Archive for the 'Tech' Category

[NOTE: The following was originally written for my Financial Chronicle (Edge) column, but they only used part of it in their games section, so here's the whole of it.]

Name five gaming classics that can be enjoyed for free? Impossible, you say? Hmm…:

1. Wolfenstein 3D: Help BJ Blazkowicz outwit the Nazis and escape Castle Wolfenstein. Released in 1992, Wolfenstein 3D revolutionised the first-person shooter (FPS), but the game isn’t as simple as blasting your way out. BJ has to not just battle Nazi soldiers singlehanded, but find supplies for himself, solve puzzles and even treasure. Wolfenstein 3D has been released as ‘shareware’, where one of the six episodes—consisting of 10 missions—can be played for free. Don’t expect super-cool graphics, but do expect a lot of fun. Download it here.
2. Doom: Doom followed on the heels of Wolfenstein 3D by the same makers (id Software) just a year later, and like the latter, part of the game is available for free—one episode consisting of nine levels. You are an unnamed marine stranded on a base in Mars, which has been taken over by monsters. Can you survive, find the exit to the next level and keep the alien monsters at bay? Oh, and it’s not just a matter of killing the big bad monsters — you need to find the right keys and stay away from toxic and radioactive spills if you want to survive and get out. Doom came in for praise for its use of 3D graphics and had one of the best FPS controls of its time. In 2004 it was pegged by GameSpy as the greatest game of all time. Get it here.
3. Elder Scrolls: The first two Elder Scrolls games, Arena (1994) and Daggerfall (1996), are available full and free. These classic adventure role-playing games (RPG) are renowned for their open-ended gameplay. Set in medieval times in a place known as Tamriel, the Elder Scrolls offer the player a vast world to explore and complete quests. As is typical of RPGs, character development is a major component, thus making it possible to play the game many times in many ways. Magic has a big role in the gameplay, as does learning skills. An engaging storyline has always been the strong point of the game series, and in Daggerfall one may even choose to completely ignore the game’s story and go off by oneself to explore and ‘experience’ the world. Download both games here.
4. Dink Smallwood: [I've written about Dink here in the past, but what the heck!] Help Dink the pig farmer become the saviour of the world. Yet another adventure RPG set in a magical, medieval world, Dink Smallwood (1997) does not have the exploration scope of the Elder Scrolls games, but it has an engaging and sometimes irreverent story of its own. Setting out seeking a new life after the death of his mother, Dink gets caught up in a quest to cleanse the world of a nefarious group called the Cast. He gains powers, weapons and magic as he progresses, and finally comes face to face with the most dangerous enemy of all… Get Dink.
5. Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2: The first two in the popular — if controversial — series of games, Grand Theft Auto was released in 1998 and Grand Theft Auto 2 followed in 1999. You take on the role of a criminal working for a big city crime syndicate and gain points by performing tasks, including robberies, assassinations and generally creating havoc around the city. GTA also had an open-ended world, and one is free to roam around, steal cars, disrupt traffic and generally be a big-time nuisance. Not surprising that it has it detractors. Get them here.
   

   The DOS question

   Of course, some of these games are pretty ancient, and operating systems (yes, even Windows!) have evolved since then. Many of the games were built for the DOS platform and may not work in present-day computers. However, help is at hand in the form of an x86 emulator called DOSBox, which can be used one Windows, Mac OS and Linux systems.

   [Which ones have I played?

   Well, I'm certainly old enough to have played them all in their heyday! Doom is still a favourite, and I have fond memories of Dink Smallwood too. I have also tried out Wolfenstein 3D, but didn't get too far. The Elder Scrolls remain on my to-do list, and yes, I have to admit I'd like to try GTA too...]

   ~PD

More than half of January has already gone by, but Writer’s Log still lags in last year. It hasn’t been for want of trying, but that is a lame excuse. Anyway, here’s a to-do list for 2010 (in no special order):

1. Don’t make lame excuses about not updaing my blog
2. Redesign my site (eeeep!)
3. Put the entire site on a single CMS (double eeeep!)
4. Redo the Halvard Castle site (yes, it’s so hopeless that I’m not even linking it!)
5. Do a site for the Vakker book
6. Upgrade Web development skills (yes, Niklas, that means return to my JS books)
7. Learn something new this year (a language, a skill, whatever; JS doesn’t count)
8. Write more.
9. Finish the Shadow in Eternity IV novella (there, it’s in writing now!)
10. Go out more
11. Don’t pretend to be happy about things I’m not
12. Buy a vehicle, even if it’s a bicycle
13. Start on (and preferably finish) a new book
14. Be happier and complain less
15. Do my tax returns
16. Visit Europe
17. Stop being scared of pregnant women
18. Stop being scared of babies
19. Play more games
20. Start following football again

That’s all folks.

~PD

This might be the age of the PS3, the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, and thanks to developments like accelerometers, virtual-reality-like motion gaming is no more the domain of science fiction. But that’s no reason to forget some golden oldies that may not have had the spit, polish and realism of current-day games, but each was memorable in its own right. The following are some of my personal favourites.

Diablo (1996): Unspeakable things plague the dungeons beneath the village of Tristram. But one day a mysterious stranger walks in — you. Playing as a warrior, a rogue or a sorcerer, you must battle the creatures of the Lord of Terror before he literally unleashes hell on the entire world. An action role-playing game, Diablo is more than a simple point-and-click hack-and-slash. Players make decisions on the kind of skillset to develop for the final battle, though admittedly the options are limited compared to character development in Diablo II or the likes of the Elder Scrolls games. There are 16 levels of dungeons and various quests to complete. A random map generator ensures that you get a different dungeon each time you play the game and a different set of initial quests. Diablo had an expansion called Hellfire, though that wasn’t available in India as far as I know. The original game, along with Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction is available in a single Diablo Battlechest package, that includes an amazing strategy guide. Well worth owning if one is a fan.

Myst (1993): Myst was what started me off on gaming. It is not just another adventure game — it is a journey into a surreal fantasy world. The player is dumped on a deserted island with a mysterious note addressed to someone else. Following clues, solving logical puzzles and using special Linking Books, one travels to a number of different worlds known as ‘Ages’ and pieces together a story of betrayal. Navigation in Myst consists of clicking and moving through pre-rendered images, but its enduring popularity saw a remake in 2000 as realMyst, which featured free-roaming 3D graphics. It is available for a number of platforms, including an iPhone/iPod version. Myst spawned a number of sequels that carried on the story — Riven, Exile, Revelation and End of Ages.

The Sims (2000): This vastly popular life simulation strategy was what knocked Myst off its pedestal as the best-selling PC game of all time. The 2D gameplay of the original Sims might seem awkward and laughably simplistic compared to the later versions, and old-time Simmers will always recall in amusement the necessity of making out obsessively till the pop-up to have a baby appeared. And — horror of horrors — kids never grew up! But it was all we had at that time — and its seven expansion packs — and it was pretty amazing too.

Dink Smallwood (1997): Who says pig farmers can’t have fun? Dink Smallwood is an adventure RPG where Dink sets off on his own after the death of his mother, but gets caught up in a quest to cleanse the world of an evil-intentioned group called the Cast. Dink takes on monsters, saves innocent lives and gains powers as he progresses, ending up in the Darklands, face to face with the evillest of them all. But there is a surprise in store… To find out more, download it (it’s now freeware). Dink is a tad tacky, and definitely don’t expect high-end graphics — just a lot of fun and action.

Deus Ex (2000): A personal all-time favourite, Deus Ex is an action RPG with first-person shooter elements. You play the role of JC Denton, a United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition agent. He is nano-augmented and can pick up some cool augmentations with time. JC gets caught up in a complex conspiracy that makes him question his own loyalty, and the game weaves through various locations around the world, finishing up with three possible endings depending on the choices you made. Deus Ex‘s story line was riveting, and it won plenty of awards and critical acclaim. The sequel Invisible War was, however, slightly disappointing, and one remains hopeful about Deus Ex 3, which is expected in 2010.

This is far from a comprehensive list, of course, and completely subjective.

~PD