tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post4526491832809280278..comments2024-03-28T14:39:04.452-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 102: Mines of Titan (1989)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-61589614721774687812021-04-25T18:18:49.487-04:002021-04-25T18:18:49.487-04:00Hm, the slot machine combination with the second h...Hm, the slot machine combination with the second highest payout looks like the old Electronic Arts logo... The colors don't match (not that EA always used the same colors in their logo, but I don't know that they ever used that particular set), but it's the same shapes, in the same order.<br /><br />I mean, this game doesn't seem to have anything to do with EA, so it's almost certainly a coincidence, but I thought it was a bit funny.Jalen Wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973042209003357278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-23548182943562882512020-10-09T08:50:21.232-04:002020-10-09T08:50:21.232-04:00Just heard about your site from PC Gamer.
I've...Just heard about your site from PC Gamer.<br />I've loved Mars Saga since I first played it on a C64 that was passed down to me when the owner got a PC. I actually played it a bit recently on a c64 emulator just to hear the music. That's one thing I prefer on the C64 version over the Dos version. As for characters that don't start with weapon skills, just have your other characters knock the enemy down to a couple hit points and then have the character use fists.BuffaloSharkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01787852982212956316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-28011590594645778742018-02-08T07:47:32.768-05:002018-02-08T07:47:32.768-05:00Haha yep, that was a good call PK.Haha yep, that was a good call PK.Tristan Gallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16769219573533545742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10402757511669105782018-02-07T18:47:35.628-05:002018-02-07T18:47:35.628-05:00And now this post from Mike Mearls is making me fe...And now this post from Mike Mearls is making me feel pretty vindicated (if that's the right word for it, which it isn't):<br /><br />https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/915337841261002752?lang=enPK Thunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14416777230563913195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-50578115208348826172017-12-16T02:27:51.976-05:002017-12-16T02:27:51.976-05:00Gambling in this game is a huge cheat. When I play...Gambling in this game is a huge cheat. When I played it 'back in the day' I discovered the games random generator seed was included in the save game state. So I would save the game at the casino, start a game of Keno, record the winning numbers, restore the game, play Keno again and then select the winning numbers for maximum winnings. It's funny... after all these years I could not remember the title of the game, but I remembered how to 'earn' cash in it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-85684699645437218762016-02-11T21:30:49.982-05:002016-02-11T21:30:49.982-05:00I like the story part of JRPGs, but can't stan...I like the story part of JRPGs, but can't stand the long hours of grinding needed.<br />I recently played Final Fantasy VII and couldn't but feel that it's grinding+cut scenes. Probably because I don't really like their approach to combatshankaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06194425920878224732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-23735652079151949342013-11-29T16:36:52.999-05:002013-11-29T16:36:52.999-05:00Fallout: New Vegas invented a new card game, Carav...Fallout: New Vegas invented a new card game, Caravan. It was interesting, fun for a while and gave good but limited money.Alexander Sebastian Schulzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15135338616598357444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-74756035775229293322013-09-29T08:54:44.956-04:002013-09-29T08:54:44.956-04:00Back in the early 90s I loved to play computer gam...Back in the early 90s I loved to play computer games but rarely had the patience to stick with games that I could not easily win.<br />But there where two games that I spent a lot of time on no matter how frustrating it was at times: The Legend of Blacksilver and Mars Saga (the C64 version of this game).<br />I loved these games and when I sold my C64 I kept the games themselves, I still have them on shelf here. I doubt the floppies as still readable, though.<br /><br />Maybe I should install a C64 emulator and give them a go again...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21865423728544841282013-07-07T14:46:49.435-04:002013-07-07T14:46:49.435-04:00Man, you must hate the Witcher series.Man, you must hate the Witcher series.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-43443235152370475602013-07-07T14:37:39.460-04:002013-07-07T14:37:39.460-04:00Mars would be the more obvious choice, if it is a ...Mars would be the more obvious choice, if it is a 'because we can' colony. Looks to have ice, CO2 atmosphere we could use as an O2 source, not-insane temperature range we can use to make an O2 atmosphere, and it is close. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-65671168537468348642013-07-07T14:24:51.032-04:002013-07-07T14:24:51.032-04:00There is in fact a reality TV show that ones to pu...There is in fact a reality TV show that ones to put up a 1 way trip to Mars...<br /><br />http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/more-than-20000-people-apply-for-one-way-ticket-to-mars/Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4807780458771783482013-07-07T13:39:06.542-04:002013-07-07T13:39:06.542-04:00Actually most of that makes sense: By being underg...Actually most of that makes sense: By being underground you could pump the city full of atmosphere, instead of having to build a giant domed city. <br /><br />There are plenty of hydrocarbons on Titan, so you can get lots of CO2, which algae tanks can turn into oxygen. <br /><br />Really the big question in if we could do it in 250 years is political will. If we decided to pour money on at it, I think we could have a round-trip mission there in oh, 30-50 years, and easily have a small colony there in 250. The real question is *why* we would do that, when there are so much better places to colonize. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-60541600738498925892013-07-07T03:20:36.070-04:002013-07-07T03:20:36.070-04:00I don't remember the Mass Effect gambling (you...I don't remember the Mass Effect gambling (you are talking about the first game, right?).<br /><br />The dice poker in The Witcher (it's a slimmed version of Yahtzee, in real Yahtzee you are supposed to be the first to get all variants, in The Witcher you also get to hold dice from the first round) is not very good imo. Too random and to little strategy. Also it seemed to me that the "better" playrs cheated in that they have better odds at getting good results (I didn't do a statistical analysis so I really don't know).Ragnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-30710910077738705332013-07-07T01:14:28.321-04:002013-07-07T01:14:28.321-04:00Games that have done it well:
Mass Effect with sp...Games that have done it well: <br />Mass Effect with space blackjack (A bit of skill, and fun, though I usually lose money in the long run as I abandon my strict rules of when to draw)<br /><br />The Witcher with dice poker (I'm told this is something called Yahtzee?) <br /><br />In these cases playing the gambling game is fun, and sometimes worth losing a little or making a little, but you'd have to play for a long time to make or lose noticeable amounts of money. <br /><br />The other thing I can think of is ...Golden Sun I think? You couldn't gamble money, but tokens you sometimes got in a fight. So you built up these tokens for a while, and then there were various games you could play. One was for money I think, and one was for items? It has been a few years. <br /><br />Or use gambling as a cash to item conversion, with some rewards being powerful items, and most being weak but useful ones. That way you may lose a ton of money, but it as if you spent it on healing potions or something, and stay roughly on the right place on the power curve.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10868891868315921332013-07-03T22:58:52.386-04:002013-07-03T22:58:52.386-04:00The Millennial Project looks great, I'll be bu...The Millennial Project looks great, I'll be buying that one. Thanks for the suggestion!ClintKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-66543137615563572952013-07-02T08:15:44.231-04:002013-07-02T08:15:44.231-04:00Davss the potions of mutation in DCSS are gambling...Davss the potions of mutation in DCSS are gambling but you have many ways to mitigate the negative effects, so you can turn bad odds into good odds through thoughtful gameplay.<br /><br />Of course I love to drink and play Xom worshipers just to see what happens. Now Xom is very much a low odds gambling situation.UbAhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447678457902055799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19456982658136033802013-07-01T09:09:24.648-04:002013-07-01T09:09:24.648-04:00With that said, I'd gladly accept the explanat...With that said, I'd gladly accept the explanation that politics and economics just got screwy enough to allow colonization. Let me think up a few reasons to colonize Titan.<br /><br />- To get there before the Russians do.<br />- To avoid accusations of claim-jumping from the nuclear-armed tyrant-kings of the Asteroid Belt.<br />- A "use it or lose it" doctrine is brought into force after nations have already claimed the outer planet.<br />- An asteroid destroys the Pacific Northwest, spurring a frenzy of space colonization.<br />- An asteroid destroys the Pacific Northwest, spurring a frenzy of loud and expensive PR moves.<br />- Ruggedness. Orbital space stations are just too vulnerable to one well-placed bomb.<br />- Kickstarter really takes off.<br />- People just get rich enough to buy space colonies. Fellows at the Reform Club who only have sea colonies seethe with envy.<br />- Life is found on Mars; science stations pop up EVERYWHERE.<br />- Clandestine missile silos. Sometimes second-strike capability is a real pain.<br />- After the next World War, the winners find that they need a prison where the losers can't pull a Napoleon.<br />- Reality television.<br />- A spaceship crash-lands; those left in orbit can send supplies to the survivors, but can't retrieve them, and the conflicting claims on Titan's surface turn into a political charlie foxtrot as half a dozen parties blame each other for trying to use this as a pretext for a land grab. The half-hearted rescue mission is mounted years later and never really amounts to anything.Kizornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-38706373094072906932013-07-01T07:41:54.778-04:002013-07-01T07:41:54.778-04:00@JayArcher
The problems come when you aren't ...@JayArcher<br /><br />The problems come when you aren't interested in the particular story or characters in games with such a static story. I very much like stories in games, but I prefer them to be dynamic and react to whatever happens around them rather than the game has a fixed story that never changes an inch.Ragnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-13109805813857330822013-07-01T07:37:44.266-04:002013-07-01T07:37:44.266-04:00That reminds me of a bit confusingly named countri...That reminds me of a bit confusingly named countries in Order of the Stick. There are three countries called Nowhere, Somewhere and Anywhere. Hilarity ensues. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0226.htmlRagnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81669572292989029212013-07-01T07:26:08.792-04:002013-07-01T07:26:08.792-04:00Yes, but then I would prefer it if they shortened ...Yes, but then I would prefer it if they shortened it to two steps: "Play at Casino", "You won $100,000" so I don't have to bother with the casino. Straight casino games are usually boring, imo.Ragnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-13219255232491200652013-07-01T05:35:23.119-04:002013-07-01T05:35:23.119-04:00I and a group of friends played this to death back...I and a group of friends played this to death back at school, but never completed it back then. I picked it up again last year and finally finished it. A bit rose-tinted, but I absolutely love the game. <br /><br />You've already recognised that programming is an important skill, and there are a couple more that are essential. One of those is medical - your level in this skill limits the med-kits you can use, and later in the game those high-level med-kits are absolutely essential (until the last level, but I won't give too much away). Another note on skills - the amount of skills you can learn is dependent on your education stat. Once you start levelling people up, you'll rapidly come to the point where you hit their skill ceiling - this is an issue because while there are a few skills that you only need one character to have, there are many others that you really need everyone to have (primarily in weapons and armour). I almost broke my last game because towards the end I didn't have anyone who could train in medical anymore and my party was getting wiped out because I couldn't heal well enough. I had to ditch a member and recruit someone cleverer then train them up in everything from scratch just so I could continue the game (oh, and keep a couple of save games - I always make a separate save before I leave town, because you can easily get stuck in impossible situations in the wilds).<br /><br />I totally disagree with the poster who said the game was too easy. Sure, once you've powered up your equipment then Primus is pretty easy, but there are always higher level hunters after you with the same level of equipment, and venturing out into the caverns can be lethal at any level.<br /><br />One other quick tip - watch out for area-effect weapons. They can be great, but the AI is not very clever with them. The AI will happily destroy you with a badly aimed blast or wander into an existing damage area. If you're going to use them then it's better to do so manually (which can get tedious after a while). My preference was to avoid those weapons in then end so I could use auto-combat to breeze through the easy fights without any worries. You can always drop back to manual control if things get tough. <br /><br />As I say, I hope you enjoy it, it was one of my favourite games as a kid. The actual story/quest part of it is really quite tiny in the end, but one of the reasons why we never finished it back then is because it's quite easy to lose track of what you're supposed to do next and to spend ages wandering round clueless.<br /><br />Oh, and one final thing, I really liked the ending...well, actually it's technically rubbish, but it makes you think "ooh, did they...is that what...ah!"Binkbenchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03947673688012262911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37629963436287288382013-07-01T04:11:33.684-04:002013-07-01T04:11:33.684-04:00The JRPG stereotype (Blame goes to Square-enix) fe...The JRPG stereotype (Blame goes to Square-enix) features a story that revolves around the characters, whereas Western RPGs tended to focus on the game world (i.e. the adventure).<br /><br />The first approach falls apart if you don't like one or more of the characters. The character development is blunt force, and the player has to put up with it or quit playing.<br /><br />There is a lot of variety though, so it's not really fair to judge an RPG purely on it's geographical origin. For example BG2 is character focused (but at least you can slap Aerie about and bury Minsc under the promenade), whereas Skies of Arcadia is very laid back and world focused.Vicnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-7493147332166123122013-07-01T03:33:43.342-04:002013-07-01T03:33:43.342-04:00Regarding gambling, one interesting example is Fal...Regarding gambling, one interesting example is Fallout: New Vegas. Being set in and around Las Vegas, they really couldn't avoid having gambling in the game. Since your character has a "luck" attribute, that obviously plays a huge factor, and when I got there (at a fairly high level) I trivially won the games. Or, at least, I won them up until the point that they told me I was no longer welcome to gamble at the casinos.<br /><br />So in essence the casinos in FNV become an encounter that you win with your luck attribute instead of your weapons, and provides a fixed maximum amount of money. Below that level you can play and win or lose as your luck score takes you, but you get capped and asked to leave, which neatly solves the unbalancing effects of gambling being too easy.<br /><br />Of course, FNV suffers the same high-level economy-completely-broken problems as all of the other Bethesda-based open-world games, but at least the gambling system isn't the cause. :)codrushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06284007754576216431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-47269927253034108542013-07-01T01:44:06.048-04:002013-07-01T01:44:06.048-04:00It really depends on the kind of story you enjoy. ...It really depends on the kind of story you enjoy. While I do enjoy a good mature fantasy novel, I have a special place in my heart that has never gone away for the trope of the heroic young hero that saves the world and gets the girl. A sort of fantasy balm that soothes the horrors of the real world. <br /><br />This is the kind of story that is often represented in jrpgs. Also there are some jrps that do a really good job of presenting a really solid sci-fi story because you get 40 or 50 hours to explain the setting, characters and technology as well as tell a story as opposed to a a few hundred pages.<br /><br />For most people though the story of a game won't compare to a novel, but I find the experience different. When I read a good novel I feel like I've read a good story, but when I play a game with a good story I feel like I've experienced it rather than just read it. <br /><br />With regards to the posting I would prefer to play the story of a Captain Tom Jetland, down on his luck space captain, then the 100th generic Jonathan Archer I've made over the years who only has whatever background I think up in my head and is never reflected in game. Not that in 1989 the space captain thing would be touched on much either I suppose.<br /><br />But in the end, that's just me and its the differences in why people play games and how they prefer to experience them that makes the medium so fascinating.JayArcherhttp://www.backloggery.com/JayArchernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-6914205757409979212013-06-30T19:52:28.896-04:002013-06-30T19:52:28.896-04:00That's awesome. I should have done that. I gue...That's awesome. I should have done that. I guess I can always go with a <i>Mama's Family</i> party.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.com