Game News SSI Forgotten Realms RPGs released on GOG

[Invictus]

Happy to see these available in gog, but one if the main selling points is that they would give extra goodies, why not include the journal entries in the ingame text like they for Wasteland? That would be a nice inventive instead of just sellong the same game that is available online with a shoddy dosbox configuration

 

[Ash_Firelord]

Noob question - are these worth playing for someone that started "getting into" cRPGs in 1998, (played Ishars and some Might and Magic before, but can't really say I was into RPGs before '98) or are they for nostalgia trips only?

 

[Roguey]

So did GOG remove the obnoxious copy protection as per their rules?

 

[Dorateen]

Just purchased Collection 2 and fired up

 

[Metro]

Cry moar

Bitch, plz, I played these games when you were a sperm.

 

[Volourn]

Bitch plz I fucked your mom when you were a sperm.

 

[Metro]

Bitch, plz, only if you're in your fucking 60's. Which you probably are.

 

[JudasIscariot]

why not include the journal entries in the ingame text like they for Wasteland? That would be a nice inventive instead of just sellong the same game that is available online with a shoddy dosbox configuration

Wasteland 1's case was an exceptional one since a) it was mostly re-worked by the original devs who b) had access to the game's source code or something of the sort.

 

[JamesDixon]

Happy to see these available in gog, but one if the main selling points is that they would give extra goodies, why not include the journal entries in the ingame text like they for Wasteland? That would be a nice inventive instead of just sellong the same game that is available online with a shoddy dosbox configuration

You can easily find the journals online if you search for them.

 

[mondblut]

(2) Now that Unlimited Adventures is broadly and legally available...

Sweet jesus in the sky...

isn't the solution to a lack of Gold Box games simply that people should use FRUA to make more of them? It's been a long time since I used FRUA, but with all the hacks and so on that were released for it, it seems like a pretty solid engine for making new games in this style. [Or is the issue that there is no way to sell them?]

I have bad news, bro. Everybody who wanted to play FRUA, let alone make designs for it, has already been doing so for the past 20 years.

 

[MRY]

I disagree. I suspect that the contigency of people who can't be bothered to pirate/DOS Box the games is larger than you think, but I may be wrong. For example, even though the Japanese RPG Maker software was widely pirated, there seems to have been a huge surge in games made for it once it became legally available in the West.

That said, part of what I guess I'm trying to grasp is why there seems to simultaneously be (1) demand for a Gold Box style game and (2) no use of FRUA either play the large corpus of Gold Box style adventures offered through it or, alternatively, to make new Gold Box style games. My recollection from childhood is that FRUA was simple enough that even a 15 year old (e.g., me) could use it, though like anything, it took time and effort. And certainly the games are fairly easy to play. So what gives? Why is there simultaneously such powerful fondness for the SSI Gold Box games and such low interest in FRUA adventures? At least some of them were quite good (at least per my recollection).

 

[Jaesun]

This is really good news, and even more so for the FRUA community (which is still alive).

MRY in case you didn't know, having done my own FRUA module, FRUA is extremely limited (the engines limitations are laughable, like text limitations for one thing). Which is a shame, but it still is a fun engine to do mods for.

If anything, buy the version that has FRUA, and have a blast with the really kick ass mods made with it.

 

[Metro]

^ Has the biggest hard on for FRUA that I've ever seen.

 

[MRY]

MRY in case you didn't know, having done my own FRUA module, FRUA is extremely limited (the engines limitations are laughable, like text limitations for one thing). Which is a shame, but it still is a fun engine to do mods for.

My (decades-old) recollection is that there were hacks made that could get around many of the limitations (i.e., limitations on creating spells or classes and the like). I do remember finding that the small amount of text-space in the windows was frustrating, though I recall being able to have multiple text windows in a row. Generally, my recollection was that it was limited but not impossibly so. And I definitely recall playing amazing modules (like Daimyo Okado) that showed that the engine could be stretched in impressive ways. But I trust your more recent impressions.

(Clearly you know about the hacks since your post talks about UAShell, etc.)

 

[mondblut]

I disagree. I suspect that the contigency of people who can't be bothered to pirate/DOS Box the games is larger than you think, but I may be wrong. For example, even though the Japanese RPG Maker software was widely pirated, there seems to have been a huge surge in games made for it once it became legally available in the West.

People who rigorously obey rules to the point of absurdity and against all reason and common sense, do not make games. They are too dumb and boring for that. Creativity lies entirely with those willing to bend and break rules at a whim, and these people don't wait for a lawyer to permit them to mess around with a game they want to mess with.

That said, part of what I guess I'm trying to grasp is why there seems to simultaneously be (1) demand for a Gold Box style game

Seven Dragon Saga KS has failed spectacularly. KOTC sold badly enough to make its author go insane and switch to producing a Dune 2 clone nobody on this planet ever wanted to touch. RoA1 remake was a failtacular shovelware that set any hopes for the subgenre to be tackled with again years back. Tim Proudfoot was sitting on a box of Natuk cds he couldn't sell for over 10 years. What "demand" are you speaking about? A few dozens of old farts at the Codex do not a demand make.

and (2) no use of FRUA either play the large corpus of Gold Box style adventures offered through it or, alternatively, to make new Gold Box style games.

All those who wanted to play or make FRUA designs, already did so.

Why is there simultaneously such powerful fondness for the SSI Gold Box games

Where? On the Codex? We're not a market force, sorry. And we, too, were playing FRUA for 20 years and need no GOG help to keep doing so.

and such low interest in FRUA adventures? At least some of them were quite good (at least per my recollection).

frua.rosedragon.org. Everyone who was interested, already knows the url.

 

[Jaesun]

My (decades-old) recollection is that there were hacks made that could get around many of the limitations (i.e., limitations on creating spells or classes and the like). I do remember finding that the small amount of text-space in the windows was frustrating, though I recall being able to have multiple text windows in a row. Generally, my recollection was that it was limited but not impossibly so. And I definitely recall playing amazing modules (like Daimyo Okado) that showed that the engine could be stretched in impressive ways. But I trust your more recent impressions.

(Clearly you know about the hacks since your post talks about UAShell, etc.)

There are some limitations hacks could never get around sadly (like the text limitation, how many quests, and special items for example).

Those limitations are frustrating, but you can still work with them (like having to split a module into two separate ones).

 

[Mortmal]

If you look on the "best of ssi games" poll, its pool of radiance winning by far . Objectively is it the best one ? No the other titles add several improvements to everything .However when it was released , it was available on every platform( mine was a c64) . It was the beggining of the video games era , it was phenomal for its time. from the black screen to a true D&d game . Nostalgy kicks in but for a modern gamer it dontt hink it can be possibly enjoyable. There's no market for that , only people scraping out some proteins from the long buried dried husk of SSI and selling it repackaged to you.

 

[Jaesun]

Design and open ended wise, Pool definitely wins. What sucks is it is stuck in the first version of the gold box engine, which is a tad annoying. There is an excellent version of it for FRUA however (there are also some small engine related differences).

 

[Gragt]

they were available already, in fact they were free


fucking krynn is still freely available too, why are you so eager to pay for them on gog?

Edit: it features the old Neverwinter Nights so it’s relevant to the news.

 

[Black_Willow]

Bitch, plz, I played these games when you were a sperm.

So, did you get 'Mommy's smartest boy' achievement for playing them?

 

[Themadcow]

Ha, in my excitement to get going again with Pools of Darkness I managed to wade into the first encounter with no spells memorised and promptly got half my party killed. Still, more fun in that one encounter than I've had in most RPG's for the last decade.

 

[Ash_Firelord]

Ha, in my excitement to get going again with Pools of Darkness I managed to wade into the first encounter with no spells memorised and promptly got half my party killed. Still, more fun in that one encounter than I've had in most RPG's for the last decade.

What makes it do good? I never played them but ppl seem to have such fond memories that I'm tempted.

 

[karnak]

What makes it do good? I never played them but ppl seem to have such fond memories that I'm tempted.

See for yourself:

Yeah... the graphics are shit.
Focus on the gameplay and don't forget that it keeps getting better after PoR.

Since you mentioned Ishar and M&M I could suggest you try these. They have automapping and Dungeon Hack even works as a rogue-like.

 

[cvv]

What makes it do good? I never played them but ppl seem to have such fond memories that I'm tempted.

Can't help you with the Gold Box games but you should definitely check some YT gameplay for the EoBs and Menzoberranzan. All three EoBs are great and I remember I enjoyed Menzoberranzan somewhat although there was a lot of endless wandering through enormous dungeons, mostly empty and boring.

I wish GoG released Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession instead, I remember that one very fondly.

Never played Dungeon Hack.

 

[Ash_Firelord]

See for yourself:

Yeah... the graphics are shit.
Focus on the gameplay and don't forget that it keeps getting better after PoR.

Since you mentioned Ishar and M&M I could suggest you try these. They have automapping and Dungeon Hack even works as a rogue-like.

Thanks for your recommendation, I will look into it. Sadly I am unable to watch the video as the woman reads aloud what is written in the game text box. I may be a moron but I dislike being treated like one by an youtube video, and won't stand for it.