Out of the Blue

[Aug 25, 2011, 10:36 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Wow! Just... wow. GOG.com is now offering Wing Commander 1+2, updated to play on modern computers. I cannot wait to grab these and check them out, as they rank among my favorite old-school gaming memories. The games, the Secret Missions and Special Operations add-ons, the voice pack (sold separately!), the joy of rising to the top of the kill board, the horror of losing wingmen, loving Angel, hating Maniac... it all comes back. These experiences were so memorable they inspired my gaming handle "BlueHair." Wow, looking back at what I just wrote, it seems apparent this may not live up to all those memories, but that is not going to stop me from finding out.

R.I.P.: Orioles Great Mike Flanagan Found Dead Near Maryland Home, Sources Say.

Nostalgic Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	King Story. Galaxy Battleground.
Links:	The Social Evolution of Gaming [Infographic]. 8 Terrible Levels in Great Games.
Stories:	'Jewish Indiana Jones' Charged In New York Torah Fraud. Thanks brother19.
Science:	And now, a few words about brain-eating amoebas. Violating relativity by breaking equivalence.
Images:	The Sweet, Superb and Scary Cosplay of Gamescom 2011. Living in a New Era: Kids Getting Portal Themed Rooms Now. Thanks For Solving That Warm Mystery.
Media:	Astronauts Goofing Around. Pillow Fight. NMA: Kate Winslet, Superhero.
Auction:	Battlestar Galactica Props & Costumes Auction. Thanks Neutronbeam.
The Funnies:	What it's like to play online games as a grownup. Minecraft Bully. Thanks TDW Geeks. Virtual Shackles: Halo by the Numbers. Science in the Distant Future.
Follow-up:	Fukushima Robot Operator Writes Tell-All Blog.

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39 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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39.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 26, 2011, 17:16

Ant

Blue wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 14:16:
nin wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 13:29:
But the monotonous final Citadel levels in HL2 were brutal.

I loved those! With the powered up gravity gun, I never got bored of disintegrating people with the little floating spheres...

Same here... that was completely awesome.

Ditto. We want episode 3!!!




Ant @ The Ant Farm: http://antfarm.ma.cx and Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net ...

38.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 26, 2011, 15:01

Jim

The Wing Commander series was great, but I have found that in nearly all cases when I had gone back to play a game from yesteryear, the replay experience didn't even come close to living up to the nostalgia of remembering the first play all those years ago. I'll pass.




Jim

37.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 26, 2011, 08:37

Mr. Tact

Blue, I'll be waiting for your report on Wing Commander. I'll be interested to hear how well the "update to play on modern computers" was executed. I'd love to play the game again, but have doubts about a successful "port".




Truth is brutal. Prepare for pain.

36.

Re: Out of the Blue - WC 1 & 2

Aug 26, 2011, 02:10

Creston

sauron wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 21:34: Glide-only should be fine these days. Independence War is also Glide-native with no D3D options whatsoever, and GOG released a fully playable (and rather beautiful) D3D version of it last year. The wrappers have come a long way and are very hardware-forgiving these days to the point of transparency. I actually built a Glide box back in 2004 mainly for IWar. Initially with a GeForce and pass-through to a Voodoo2 (I think), and then to a full-on Voodoo5 AGP card. Then the wrappers arrived and I stored all the parts. Still got the V5, box and all. WOOT WOOT! Bring on WC3 and 4. To be honest, I'm amazed the shitbags at EA are allowing GOG to do this. Creston

35.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 26, 2011, 02:09

Creston

xXBatmanXx wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 23:45: Creston wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 10:41: Oh... My... God... /bought. Edit : 26MB for both games. Creston Isn't that crazy! They can pack that much awesome into 26MB, and they make shit "AAA" games to the tune of 10+GB!!!! Yeah but THEY MUZT HAV TEH GRAPHICX!11!1!!!!LOLLOLOL!!!1! Creston

34.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 23:45

xXBatmanXx

Creston wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 10:41:
Oh... My... God...

/bought.

Edit : 26MB for both games.

Creston

Isn't that crazy! They can pack that much awesome into 26MB, and they make shit "AAA" games to the tune of 10+GB!!!!




In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. / Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. Playing: RL

33.

Re: Out of the Blue - WC 1 & 2

Aug 25, 2011, 21:34

sauron

Creston wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 21:22:
nin wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 18:23:

I replayed Wing Commander 3 a few years ago, and it held up. Graphics were pretty basic, but it is completely 3D,

I'd love to see them trot out Prophecy. Can't remember if it had a d3d render or not though. I know it did glide.

I don't think it did D3D, no. Glide or software. So they'd have to either create a glide emulator, or rewrite the whole renderer.

Sucks, because I'd love to replay WC 3 and 4. My WC 3 disks died at one point, it seemed like they had like condensation underneath the plastic or something. Wouldn't read anymore. I was absolutely fucking crushed when that happened.

Creston

Glide-only should be fine these days. Independence War is also Glide-native with no D3D options whatsoever, and GOG released a fully playable (and rather beautiful) D3D version of it last year. The wrappers have come a long way and are very hardware-forgiving these days to the point of transparency.

I actually built a Glide box back in 2004 mainly for IWar. Initially with a GeForce and pass-through to a Voodoo2 (I think), and then to a full-on Voodoo5 AGP card. Then the wrappers arrived and I stored all the parts. Still got the V5, box and all.




Kittens!

32.

Re: Out of the Blue - WC 1 & 2

Aug 25, 2011, 21:22

Creston

nin wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 18:23: I replayed Wing Commander 3 a few years ago, and it held up. Graphics were pretty basic, but it is completely 3D, I'd love to see them trot out Prophecy. Can't remember if it had a d3d render or not though. I know it did glide. I don't think it did D3D, no. Glide or software. So they'd have to either create a glide emulator, or rewrite the whole renderer. Sucks, because I'd love to replay WC 3 and 4. My WC 3 disks died at one point, it seemed like they had like condensation underneath the plastic or something. Wouldn't read anymore. I was absolutely fucking crushed when that happened. Creston

31.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 19:28

Tom

Wing Commander 2 is still my all time favorite game. The characters and storyline were so good. Didn't hurt that the rest of the game was cutting edge too. Ahhhh....... RIP space sim genre!

30.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 19:11

Cutter

Yay just got into Heroes of Neverwinter. Anyone else in so far?

http://www.facebook.com/HeroesOfNeverwinter

Very old school SSI goldbox style game. Really liking it so far!




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

29.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 19:10

MajorD

Cutter wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 18:56[/quote:

I'm trying to not get too hyper about it as I don't want my hopes dashed, but it's hard not to seeing as the Thief series is still one of my all time faves.

Hey, how goes it?

Yeah, I am with you. T1/T1G & 2 were the best, DS was a disappointment, but I did like how you could freely walk around the city.

Hopefully they'll do what they did with Deus Ex: Human Revolution and have the development team play the first two so they hopefully get that atmosphere and feel back into Thief 4. Also, from what I have read, they say they have been taking to heart all the negative feedback they received from DS, and stay true to the orginals. But like you said, I 'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. Time will tell......




http://www.youtube.com/user/M4jorDICK

28.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 18:56

Cutter

MajorD wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 17:33:
Now that Deus Ex: Human Resolution is out the door, we should start seeing Garrett come out from the shadows in the next weeks/months to market/promote Thief 4.

I'm trying to not get too hyper about it as I don't want my hopes dashed, but it's hard not to seeing as the Thief series is still one of my all time faves.




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

27.

Re: Out of the Blue - WC 1 & 2

Aug 25, 2011, 18:23

nin

I replayed Wing Commander 3 a few years ago, and it held up. Graphics were pretty basic, but it is completely 3D,

I'd love to see them trot out Prophecy. Can't remember if it had a d3d render or not though. I know it did glide.




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

26.

Re: Out of the Blue - WC 1 & 2

Aug 25, 2011, 17:36

jdreyer

I replayed Wing Commander 3 a few years ago, and it held up. Graphics were pretty basic, but it is completely 3D, and the gameplay mechanics were solid. I played it to the end, unusual for me. And the video sequences in between are fairly well done. Rec'd if this is also available.




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

25.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 17:33

MajorD

Now that Deus Ex: Human Resolution is out the door, we should start seeing Garrett come out from the shadows in the next weeks/months to market/promote Thief 4.




http://www.youtube.com/user/M4jorDICK

24.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 17:05

nin

Creston wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 16:58:
Just walked into Deus Ex's first hub, and I think I practically had an aneurysm. Really? A level this big? Ooohhhh! *squeeeeeee*

Creston

I still have everything maxed, and it runs like a champ in that area. Very happy!




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

23.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 17:05

nin

And Episode 2's ending, where you have to play fucking pinball with the striders, was the worst horrific shit of all.

Yeah, that one should have made the list.




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

22.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 17:01

Creston

Ratty wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 14:23: Blue wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 14:16: nin wrote on Aug 25, 2011, 13:29: But the monotonous final Citadel levels in HL2 were brutal. I loved those! With the powered up gravity gun, I never got bored of disintegrating people with the little floating spheres... Same here... that was completely awesome. Now I feel so alone ... so alone ... Well, partially. I thought Xen was shit, but I also thought those Citadel levels were shit. And Episode 2's ending, where you have to play fucking pinball with the striders, was the worst horrific shit of all. Valve never seems to know how to make a decent set of final levels. Creston

21.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 16:58

Creston

Just walked into Deus Ex's first hub, and I think I practically had an aneurysm. Really? A level this big? Ooohhhh! squeeeeeee Creston

20.

Re: Out of the Blue

Aug 25, 2011, 16:19

WyldKat

I wish I was filthy rich. I would totally buy the Raptor and Viper from that auction and rig them up in a surround screen room to a good space sim with a BSG mod. Also RE: Wing Commander, this is a great series that really deserves to be revived and not as a crappy Xbox Live Arcade game. The originals weren't ever "hard" like a sim, they were basically space shooters with just a bit more complexity and a lot more story. The gameplay would really fit in well with todays hits like Mass Effect. They also need to resurrect Privateer. They could even hire Mark Hamil to reprise his role as Christopher Blair, he was awesome in live-action WC and if they did in-game cutscenes he is awesome as a voice actor.

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