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D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

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Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#31

Post by epalm »

toast0 wrote: post #28
dtx1 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't call descents controls straightforward regardless of what mod/engine you use. 6 AOF Games are hard to play and descent is quite a hard game even in easier difficulties. That being said, it's a lot of fun for sure.

6DOF is hard to control for sure. A joystick with twist assigned to roll works well for heading, but I've never figured out how to best manage translation. Descent has some limits on how fast you can adjust pitch which can be odd for new players (some of the ports can turn those off, but purists may object)

The MS Sidewinder 3D Pro had twist to roll, throttle control for forward/backward, and a 4-way hat switch for translation (aka ‘strafing’, if we’re both taking about the same thing here). It was perfect for Descent.

Edit: and Freespace!

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#32

Post by toast0 »

epalm wrote: post #31
toast0 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

6DOF is hard to control for sure. A joystick with twist assigned to roll works well for heading, but I've never figured out how to best manage translation. Descent has some limits on how fast you can adjust pitch which can be odd for new players (some of the ports can turn those off, but purists may object)

The MS Sidewinder 3D Pro had twist to roll, throttle control for forward/backward, and a 4-way hat switch for translation (aka ‘strafing’, if we’re both taking about the same thing here). It was perfect for Descent. Edit: and Freespace!

Hmm... I need to try harder with hats, I've never felt great about using them.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#33

Post by sjackso »

tonetheman wrote: post #23

I also remember in that game discovering chording. Where you could hold down 3 or more keys to mess with the physics engine. You would end up going slightly faster that way. Similar to bunny hopping in quake.

Double and triple chording is part of what makes the Descent-series games (as well as Overload) so interesting.

Your ship moves freely in all directions, and your speed is proportional to the square root of the number of independent directions you're moving in. Fly forward, speed is one unit; fly forward + sideways, speed is 1.41 units; fly forward + sideways + vertically, speed is 1.73 units.

There's a long, challenging learning curve to making best use of this mechanic.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#34

Post by acidburnNSA »

gabereiser wrote: post #27
LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #8

Hrm. Memories. One of the few games I played. And the only one where I almost always won when we did it over LAN! edit: For comparison, in C&C, about the same epoch in the first variants I always lost, because I mistook it for SimCity, building defences, infra, etc. And then the masses of enemies came. Boohoohooo! But Descent was my thing, easily.

Hahahah, my brother and I used to play a lot of C&C growing up. C&C Red Alert as well. We would keep our bedroom doors open and yell at each other down the hallway. You’d always hear cursing when the dreaded “missile launch detected” sound effect was played. One of the first Zerg strats was to build pillboxes around tree areas and build multiple barracks and just pump out soldiers the whole time. Send in the red army…

Pardon me, but I seem to distinctly remember it as "a-bomb launch detected".

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#35

Post by Lapsa »

sp332 wrote: post #6
_Microft wrote: post #4

There is another active project, DXX-Rebirth, that tries to recreate the original experience of Descent and Descent II as close as possible (i.e. it does not really mod the games). http://dxx-rebirth.com/

There's also Overload, which has some of the Descent devs on the team and got some hardcore fans to extract data on original bullet movement speeds and other details. https://playoverload.com/

Sublevel Zero Redux is also worth mentioning. Although nothing compares to Descent1.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#36

Post by Lapsa »

_Microft wrote: post #10
TheCycoONE wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the past there was significant animosity between this project and rebirth (which they referred to as stillbirth.) I haven't been part of that scene in years so I don't know if it continues.

I know nothing about that. I just liked DXX-Rebirth more because it preserved the „dull no-BS industrial look“ of Descent better. I also wasn’t a big fan of some other, similar games (looking at you D3, Forsaken)) which looked more like the lovechild of a lightshow and an architecture competition in comparison.

Back in days, D3 multiplayer experience was quite fresh and impressive. Shoutout 2 [DIII]Smiddy. I remember you, motherfucker.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#37

Post by russh »

coldacid wrote: post #11
holoduke wrote: post #5

This game was truly one of the first real 3d mouse controlled indoor flying shooter game. Even today you won't find many in this genre. Games like Darker and Terminal velocity were a bit similar and cool as well.

Mouse, hah. When I first played Descent, I had only a keyboard!

Same here, but the last time I played Descent it was with a full Thrustmaster setup including throttle, pedals and CrystalEyes 3D shutter glasses on a 19" monitor... Good times... lots of headaches.. but good times.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#38

Post by spijdar »

toast0 wrote: post #28
dtx1 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't call descents controls straightforward regardless of what mod/engine you use. 6 AOF Games are hard to play and descent is quite a hard game even in easier difficulties. That being said, it's a lot of fun for sure.

6DOF is hard to control for sure. A joystick with twist assigned to roll works well for heading, but I've never figured out how to best manage translation. Descent has some limits on how fast you can adjust pitch which can be odd for new players (some of the ports can turn those off, but purists may object)

One control scheme that's used nowadays is two joysticks, with one to control orientation (pitch/roll/yaw) and the other to control translation (up-down/left-right/forward-back). I usually map the left stick to translation, with twist working the up-down axis.

Takes a little getting used to, but is pretty intuitive, and gives nice smooth analogue axis for all 6DOF.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#39

Post by jasonwatkinspdx »

klyrs wrote: post #20
LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #8

Hrm. Memories. One of the few games I played. And the only one where I almost always won when we did it over LAN! edit: For comparison, in C&C, about the same epoch in the first variants I always lost, because I mistook it for SimCity, building defences, infra, etc. And then the masses of enemies came. Boohoohooo! But Descent was my thing, easily.

> And the only one where I almost always won when we did it over LAN! Me too! I'd say we should fight, but that game is to blame for my tendonitis and last time I played, I couldn't type for several days. My superpower was that I played without autoleveling and didn't get disoriented. Can't pull wacky 0g maneuvers if you've got artificial gravity weighing you down...

Yeah, I was the same way. I also used a non standard keybinding which might have a longshot at helping you.

The idea was that halving strafe left and strafe right on separate fingers and similar things was wasteful. So instead I set up each of the 3 strafe dimensions on R/F, E/D, W/S, and roll on Q/A. Between that and using a joystick/trackball I could control all 6 dimensions simultaneously quite easily. So yeah no auto leveling and much better ability to surprise your opponent with unexpected movements.

Even though I didn't get disoriented in game, one thing I did notice is when I played a long session, if I then went for a drive for whatever reason I had a slight feeling of vertigo. So I learned to chill out for a bit after a Descent binge.

Re: D2X-XL – an OpenGL modification of the classic video game Descent 2

#40

Post by binarycrusader »

epalm wrote: post #31
toast0 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

6DOF is hard to control for sure. A joystick with twist assigned to roll works well for heading, but I've never figured out how to best manage translation. Descent has some limits on how fast you can adjust pitch which can be odd for new players (some of the ports can turn those off, but purists may object)

The MS Sidewinder 3D Pro had twist to roll, throttle control for forward/backward, and a 4-way hat switch for translation (aka ‘strafing’, if we’re both taking about the same thing here). It was perfect for Descent. Edit: and Freespace!

Don’t forget the Gravis Phoenix which was truly a high end joystick at that time and perfect for Descent.
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