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Descent 3 Source Code

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Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#191

Post by nicolas_t »

fileeditview wrote: post #109
dcanelhas wrote: post #43

As a 12 yo I learned about IRC from reading the Descent FAQ and tried setting up IHHD to play over a 14,4k modem. I made levels in DEVIL. Today I'm an engineer and game developer. Thanks for putting Descent out into the world. It had a huge impact on me personally.

I often think about what you could learn from trying to run games back in the old days. It was a huge motivation to fix some problem to get a game running. Optimizing the memory in ms-dos because the game needed more etc. Most often getting a game was a journey on its own. Today kids just have 1 gazillion games on their phone. There is no more connection to the system beneath. No work or effort needed. Just download…

And this is why I setup a mister fpga running an atari st for my 3 years old son's first foray into using his own computer. Eventually, we can also use the 486 core to run ms dos :)

I think old computers have a certain amount of simplicity that I think make the user less passive when using them. I also think that older games tend to be both less addictive and leave more to imagination.

Of course that won't be sustainable forever eventually he'll be influenced by his peers to play whatever they're currently playing but I'm hoping that having been exposed to older computers will be beneficial.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#192

Post by MetaWhirledPeas »

otterpro wrote: post #182
rux wrote: post #142

Descent's control system is for me what cemented the "invert Y axis" on the mouse for controlling first person gaming forevermore. My brain absolutely clicked with the 6DoF mindset, but it has meant that all FPS games from that point on had to conform to it, even if the game wasn't in any way flying-based.

I got so used to the inverted-y that it's the first thing I change in the game setting as I just can't play on normal settings on any FPS. I wish that inverted-y was the default for all games. I don't know when I got used to the inverted y, perhaps while playing X-wing or maybe Quake.

X-wing contributed, but so did any flight game really, like Star Fox for the SNES. It only made sense to play Duke Nukem, Quake, and Descent with the same controls.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#193

Post by Cthulhu_ »

ftrobro wrote: post #105
int_19h wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone has it even initially; it really varies from person to person. I suspect that to some extent it is influenced by past exposure to fast-paced first-person games (e.g. FPS when played using the mouse).

I used to get nausea when playing Doom in the nineties, it never got better. But I never get nausea from fps games with slower movement. I suspect the problem with Doom is how quickly you can change direction while running. You can run quite fast and a 90 degree turn doesn't slow you down at all.

Doom does some weird stuff with FOV and how it renders the environment though; newer FPS games have "real" 3D graphics, Doom used some interesting tricks to make things look 3D. The Quake engine was iirc the first "real" 3D engine.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#194

Post by nkrisc »

otterpro wrote: post #182
rux wrote: post #142

Descent's control system is for me what cemented the "invert Y axis" on the mouse for controlling first person gaming forevermore. My brain absolutely clicked with the 6DoF mindset, but it has meant that all FPS games from that point on had to conform to it, even if the game wasn't in any way flying-based.

I got so used to the inverted-y that it's the first thing I change in the game setting as I just can't play on normal settings on any FPS. I wish that inverted-y was the default for all games. I don't know when I got used to the inverted y, perhaps while playing X-wing or maybe Quake.

For me it’s entirely context based. If it’s a flying game, I can only play it if Y is inverted. For an FPS, I can only play without inverted Y.

There’s no real difference between except the context. I just got used to playing FOS games one way, and flight sims the other, and now my brain is wired that way.

Even in games where you can frequently switch between FPS and flying, I can only do both if there’s a separate Y invert setting for each context.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#195

Post by grzeshru »

rux wrote: post #142

Descent's control system is for me what cemented the "invert Y axis" on the mouse for controlling first person gaming forevermore. My brain absolutely clicked with the 6DoF mindset, but it has meant that all FPS games from that point on had to conform to it, even if the game wasn't in any way flying-based.

> "invert Y axis"

Sidewinder Pro reporting in. Is there any other way?

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#196

Post by emorning3 »

jasonjamerson wrote: post #154
rux wrote: post #142

Descent's control system is for me what cemented the "invert Y axis" on the mouse for controlling first person gaming forevermore. My brain absolutely clicked with the 6DoF mindset, but it has meant that all FPS games from that point on had to conform to it, even if the game wasn't in any way flying-based.

A mouse for Descent? We used to play with both hands on the keyboard- look, slide, and spin on the number pad, move, fire, etc. on the far left side. We're we alone?

You weren't alone, but we just used more hands.

I usually did navigation, and my grade school aged son did the shooting while sitting on my lap.

Now he's 33 and I'm 64, we'll have to switch places.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#197

Post by Cthulhu_ »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #82
shermantanktop wrote: post #3

I loved loved loved this game. Never understood why this concept didn’t become a whole genre. No actual up, 360 degree freedom, enemies that were smart and could snipe you. Wasted many hours back then and very eager to try this out.

Elite Dangerous delivers 6 DOF piloting goodness. https://youtu.be/T2-IHgNYaKA https://old.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/16xi20a/dua... https://youtu.be/9U0KNVQmlcM I miss this game... > Never understood why this concept didn’t become a whole genre. Spaceflight simulators have always been niche, unfortunately. Even more niche than flight simulators.

Most of the free roaming part of the game doesn't seem to make much use of this though; all the solar systems are effectively flat, space stations don't have a distinct up or down, granted, but you don't need to fly through tunnels etc.

The pvp mode (Arena?) does offer loads of use for that aspect of it though. But, I could never get on with the combat style, it feels like you spend a lot of time turning your nose to try and get aligned with your target. That may be me failing at it though, but trying to maneuver away to turn around means the enemies are on my tail.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#198

Post by Cthulhu_ »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #65
shermantanktop wrote: post #3

I loved loved loved this game. Never understood why this concept didn’t become a whole genre. No actual up, 360 degree freedom, enemies that were smart and could snipe you. Wasted many hours back then and very eager to try this out.

Freespace was the (un?)official successor. Freespace 2 was incredible and I’d be willing to bet it holds up to this day. Nowadays we have the modern version of Elite Dangerous, but its flight mechanics are too close to aeronautic flight mechanics to compare to Descent.

Wasn't there a different control mode in ED that made it more realistic or more like Descent though? I believe the default is that, where inertia is cancelled out automatically for easier flight.

Of course, to make the game playable and fair there's a maximum speed you can achieve while not in hyperspace.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#199

Post by superkuh »

vsnf wrote: post #9

Now lets see if someone can dredge up the Tribes 2 source code and we'll have a perfect recreation of my summers in the computer labs.

Someone out there has the Tribes 1 source code. The directory listing/dump has been leaked a couple times but never the full code (last time around the "InstantAction" era). I really, really wish it would be. Right now all the Tribes intellectual property is locked up behind "Hirez Games" and they only make microtransaction/pay2win games. "Tribes 3" the recent release is made by employees of this company unfortunately. Not quite a Tribes game.

T2 would be cool too. But nothing tops T1. That said, there's no reason to wait for the source to be leaked to play. http://playt1.com/ has everything you need. The community maintains both the game client and have written multiple custom master servers.

Re: Descent 3 Source Code

#200

Post by Cthulhu_ »

cubefox wrote: post #79
bostik wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Myst may not have launched a genre, but it did establish its own kind of game style. 3D world. Adventure game mechanics, with problems and puzzles - but where progress opens up more puzzles, and where instead of developing the character skills, you develop the story. Slow paced. There have been plenty of games to tap into that style, but not enough or frequently enough to warrant calling them part of a genre. Black D…

I think Myst's innovation was mainly using a first-person perspective with (pre-rendered) scenes of a continuous 3D world. Otherwise it was a point-and-click adventure that arguably didn't reach the heights of some earlier Lucas Arts games. Unfortunately these games went out of fashion because most people want some amount of real-time action in their games. But they still get made occasionally by smaller developers o…

There's Telltale games, but IIRC they are more visual/interactive novels, and I believe there were new Sam and Max games, classic adventure / point and click games. And a new Monkey Island.
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