Fun with "oldies"

[Krade]

So I was looking through my local used game store and came across a little bit of a gem, Star Ocean: The Second Story.

I have to say that, despite the difficulty curve, terrible dialogue and worse voice acting (which is only during battle and is only unnecesary grunts or statements), it is very entertaining.

After about 9 hours I've finally figured out the skill system and am actually starting to manage to exploit it for my own awesomeness. I can only imagine what I could have done with it had there been any kind of tutorial or explanation in the game. As it stands, you are pretty much left with irreversible guesswork (unless you want to reload your save) until you find out exactly which skill/combination of skills provides which bonuses/abilities.

For those who have played it, I just got Precis (and dam it's about time I got another character who can do something without MP), and I'm going through that silly side quest where you have to find a previously undiscovered herb so you can prove you did something completely unrelated so you can get on with your quest without having to wait a month.

For $18, it was kinda expensive for a used PS1 game, but I'm sure I'll get my money's worth with it because, as I seem to remember hearing some time ago, the game is very long.

Anyways... share your recent (or not so recent) experiences with old titles like this one. Star Ocean was late 90s if you're looking for a frame of reference. I'm thinking anything that was on PS1 or N64 or older. That era of computer games is good too. Starcraft doesn't count because there's still tens of thousands (at least) of people that play it everyday.

[Artanis]

I played a few rounds of Space Empires IV not too long ago, and greatly enjoyed the recent LP.

More recently than that, I found my old copy of Mech Commander and played through the campaign a couple times. It brought back some fond memories. Also, the trauma of the #(*^%(*^@ fuel depot mission.

And just a short while ago, inspired by Chiasaur's X-Com LP, I installed X-Com: Apocalypse and played a couple rounds. And that was one of the last games for DOS.

[RS14]

Close Combat II is still one of the finest tactical wargames ever made.

[Mando Knight]

Tetris is still as addictive as ever. As are Super Metroid and Super Mario Bros.

[warty goblin]

I still think Majesty is one of the finest games ever made. So much creativity, personality and possibility for indidental awesomeness. You can keep your scripted defense missions and boss fights, I'll keep my random map generator, abominable snowmen, rock golems and waves upon waves of goblins thank you.

Pharaoh is one of the best city builders ever made. So is Zeus for that matter. I still play them every now and again, just for the pleasure of screwing around with all the systems and the nostalgia. I've been playing Caeser III from more or less when it came out...


I'm far more fond of Age of Wonders than can be rationally explained. I got that game in one of those crappy jewel case editions without a manual, so I had no idea how most of the game worked beyond the (minimal) tutorial. Getting to the point where my primary army could destroy anything, and I mean anything in the game from not knowing how to use an archer felt real good. I don't play it all that often anymore, but it's earned a permanent place on my hard drive for when I need a game that tickles my tactical bone without needing to learn a whole wad of new stuff.

[Ashtar]

I was struck by nostalgia the other day and picked up a copy of Warhammer Epic 40'000 Final Liberation. I've played it basically all week-end, even when I should of been doing something else. :smallbiggrin:

Had to switch off the game cinematics to play the game (Since it's a '95 game and doesn't play nice with XP), but luckily they are encoded with Smacker, which means I can simply switch to back to the desktop and watch them.

Anyway, the game is fantastic. Epic battles, titans, land raiders, all all that. Awesome in a box, really. I only regret the game is not longer and the extensions never came out. I think the videos are what makes the game so great for me, I mean... Commissar Holt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMXmLbyPeNw) looks totally the part.

Strategically you can win a lot of the game by relying on powerful artillery, but still, the game really rewards you for playing well tactically. Combined arms operations work best since (imperial) tanks are especially vulnerable to close assaults by tracks or bikers. These can be handled pretty effectively by infantry.

One of my best moments in this last game session was taking the Commissar and his Rino halfway across the map to assault a orkish tank. He murdered the tank, won the day and caused the orcs to rout. Also, having my warlord titan shoot down an orkish fighta-bomma as it began it's attack run was a great moment since I hadn't invested in air defense hydras.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Strategically you can win a lot of the game by relying on powerful artillery, but still, the game really rewards you for playing well tactically. Combined arms operations work best since (imperial) tanks are especially vulnerable to close assaults by tracks or bikers. These can be handled pretty effectively by infantry.


I stopped having fun with Final Liberation when I realised I was punished for my good strategic moves. You always play against matched ennemies, so saving up to buy a Titan got you humped in the end.

[warty goblin]

Strategically you can win a lot of the game by relying on powerful artillery, but still, the game really rewards you for playing well tactically. Combined arms operations work best since (imperial) tanks are especially vulnerable to close assaults by tracks or bikers. These can be handled pretty effectively by infantry.
.

Since when are heavy artillery bad tactics? Even today arti is still one of the most lethal forces on the battlefield, in the more WWI-WWII feeling warfare of WH40K, I'd expect them to be even more deadly.

[Linkavitch]

I just got a Wii (first console my family's had since NES) and I downloaded LoZ:OoT, Paper Mario, Mariokart 64, and Super Mario 3. Awesome!

And I'm planning on getting LoZ:ALttP and SMW/Super Metroid.

[Mando Knight]

I just got a Wii (first console my family's had since NES) and I downloaded LoZ:OoT, Paper Mario, Mariokart 64, and Super Mario 3. Awesome!

And I'm planning on getting LoZ:ALttP and SMW/Super Metroid.

You've got a lot of catching up to do... but that's a good start.

[factotum]

And just a short while ago, inspired by Chiasaur's X-Com LP, I installed X-Com: Apocalypse and played a couple rounds. And that was one of the last games for DOS.

You say that like it's an old game! Heck, I actually spent an hour or two playing Captive on an Amiga emulator at the weekend, and that dates back to 1991... :smallbiggrin:

[MickJay]

Oldies? Master of Magic, Master of Orion, Quest for Glory series, a whole ton of adventure games - by Legend, Lucasfilm/arts, Sierra; Archimedean Dynasty. Almost all need a DOS emulator (DOSBox works just fine). I could name many more, but these are all must-play-if-not-deterred-by-somewhat-outdated-graphics classics :smallsmile:

[Jonzac]

Close Combat II is still one of the finest tactical wargames ever made.


Shame....Combat Mission, especially now that Battlefront has a addon that allows CMBB and CMAK to be played on Vista machines.

Not to mention the CMSF series...and the new screenshots and bones for CM:Normandy.

[Artanis]

You say that like it's an old game! Heck, I actually spent an hour or two playing Captive on an Amiga emulator at the weekend, and that dates back to 1991... :smallbiggrin:

Bah, I've played a Calecovision before :smallcool:

[factotum]

Bah, I've played a Calecovision before :smallcool:

But have you played one in the last couple of weeks? :smallsmile:

[chiasaur11]

I've been running and gunning with Marathon as of late.

Mid 90s Bungie. Solid enough gameplay, but the plotting is first rate, and the chapter art is flat out amazing.

[Teln]

Currently playing through the original Half Life. I'm having a blast.

[RS14]

Shame....Combat Mission, especially now that Battlefront has a addon that allows CMBB and CMAK to be played on Vista machines.

Not to mention the CMSF series...and the new screenshots and bones for CM:Normandy.

I played the CMBB Demo just this morning, even. I'm reserving judgment while I play it, but it just doesn't seem as intense. Everything happens more slowly.

It's more realistic, though. I love that AT guns are accurate out to hundreds of meters. That is novel. The tanks are well behaved in general. I also like that they can choose to button up.

[Martok]

Spaceward Ho! IV for Windows: I just played a quick campaign about a week ago.

It's a very simple, yet still fun, beer-and-pretzels strategy game. I don't remember how long ago it was released, but it's gotta be well over a decade old by now. Good times, good times....

[Player_Zero]

Since when is a mid-nineties game an oldie?

Star Ocean was a great game though.

Let's see... Along the same lines of decent games you perhaps haven't played, Arc the Lad, Lunar, Broken Sword, Abe's Oddysee, Suikoden. Them's some playstation titles.

Actual oldies? Errr... Rivercity Ransom? The Ultima series? Dr. Mario?

[Sir Dar]

For games that may count as oldies. Castle 2, fun easy to learn but hard to master. all that i think about that game.

Games that are great but you never played or heard about befor. sacrifice think of a rpg mix in with a rts.Then you get sacrifice.the guild. Like real life only fun. patrician 3.Fun game where you can trade grant or take out loans. be a pirate or pirate hunter.

gothic 2.They don't make rpg like this any made [and at least any i know about] you will Die and i mean Die offen. so make sure to save a lot.want to kill a wolf and skin it you can do that. want to make a weapon you can do it.want to brew a potion you can do it.you can do all that and more. Found it on goodoldgames for 10.00$$ well worth the cost if you ask me.After geting this game all i can say is How did i not find out about this game sooner?

[MickJay]

Sacrifice, all the way. Dynamic gameplay, interesting plotline, non-linear at the beginning (as you complete missions, the choices narrow down, according to previous decisions), really nice spells, somewhat outdated but still quite nice graphics, very good voice acting, fitting music. There are quite a few funny moments, even though the plot is rather serious.

[Vic_Sage]

Been playing alot of Garou: Mark of the Wolves, KoF 2002, KoF 98, Street Fighter: 3rd Strike, Vampire Saivor, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and MOTHER****ING JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE on GGPO.

[factotum]

Sacrifice, all the way.

Sacrifice, an oldie? I have stuff in my fridge that's older than that game! :smallbiggrin:

[Ashtar]

Don't want to make this into a whole discussion of Final Liberation, but I do want to answer the following posts.


I stopped having fun with Final Liberation when I realised I was punished for my good strategic moves. You always play against matched ennemies, so saving up to buy a Titan got you humped in the end.

Well since points are really easy to get by just clicking End Turn a dozen times in a row while weathering 1-2 small skirmishes, you should see it more that the game is always trying to provide a challenge. I do agree though that they should have set a min - max cap of enemy points per terrain on the map. That way you could bring an inferiour force for a greater challenge or have fun crushing the enemy with 16 titans against a couple of ork squads.

One question though, did anything really challenge your main titan? I've had a warhound reduced to scrap, but anything above that has always survived simply due to the number of void shields coming back online at the start of the turn. (Edit - Although for that you have the Battle Mode, no?)


Since when are heavy artillery bad tactics? Even today arti is still one of the most lethal forces on the battlefield, in the more WWI-WWII feeling warfare of WH40K, I'd expect them to be even more deadly.

I never said Artillery was bad tactics. I used the terms Strategy and Tactics in the military sense. My Strategic goal is to rely on my Artillery to win most battles. Tactics is the implementation of my Strategy, where by I channel the enemy to prepared positions where I can both use my Artillery support due to spotters placed on the map (to show enemy positions) and decimate those that make it to my lines through judicious use of mixed infantry and armour.

For avoiding return fire, I really enjoy leaving my armour "hull down" below the crest of a hill, since if you only move one square, you are still allowed to shoot with all your weapons. Bait the enemy into coming closer, thus expending their movement and making it impossible for them to take reaction shots, then rise up two or three units over the crest and vaporize them.

[MickJay]

Sacrifice, an oldie? I have stuff in my fridge that's older than that game! :smallbiggrin:

Well, it has been mentioned, along a ton of games newer than that :smalltongue: Over the past two-three years I've played and enjoyed games made in the '80s (adventure games, mostly - there haven't been many made in the recent years).

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Symphony of the Night. I was inspired to get it after seeing some TAS runs of it from various platforms. Great game I gotta say.

[Artanis]

But have you played one in the last couple of weeks? :smallsmile:

No :smallfrown:


Since when is a mid-nineties game an oldie?


The mid-nineties were about fifteen years ago. For computers, that's like, a hundred thousand years :smalltongue:

[warty goblin]

The mid-nineties were about fifteen years ago. For computers, that's like, a hundred thousand years :smalltongue:

Also for some of us a fairly significant portion of our lives.