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The claims are very broad.

They include representing 3d data by defining an orientation, a distance from the viewer, a projection type and so on, as well as manipulating the orientation using three angles, by transforming the data from a space to another...
This is very basic and covers roughly anything displaying interactive 3d on a 2d screen...

I'm pretty sure that there's some prior art.

In a school lab, we had up to sixteen people playing as various shapes (eyeball, arcade game, taxi, boot, and one other) over an AppleTalk network. The fun was that MazeWars+ had four different levels (each level had an elevator to every other level) , and included four types of robots (one was a TARDIS that you could use to teleport randomly in the same level (much fun to teleport your opponent unexpectly), another was a Shadow Killer (only saw the shadow in the maze), a dummy (immobile target), and a very dumb AI robot)).

A later version of Maze was Super Maze Wars, with color and other features. Apple shipped it with some Macintosh models.

One nifty thing about the software is that it came with a disk label for an "official copy" of the game. Very thoughtful of them.

A French language website has screenshots of MazeWars+, along with other early Macintosh applications.

The thing about this is... it's totally optional. See movies at friends houses. Listen to independant artists and radio stations (my local one is Pirate Cat Radio - pluggity). Don't buy DRM CDs. Hell, buy used CDs and rob them of any profit. Play free video games (RTCW:ET, hit Home of the Underdog and grab System Shock 2 - hit the torrent and be a Good Person).

It's the new punk - If you pick up on it quick, you can claim you were there.

The thing about this is... it's totally optional. See movies at friends houses. Listen to independant artists and radio stations (my local one is Pirate Cat Radio - pluggity). Don't buy DRM CDs. Hell, buy used CDs and rob them of any profit. Play free video games (RTCW:ET, hit Home of the Underdog and grab System Shock 2 - hit the torrent and be a Good Person).

It's the new punk - If you pick up on it quick, you can claim you were there.

If you could not find anywhere to buy it you can get a .torrent of System Shock II from
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=3924

you can also get the multiplayer patch (cooperative only) from here
http://www.3dgamers.com/dl/games/systemshock2/shkp atch.exe.html

Did you hear about the Tex Murphy radio adventure? The official site which hosted it are down, but here a Google cache link: http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:KaUxV1cZVvYJ: unofficialtexmurphy.com/theater/episode1.shtml+%22 Tex+Murphy+Radio+Theater%22+mirror&hl=no

Also, there was two other Tex Murphy games, preceding UAKM and the others: Mean Streets (review: http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,50 and Martian Memorandum (review: http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,49))

The Underdogs has both, I think, so if you're in for a quick fix, there you go. Here's the Martian M. link, anyway: http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=1901 :)

A long time ago, Gremlin released a game called "Normality, Inc." (http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?name=Normal ity), which was just what you described: an adventure game with an FPS engine. The game is an hillarious adventure in a totalitarian futurustic world a-la-1984, and sadly was grossly overlooked by many. If you're on the mood, try it on DOSBox. Recommended.

I think i'll always preffer 2d action adventures, but this has been done before, very well, and it actually worked. Imagine a terrror adventure a-la-Gabriel Knight using the Doom 3 engine...

Get two XTs and hook them up via null modem and play Fire Power together - old school man!!

Scratchware manifesto

Then again, I'm a hockey purist and am unlikely to be impressed by much (although I thought Wayne Gretzky 2 by Bethesda was most excellent, but would make for lousy TV broadcast).

Yes, I'm angry and bitter that I won't plant myself in front of the tube for a season's worth of Flyers games. My wife has a greatly different view on the lockout.

Ahh yes, LawBot. If I remember correctly, there was no right answer to any of it's questions.

Enjoy your cheap plastic replacement!

In fact, Vivendi closed down the former Sierra offices and killed Dynamix off a few months ago. All that's left of Sierra, really, is the name.

I'm sorry to say that Dynamix was actually killed off a number of years ago, long before Vivendi came along.

It's too bad. I like the stuff Dynamix put out, but I didn't feel terribly sorry to see Sierra bite the dust. They put out a lot of crappy stuff in their later years, and all the extra crap that Sierra games installed on your computer, like Sierra Utilities, sure pissed me off.

What a novel idea.

Back in 1988, there was a game called 'Life & Death' where you got to do general surgeries like removing an appendix.

Then in 1990, it was brain surgery in 'Life & Death 2: The Brain'.

Notice, you can download both games from the sites above. I must say, they got pretty high scores back in the day.

Back in 1988, there was a game called 'Life & Death' where you got to do general surgeries like removing an appendix.

Then in 1990, it was brain surgery in 'Life & Death 2: The Brain'.

Notice, you can download both games from the sites above. I must say, they got pretty high scores back in the day.

"...computer games, the next designer drug."

Endorfun was a psychedelic puzzle game designed to stimulate endorphin production in humans. I don't know if it actually worked, but at least they tried.

For those of you who liked Populous there is a game called Powermonger that is a somewhat similar and fun game. You will probably need DOSBox to play it. Check out some of the other games on Underdogs they have a bunch of classics.

There are already some of these types around the web

If you're looking to d/l old-school MSDOS abandonware, The Home of the Underdogs rocks. While the organizers admit that the site isn't exactly kosher, they do remove stuff at the requests of the copyright holder. A lot of the more major titles aren't found there but if you have a little-known, favorite PC game from 10-15 years ago, odds are they have it. I've gotten Megatraveller, Deathtrack, The Magic Candle, SEAL Team, among others.

If you're looking for a good DOS emulator to play these classics under 2K/XP or Linux, I use DOSBox. It's not perfect, but it does work for most of the games that I've tried.

This 'official' list is very nice to have, especially to track games with source available (good educational code).

As you may already know, 'unofficially' free software site Home of the Underdogs http://www.the-underdogs.org/ links to source or binary (now by Bittorrent!) to all old games abandonned by developpers and/or publishers. An endless source of fun and nostalgia... be sure to check it out!

I'm glad to see such a strong community that has centred around adventure games. It's hopeless commercially, it seems, with many small projects still looking for a publisher. But free games keep getting cranked out!

I think this is because there is so much fun to be had in actually making these games. There are dozens of engines that can handle virtually all of the programming work for you. What's left is the art, dialogue, story, puzzles and witty responses. For a creative group of people this kind of thing enables them to do what they do best without being boggled down in engine specifics. That's why recent games seem to reach almost LucasArts quality with much less work.

I feel that the only issue is the number of one-man projects there are. It's very hard to collaborate on these projects with no source control or commercial incentive. People have their own independent visions for how the game will come out, and most of these guys are artists or writers, not leaders. With the tools that are already there, a group of 20 or so people could apply the open source methodologies and develop a game that would even surpass LucasArts standards, and be just as long and fun to play. I think - well, I hope - that this is the way forward for adventure games, because the results would be really promising.

You're probably thinking of Floor 13, in which you ran a kind of MI-5 without moral or legal restraints.

Even though they weren't packaged in gold boxes, Countdown to Doomsday and Matrix Cubed (warning: popups) used the Gold Box engine with modifications. Countdown to Doomsday was probably my favorite of all of the Gold Box games, especially if you count the enhanced version of it for the Sega Genesis.

Rob

Even though they weren't packaged in gold boxes, Countdown to Doomsday and Matrix Cubed (warning: popups) used the Gold Box engine with modifications. Countdown to Doomsday was probably my favorite of all of the Gold Box games, especially if you count the enhanced version of it for the Sega Genesis.

Rob

While F117-A doesn't seem available, try:
The Underdogs
They have most of the old games available for download, and have been a great way to replace old damaged disks. Having been a gamer since 5.25" disks were the standard form of removable media, I have lost a few good games over the years, and it's nice to have a way to retrieve them.
BTW, another useful link for those who like old games: DOSBox

Like my cowardly anonymous friend said, Herzog Zwei (http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?name=Herzog +Zwei) is commonly refered as the first "real" RTS game. It was released for the Sega Genesis; i never played it, but quite a few friends of mine did and remeber it as being quite good.

Dune 2, on the other hand, is the first RTS i remember seeing for the PC, and in it's time it was not only quite good, but there was nothing else like it. It has aged well (just like TA), for me atleast, and runs perfectly on DOSBox.

I sort of have the same problem. can't a low powered laptop without a numpad. sure, I can turn a section of keys into a numpad, but then I lose the functions of those keys.

I discovered ZAngBandTK which puts a nice graphical face on the game, various sizes and styles, and let's me control it with the mouse.

I can't get enough of the game now. granted ZAngBand is a little different then nethack, but not much.

okay, url, hm, http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=3624 now this isn't the exact home page, but it has it, and other links besides. It also has the link to download the file to play. I use the 32x32 isometric view myself. for some reason your icon is blocky but the others aren't. (don't know why that is).

it's fun, but too easy to die. which makes it that much more.

To download x-com running with a fix already in it for modern hardware, go to: Home of the Underdogs

and drop a buck in their donation bucket for each game you leech.

I always wished that someone would do a 3D-accelerated re-make of Betrayal at Krondor, a really nice but unappreciated RPG game that Sierra put out in 1993. It's got some primitive 320x200 software rendered 3d graphics, which could look a lot nicer on modern hardware.

A great game regardless. It's based on the writings of Raymond Feist, who was highly involved in the game design, so it's a got a very rich game world and storyline. Aside from the main story you can just travel around and explore, lots of non-essential side quests and fun things to do. And it was released for free by Sierra awhile ago, so you don't have to feel guilty about downloading it :)

I saw only *one* other poster mention System Shock, and that was the sequel. (Which was one of the best games ever created) The original was released the same year as DoomII and the original Marathon. The gameplay is similar to Marathon, but IMO a bit more in depth. What's more, the game was re-released with wonderful voice logs, which really really really add to the atmosphere.

Those of you with questionable morals might check out The Underdogs download to play it yourself.


--LordPixie

System Shock 2 is absolutely amazing, and the original Deus Ex is still incredible. If you're interested in great games from yesteryear, go to http://www.the-underdogs.org/

Out of this World still knocks my socks off.

For classic Ultima3-5 style play, you can't beat the Avernum trilogy. Coherent plotline(I'm looking at you, British), cool quests, gigantic world to explore. All done with an interface that will have you cursing your emulated dos box.

Btw, the Home of the Underdogs has all the old games.

Out of this World still knocks my socks off.

For classic Ultima3-5 style play, you can't beat the Avernum trilogy. Coherent plotline(I'm looking at you, British), cool quests, gigantic world to explore. All done with an interface that will have you cursing your emulated dos box.

Btw, the Home of the Underdogs has all the old games.

It may interest ./ DOS gamers to know that there is also (finally) a fix to get UFO: Enemy Unknown, aka XCom, aka possibly the greatest game of all time, to work under Windows XP.

Just go here for more info, you can get the full game (including the XP fix) at The Home of the Underdogs.

Computer games have always had hotseat. It's better than split screen in a way. Of course the game has to be turn based.

Some good hotseat games:

Heroes of Might and Magic
Worms (or any other scorched earth variant)
Civilization

I mean, anything turn based will have a hotseat mode. I just found this website that's rife with old, freely downloadable games. There's also those other games multiplayer games that don't need split screen like You Don't Know Jack and such.

We were having more fun with multiplayer games way before this whole "internet" thing came along.

Hardwar is what you're probably looking for. It's like WCPRIV in real 3D. The game was pretty much an underdog (you can find it at The Home of the Underdogs), but gives you complete freedom.

You start off with a ship and you follow the storyline as long as you find it interesting. Then, at any point you can just ignore the key missions and wander around the gamespace (Titan), hunting for bounty, trading stuff, creating your own industries, and what's more, you can save anytime and come back later to evolve the character you play.

Just my 0.02 EUR. ;-)

Puzzle games can work for intermittent intense play if the puzzles are kept interesting and doable in a sitting. The famous Mac title The Fool's Errand comes immediately to mind. Sliding blocks puzzles get boring pretty fast.

I really thought that half-life was the first FPS with an immersive story.

It was. Sort of. CyberMage actually beat it out by several years, but no one ever played CyberMage. I just happened to find Elite Force more immersive than Half-life (which I STILL haven't beat. Doesn't this game ever END?) ;-)

;)

But I found this pretty quickly on google. Has ratings and everything.

This issue is usually called the "abandonware debate". Here's some more reading:

Wired News: Nostalgia Keeps Games Afloat

Home of the Underdogs

Abandonware from back before 1986

Abandonware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brass Lantern Warez Abandonware and the Software Industry

When you finish reading some of this stuff, you really start thinking the current length of copyright is really, really out of hand (as if there wasn't enough evidence of that already.)

Remember Balance of Power? There's a REAL war game for ya.

I've been playing through a bunch of NES games lately, and find that there's proportionally about as much crap on there as there is on a modern console if you don't count unlicensed games. You're probably playing the wrong games. I just finished playing through Destiny of an Emperor and it was just as good as I remembered it.

And then DragonStrike (back on the NES) which turns out to be a terrible version of a classic Commodore 64 game I'd always wanted.

Yeah, the NES Dragonstrike is really boring and repetitive. You were looking for this (popups).

Rob

Who remembers SimFarm? Not really great, not really bad. The game had some flaws, if you would buy livestock in a cold climate the animals would never go outside and never eat since the feed was outside. They would still procreate and grow up though.

Vampyr: The Talisman of Invocation

They titled it incorrectly on the site. Awesome old school RPG, but it runs way too fast.

Then there's the nearly completely forgotten Citadel: Adventures in the Crystal Keep

Entirely drag and drop inventory system and visible character statuses on character icon, and pixel-by-pixel character movement in icon combat area (as opposed to block movement like Ultima). Monster combat was done in a different window than the dungeon view (which was like Wizardry) and had a targeting circle around your character to show range.

Drag 'n Drop inventory is everywhere in RPGs nowadays, but back then, everything was keyboard still (click T to trade and 5 for character 5 sort of thing).

Continuum

Brian Wilson (one of the authors) even posted the source

One of my old faves, as well.

Ah, the memories of playing Crystal Quest, Crystal Crazy, and Shufflepuck Cafe. And blowing stuff up with the Spectre series of games.

Ah, the memories of playing Crystal Quest, Crystal Crazy, and Shufflepuck Cafe. And blowing stuff up with the Spectre series of games.

Ah, the memories of playing Crystal Quest, Crystal Crazy, and Shufflepuck Cafe. And blowing stuff up with the Spectre series of games.