the public domain. So IMHO piracy is par for the course. Companies get to redefine the law and set cultural boundaries buy buying government influence to create laws in their favor so customers have no right to own (theft of rights). These industries are even more shifty then any pirate. For instance software is 'never owned' so one doesn't have the source so one can't modify one's own software which one paid for.

Things like http://www.descent2.de/ and http://scp.indiegames.us/ should be much more common then they are but the so called "rights holders" have stolen the rights of customers to own via legal shenanigans because most people aren't bright enough to revolt against these practices.

I posted a few months ago, waxing nostalgic for 6DOF games and the Descent series specifically. Nice to know I'm not the only one who still wants them.

There are a few Descent and Descent 2 source ports, the best of which is probably D2X

.

Here's a thread demonstrating some of the graphical features of the port: http://www.descent2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1169.

It's still an awesome game.

I posted a few months ago, waxing nostalgic for 6DOF games and the Descent series specifically. Nice to know I'm not the only one who still wants them.

There are a few Descent and Descent 2 source ports, the best of which is probably D2X

.

Here's a thread demonstrating some of the graphical features of the port: http://www.descent2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1169.

It's still an awesome game.

There are ports of it with open GL
http://www.descent2.de/d2x.html

http://www.dxx-rebirth.de/

A few other dos games have windows ports as well.

I disagree entirely, open code is better then no code, it doesn't always have to be 're-usable' to everybody. In fact just because it susbtitutes money with cost in time does not mean others don't value it. We can see this with Freespace 2 SCP and Descent 2 X (and XL) based on open source code. Just because you can't make heads or tails of the code doesn't mean people smarter then you can't.

http://scp.indiegames.us/news.php

http://www.descent2.de/

Right now closed source software means that many consumer goods go obsolete unnecessarily. We see this especially in the gaming industry, how many PC games could have had old parts scrubbed and rewritten and updated by fans of the game and still work today if the code was forced to be opened after it's sales run? A lot.

Software goods have more in common with real tangible items, but the fact is the economic system in fact bastardizes and destroys these goods/wealth by making sure it goes obsolete (breaks/doesn't work) by close sourcing the software.

There's no excuse for software to have to break when you have the source, the fact that customers (really investors) get screwed in their investment in this one way parasitic capitalism because of the lack of nuance and intellectual understanding is quite disturbing with anyone with any kind of serious intelligence.

Alas... no selling is going to happen here. Already there are open-source engines (but not content) for the first two installments.

• Descent 1 & 2 playable in OpenGL as D2X-XL http://descent2.de/ and...
• A new movement dedicated to updating graphics and engine, but retaining the same features—and limitations—as the originals: DXX Rebirth http://www.dxx-rebirth.de/ )

I was able to grab the 3-disc compendium ("Definitive Collection") with original content, contest-winner levels and the D2 "Vertigo" levels all in one set. It's never really been put away. I've wondered if there are any new copies of D3 left? [checks eBay...] yep.

If Blizzard can do for SC what Ensemble did for AoE, and keep an interesting campaign, I'll buy it!

Didn't anyone remember the D3D patch for XvT? That was the first, and IMO most-awesome sim' for SW-themed games.

I still play Descent from time to time. It's just fun and scary and these robots have their personality.

I use D2X-XL version 1.6.6.

I tried to play Quake2 in the last month but it was just boring compared to descent, which is older.