posted
I've already given up on trying to stay current on the music scene. Work and 2 kids has forced me to play the same CDs over and over again for the last 7 years. That's not to say I do not find some current singles appealing, I just don't buy new music anymore, except in special circumstances (U2, for example).
But just the other day as I stared into the bottom of my empty coffee cup that I drink tea out of, I had a monumental thought. I used to be this avid gamer, and literally purchased a new game at least once a week. But somewhere, I stopped. There are a few reasons, namely:
Starcraft and Starcraft: Broodwar Diablo II: and Diablo II Lord of Destruction
I do not mean to seem like a big Blizzard junkie. I even went out and bought the HUGE Warcraft III Collector's Edition and played through the single player missions. Once. I even tried online play, but it was no Starcraft-killer for me.
In fact many games have been like this for me. I generally play Starcraft every day, and have been trying for 3 years (He means more like 6 years -His Conscience) to find a better game for me, for my tastes. It hasn't happened.
Sure there was Max Payne, Serious Sam, Quake III, Deus Ex, Warcraft III, Star Wars: Jedi Outcast, Total Annihilation, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, Dune, Warcraft I and II, Baldurs Gate I and II, and more that I cannot think of, but the point is made.
I no longer even want to find that next diversion from Starcraft. I am content playing Starcraft like a wrinkled-up, smelly, stubborn old man who still plays his 45s or his 78s on his old record player. I am content with my computer games and do not care if there is some new first-person-shooter that needs a 3GHz processor and the latest video card from NVIDIA or ATI to play. Heck, I'll sit here and play Starcraft on my old PII 400MHz with a Voodoo 5 (!!!) and it still plays just fine thank you.
Anyway (sorry for rambling) I just blew the dust off of Diablo II LOD and played through Normal, Nightmare, and Hell levels with 2 different characters I made from scratch. It took me the better part of the weekend, and I finished late last night. It was gaming bliss, and I had played these levels at least 20 times before.
I guess Starcraft and Diablo have become that song that never gets old or those comfy shoes that can't be thrown away. For me, they are classics and will never go out of favor.
Does this mean I'm old and crusty? Or am I just nostalgic? Anyone else out there stuck in a rut with PC games or the like?
posted
I bought a dreamcast specifically so I could play Soul Calibur.
I have the OpenGL modified version of Doom and the GeForce3 version of Quake (tenebrae). Both are awesome.
I am just about to embark on Replaying Deus Ex.
Soyes, I can relate... but that does not excuse you from checking out the upcoming spate of major titles: Doom3, Half Life 2, and Deus Ex:Invisible War look to be incredible...
Posts: 2112 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I neglected to mention that there is a set of old intellivision games ported to the PC by their original designers... I think it's Bluesky.org or something like that...
[ August 02, 2003, 06:15 PM: Message edited by: T. Analog Kid ]
Posts: 2112 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
I saw that thread on the most wonderful console to ever grace the planet. I too played Kid Icarus, Duck Hunt, Zelda, Mario, Punisher (get that one!) and all the others listed.
I was laid up in a hospital bed my senior year of high school way back when, and I played Nintendo all day long. Remember when the controller seemed so alien? I thought to myself, this thing will never take off, joysticks rule!
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Atari 2600 Colecovision Commodore 64 Mac LC II Nintendo SNES Gamecube Sega Genesis Sega Saturn Sega Dreamcast TurboGrafx16 TurboGrafxCDROM PSOne PS2 Gameboy Gameboy Color Gameboy Pocket Gameboy Advance Gameboy Advance SP XBOX
Um, I have to go now. My manager is kicking me out of the pharmacy.
Anyway, I will be picking up Doom 3, half-life 2, and Deus Ex 2, as I read PC Gamer each month like the Bible.
posted
Based on that list, and on your obsession with Blizzard titles, I think we can safely say that you are not only old and crusty, but are in fact crusted.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Blizzard just makes quality games is all. The are by far my favorite software company. I love the philosophy there: "Make only one game a year, but make it the best game of that year."
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sadly, I am the same way with music. I used to have a 1 hour commute to work, and for an entire year I listened to The Cowboy Junkies "The Trinity Sessions". On hindsight, that is not only alarming, but strangely impressive. In a boredom kind of way.
Alucard needs to break out!
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Right now I am stuck listening to Frank Sinatra: The Reprise Collection at work. I am slowly driving my staff insane as I listen to it all day, looping endlessly like some juggernaut of cool. Evidently, they are not hip to Frank.
I feel compelled to differentiate between music and gaming boredom, addiction, and complacency. I do not feel addicted to playing PC games. I would rather play a game than watch TV or read a book in my spare time (even though I do mucho of both others as well). I am not bored with my favorite music or games, just complacent.
I suppose I am having a bit of a crisis, as everything in my life is falling into place just as I would want. Right now, unfortunately, I have no where to go but down!
I am going to have to motivate myself and post more so I can explain in a landmark thread, but everyone has at least one story to tell, or so the old addage goes.
Until then, make mine Starcraft: Broodwar. Me (Protoss) versus 7 computers (Terran/Zerg/Protoss all insane) on an 8 player map, preferably Big Game Hunters or some hacked money version thereof.
Getting there is only half as far as getting there and back again
quote:I suppose I am having a bit of a crisis, as everything in my life is falling into place just as I would want. Right now, unfortunately, I have no where to go but down!
It's hard, isn't it?
Bob, the proper accent is "GERROFF," damnit. You'll lose yer membership, iff'n you don't watch it.
"Bob liked making fun of himself even more than he enjoyed a good whoopee cushion."
posted
Old and crusty? Nahh. The second-fav game last year at school was Starcraft: Brood War. Of course the first-placer was Warcraft III (*sigh*).
It's a good game, don't get me wrong, but I've played better. Homeworld, for example. The single-player campaign owns the WarIII campaign, and the multiplayer is very decent.
Everyone who's an RTS gamer, check Homeworld II this fall. It got a rave prerelase review from PC Gamer, and I fear it's going to be my undoing at school first semester. Damn you Relic! Damn you!
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, I'm sure I'm a lot younger than you Alucard, but I think I have you beat for the title of "crusty gamer." You're hooked on Starcraft, but I still think that X-Com: UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown is the greatest game ever made. Me and a friend of mine will talk for hours nostalgically about our respective X-Com experiences and how it would be great if all the subsequent X-Com games didn't suck so bad.
To top it off, I think that old games, in general, are much more interesting than new games. They did more and were much more original than current titles. The only real difference between a lot of games (especially FPS games) is graphics and what name they attach to the "shotgun" weapon .
I'm glad that Blizzard continues to please, though. So many great developers release one or two greats and then fall into the realms of obscurity.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
You said it. I have XCOM somewhere in a pile under Grim Fandango. Don't ask me why, but they just seem to go together like peas and carrots.
As far as Blizzard goes, I am nervous as heck about Starcraft: Ghost that is console-bound this year. I hear the release date will be 4th quarter, but in typical Blizzard fashion, that means sometime in 2004 IF YOU ARE LUCKY. But basically, it will be done when it is done. You just can't rush perfection. Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I used to be addicted to Starcraft. Played about 8 hours a day in my last year of high school. I was okay by the end Posts: 2945 | Registered: Apr 2000
| IP: Logged |
I haven't been in high school for about 14 years now.
Actually, tonight I feel more like playing my new paladin through Diablo II on Nightmare to get through to Hell level. The night is still young, after all...
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, Warcraft III left me remarkably underwhelmed. It's kind of dull, cartoony, and not particularly interesting. That said, I'm pretty crusty; I was an Infocom beta tester, back in the day.
posted
I agree Tom. I felt like I was going through the motions just to get through the single-player missions. The game is well-crafted, just too cartoony (an excellent description BTW, Tom) for my tastes as well.
I just pray they do not do the same thing to Starcraft that they did with WCIII.
Ryuko,
My Saturn is one of my most precious systems, next to the TurboGrafx16 CDROM.
The game that rocks is Panzer Dragoon Saga. I remember getting the only copy at my local Electronics Boutique because I pre-ordered. Not even the staff got a copy.
Another neat game is Guardian Heroes, a side-scrolling fighting game with multiple characters and multiple endings. Tons of fun!
posted
On the NES - I just started playing Destiny of an Emperor again. Forgot how much I loved that game.
On Starcraft - I have not played another RTS which engrosses me like that still does. WC3 is great, but I think I enjoy the sci-fi setting a lot more. By the way...Big Game Hunters? Eww. Let's play some Bunker Command 2!
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:I've decided that it is an imperative for me to hang out with T.A.K. in the very near future.
Tonight would be a good time... get a flight into either Love or DFW and I'll pick you up...
I can't believe I forgot how *great* Deus Ex is... wow... just having an absolute blast sneaking around and whacking people with tranquilized crossbow darts... call me "low-tech weapons man."
posted
I was never too good at sneaking around in Deus Ex. I'll have to give it another try. I am not too excited for Doom 3, but Half-Life 2 is where it's at. If Blizzard would announc Starcraft 2, I think life would be perfect. Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
There is a hacked money version of BGH that allows all your SCVs/drones/etc to mine from only one mineral patch. I believe the max is 50 and the patch is right beside your command center/nexus/hatchery. It is a sweet map b/c you can play a quick single player game against 7 comps and whoop them all if you are quick enough.
The original BGH is pretty stale.
I have a few mod maps that are fun like:
Zerg mind control Zealot Blood Starship Troopers Quick Think
TAK and Tick, I always preferred the sniper rifle on Deus Ex, and tended to use the dragon sword up close to save ammo. That sword was almost unfair!
But that game is my favorite single-player FPS!!! Can't wait for Deus Ex 2
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
What I love about Deus Ex is how many DIFFERENT ways you can play. I've gone through as super-ultra-sneaky low-tech JC Denton, and then on other games I've been ultra blast-the-hell-out-of-everything rocket launcher Denton.
There are about five games I play once every six months: Half-life, Deus Ex, Thief: Gold, Thief II and (now) No One Lives Forever II.
I think I've played each one of these games about ten times a piece (except NOLF II, which I've just added to my collection).
When Deus Ex II comes out, well, you won't see me until I've beat it at least twice. Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I liked sticking to official Blizzard maps - some of the custom ones were pretty bad. That's why I loved Bunker Command so much - you didn't have to be faster than everybody else, you could really win through your brain.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
The first game that really gripped me was WarCraft II. So I'm not crusty. Or old.
But I've been waiting for and hoping for WarCraft III since the War2 expansion. I liked StarCraft, but unlike Tick I prefer the fantasy setting to the sci-fi setting
While waiting for War3 I kept myself occupied with the Myth games and dabbled in turn-based strategy games like Lords of the Realm II and Alpha Centauri.
Now that War3 is here, and, more importantly, now that it has an expansion and a robust map/campaign editor, all is right with the world. Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
If anyone wants to play Starcraft this weekend, I'm open for it. My wife will be out of town Friday to Sunday...all this talk about it has made me want to play.
I'm still probably no good at it, so you guys would most likely kick my butt.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
Alucard needs to break out!
![[Hail]](graemlins/hail.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
