It's interesting to me

[681524fbb927efox]

Your Gear is Poisoning You! (Not Clickbait)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ht7nOaIkpI

[681524fbb9458voodoo47]

so the first two Warcraft games are now remastered too, apparently very much in tune with the mediocrity and low-effortness of the W3 remaster.

but whatever, if this makes it to GOG and is 50% off..

[681524fbb9659icemann]

On one hand the new gfx look meh. On the other just as with the recent Diablo 2 Remaster (Diablo 2 Resurrected) you can change back to the OG gfx whenever you want, which wasn't even a choice when Warcraft 3 Reforged came out.

Add to that more modern control schemes added to Warcraft 1 (which plays like Dune 2) which gets a hell yeah from me. Replayed that game earlier this year and the controls have not aged well.

Considering how good D2 Resurrected was, and the fact that it's good to be seeing Blizzard actually pay attention to their long forgotten RTS games for a change, and I'm willing to give it a go.

Blizz needs to hurry the fuck up and get started on Warcraft 4 and Starcraft 3 already. The lack of good RTS games nowadays really sucks.

[681524fbb97f4voodoo47]

Dune Legacy hits the spot as far as I'm concerned, they did exactly what needed to be done - fixed not just the control scheme, but also AI bugs and a few other problems (saboteurs and fremen are now normal units, not useless mindless kamikaze drones, for example). this is how it's done - don't be afraid to fix the original devs mistake or bad decision.

Stratagus and Wargus for the first two Warcraft games, last time I've checked they worked ok, but that has been a while. //looks like they are starting to poke into Starcraft too. I don't mind.

[681524fbb98f2fox]

Quite sad to me, how much the industry (games and movies alike) is going for rehashes these days - no matter the quality.

[681524fbb99f1voodoo47]

they are targeting the hurr-durr, me wants the official stuff, me pay extra crowd. they deserve one another.

[681524fbb9d69icemann]

Dune Legacy hits the spot as far as I'm concerned, they did exactly what needed to be done - fixed not just the control scheme, but also AI bugs and a few other problems (saboteurs and fremen are now normal units, not useless mindless kamikaze drones, for example). this is how it's done - don't be afraid to fix the original devs mistake or bad decision.

Stratagus and Wargus for the first two Warcraft games, last time I've checked they worked ok, but that has been a while. //looks like they are starting to poke into Starcraft too. I don't mind.

Dune 2000 has a few similar remakes out there. Quite the variance. Some more just get the game to work in modern systems, and others change the AI and functionality a bit, and are missing the original missions. Had a long look around, back when I was streaming a play through of the game last year.

[681524fbb9ec3voodoo47]

iirc OpenRA can play Dune2000 without much trouble. yaay to regenerating infantry.

also, remember Emperor: Battle for Dune? seems like nobody does, even though it was pretty good, maybe the best Dune rts that's out there.

[681524fbb9fc5icemann]

I do know of it. Tried playing it last year after Dune 2k. Could never get it working unfortunately. Has no good fan remakes or mods that I could find. Sucks as really wanted to play it.

[681524fbba0aavoodoo47]

you probably will need some early DX translator nowadays, like DGVoodoo.

[681524fbba48bsarge945]

Considering how good D2 Resurrected was

Incorrect inform. The D2 remaster is very bad for multiple reasons.

Also, why would you pay money for the WC1 remaster "for the control scheme" if the entire thing is a low-effort cash grab in the first place? This sort of behaviour goes away if we stop rewarding it.

[681524fbba91ficemann]

you probably will need some early DX translator nowadays, like DGVoodoo.

I'll have to do some investigating, to see if that helps.

[edit from 4 hours of troubleshooting later]
Got it to work. Required A LOT of tinkering, and a lot of reading of forum posts to find the solution.

To save anyone who happens across this post who was unable to install the game due to a "Cannot read Game1.cab" error. You need to image mount the games first CD to your 1st available disc drive. If anything else is in it, or mounted to it then that error will result. Fix that, and you'll likely be able to install and run the game.

Incorrect inform. The D2 remaster is very bad for multiple reasons.

Also, why would you pay money for the WC1 remaster "for the control scheme" if the entire thing is a low-effort cash grab in the first place? This sort of behaviour goes away if we stop rewarding it.

It's more rewarding them for actually paying attention to their older retro classics that could use the attention and getting them to work on modern systems / allowing them to. If they were to do the same with the Lost Vikings, Rock'n'Roll racing, or Blackthorne that be awesome. Though no control scheme changes needed with those games.

Getting older games to work on modern systems be far more difficult than you'd think. Even if you have the source code, requires switching things over to more current libraries, extensive testing to make sure they actually work without crashing, adding in new screen resolutions, allowing for borderless fullscreen mode etc etc.

I have the exact same respect for Night Dive Studios (despite my annoyances over the SS remake) for doing that exact same thing with numerous other games, getting them to work properly on modern systems. Need more companies doing that IMO. Absolute sea of games that could do with that kind of attention + easy money to be made.

[681524fbbaacdicemann]

Double post to add to my previous one, with a few days in between.

Played Emperor - Battle for Dune a fair bit over the past few days. Very fast game. Reminds me of the first Dawn of War game with it's Risk style of attack / defend / repeat cycles + the territory control aspect. Very good FMV. Feels quite different to Dune 2k, as lots less spice, which leads to being dead broke a lot. Especially in the defence missions, where you already used up all the spice in taking the region earlier. The reinforcements you get via allies is essential, I've found. Nice visuals for the time. If you take too long to attack your opponents base, it can be to your detriment also, as they'll often be more likely have their best structures, abilities and units by then. Save scumming also is of major benefit.

[681524fbbabd3voodoo47]

I also liked the little touch of sardaukar elite (has a laser gun) attacking ordos laser tank (has shield) imploding both units the moment the first shot lands.

[681524fbbacc2sarge945]

Shouldn't it result in a nuclear explosion?

[681524fbbadb6voodoo47]

if the shielded thing is a nuke then yes, I would assume. iirc the lore says that whatever is generating the shields and also the laser beam will overload and go boom.

[681524fbbaeefsarge945]

I was under the impression that in the lore, the laser hitting the shield would cause a massive explosion akin to a nuke.

I'm not an expert by any means but I know various online forums etc seem to suggest that it's basically a nuclear explosion.

[681524fbbb024voodoo47]

I'd guess as big as the energy source of the blast allows - physics still works in the Dune universe, so can't get extra boom from nothing.

but a shield generator does look like something that could produce a spectacular blast should the energy it's capable of storing/generating be released all at once, so a moab type explosion doesn't sound too far fetched.

[681524fbbb13bicemann]

A negative to the game (for me) is that within a few missions you'll have everything unlocked. In Dune 2 + Dune 2k was far more gradual.

For example, I'm playing as Atreides and already got the Ixian stuff, sardaukar and fremen stuff + sonic tank (which I never use) after 5 missions not counting the defence ones.

[681524fbbb2ccvoodoo47]

well running around the first half a dozen levels with just the basic infantry isn't great either (yes, looking at you, Starcraft).

be prepared, things will get repetitive after a while, but that's kind of in line with the first two games (or second two games, depending whether Dune1 counts or not), so you know what you've signed up for.

still, Dune2/Dune2000/Battle for Dune is something I can recommend to a RTS fan (and if you also liked the books, then even better).


speaking of Dune1, I actually can recommend that one as well - it's unique weirdness is that it's an adventure game that kind of morphs into a proto-rts half the way.

[681524fbbb3e6icemann]

Absolutely. Played through that one back in the mid 90's I think. Not bad at all. The jump to Dune 2 though, was quite the change.

[681524fbbb516voodoo47]

..haven't done the fb bs report in a while - so today we have fake AI generated move trailers (think LotR4, Titanic2), welding (ok fine, I'll watch it a bit, welding is ok) and a little surprise bonus at the end to play it up (probably also AI generated, sliiightly off but you almost cannot tell).
[surpsised.jpg expired]

[681524fbbc06bfox]

The Witcher 4 - Official Reveal Trailer | The Game Awards 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWMu6JeT2g8

On another note: Youtube Ads are acting up real bad now.

[681524fbbc1bbicemann]

For me the most interesting announcement was:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPvrzaC44pc

First new entry in this franchise in 20 years. Absolutely adored it on the PS2.