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MS-DOS software library (FREE GAMES!)

Started by Cerys, February 07, 2015, 03:39:05 PM

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biggytitbo

Yes I really like the look of Thimbleweed park, will have to play that when its out.

Phil_A

Quote from: Replies From View on February 17, 2015, 10:38:38 PM
King's Quest III was on my parents' first computer when I was a kid - a second hand amstrad of some kind that also had Lemmings, Prince of Persia, PGA Tour Golf and Windows 3.0.  A full 16 colours that machine had.

Anyway King's Quest III needed a book to complete, which we didn't have.  It didn't even inform the player that it needed this book or the book existed (it allowed you to continue thinking you could just play the game with knowledge and intuition), but crucial things like spells had to be very precisely typed or it would be game over.  You couldn't guess them.  Fine to have copy protection in games but have that at the start, surely, not integral to completion of the game when you're already part way through.

Aside from annoying copy protection stuff, I suspect Sierra used to throw in puzzles that were made extra-obtuse on purpose, in order to flog more hintbooks. Admittedly, this is a theory I've only formed after recently playing Space Quest II, which at some points I feel like withholds information from you that makes quite simple puzzles much, much harder than they need to be.

Replies From View

#92
Quote from: Phil_A on February 21, 2015, 08:58:49 AM
Aside from annoying copy protection stuff, I suspect Sierra used to throw in puzzles that were made extra-obtuse on purpose, in order to flog more hintbooks. Admittedly, this is a theory I've only formed after recently playing Space Quest II, which at some points I feel like withholds information from you that makes quite simple puzzles much, much harder than they need to be.

Yes  - for example you need to move a book to reveal a lever that opens a secret doorway, except you need to be standing on a specific pixel for the game to recognise you have located the book that can be moved aside.  Anywhere else you type LOOK BOOK will get the response IT DOES NOT LOOK INTERESTING.  So you kind of need to know the solution to reach the puzzle in the first place.

There's also stuff they don't tell you in-game like timed elements.  Eg. in King's Quest III the evil wizard buggers off around town for a bit, then later he goes to sleep for a while.  It's crucial that at these points you get on with specific things that can't be done while he's around and awake, and making the most of his absence is obvious enough through trial and error.  What the game doesn't tell you is that if you don't know about a pirate ship and catch it before a specific time, your game is screwed and you can't complete it.  The saved game slots mean you might never go back to the start and be more efficient, and you're more than likely going to spend hours of gameplay merely pottering around the house and town, collecting items whenever the wizard goes out or goes to sleep and shoving them under your bed.

All this said, I have a massive nostalgic soft spot for King's Quest III.  Along with the Spectrum Dizzy games it's one of the ones I'll search on youtube every now and then to see if there's somebody else giving it a spin in a Let's Play.

Cerys

I tried The Hobbit yesterday, and what a clusterfuck that was.

FredNurke

Give Gandalf the map and tell him to go and kill trolls with it.

Keep telling Elrond to eat the lunch.

Throw your sword at the goblins, rather than using it to attack them.

If you're lucky, the butler will capture the red golden dragon.

Easy peasy.

Steven

Quote from: Replies From View on February 21, 2015, 10:24:10 AM
There's also stuff they don't tell you in-game like timed elements.

Urgh yes, hate this particular gimmick. I remember buying Lure Of The Temptress on the Amiga as a kid and it was hyped because of its gimmick of amazing AI where the characters would carry out their daily routines and meanderings, which basically meant they went around in a loop so you couldn't solve certain puzzles unless people were in the right places at the right time, needles to say I didn't get very far. Still haven't completed that game, may come back to it at some point, I never really played much of any of the Sierra games as I was spoiled on Lucasfilm titles and they seemed utter cack in comparison.

Quote from: Cerys on February 21, 2015, 11:12:20 AM
I tried The Hobbit yesterday, and what a clusterfuck that was.

Glad I only got into adventure games after the advent of the graphical interface, though I think I remember playing Hitchhiker's Guide on my brother's Spectrum or something. Those text based adventures were probably exciting at the time but seem so archaic when compared to what came only a few years later. Try Labyrinth, probably one of the first graphical interfaced adventure by Lucasfilm, none of that awful 'guess the parser', it's available on them there internets.


Steven

Funny I don't think there's ever been a Columbo adventure game, that property would be a license to print money. You'd even be able to show the murder at the beginning so some of the puzzles would revolve around the cat-and-mouse subtle pushing of your quarry into a mistake/confession, with humorous references and dialogue abound. With Falky dead for the talkie version you could easily draft in someone like Kevin Pollak, you could even manage to get Shatner or Nimoy for the villain.

biggytitbo

There were a series of Murder She Wrote games...You're right though - why no Columbo games?

Steven


Replies From View

I reckon a Diagnosis Murder game would have had some potential.  Juggle being a Doctor, a detective and a magician whilst giving no obvious sense of being overworked.

Steven

As a young wag and pundit I'd always call it Diagnosis: Nepotism.

*Drinks glass of water*

Steven

Someone needs to investigate the current rights issue and get on Kickstarter STAT!




Replies From View

The game should be called "One More Thing" and be about trying to constantly get one more thing.

Steven

Quote from: Replies From View on February 22, 2015, 10:57:18 AM
The game should be called "One More Thing" and be about trying to constantly get one more thing.

Seeing as Falk went down with dimentia and Alzheimers every dialogue option could be that, and the object could be to try and put your trousers on and get out of the house without any of your relatives making you sign over your estate to them.

If it was anything like the show you could just follow around the same snooty bloke for most of the game with a hangover asking incessant questions and the bloke would just constantly waive his right to legal representation or to remain silent and illegally making up fake evidence or testimony until he fucked up or confessed in no such legally binding way!

Cerys

Quote from: FredNurke on February 21, 2015, 11:15:49 AM
Give Gandalf the map and tell him to go and kill trolls with it.

Keep telling Elrond to eat the lunch.

Throw your sword at the goblins, rather than using it to attack them.

If you're lucky, the butler will capture the red golden dragon.

Easy peasy.

I went for killing Thorin in Bag End, whereupon Gandalf said 'interesting, but I don't know if we can use it' or words to that effect.  So I killed him too.  I'd have gotten away with it if it weren't for those pesky trolls.

biggytitbo

I always get my bum out in those text adventures. It doesn't recongnise it but I know.

FredNurke

Oh, and if like me you get really irritated by Gandalf constantly titting about and being a nuisance, get him to the Elvenking's palace, and tell him to carry the butler. Then the butler will capture him and transport them both to the dungeon. No matter how many times Gandalf breaks out, the butler will capture him and they'll both end up in the dungeon. That'll serve the old bearded git right.


Replies From View


biggytitbo

> Try to make Replies be less wrong about Doctor Who
> Sorry, that doesn't seem to work.

madhair60


Replies From View

Quote from: biggytitbo on February 25, 2015, 08:08:58 PM
> Try to make Replies be less wrong about Doctor Who
> Sorry, that doesn't seem to work.

That's because I am already 0% wrong, presumably.

I like this game.