Gold Box SSI's Gold Box Series Thread

[7hm]

I think that without a good hardware keyboard the goldbox games might be a bit much. MM3 and WoX were mostly mouse driven though. Those might play well. And Wizardry 6 and 7 didn't exactly use a ton of keys either. I'm upgrading my phone today / tomorrow and trying to get those games set up will be one of the first things I do.

Also... for a tablet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85XV8FP70JI&feature=youtu.be Fallout 1 running on an Android Tablet.

e: This seems to be one of the better emulators around... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fishstix.dosbox&hl=en

 

[villain of the story]

Looking forward to this for old games with lots of keys:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1703567677/icontrolpad-2-the-open-source-controller

 

[Cynic]

Hmm looks like I need Android and Qwerty to do it right then. Thanks bros, will most likely just give up and keep raging on the Codex during my private moments. Helps the process along nicely anyway.

 

[Captain Shrek]

Cynic

I tried playing IWD2 on Android tab using gemRB. It's actually not so bad if a little unwieldy. Better if you can use a mouse too.

 

[Cynic]

Cynic

I tried playing IWD2 on Android tab using gemRB. It's actually not so bad if a little unwieldy. Better if you can use a mouse too.

Yeah, I don't have a tablet...only phone which needs replacing soon. I've got a lot of things I want to play right now and not much time, trying to min/max my time management

 

[alx3apps]

Looking forward to this for old games with lots of keys:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1703567677/icontrolpad-2-the-open-source-controller

Interesting device, thanks for the link. Backed it. But it costs, you can buy used/refurbished qwerty android phone for that sum.

Hmm looks like I need Android and Qwerty to do it right then. Thanks bros, will most likely just give up...

Don't give up bro, maybe these links will help you to change your mind:
- qwerty android for 99$
- Neverwinter Nights Offline FRUA module, conversion of original game, released this summer (direct link to zip - cannot link to its description)
Alternatively you can try device, villain of the story linked, but you'll need to find good dosbox for your current iphone.

 

[7hm]

So. Bought a nexus last night. Might and magic 3 works perfectly. Haven't tested much else but I'm excited. Not gonna lie.

 

[7hm]

Double posting to reiterate how fucking awesome this is. I'm using dosbox Turbo with the gamepad keyboard and remapping the keys for ease of use. It works perfectly. MM3 (and then WoX) on the go or while lying in bed. Technology is so great.

 

[GarfunkeL]

I can't even stand playing gold box games on my laptop since it lacks a proper numpad. Playing on a phone? Mind boggles.

 

[alx3apps]

I can't even stand playing gold box games on my laptop since it lacks a proper numpad. Playing on a phone? Mind boggles.

As I remember, you need numpad in PoR to walk over lists (character list in main view, etc), and to move diagonally in battles. With qwerty phone combinations alt+1, alt+7, alt+3 and alt+9. On my phone alt button is near left-bottom corner, so it's quite easy to hold it with one thumb and press number buttons with another.

Also qwerty keypad is more handy for many quick presses than desktop keyboard (I almost completed mario on it). You cannot press more then two buttons simultaneously though (only two thumbs, sorry), I have problems with it playing Heretic (no diagonal walking). But goldboxes in 3-d view have proper one-square-a-time movement instead of popamole free movement.

 

[GarfunkeL]

It's exactly as you described. All lists require numpad as does diagonal movement, which is also a necessity for ranged/spell targeting. I've tried but it's so cumbersome to play without a proper numpad. But more power to you if you've got it to work!

 

[SlowTurns]

Hey Folks,

Just came across a little problem in CotAB. My level 7 ranger doesn't seem to want to level up even though he has more than enough XPs. Another thing I noticed is that his age is 0 and current Xp is 177729. I should have been able to take level 8 at 150k, but it won't let me. Looks like something has messed up this character? I tried a heal spell in a temple, just in case. Any idears?

Thanks.

 

[octavius]

Is your Ranger a half-elf, by any chance? Then it makes sense, since they can reach max level of 8 if they have 18+ STR (lvl 7 if 17 STR).

 

[Daemongar]

Yah, I looked that up also: there are racial limitations. Doesn't explain the age being 0, but, unless you plan on carrying that character through to Silver Blades, staying at 7th level won't be too much of a problem.

 

[octavius]

Yah, I looked that up also: there are racial limitations. Doesn't explain the age being 0, but, unless you plan on carrying that character through to Silver Blades, staying at 7th level won't be too much of a problem.

Except Rangers get another 1/2 attack at level 8...

 

[Daemongar]

Yah, I looked that up also: there are racial limitations. Doesn't explain the age being 0, but, unless you plan on carrying that character through to Silver Blades, staying at 7th level won't be too much of a problem.

Except Rangers get another 1/2 attack at level 8...

Damn, thought that was at 7th level, but that's fighters. Yeah, that would drive me insane, as there is a lot of game left...

 

[SlowTurns]

Ahh cool, thanks for the details. Amazing how quickly that info came through for a 22 year old game

Big fail on my part I guess... The ranger is indeed half-elf with 17 Str... Argh! No spells for this gimpy ranger I guess, boo.... Hmm I wonder if I equip the STR Ioun Stone...

 

[octavius]

Ahh cool, thanks for the details. Amazing how quickly that info came through for a 22 year old game

RPG Codex: no other gaming forum has a higher monocled oldfag to popamole consoletard ratio.

Big fail on my part I guess... The ranger is indeed half-elf with 17 Str... Argh! No spells for this gimpy ranger I guess, boo.... Hmm I wonder if I equip the STR Ioun Stone...

The Ioun Stones are rather buggy and I don't think a temp STR increase will allow you to level to lvl 8.
But you could always use an editor to change your half-elf to a human.
If you want to take your party all the way to Pools of Darkness you'll want to make all your characters Human, with the possible exception of a Dwarf or Half-Elf Fighert/Thief.

 

[SlowTurns]

But you could always use an editor to change your half-elf to a human.

Damn, I like the cut of your jib! Not really looking 'cheat' per se, but that looks like a very handy utility indeed! Will definitely look into a race swap...

Wondering where I can find info about demi-human limitations? Didn't notice anything in the CotAB manual, but maybe ya'll are drawing from original AD&D manuals?

RPG Codex: no other gaming forum has a higher monocled oldfag to popamole consoletard ratio.

LMAO

 

[oldmanpaco]

If I remember correctly there was no reason to use anything but humans in the goldbox games. Serous limitation of 1st edition D&D right there.

Of course most of the fun in a D&D game is had in the first 10 levels so maybe it was planned.

 

[SlowTurns]

According to the gold box manual, there are some bonuses to playing other races, for example immunity to sleep/charm spells, infravision, resistances to magic and poison and some bonuses to attacking certain monster types... Although I'm sure any of these advantages probably play out super minimally if at all in the gold box games...

 

[octavius]

Wondering where I can find info about demi-human limitations? Didn't notice anything in the CotAB manual, but maybe ya'll are drawing from original AD&D manuals?

I actually did much the same mistake as you first time I played CoB. It wasn't untill I had bought Pools of Darkness I realized just how badly demi-humans suck.
So if you are planning on a full playthrough of the Pool series, I recommend getting the Pools of Darkness manual and plan you party based on the tables there.
But the short story is that only human can advance to lvl 40 in all classes, while the other races can only advence to lvl 40 as Thieves. But single class thieves are the single most useless class...

 

[SlowTurns]

Sweet it worked, I now have faerie fire memorized... lol that was worth it...

Gonna have to refamiliarize myself with the old rules. I've been tainted by playing too much DDO, and I'm building my characters wrong, I do indeed also have a pure thief... Seems to me back in the old days I would usually do Thief multiclasses, but for some reason decided pure would be the way to to this time... sigh... <sarcasm>there are so many sweet broad swords and other uber thief weapons in this game</sarcasm>...

 

[SlowTurns]

btw - really glad to see some excitement for the gold box games... Nothing else compares, or scratches my gaming itch like them! How awesome it would be to see these redone, faithfully, with the same turnbased combat engine and full party control...

 

[Revenant]

It's exactly as you described. All lists require numpad as does diagonal movement, which is also a necessity for ranged/spell targeting. I've tried but it's so cumbersome to play without a proper numpad. But more power to you if you've got it to work!

Pool of Radiance allows to use Home and End to move through lists. I bound Home and End to , and . in DosBox on my Nokia N900, respectively, and I can play PoR just fine. For numpad numbers 1-9, regular numbers (which can be typed on the N900 by pressing fn+qwerty row keys) also work, so you just have to memorize that, for instance, 1 moves diagonally left and down, 3 - diagonally right and down, etc. Furthermore, PoR (as well as Ultimas I-V) doesn't even require Esc, so it is fully playable on a cell phone qwerty keyboard.

Cynic, If you cell phone doesn't have a hardware keyboard, I found out that you can play Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, provided your phone's processor is fast enough to run at ~3000 DosBox cycles. The game is fully mouse-driven, so touch-screen is enough to play the game. Furthermore, different mouse modes, that are toggled by a right-click, can also be toggled from the menu, so you don't need right-click either. Well, there actually is one place where you need right click, that being party creation (what a disappointment). However, you can create a party on the PC and just copy your game directory to the phone.