Random Gaming Thoughts

[foxhound1022]

The oxbox is the best dust collecting console ever. Not because you're not playing it.

My NCGD seems to be pretty adept at collecting dust.

[Blu]

Ever get those random moments in video games where you recognize the voice acting, but you don't know from where? It's like this ticking timebomb of nostalgia.

I glanced at the cast of Lost Odyssey on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0860917/

Basically, it's half of the cast of Rugrats, Fairly Odd Parents, wow I could go on. There's virtually so much depth and overlap of what this cast worked on together. Tales of Symphonia, Diablo II, Warcraft, Halo. They've clearly done a lot. Found this to be a very enjoyable anecdote.

[GSZX1337]

I used a combination of the DOSBox keymapper and a .com file I found on Gog. I'm at work right now, but if you'd like I'll make a step by step list of what I did.

That would be great, I'm using DOSBox right now for it and I'd love to get back to it. I'm somewhere on the 4th or 5th episode now.

Wow, you're a real trooper for putting up with that ancient control scheme for several episodes. I'm going to list the steps required to get mouselook and strafing without the alt key working. However, there's some things I need to tell you: First, you cannot circle strafe due to the limitations of the engine. Second, this is assuming you're using the barebones abandonware files. If you're wanting to apply these steps to a Gog installation, you'll have to edit the .conf file. Finally, if you're not understanding what I typed, just say so and I'll elaborate. I realize I made this tutorial a bit wordy.

Now let's get to business (Beware! Tons of steps):
Step 1: Open the game in DOSBox by dragging the BS_AOD.exe file on top if the DOSBox executable.
Step 2: At any point during gameplay, press Ctrl+F1 to bring up the DOSBox keymapper [pictured below].

Step 3: Click on the onscreen "alt" key on the left.
Step 4: While the key is outlined green, press on the onscreen DEL button. This will clear the binding for the key in DOSBox.
Step 5: Now for a new binding. With the key still outlined in green, press the ADD button.
Step 6: The mapper will now ask you to press a new key for the binding. For the purposes of this lil tutorial, press the "a" key on your keyboard.
Step 7: Now repeat this process on the left arrow key. Click on the key to produce the green outline, click on DEL, click on ADD, and press "a" on your keyboard once again.
Having both left ALT and LEFT ARROW bound to "a" will replicate the effect of the left strafe that you and me are used to.
Step 8: Repeat steps 3-7 by binding "d" to the Right ALT and Right Arrow keys. The game utilizes both of the ALT keys so don't worry about any conflict. Click on Right ALT, click DEL, click ADD, press the "d" key, click the right arrow key, click DEL, click ADD, and press the "d" key again.
You're probably getting sick of it, but we're not done with the mapper just yet. These next steps won't be as long since we're only binding one key.
Step 9: While still in the mapper, click the onscreen uparrow button. Now click the onscreen DEL button, click the onscreen ADD button, and press the "w" key on your keyboard.
Step 10: Lastly, click on the onscreen downarrow, click the DEL button, click the ADD button, and press the "s" key.
Step 11: Now to delete the bindings for the onscreen "w" and "s" keys. Click the onscreen "w" key and press the DEL button to clear the binding. This way, the action bound to the "w" key (180 degree turn) no longer triggers.
Step 12: Now we'll do the same for the "s" key to keep the game from turning off the sound effects when you walk backwards. Click the onscreen "s" key and press the DEL button to clear the binding.
Step 13: Now before you hit the "Exit" button, remember to hit the Save button like you would with other programs. After you get the "Mapper file saved" message you can now hit the "Exit" button. You're finally done with the DOSBox mapper.
Now we have WASD for movement like we're used to. The problem now is with the mouse. While Blake Stone supports mouse aiming, the mouse also controls forward/backward movement. This movement will interfere with our aiming unless you can move the mouse in a perfectly straight horizontal line.
These next steps will take care of that problem.
Step 14: Download this .com file and place it in the game's directory. If you're concerned about downloading a file I put on Rapidshare, you can go to this Gog thread and follow the instructions there.
Step 15: We're going to start the .com file in DOSBox prior to starting the game. The easiest way to do this is to drag the file over the DOSBox executable. that way, you'll have started the script and already be in the game directory. To confirm you did things the correct way, you will see the message: "Novert utility, programmed by Deity".
Step 16: Now you'll start the game as you normally would by typing BS_AOD. You can combine this step and the previous by creating a .conf file, but that's for a different tut.
Step 17: You should now be able to play the game with mouse aiming and WASD.

[J T]

"In the retail world, you could potentially put a return back on the shelf, you could find another customer that wants it, sell it to them and there would be virtually no loss. In the digital world, because there is no set amount of goods, you gain nothing back (one plus infinity is still infinity). It's only a negative experience. A negative frustrating experience for a customer should be considered more damaging than a torrent of your game."

-Tommy Refenes, half of Team Meat, developers of Super Meat Boy

[ExedExes]

I had no idea DOSBox had a keymapper like that. Very convenient. It works like a modern FPS now! I have to get used to a bit but I should handle it just fine. My save game is on Episode 4, Mission 5. Thanks for taking the time to explain it step by step. It should work on all the older FPS now.

Inspired by this game, I wanted to do this picture for quite some time. I love 90s PC gaming



All these were purchased at cost or below cost during a huge sale Apogee had -- the more you bought, the more you could get for free (Crystal Caves & Major Stryker were the free games i picked) Wacky Wheels and Blake Stone are 2 discs, Raptor is 3.

[dsheinem]

I had no idea DOSBox had a keymapper like that. Very convenient. It works like a modern FPS now! I have to get used to a bit but I should handle it just fine. My save game is on Episode 4, Mission 5. Thanks for taking the time to explain it step by step. It should work on all the older FPS now.

Inspired by this game, I wanted to do this picture for quite some time. I love 90s PC gaming



All these were purchased at cost or below cost during a huge sale Apogee had -- the more you bought, the more you could get for free (Crystal Caves & Major Stryker were the free games i picked) Wacky Wheels and Blake Stone are 2 discs, Raptor is 3.

cool pic, exed

[marlowe221]

My random gaming thought of the day:

I am 31 year old, married man who spends his sundays watching NFL players giving each other traumatic brain injuries......

...and the only game I want to read about lately is Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

wtf?

[GSZX1337]

I had no idea DOSBox had a keymapper like that. Very convenient.

It really is. It can be a bit limited, but if you're creative, it's more than adequate.

It works like a modern FPS now! I have to get used to a bit but I should handle it just fine.

It's the next best thing to a source port.

Thanks for taking the time to explain it step by step. It should work on all the older FPS now.

No problem. One thing to look out for: If you're using the .com file and still experience the mouse movement problem with another FPS, go to the Gog thread I linked to and download the first .com file linked there. The one I put up on Rapidshare is hexedited version of that file so that it'll work with games utilizing the Wolf3D engine. The original file is made for Doom, but works with other FPSes like Alien Trilogy.

[ZenErik]

Today I blew almost $1100 on some things.

Random gaming thoughts.. I spend too much!

And who knows if I'll be happy with 100% of the purchase? I am worried about the lack of difficulty in one of the games compared to its main franchise over on the PS3/Vita.

Anyway, here is the list:
Shin Megami Tensei IV 3DS LL console (JPN; includes game and maybe more)
Hatsune Miku white Vita (JPN; includes Project DIVA f, 4GB memory card, and more)
Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai (3DS, JPN)
Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb (3DS, JPN)
Project DIVA F mini controller (PS3)

I will be selling SMTIV if it comes with a physical copy of the game. I can't read Japanese so I'll be waiting for the US release. I already own Project DIVA f for the Vita so I'll be selling that to a friend along with my regular Vita and the 4GB card.

Already have the Project DIVA F arcade controller, but it isn't very portable. This mini controller is the size of my QanBa Q4 RAF. So I can take it to friends places without issue. The arcade controller is 3x the size of my QanBa.

The game I am worried about being too easy is Project Mirai. Like the very first Project DIVA game it has no extreme mode. And the gameplay videos I saw looked pretty easy. But I love Project DIVA so I figured I would buy in. And they announced Project Mirai 2 recently as well. It looks very good. Every song is playable with two different control schemes. 100% touch OR with the buttons like the original.

[BoneSnapDeez]

One thing I like about older cart based systems (like the Atari 2600, Commodore 64, and Intellivision) is the fact that there was no standardized cartridge shape, color, or design. Every publisher did their own thing - as long as it fits in the console you're good to go!