So, plenty of you wish to get 'updated' oldies, eh?

[Flatlander]

I want action combat like the UFC games with D&D stats and Full Spectrum Warrior style party control.

I don't think Full Spectrum style combat would work that well in a regular fantasy setting, with the emphasis on cover fire and all. Maybe in a high magic setting where different kinds of spells and counter spells would take the place of firearms... But highly magical settings aren't too much for my taste.

But in a modern/post-apo world on the other hand, that could be interesting.

Edit: Thinking it further, there would be some serious problems with it. FSW worked for me because the player always had an initiative and most the time the enemy was very passive which made the game feel more like a turn based puzzle.

In a more defensive or neutral scenarios it would degenerate into a race to the strategic locations. It might make for a good puzzle like combats if the scenarios were well designed and scripted but it would have obvious limitations in a game where the player has more choice in if/when/how the battles happen. And making it more dynamic by adding destructible terrain, more aggressive AI etc. would just turn it into the usual real-time clusterfuck.

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

I don't think Full Spectrum style combat would work that well in a regular fantasy setting, with the emphasis on cover fire and all. Maybe in a high magic setting where different kinds of spells and counter spells would take the place of firearms... But highly magical settings aren't too much for my taste.

Bow and Arrows/Bolts, slings and darts would take the place of firearms. The party members would be set to 8 keys of 9 key or a control pad. Their summons or familiars would be set to a second menu after selecting the summoner.

 

[sser]

Cover-shooting mechanics in fantasy RPGs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlA9bNk3b5Q

 

[Scruffy]

more bloom, obv.

 

[PorkaMorka]

In world of medieval popamole, man with pavise is King.

 

[Sceptic]

Doesn't work well on any computers available today, even with GOG version. You pretty much need to build a Windows 95 box with a Voodoo card.

Works fine on Windows XP with a Glide wrapper. Never tried it under something more recent though. But yeah the game's pretty awesome.

It wasn't an RPG, but had a customizable car. Nowadays, that passes for RPG. Adding more acronyms is always better.

Because it has better graphics and easier to use interface, duh.

Your remake already exists, it's called New Age of Llylgamyn. Has Wiz5 as a bonus too.

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

Cover-shooting mechanics in fantasy RPGs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlA9bNk3b5Q

Would you rather have Diablo? Gears of War, Rainbow 6, FSW have much better combat than the typical clickfest or button mashing action RPGs. And really shouldn't all shooting games be cover shooters? Are you going to stand in line like the Redshirts?

 

[SkeleTony]

Natuk

1. Why does it need to be updated?

Some of it's mechanics are quite broken and illogical and unbalanced. Also the game has troubles running on modern OSes(and I doubt DosBox would come in handy for various reasons). And the, at the time very original premise could have been greatly expanded and amplified with enough time and resources put into it.

2. Into what form?/ What Engine?/ What kind of 'CRPG'?

2D isometric or 2001-ish 3D, voice acting and a more robust soundtrack. Something like Jagged Alliance 2 engine(only with it's own game system...which, again should be improved upon or just plain replaced. A RPG system that not only reflects the 'Orcy' nature but allows for many skills, traits, magic etc. Better tactical combat that takes into account non-humanoid targets(i.e. aiming for an dragon's wings or tail)

No real time garbage and a more modern mouse-driven UI.

3. Why your choice is a good idea and why it is better than the original.

A) I think Tom's games had a few great ideas(such as orc protagonists and the old school 8 person party, tactical combat etc.) but could be massively improved upon/fixed.

B)With these improvements he(or whomever made the game) could probably manage to sell more copies this time.

C) See above.

 

[JarlFrank]

And really shouldn't all shooting games be cover shooters? Are you going to stand in line like the Redshirts?

You know, there was a time when your typical shooter had a "crouch", a "prone" and two "lean" buttons. If you see a low wall, you press "crouch" and hide behind it, if you want to shoot you press "crouch" again to get up again and shoot, then press "crouch" again to go behind cover. If you want to shoot around a corner, you stand close to a wall then press one of the "lean" buttons (left or right) to look around the corner, then let go of the "lean" button to get behind the wall again.

WHAT A REVOLUTIONARY AND DYNAMIC WAY OF HANDLING COVER

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

And really shouldn't all shooting games be cover shooters? Are you going to stand in line like the Redshirts?

You know, there was a time when your typical shooter had a "crouch", a "prone" and two "lean" buttons. If you see a low wall, you press "crouch" and hide behind it, if you want to shoot you press "crouch" again to get up again and shoot, then press "crouch" again to go behind cover. If you want to shoot around a corner, you stand close to a wall then press one of the "lean" buttons (left or right) to look around the corner, then let go of the "lean" button to get behind the wall again.

WHAT A REVOLUTIONARY AND DYNAMIC WAY OF HANDLING COVER

Yes indeed. One of the great mysteries...now you have to 'enter cover', often at a designated 'cover area'.

Ridiculous.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

Fallout/Fallout 2

Yeah, why not. I thought they could use the Fallout Tactics engine, or whatever 2D isometric engine... What would it have? More options in combat than attack, use stimpack... It's not an entirely necessary update however, since the games are very playable even today.

I say : Wizardry 8
It needs to do away with animations, and the stupid 3D maneuvering and free moving enemies. An update would be to make it older style, like Wiz 7. No other changes needed.

Also I would shit my pants if the GB games were released as some kind of an updated collection, because reading journal entry 36 or whatever is just bothersome. Well there were some good games in that series and I don't think any new games would even compete in the same league as an UI-updated Pool of Radiance, or those Krynn games...

However, much rather I would still just have new good games. Even a good old-fashioned adventure D&D would do fine at this point, something like what SoZ attempted and failed at.

 

[villain of the story]

Regarding Troika, that they were willing to compromise and go with real-time-with-pause is an understatement. It's known that they had even planned Arcanum 2 as a FPS. Considering what a grindfest Arcanum is and what a shitty combat Bloodlines had (despite everything else being top-notch, which is negated by the previous point), I'm rather happy we never got to see an Arcanum 2.

 

[4too]

'Ignorance Is Strength'

'Ignorance Is Strength'

All turn based and real time pause crippled game play.

Poker, Chess, Checkers, Go, Monopoly, Parcheesi, Candy-land, AND Horse Shoes.

All.

Are to comply with The Truth Squad Initiative for *Reel Time* (tm).


1. Why does it need to be updated?

Not 'updated' but re-stated in their dev envisioned game play.

The technology is not now but 'nex gen'.

All gameplay is to conform to FPS, as was truly intended, so spoke Pete Hines and other masters of the spin universe!



2. Into what form?/ What Engine?/ What kind of 'CRPG'?

Gamebryo. Retooled for grey-er grays, brown-er browns, and retina burning bloom.

Accessible, immersive, first person-able, real time a go-go, Wii committable, FIVE D cinematic, with a Zerg rush of DLC's, a Uwe Boll movie, inflatable 5-orifice action figures, and a Michael Bay HBO mini series!

The latest game breaking vid drivers to accentuate the splatter of bodily fluids, whether in close cover cluster f-ing combat or ... dating sim.


3. Why your choice is a good idea and why it is better than the original.

I will answer with this: All believers in socially engineered reality will grasp the intuitive panache and élan, THEY know what to kiss and when!

To the last gasp YOU exhale, forward with the Ministry Of Truth 5 year plan to 'seize the day' by re educating the past, and thus pwn teh futur3 !!1!

All those not in step with this Truth Squad Initiative can request an interview with Big Bro' in Room 101.

Have a nice day ...








4too

 

[villain of the story]

I have missed you.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I'll restate the game I mentioned in the previous thread: Captive.

1. Why does it need to be updated?

While it doesn't actually NEED to be updated, I feel that the contents of the game justify a re-visit; that the game be re-released with updated graphics and an UI/interface more closer to a FPS. I'm not saying that it should be a shooter, but that it should play like one without actually being one. Also, it's grid-based, which is fine and dandy for many reasons, but now that technology allows us to create full 3D environments, I don't see a reason why it should stay.

2. Into what form?/ What Engine?/ What kind of 'CRPG'?

Any modern-day 3D engine will do, really, although I'd prefer one that allows players to edit, create and submit their own content. It also has to be able to handle messed-up gravity, as one of the power-ups (and a vital element of gameplay later on in the game) involves walking on the ceiling.

And yes, it won't be a CPRG, it will be an ARPG, if anything. It's only a dungeon crawler, after all. The "RPG" aspects of the game come from the fact that your party is made of robots with interchangable parts. While the original doesn't really do much with this (except in terms of straight upgrades), there is so much that can be done with this today. The Insectoid chassis, for example, is more sturdy and durable than the MegaMan chassis (yes, Captive had one of those), but its vision mode is vastly inferior. The various robot parts available can be customized to allow for certain playstyles, a stealth robot, a close-combat robot, a "luggage" robot, a "sniper", etc. The original has XP that you could use to purchase levels in skills, and once a skill reached Level 9 the next skill in line would be unlocked.

3. Why your choice is a good idea and why it is better than the original.

The original mostly involved button-mashing and trying to find your way around a grid-like maze. Modern games have solved both of these, though sadly button-mashing hasn't gone the way of the Dodo. It also involved a party of robots being controlled by a single player. Multiplayer co-op can retain the party feel and allow more players to enjoy the game. If the length of the first campaign alone can be retained, then we're talking quite a lot of content for a "modern" game. Those among you that remember having 3-4 players playing co-op through the main Hired Guns campaign know what I'm talking about.

The remake would simply be much more accessible to the modern gamer, and introduce them to the quirkyness of games designed 20 years ago. One of the countless enemies encountered was ED-209, another were the Tribbles. The humanoids encountered in the game were harmless until you attacked them, but then their heads tripled in size and they attacked you like frenzied berzerkers on crack cocaine. After landing on a planet, but before entering the base, you had to deal with dinosaurs!

 

[ArcturusXIV]

Seriously, just give me Ultima Underworld with updated graphics and non-midi music. Change NOTHING. Maybe a wider viewscreen, or a toggle option. That's IT! In fact, just raising the resolution would be fine. And getting it to play... Grrrr

 

[sser]

Cover-shooting mechanics in fantasy RPGs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlA9bNk3b5Q

Would you rather have Diablo? Gears of War, Rainbow 6, FSW have much better combat than the typical clickfest or button mashing action RPGs. And really shouldn't all shooting games be cover shooters? Are you going to stand in line like the Redshirts?

Uh, yes I would rather have Diablo. Gears of War is a 5-hour "testosterone-fused" snooze fest. Fucking boring. Rainbow Six? Did you mean the old ones? I loved manually leaning around corners and one-shotting enemies and -- oh, wait, did you mean the Vegas ones? Where I'm magically in 3rd-person, can bandage up by standing still, and toward the end of the game face progressively "harder" enemies that require special shots (shoot the helmet for maximum damage, kids)? Did I mention that fundamentally both these games have the same fucking gameplay mechanic of sitting still and aiming at air waiting for the "covering" brain-dead AI to start "shooting"?

Full Spectrum Warrior was decent though, I'll give you that. But cover-shooting in an RPG? It's like the first pillar of what is wrong with all the games these days. Cover-shooting, regenerating health, quick-time events. Fuck all that shit.

 

[Daemongar]

Seriously, just give me Ultima Underworld with updated graphics and non-midi music. Change NOTHING. Maybe a wider viewscreen, or a toggle option. That's IT! In fact, just raising the resolution would be fine. And getting it to play... Grrrr

If you knew a couple coder friends, you may be able to pick up on this project on SourceForge. The demo still runs if you have a non-Gog version of UW1 lying around. Just copy the entire disk to a UW1 folder, then piont this software to that root. This will run full screen using opengl graphics for the walls and whatnot. Will also go 1650 x 1080 (which I just tested it on.) Was abandoned in 2004, I seem to recall.

Does not look like a huge amount of work was left, but what do I know. Enemies and NPCs don't move and doors and bridges are goofy, but otherwise, it would look pretty swell if it was completed.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/uwadv/files/uwadv/

 

[Sceptic]

Seriously, just give me Ultima Underworld with updated graphics and non-midi music.

FUCK YOU. Touch my Ultima Underworld MIDI music and YOU WILL DIE

In fact, just raising the resolution would be fine.

Much better! see that wasn't so hard

And getting it to play... Grrrr

Under DOSBox? what problems did you have?

 

[MMXI]

In fact, just raising the resolution would be fine.

FUCK YOU. Touch my Ultima Underworld resolution and YOU WILL DIE

 

[Jaesun]

Seriously, just give me Ultima Underworld with updated graphics and non-midi music.

FUCK YOU. Touch my Ultima Underworld MIDI music and YOU WILL DIE

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

And really shouldn't all shooting games be cover shooters? Are you going to stand in line like the Redshirts?

You know, there was a time when your typical shooter had a "crouch", a "prone" and two "lean" buttons. If you see a low wall, you press "crouch" and hide behind it, if you want to shoot you press "crouch" again to get up again and shoot, then press "crouch" again to go behind cover. If you want to shoot around a corner, you stand close to a wall then press one of the "lean" buttons (left or right) to look around the corner, then let go of the "lean" button to get behind the wall again.

WHAT A REVOLUTIONARY AND DYNAMIC WAY OF HANDLING COVER

In my hypothetical world a remake would need to be significantly different from the original. PoR in the ToEE engine isn’t different enough. I would buy it in a second but I would never design it. I would rather take an really antiquated game like the first Ultima or Rivers of Light which was my first RPG and see how that flies in the ToEE engine.

I digress so for the PoR the pop-amole game, assume I would go all out on cover. You would be able to crouch lay down roll everything and it would be tied to stats, terrain, attributes, weather. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t be happy with a Gears 3/UFC/Deus Ex mix. That would be elite. Gears is fun with its simple automated balanced cover-system. The UFC games have the close quarters realism down well, and Deus Ex with stats etc etc HOWEVER that is not how I roll. I want to challenge the mainstream not swim in it.

 

[Surf Solar]

In fact, just raising the resolution would be fine.

FUCK YOU. Touch my Ultima Underworld resolution and YOU WILL DIE

:brofist:

I thought I am the only one who hasn't a problem with playing older games in their original resolution. I never play Fallout or Arcanum for example with resolution patches. The maps and UI were created in a certain resolution, so I play thme as they were intended.

As for the topic, no, I do not wish my oldies to get "updated" or "reloaded", as long as it doesnt mean bugfixing.

 

[Excidium]

I don't have a problem either, but the game supporting higher resolutions is always welcome.

Very few people still use 15'' CRTs, playing a game windowed or as a small box in the middle of your screen is a much different experience...much less 'immersive' if you let me use this word.

 

[Surf Solar]

Uh, why a wndow in the middle of the screen? Just choose "fullscreen". Works on all monitors, not just 15''CRTs.