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Charles Martel: Mar 7, 2007; "The Hero of the Age..."

The hero of all ages

Link to the Good Old Games Front Page!

:siren:

As of October 28th, 2014, GOG has reached another huge milestone retro video game lovers have been waiting on for about a decade: LucasArts is finally here thanks to negotiations with Disney Interactive!

As of June 2nd, 2011, GOG has finally reached a milestone no one else has:

Expansions for Alpha Centauri and the Wing Commander games are finally here!

:siren:

So are the expansions for Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, Magic Carpet, Populous, and Populous: The Beginning! More info here

As for the rest of the missing expansions, they're still tangled up in legal issues and will hopefully be here soon! More info here:

GOG.com posted:

Guys, it turns out that getting the rights for the expansions for the EA games is very, very, very complicated. While we are (of course) working on them, the rights clearance will not be resolved any time soon. In the mean time, though, two classic games that helped define the space shooter genre for $6 is nothing to sneeze at.

Also, if the standard MIDI tracks in your favorite GOG's has got you down, see WiredStnkyPusyLuvr's awesome MIDI guide at the end of the OP!

Good Old Games? GOG.com? What the hell is-

Why, I'm glad you asked! GOG.com is all about exactly what the thread title says: A new digital distribution service for PC games, mainly of the classic and indie variety.

Good Old Games not only offers both Windows and DOS titles that are 100% compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Mac OS X-based machines, but every game here will work with your favorite Unofficial "Fan-made" patch or Mod....Heck, they even have recommendation threads for each game for such a thing! Virtually all titles are updated to their latest versions while the DOS games are integrated with DOSBox similar to the id Super Pack from Steam.

Ughh, DOSBox? Really??

Wait a second! It's actually integrated in an even better way than any Steam game that uses it: Each game comes with it's own installer that creates shortcuts just like this:

You can easily change DOSBox's graphics mode with a couple simple mouse clicks, go into the game's setup program effortlessly to change the control configuration, have an high-quality scan of the original manual nearby, and run the game right from that menu with virtually no tinkering!

Hmm...sounds interesting so far! What else is so great about this service?

Did I mention that there's no regional restrictions on purchasing games here either? That's right: Gamers from all over the world can shop at GoG without worrying if a certain game is off-limits to them or not. In fact, the majority of regulars at the GoG message boards are from outside of the U.S.!

NO DRM!: Every game is literally 100% DRM Free! No extra programs to download, no being online to authenticate it in any way, no extra fees or a signup or subscription fee, no serial numbers, no copy-protection software, no bullshit; all it takes to buy something is your credit card and about 10 seconds of your time for your order to process!

After that, all you have to do is log into your account to access your purchases (which are represented by boxes on a cool virtual shelf seen above), left-click the game to make the above menu appear, and you can download your game and its extra goodies to your heart's content and to as many different computers as you want! Every single game has downloadable extras when you purchase it which may include manuals, soundtracks, wallpaper, avatars, reference cards, artwork, and more!

GOG.com also runs weekend promos where they usually combine two games together and shave a few bucks off of the price. The sales aren't as extreme as Steam's Weekend Deals, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

Also, the community on the message boards is made up of mature individuals that are quick to report any small discrepencies with a game and help out with any other problems you may run into. Different members of the GOG team post there often as well and really do listen to everyone's thoughts, opinions, and ideas, which is really great to see!

Soooo...to recap:

Wow! That's pretty drat cool! So what games do they have?

When the site launched in late 2008, they only had a smaller (but generous) Interplay catalogue, and a few Codemasters games to choose from, but as of today, it has recently come out of it's Beta stage and its selection has blossomed to a staggering total of over 400 titles across over 60 different publishers, plus more coming weekly! Some of those even count as collections of two or more games in one convenient package!

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:pcgaming:

CURRENT PROMO! :homebrew:

Keep checking the front page for the latest scoop!

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:pcgaming:

NEW RELEASES! :homebrew:

New Releases usually come around every Tuesday and the occasional Thursday! When arriving on the front page, scroll down and select "New & Coming" above the list on the right-hand side.

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:siren:

Addendum: Fallen Heroes :patriot:

Colin McRae Rally 2005 (Removed due to a licensing issue with Codemasters.)
TOCA Race Driver 3 (Removed due to a licensing issue with Codemasters.)
Operation Flashpoint: G.O.T.Y. Edition (Re-released as ArmA: Cold War Assault)

Check here for more recently removed games.

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:siren:

Addendum II: MIDI 101 with WiredStnkyPusyLuvr

WiredStnkyPusyLuvr posted:

MIDI DOES NOT HAVE TO SOUND LIKE CHEESY poo poo. HERE IS A GUIDE TO MAKE YOUR MIDI NOT SOUND LIKE CHEESY poo poo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okb0JP3xpWA
(note that if you're using a Creative Labs card, you don't need to do any of this - you can load SoundFonts using Creative Labs' built-in Sound Bank Manager. See this post for details (thanks, Don Sultan, for reminding me of this and finding that tutorial).

As we all know, the standard Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth loving eats. DOSBox uses an emulated Sound Blaster for its MIDI, which is probably better than the Microsoft default, but standard Sound Blasters weren't exactly known for their MIDI capabilities even back in the day (relying on backwards-compatibility with AdLib cards), and even the Sound Blaster 16 wasn't really top-of-the-line back in the 90s, and none of these options are exactly top-of-the-line today.

This is a guide to set up a SoundFont-capable MIDI driver in your Windows installation, thus giving all your MIDI - be it DOSBox games or Angelfire webpages from the 90s - a substantial boost in music quality.
Click this link. Yes, I know it's an offsite forum. Yes, I know it's a Doom forum. Doesn't matter. This guide is basically perfect and my rewriting it would be superficial and redundant. Click that link and follow the tutorial - it includes links to everything you need.

People on 64-bit Vista/7 systems:
Al Baron posted:
You need to put the PLWMidiMap.cpl in the SysWOW64 folder, not system32.

You also need to switch to Classic view in the Control Panel by changing 'View by' to icons, not categories.

An optional, but highly recommended step is to open up the TiMidity++ .cfg file (it's in C:\WINDOWS\timidity.cfg by default, or you can open TiMidity++ Setup and click the button in the lower-left corner that says "edit timidity.cfg") and add "#extension opt -EFreverb=0" (without the quotes) on a new line at the bottom. This will get rid of all the artificial reverb, which can kinda obscure the instrumentation. Feel free to leave it if you really like that 1980s reverb-drenched sound! See below for a comparison video.
Most GOG.com games, by default, are configured to use "Sound Blaster" (or Pro or 16) as their Music Device. This means that they'll be using DOSBox's emulated Sound Blaster, and not your brand-spankin' new sleek-rear end TiMidity++ setup. This may be the way you remember the games sounding (and in fact likely is), but it sorta defeats the purpose of installing TiMidity++. So, to rectify this, you'll need to go into the game's SETUP.EXE (or SOUNDSET or INSTALL, it varies from game to game), and change the "Music" (NOT the "Sound Effects", remember, in the days of DOS these were different things) to "General MIDI". A few examples of where to find this:
Duke Nukem 3D: Start > Programs > GOG.com > Duke Nukem 3D > Setup, then Sound Setup > Choose Music Card > General MIDI.

Tyrian 2000: Start > Programs > GOG.com > Tyrian 2000 > Setup, then choose "Midi 330h".

Rise of the Triad: Start > Programs > GOG.com > Rise of the Triad > Setup, then choose "Configure Sounds" and "Setup Music", and choose "General MIDI".
Simcity 2000: You need to go to the directory where you installed the game (C:\Program Files\GOG.com\Simcity 2000 Special Edition by default) and run INSTALL.EXE (at least in XP Pro, you do not need to be in DOSBox to run this). Ignore the warning about RAM, then choose "Change Music" and choose "MPU-401 General MIDI". You can also edit the SC2000.CFG file manually - under [Music], delete everything, and replace with
code:
MUSICNAME=MPU-401 General MIDI
MUSICDRIVER=A32MT32.DLL
MUSICADDRESS=*
MUSICIRQ=*
MUSICDMA=*
MUSICDRQ=*
You're ready to rock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-8P2PmTxxM
That's a video I made to highlight a few different SoundFonts, starting with the lovely Microsoft SW Synth and moving through in no particular order - WeedsGM3 (my favorite of the lot) is at the 7:25 mark. And here's a 168MB .RAR file with all those SoundFonts included. You can find these elsewhere on the web, but download speeds can be ridiculously slow (17KB/sec on one particular site) and you sometimes have to muck about with special SFARK/SFPAK decompressors - this eliminates the need for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tA5Jq_z_Zk
And there's a brief video comparing the default TiMidity++ reverb with the #extension opt -EFreverb=0 dry sound.

That's all, folks! Remember:

Charles Martel fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Oct 31, 2014

# ? Mar 5, 2009 05:50

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 23:43

Jetsetlemming: Dec 31, 2007; i'Am also a buetifule redd panda

Man, the Gothic icon in that header image looks pretty poo poo. That reminds me that I still need to finish that though.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 05:54

The Machine: Dec 15, 2004; Rage Against / Welcome to

I love this website.

I have Fallout 1 and 2, Sacrifice, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, and I plan on buying more as they interest me.

Currently, I'm eyeing Rise of the Triad and Duke 3D... Are either of the Seven Kingdoms games good?

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:02

thedouche: Mar 20, 2007; Greetings from thedouche

Damnit, I really need to get around to playing through Fallout 1 and 2.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:07

Charles Martel: Mar 7, 2007; "The Hero of the Age..."

The hero of all ages

thedouche posted:

Damnit, I really need to get around to playing through Fallout 1 and 2.

Sometimes this site can be a bit depressing to look at because I still have a ton of games on Steam to play through, and there's a bunch more on here that I want, but have no time to get around to.

For example/FUN FACT: I've never, ever played a Fallout game in my life. I've also never played any of the Gothic games which I've heard lots of good things about and a ton of other poo poo on here I want to play after I clear some of my backlog.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:37

Outrespective: Oct 9, 2007; Can't post for 10 years!

Are the games patchable/Fan-patchable/moddable?

Or are you locked into a patched version and unable to install any fan-mods etc?

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:41

Sea Lily: Aug 5, 2007; Everything changes, Pit.
Even gods.

Outrespective posted:

Are the games patchable/Fan-patchable/moddable?

Or are you locked into a patched version and unable to install any fan-mods etc?

They're fully patchable and moddable. GoG even has lists of reccomended mods for most games.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:43

Charles Martel: Mar 7, 2007; "The Hero of the Age..."

The hero of all ages

Outrespective posted:

Are the games patchable/Fan-patchable/moddable?

Or are you locked into a patched version and unable to install any fan-mods etc?

All games that I know of on here have the latest patch installed, but as far as unofficial fan-made patches and mods, they should work just fine.

^^ Yeah, what he said.

Added that info to the OP.

Charles Martel fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Mar 5, 2009

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:43

Outrespective: Oct 9, 2007; Can't post for 10 years!

Kelp Plankton posted:

They're fully patchable and moddable. GoG even has lists of reccomended mods for most games.

Looks like I'll be making a fallout 2 purchase sometime soon.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:47

A Fancy 400 lbs: Jul 24, 2008

Thanks for reminding me I bought Original War. Time to get on that. This site is awesome.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:53

Indoor Plumbing: Aug 3, 2004

Okay just bought Redneck Rampage. Thanks for letting me relive my past for $6

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:55

Happy Hedonist: Jan 18, 2009

I love GOG.com. I just bought Arx Fatalis today actually. Fun poo poo!

# ? Mar 5, 2009 06:58

Charles Martel: Mar 7, 2007; "The Hero of the Age..."

The hero of all ages

Indoor Plumbing posted:

Okay just bought Redneck Rampage. Thanks for letting me relive my past for $6

HUUUUUSHPUPPIE!

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:00

Outrespective: Oct 9, 2007; Can't post for 10 years!

edit: nvm you did.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:09

The Pantheon: Apr 25, 2008; Mmm.

Everyone should buy Messiah right now.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:12

chaymie: Apr 5, 2008

Hmm. I was just about to buy Unreal Tournament 2004 on steam.

Definitely buying earthworm jim. Born in 1990 and never played the game

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:17

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Another good thing about GOG is that they're not limited to selling in the US.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:19

Nanpa: Apr 24, 2007; Nap Ghost

So is anyone going to attempt the Gothic Exploration challenge?

Good Old Games Front Page posted:

The Screamer Time Attack Contest required skill and reflexes. The Oddworld Caption Contest required wit and imagination. This time we wish to test and reward your perceptiveness and your knowledge of the game Gothic. Your task is to tell us the name of the location we captured on this screenshot, or where to find it in the game. If you know where or what it is, tell us at users@gog.com before March 9 (Monday), 11:59 p.m. EDT and entitle the e-mail "Gothic Exploration Contest". From among those who knew the correct answer, we will draw one winner, who will get a promo code for any game in our catalog. The rules can be found here.

Is Gothic 1 even worth getting, especially when 2 is on GoG as well?

And between The Witcher and GoG, I've been convinced Poles can do no wrong.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:37

MonkeyforaHead: Apr 7, 2006; God, you vindictive bitch, why can't I ever have any "me" time

Chamber 9 posted:

Hmm. I was just about to buy Unreal Tournament 2004 on steam.

Definitely buying earthworm jim. Born in 1990 and never played the game

IMO the PC-DOS ports of the EWJ games are kind of weak, the first one especially. The way Jim handles is just completely off. EWJ2 I just always enjoyed the most on the SNES, but its DOS port at least feels right for the most part.

But yeah, if you want the authentic EWJ1 experience try playing the Genesis version on Virtual Console, or if you're particularly adventurous look for the Windows 95 or Sega CD Special Edition release, by far the definitive best.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 07:44

Submarine Sandpaper: May 27, 2007

How did Die By the Sword age? I have a feeling if I tried it again, I'd just toss it for bad controls. After all, there have not been any games that have tried the same system since.

I remember playing it as a young gun, but I remember, much more vividly, having to hide it in a maze of folders due to my age and parent's watchfull eye. I never did get a good look at it.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:05

Fuzz: Jun 2, 2003; Avatar brought to you by the TG Sanity fund

Nice OP. I really wish there would be even the slightest chance in hell of them getting the Crusader games. Ah well.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:06

Sankis: Mar 8, 2004; But I remember the fella who told me. Big lad. Arms as thick as oak trees, a stunning collection of scars, nice eye patch. A REAL therapist he was. Er wait. Maybe it was rapist?

Nanpa posted:

So is anyone going to attempt the Gothic Exploration challenge?

Is Gothic 1 even worth getting, especially when 2 is on GoG as well?

And between The Witcher and GoG, I've been convinced Poles can do no wrong.

Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 are both great but Gothic 1's setting is cooler, in my opinion.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:09

Charles Martel: Mar 7, 2007; "The Hero of the Age..."

The hero of all ages

rockinricky posted:

Another good thing about GOG is that they're not limited to selling in the US.

I put this fact into the OP as well!

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:17

eleven extra elephants: Feb 16, 2007; Menschliches! Allzumenschliches!!

I don't understand why they have Broken Sword 3 but not 1, which is a shame because I've been looking to get it again now my disks are really scratched.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:43

Fewd: Mar 22, 2007; #vmp #opsec #kolmiloikka #happoo

Fuuuck yes they've gotten Rise of the Triad, time to give GOG some more money. I love that site, they offer easy installable packages with patches and you don't have to wonder about compabilities.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:48

9-Volt Assault: Jan 27, 2007; Beter twee tetten in de hand dan tien op de vlucht.

rockinricky posted:

Another good thing about GOG is that they're not limited to selling in the US.

That would be silly as the company behind it is CD Projekt, which is based in Poland. :v:

Although i'm glad they use the dollar to pay for games instead of the Euro. A lot more friendly for both US and EU players. :cool:

Oh and yes, gog.com is great and everyone who is reading this topic and in doubt about it should have no worries. Just buy those awesome games so we can get even more games on it. :cool:

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:50

404notfound: Mar 5, 2006; stop staring at me

rockinricky posted:

Another good thing about GOG is that they're not limited to selling in the US.

Not just this, but the prices are identical no matter where you live. They made a news post about it a while ago, a pretty obvious dig at the often strange and unfair pricing schemes on Steam for people outside the US.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 08:51

GrandpaPants: Feb 13, 2006; Free to roam the heavens in man's noble quest to investigate the weirdness of the universe!

FAT WORM OF ERROR posted:

I don't understand why they have Broken Sword 3 but not 1, which is a shame because I've been looking to get it again now my disks are really scratched.

The speculation is that they're remaking BS1 for the DS so they didn't want to cut into those profits.

Still really, really sucks, though.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 11:22

Al Borland: Oct 29, 2006; by XyloJW

Highly recommend GoG just wish they had more games! Although they keep adding more

# ? Mar 5, 2009 11:33

Mr Pepper: Nov 29, 2006; Top Class

I also highly recommend GoG.

I've been (as have most of us here) using it since closed beta and it's a fantastic service. If you have a problem with your account, gone are the days where you send in a report ticket like with steam and wait 4-5 days for your problem to be solved. These guys get back to you within a day with not just some lovely form letter, but with an email from an actual person.

Couple that with fast downloads, drm-free games, and an ever-expanding library, and you've got yourself a winner. Please support these guys.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:19

Category Fun!: Dec 2, 2008; im just trying to get you into bed

Wow, they have Hostile Waters? I loved that game, I should give it another shot. I never did manage to finish it, and it ran like poo poo on my old Packard Bell. Thanks, GoG!

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:23

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008

I just noticed that today's featured article at Wikipedia is on Giants: Citizen Kabuto, one of the games that has been released by GoG. Unfortunately, the article nowhere mentions Gog or that it is still available for sale.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:28

Alexandr: Jan 27, 2001; by Tiny Fistpump

If it weren't for my vast library of these games, GoG would be getting hundreds of my dollars. Capitalism Plus + 2? Sacrifice? Giants? Freespace 2? The Descents and Fallouts? God, it's like everything you could need on a laptop.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:42

Mr Pepper: Nov 29, 2006; Top Class

Brother Jonathan posted:

I just noticed that today's featured article at Wikipedia is on Giants: Citizen Kabuto, one of the games that has been released by GoG. Unfortunately, the article nowhere mentions Gog or that it is still available for sale.

Then edit it and put it in?

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:51

Velociraper: Apr 6, 2008; by hoodrow trillson

Oh god I used to play MDK2 all the time, I forgot all about it.

Honestly these are all games that I would normally try and pirate but 6 dollars is well worth the convenience of not having to worry about spending hours downloading an iso to get a glitchy mess of a game that may just be a pile of viruses.

Sooooo looks like I have to pick up Fallouts and Giants at least

# ? Mar 5, 2009 14:57

Jetsetlemming: Dec 31, 2007; i'Am also a buetifule redd panda

Nanpa posted:

So is anyone going to attempt the Gothic Exploration challenge?

Is Gothic 1 even worth getting, especially when 2 is on GoG as well?

And between The Witcher and GoG, I've been convinced Poles can do no wrong.

Haha, I know where that is without even having to load up the game, and it's been a couple months since I last played it. So much for exploration.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 15:27

Plavski: Feb 1, 2006; I could be a revolutionary

Nice OP Charlie.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 15:42

rustyw: Nov 27, 2005

I want the Little Big Adventure series(/Twinsen's Adventure, Odyssey), Time Commando, and The Neverhood. Those should be pretty cheap to license.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 15:45

Mr Pepper: Nov 29, 2006; Top Class

Someone tell me what the Gothic games are like in terms of gameplay. I really enjoyed the witcher and I've been itching for an RPG to play since then (I guess fallout 3 kind of counts). I've read good things about it, but I've also heard that the game likes to kick you in the balls, teeth, and rear end whenever it can in terms of difficulty.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 15:48

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 23:43

GreenNight: Feb 19, 2006; Turning the light on the darkest places, you and I know we got to face this now. We got to face this now.

Mr Pepper posted:

Someone tell me what the Gothic games are like in terms of gameplay. I really enjoyed the witcher and I've been itching for an RPG to play since then (I guess fallout 3 kind of counts). I've read good things about it, but I've also heard that the game likes to kick you in the balls, teeth, and rear end whenever it can in terms of difficulty.

They're pretty brutal, but pretty awesome once you are a total badass. Just can't leave the beaten path for quite some time and even then it's ok to run away.

# ? Mar 5, 2009 15:51

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