Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 http://twitter.com/lucasartsgames http://www.lucasarts.com/company/vip/catal...atalog_2009.pdf On July 8th, some classic LucasArts games and Star Wars Starfighter (huh?) are going on sale on Steam, an online game downloading service. These ten titles are "just the beginning." They've been updated for compatibility with Windows XP/Vista, and Battlefront 2 is working great on the PC! Except Battlefront 2 was already released on the PC! But hey, this is good news for the older games. I think I'll pick up Fate of Atlantis. Will X-Wing and TIE Fighter follow? Oh, please, God, yes! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Romão 910 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 How much will each game cost? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 This is good news. I hope the list is just a sampler, because they certainly have many more games to release. The Fate of Atlantis would be very tempting, to get a version with audio dialogue.Star Wars Starfighter (huh?)I can't say I ever played this one, though I heard of it. It's not in the same category as Lawrence Holland's awesome X-Wing franchise, but it's similar. It cashed in on the Episode I craze of Star Wars games by letting you fly three classes of Naboo starfighters during that film's conflict. I think the Episode I movie was a two hour trailer for the Episode I Racer videogame, but that was really a fun game anyways. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie Brigden 4 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Come on X-Wing vs TIE Fighter! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Come on X-Wing vs TIE Fighter!Meh, where's the story? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 The Balance of Power add-on added some semblance of a story. It also added the Super Star Destroyer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 I'm not a big fan of semblances. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 I picked up the 2-disc XvT for $10 about 7 years ago but have yet to really play it much.Here's what they say about the Balance of Power expansion:An expansion was released in order to fix what much of the fanbase considered missing: apart from new battles and missions, Balance of Power features a Rebel and an Imperial campaign of 15 missions each, along with cutscenes that advance the story. Both campaigns revolve around the same series of events, but with alternate endings. * "Spreading the Rebellion" — Features the evacuation of a base, an attack against the Empire, and the capture of an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser. The campaign ends with an assault on the Super Star Destroyer Vengeance. * "Imperial Task Force Vengeance" — The player flies as a member of the elite Avenger squadron under the leadership of Admiral Senn. The missions are similar to those from the Rebel's campaign. The campaign ends with the destruction of a Rebel factory.The pack also adds B-wings as a pilotable craft, along with other vessels that are lacking from the original game. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quintus 4267 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Come on X-Wing vs TIE Fighter!Meh, where's the story?Story Schmory. No need to turn this into a prequel trilogy hate fest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 I picked up the 2-disc XvT for $10 about 7 years ago but have yet to really play it much.Here's what they say about the Balance of Power expansion:An expansion was released in order to fix what much of the fanbase considered missing: apart from new battles and missions, Balance of Power features a Rebel and an Imperial campaign of 15 missions each, along with cutscenes that advance the story. Both campaigns revolve around the same series of events, but with alternate endings. * "Spreading the Rebellion" — Features the evacuation of a base, an attack against the Empire, and the capture of an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser. The campaign ends with an assault on the Super Star Destroyer Vengeance. * "Imperial Task Force Vengeance" — The player flies as a member of the elite Avenger squadron under the leadership of Admiral Senn. The missions are similar to those from the Rebel's campaign. The campaign ends with the destruction of a Rebel factory.The pack also adds B-wings as a pilotable craft, along with other vessels that are lacking from the original game.Star Wars: Starfighter is a nice little action game with better than average graphics at its time, but it's clearly not in the category of any of the X-Wing games. I prefer to have some control over my spacecraft, and all the games engage you much longer than Starfighter. However, XvsT is really the weakest entry (not even considered part of the series proper), and can only be recommended if you are interested in multiplayer (and X-Wing Alliance should be much more satisfying for that matter). The expansion for XvsT was badly needed and provided much nicer graphics and some of the best cutscenes of the series, but ultimately doesn't save it, either... the campaigns are ridiculously difficult if you are on your own, and also rather short. I recommend to track down a copy of the X-Wing and Tie Fighter collector's edition that features the two original games with the graphics of XvsT (as well as some new cutscenes for X-Wing). I may play it tonight...As for the release of the old games... interesting, always wanted to play Fate of Atlantis with its proper voice acting (the German version never featured audio dialog to my knowledge), and I'm also interested in Loom, the Dig, and the new special edition of Secrets of Monkey Island... Does anyone know how much it costs? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marian Schedenig 1979 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 They should update those updated X-Wing games (XW & TIE) with the original scores instead of the tracked Williams stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 They should update those updated X-Wing games (XW & TIE) with the original scores instead of the tracked Williams stuff.Well, though I miss the imuse system in the updates, I really prefer to "fly" accompanied by an orchestral score... particularly X-Wing's music does sound dated. Too bad that you never know whether the music in the collector's edition matches the action. But what about using an orchestra to record the original scores and apply them using the imuse system ? Das waer's, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 4859 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 How about they get back to making good games. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 How about they get back to making good games.LucasArts? Hahaha, good joke! Especially not without the help of "experienced" other companies... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Mark 2015 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Steam...I'll never install that on my PC again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Richard Penna 948 Report post Posted July 6, 2009 Nor me. All it ever did was try to update every time I started it, which made it generally unresponsive for about 5 minutes.I can boot my computer faster than it took to load Half-Life on that shitty thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marian Schedenig 1979 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 Well, though I miss the imuse system in the updates, I really prefer to "fly" accompanied by an orchestral score... particularly X-Wing's music does sound dated.Don't recall XW (never played that in full in its original version), but the TIE score is awesome.Too bad that you never know whether the music in the collector's edition matches the action. But what about using an orchestra to record the original scores and apply them using the imuse system ? Das waer's, right?That would be something. Although really, iMuse itself was pretty much the same in the original scores and the Williams edits, it just blended between entire cues. It's just that the Williams edits were much inferior to the original scores (and I didn't approve of simply throwing out those); XWA made *much* better use of the Williams scores.iMuse's best showcase has to be Monkey Island 2, where it actually blends parts of the music between rooms while leaving other parts the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 Great news! I'll happily pay for legal versions of the handful of classic LA adventures I don't have legal copies of (most I do).The PC version of Secret of Monkey Island SE will be distributed through Steam too, starting July 15th. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 A Star Wars videogame musical score could be a lot worse. Who here remembers Force Commander? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 Force Commander had some fun remixes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 I'd like to hear the music of Solar Winds get proper orchestral performances. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marian Schedenig 1979 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 Force Commander had some fun remixes.True. I liked the music, but I gave up on the game after a few attempts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 The version I had stopped working after the first few missions. I preferred Battlegrounds, but mostly because I was still in Age of Empires 2 mode. I have not played Empire at War. I'd actually like to play Rebellion (Supremacy) again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 Wow, they charge steep prices for their games at steam, given that you won't have a hard copy. I will carefully ponder the decision... Even though I'm really interested in these classic games.Btw, playing X-Wing and Tie-Fighter again, so nice and nostalgic... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 A hard copy trumps a Steam copy any day, unless that Steam copy is somehow enhanced with respect to the old one. Like if they remastered Outlaws to have it work natively in Windows XP, complete with working cutscenes, music, and smooth playability, I'll buy it in a heartbeat. Not concerned about graphics or physics, just playability. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 The classic Lucas Arts games are now ready for download, and I am so tempted... $4.99 for most, and considering that my PC wouldn't be able to properly play Loom and the Dig (both of which I have never played) even if I managed to find a copy.... Hmmm, and Indy: Fate of Atlantis with spoken dialog... difficult... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 The prices for these LA games are reasonable. You can't find a game for much less than $4.99 legally in the first place. You'll spend more than $4.99 for the older games to buy a pressed disc from eBay, and if you have to dig an old PC out of the closet, build a legacy box, or run an emulator/virtual machine to play the old pressing, it's more hassle than $4.99 to play a version that's been streamlined for newer machines. And the prices for the newer games are pretty much line with what you'd find them for in a store that still carries them. Though I did find BF II in Wal-Mart last year for $10, half of what Steam wants. No biggie, it wasn't much fun anyways. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 Last Crusade, Fate of Atlantis, and Loom are the ones I'm going to pick up from this batch. Maybe Friday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 Though I did find BF II in Wal-Mart last year for $10, half of what Steam wants. No biggie, it wasn't much fun anyways.Yeah, I found Battlefront for 10 buck somewhere, too, and got Starfighter from Amazon Marketplace for 2 or 3 if I recall correctly. But the older ones... yay, nostalgia (it's getting worse and worse the closer I get to turning 30 next month ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 There was a time when Walmart had a lot of classic LucasArts games. I was able to pick up X-Wing Collector's, TIE Fighter Collector's, XvT 2-disc, and even Jedi Academy, Battlefront II, and Republic Commando, all for $10 each. I could've also gotten Jedi Knight and Alliance for the same price, if I didn't already have them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 There was a time when Walmart had a lot of classic LucasArts games. I was able to pick up X-Wing Collector's, TIE Fighter Collector's, XvT 2-disc, and even Jedi Academy, Battlefront II, and Republic Commando, all for $10 each. I could've also gotten Jedi Knight and Alliance for the same price, if I didn't already have them.Seems we have a similar taste concerning games; I own all of these and enjoyed them all... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woj 2203 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 At one point, I owned just about every Star Wars game for the PC. Even the Rebel Assaults, thanks to a LA bundle set. But since the explosion of Episode I tie-in games, that's not true. Last one I bought was Kotor2. Speaking of which...<checking>Nope. Team Gizka's update to that one isn't done yet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 Last one I bought was Kotor2. Speaking of which...<checking>Nope. Team Gizka's update to that one isn't done yet.Well they put up the video that literally said "It is done" in April, so I figure it should only be about another 6 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marian Schedenig 1979 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 So will the SCUMM games still work on SCUMMVM? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 Good question. They've been configured to work properly on modern Windows platforms, I don't know if that would cause a problem in SCUMMVM or not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Parker 2344 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 I don't know if that would cause a problem in SCUMMVM or not.I doubt it would. I have tested a lot of SCUMM-based games on my mother's Windows Vista, and they work just fine. However, I have to be honest and say that I am not entirely sure what you are asking, Marian.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paleo 13 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 So, bought Fate of Atlantis and the Dig. It works great, better than in the old days when I played the Indy game with an old 386 pc. I don't really like to be dependent on the website (what if they quit?), but for now I can enjoy these games either better than ever or finally for the first time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marian Schedenig 1979 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 I don't know if that would cause a problem in SCUMMVM or not.I doubt it would. I have tested a lot of SCUMM-based games on my mother's Windows Vista, and they work just fine. However, I have to be honest and say that I am not entirely sure what you are asking, Marian....SCUMMVM is a virtual machine that allows you to play SCUMM games on a variety of systems - various versions of Windows, but also Macs, Linux systems, gaming consoles, legacy systems like the Amiga and so on. It plays all the SCUMM classics fine, what I wonder is if the Steam releases were modified in a way that makes them incompatible with the original SCUMM machine. Which would mean they're worthless to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Skywalker 603 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 At one point, I owned just about every Star Wars game for the PC. Even the Rebel Assaults, thanks to a LA bundle set. But since the explosion of Episode I tie-in games, that's not true. Last one I bought was Kotor2. Speaking of which...<checking>Nope. Team Gizka's update to that one isn't done yet.i got all SW PC games Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Parker 2344 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 I don't know if that would cause a problem in SCUMMVM or not.I doubt it would. I have tested a lot of SCUMM-based games on my mother's Windows Vista, and they work just fine. However, I have to be honest and say that I am not entirely sure what you are asking, Marian....SCUMMVM is a virtual machine that allows you to play SCUMM games on a variety of systems - various versions of Windows, but also Macs, Linux systems, gaming consoles, legacy systems like the Amiga and so on. It plays all the SCUMM classics fine, what I wonder is if the Steam releases were modified in a way that makes them incompatible with the original SCUMM machine. Which would mean they're worthless to me.Oh, now I see. I do not think that I can answer that until I buy one (I have always wanted to play The Dig), but when I do, I will be sure to let you know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent B 278 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 I wish they would do an update for Full Throttle that could run off Windows XP and Vista, I loved that game.I am still mad too that they canned Full Throttle 2, I would have liked to have played that one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 I wouldn't be surprised to see Full Throttle in the next batch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Romão 910 Report post Posted July 10, 2009 I wish they would do an update for Full Throttle that could run off Windows XP and Vista, I loved that game.I am still mad too that they canned Full Throttle 2, I would have liked to have played that one.Doesn't it work well with ScummVM? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie Brigden 4 Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Reports are stating that Lucasarts will be making an announcement related to the X-Wing/TIE Fighter games soon... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Parker 2344 Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Lovely. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Skywalker 603 Report post Posted August 5, 2009 if they have x-wingallianceupdated them it will be great.unlikely... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Zomg! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Crichton 4 Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Zoiks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Buck 48 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 I'll have to buy a joystick though. Gosh. Haven't owned one of those in years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent B 278 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 I'll have to buy a joystick though. Gosh. Haven't owned one of those in years.Neither have I, as far as owning one I mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites