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General Category => Off the Record => Gaming HQ => Topic started by: Syt on March 16, 2013, 02:46:00 AM

Title: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 16, 2013, 02:46:00 AM
I've been thinking lately. There's plenty classic games that I've played, and many games I've been engrossed by, or deeply impressed by their scope or looks or gameplay.

But there's very few that actually blew me away when I first started playing them. Actually, I think for me there's only been 3 or 4 of them.

C64: Pirates!
One of the first games I sunk endless hours into. Start with a little ship and seek your fortune in the Carribean. The size of the game and its freedom was what kept me glued to the screen. Of course it was a cracked version, but using a copied password list and a real life map of the Carribean was enough to get me started - capturing ships, plundering cities, romancing governors' daughters . . . the scope totally blew me away.

PC: X-Wing
Yes, TIE-Fighter is the superior game. But I'll never forget playing the game at a friend's place the first time - sitting in a X-Wing or Y-Wing cockpit, dogfighting against the Empire, making daring escort or assault runs, all in full 3D! Managing shields and energy settings, thrust etc. It seemed so ultra-realistic at the time, and gave us something we'd dreamed about since we'd been little kids.

XBOX (later PC): Mass Effect 1
Its presentation on XBOX was outstanding for its time, with (almost) realistic faces, fluid dialogues without long, awkward pauses, a beautifully designed universe and a classic space opera plot. The following games expanded the formula, but ME1 had me truly amazed at its beauty and polished presentation. I was deeply impressed by KotOR1/2, but Mass Effect had me absolutely amazed at the time.


But the one game that took the cake (mostly because I had no idea what to expect when I first played it):
PC: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
I was unaware of the TES series up to that point, and actually downloaded a pirated version to see what the fuzz was about (I bought the full version the next day). It was my first real open world experience and I was at a loss for words. A huge world with what felt like nearly unlimited freedom inside it. A strange, weird land with mushroom forests, crustacean shells as houses, weird ruins, and almost every object could be picked up and manipulated - all that in (again, for the time) mindblowing 3D graphics. My head swam when I thought about how much work must have gone into the game, just placing all the objects. You never knew what lay beyond the next corner, behind that next hill. Just exploring the lands had me busy for countless hours. Oblivion left me cold by comparison, but Skyrim rekindled some of that original sense of wonder. Still, Morrowind remains one of my favorite designed worlds in games.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 02:48:50 AM
One stands out: Dungeon Master.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Lucidor on March 16, 2013, 07:27:49 AM
Interceptor for the Amiga. A friend had hooked up his computer to a good stereo. The game had me during the opening credits.

Red Storm Rising gave me the ultimate power trip. Unloading a load full of Harpoons into a carrier group never got old.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Scipio on March 16, 2013, 08:25:18 AM
Pirates!  Maybe the best game ever.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tonitrus on March 16, 2013, 08:49:37 AM
Wing Commander I & II

But I was also younger and more impressionable then.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: crazy canuck on March 16, 2013, 08:51:15 AM
Civilization
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Pedrito on March 16, 2013, 10:39:06 AM
Arcade: Tetris

Pc: Quake, Freespace; Championship Manager 2.

L.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: FunkMonk on March 16, 2013, 10:42:01 AM
TIE Fighter.  :cool:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Liep on March 16, 2013, 10:51:30 AM
Warcraft, Red Alert 2, and Ultimate Soccer Manager 98.

But maybe most of all (and earliest), Sensible World of Soccer.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:54:19 AM
The original Resident Evil.  Got so wrapped up in that, I called off work the next day.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 11:18:47 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:54:19 AM
The original Resident Evil.  Got so wrapped up in that, I called off work the next day.

Why doesn't that happen anymore?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Iormlund on March 16, 2013, 11:37:08 AM
Quite a few back in the day. X-com UFO defense, Panzer General, Civilization, Ascendancy, X-Wing.

Doesn't happen anymore. I think the last one was Homeworld. I still listen to its awesome sound track regularly.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 11:44:47 AM
Quote from: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 11:18:47 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:54:19 AM
The original Resident Evil.  Got so wrapped up in that, I called off work the next day.

Why doesn't that happen anymore?

Because the RE franchise sucks now.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 12:44:59 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 11:44:47 AM
Quote from: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 11:18:47 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:54:19 AM
The original Resident Evil.  Got so wrapped up in that, I called off work the next day.

Why doesn't that happen anymore?

Because the RE franchise sucks now.

Nice dodge.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Eddie Teach on March 16, 2013, 12:55:48 PM
Super Mario Brothers, Civilization, Heroes of Might and Magic
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 01:00:35 PM
Quote from: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 12:44:59 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 11:44:47 AM
Quote from: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 11:18:47 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:54:19 AM
The original Resident Evil.  Got so wrapped up in that, I called off work the next day.

Why doesn't that happen anymore?

Because the RE franchise sucks now.

Nice dodge.

Nice troll.  Nigger.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Scipio on March 16, 2013, 01:18:41 PM
Doom.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: saskganesh on March 16, 2013, 02:03:11 PM
Blitzkrieg by AH (first war game)
T&T (first RPG)

15 years or so later: Civ I

then 10 years after that:
EU (even though I had no idea how to play it)

Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: saskganesh on March 16, 2013, 02:03:41 PM
Damn. Forgot Ultima II
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: mongers on March 16, 2013, 02:10:07 PM
Quote from: saskganesh on March 16, 2013, 02:03:41 PM
Damn. Forgot Ultima II

Old skool.  :cool:

hello Sask, how you doing ?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Brain on March 16, 2013, 02:25:47 PM
We got any unions thread going right now?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tamas on March 16, 2013, 04:18:56 PM
The first Hungarian pen-and-paper RPG. I was like 10, and I had it ordered because the description in the book catalog sounded cool, but I was expecting a boardgame. The whole concept was totally new to me. Fantasy as a literature style, in fact, was totally new to me. Because of these two it had to be the most decisive gaming "encounter" of my life.

Very similar was my chance encounter with a Hungarian WW2 strategic boardgame at a town fair of all places. It was something like between A&A and Third Reich, in the ETO. Was awesome. But it took me like a decade more to realise the whole wargaming hobby was out there in the world, after I got connected to the tubes of the Internets.

Frontier, Elite 2. Boy did I spend a lot of time with that.

EU1 of course. But due to their forum I was already pretty excited by the time I got my hands on my Germany-bought copy.


Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Scipio on March 16, 2013, 04:20:31 PM
Trade Wars.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Maladict on March 16, 2013, 06:18:09 PM
Simcity
Leisure Suit Larry
Civilization
Europa Universalis
Test Drive
Wolfenstein 3d
Command & Conquer
Flight Simulator (not sure which one)
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 16, 2013, 06:47:05 PM
Due to the nature of the question most of these will be older games, (though honestly don't feel so old).  Most of the games were the ones that inspired me to play others of the genre.

Civ 2:  The first 4x game I played.

Fallout: first PC RPG that really captured the tabletop feel for me.

Command & Conquer:  Not the first RTS I played, but first that really got excited about.

Half-life:  First RTS I really enjoyed.  Before that, I felt they had potential but were all dull key searches through mazes.

Final Fantasy: first RPG I remember playing.  It got me interested in tabletop and video game RPGs.

Couple of newer entries:  Company of Heroes which is the best RTS ever made and Arkham City which was the first beat'em-up I played since I was like 12. 

Honerable mention are Wing Commander and MechWarrior, but I never really got into flight sims or space sims or whatever.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: chipwich on March 16, 2013, 06:54:27 PM
Europa Universals 1 and Red Alert 2. Played both of them until I was physically sick.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: 11B4V on March 16, 2013, 07:19:55 PM
Steel Panthers. It's what caused me to get my first computer.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 16, 2013, 07:50:18 PM
Bard's Tale. Wasteland. Fallout. Daggerfall. Morrowind. King of Dragon Pass.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Barrister on March 16, 2013, 07:59:49 PM
Quote from: saskganesh on March 16, 2013, 02:03:41 PM
Damn. Forgot Ultima II

II????

It was IV for me.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 16, 2013, 08:05:56 PM
Quote from: Barrister on March 16, 2013, 07:59:49 PM
Quote from: saskganesh on March 16, 2013, 02:03:41 PM
Damn. Forgot Ultima II

II????

It was IV for me.

Same here. IV was soooooo good.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 16, 2013, 08:06:40 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on March 16, 2013, 07:19:55 PM
Steel Panthers. It's what caused me to get my first computer.

That reminds of one.  Combat Mission.  Despite ugly log-people graphics I was blown away.  The WeGo system was great ( I don't know why everyone didn't adopt that), and the fact that 3D actually added to the game in a substantial way instead of being a graphic gimmick.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: FunkMonk on March 16, 2013, 08:28:44 PM
I'll bite on something a little more recent:

Wargame: European Escalation. The game kinda blurs the lines between RTS and milsim. Really top notch gameplay. The multiplayer was a revelation.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 16, 2013, 08:34:47 PM
I've been playing the single player on that.  Game is tough.  I'm on the second campaign.  I thought it did have a realistic scenario where the Polish army mutinies and starts attacking Soviet formations.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: FunkMonk on March 16, 2013, 08:40:57 PM
The singleplayer is okay but it really shines in multiplayer. Good news is that a sequel is coming out this year with a dynamic singleplayer campaign (:w00t:) and 10vs10 multiplayer matches  :cool:

I'm going to enjoy watching my squadron of Frogfoots strafe NATO convoys.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2013, 08:45:47 PM
Panzer General II, Civ II, EUI, Close Combat.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:47:27 PM
Hmmmmm, close combat 2. Watching Polish paras get ripped appart by mg42's. my boner just grew more.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 16, 2013, 08:48:22 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:47:27 PM
Hmmmmm, close combat 2. Watching Polish paras get ripped appart by mg42's. my boner just grew more.

Alert the men: I'm up to 3 inches!
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:48:48 PM
Red Storm Rising. The fate of the free world rests on me putting harpoons into the Kirov? Major sub boner.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:49:38 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 16, 2013, 08:48:22 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:47:27 PM
Hmmmmm, close combat 2. Watching Polish paras get ripped appart by mg42's. my boner just grew more.

Alert the men: I'm up to 3 inches!

That is very hurtful.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: FunkMonk on March 16, 2013, 08:50:58 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:47:27 PM
Hmmmmm, close combat 2. Watching Polish paras get ripped appart by mg42's. my boner just grew more.

Holy shit I forgot about that game. That goes right up there with TIE Fighter for me.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 16, 2013, 08:51:31 PM
Little red splotches everywhere.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2013, 09:10:08 PM
Oh yeah, and Imperialism II.

I've got a thing for II games.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: 11B4V on March 16, 2013, 10:04:44 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 16, 2013, 08:06:40 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on March 16, 2013, 07:19:55 PM
Steel Panthers. It's what caused me to get my first computer.

That reminds of one.  Combat Mission.  Despite ugly log-people graphics I was blown away.  The WeGo system was great ( I don't know why everyone didn't adopt that), and the fact that 3D actually added to the game in a substantial way instead of being a graphic gimmick.

Super pick :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:07:02 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 16, 2013, 08:05:56 PM
Quote from: Barrister on March 16, 2013, 07:59:49 PM
It was IV for me.

Same here. IV was soooooo good.

Yeah, that game totally rocked.  Back when they packaged games like they should.  Manuals, a cloth map, an ankh.  It was like a cereal box prize orgasm.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tonitrus on March 16, 2013, 10:14:13 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 16, 2013, 10:07:02 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 16, 2013, 08:05:56 PM
Quote from: Barrister on March 16, 2013, 07:59:49 PM
It was IV for me.

Same here. IV was soooooo good.

Yeah, that game totally rocked.  Back when they packaged games like they should.  Manuals, a cloth map, an ankh.  It was like a cereal box prize orgasm.

And nowadays you get a .pdf manual and a license agreement that says you don't even own the bytes on your computer. :(
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 17, 2013, 12:02:31 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 16, 2013, 08:06:40 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on March 16, 2013, 07:19:55 PM
Steel Panthers. It's what caused me to get my first computer.

That reminds of one.  Combat Mission.  Despite ugly log-people graphics I was blown away.  The WeGo system was great ( I don't know why everyone didn't adopt that), and the fact that 3D actually added to the game in a substantial way instead of being a graphic gimmick.


Good call, but for some reason CMBO didn't quite impress me like CMBB.



Btw, there were some games on SNES that were jaw dropping good - F-Zero with its incredible speed, Contra III with its excellent action and soundtrack, and Zelda which felt absolutely epic. Actually, the original NES Zelda had me so drawn in I created a simple board game version of it.  :blush:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 17, 2013, 12:21:06 AM
Yeah Zelda 1 and 3 were fantastic.  I first played Zelda 1 in a Walmart before I could convince my folks to buy me one.  I remember not being able to distinguish what the hell I was fighting most of the time, but it was one of the first games were you could explore.  I got a paper route so I could buy a SNES, and there were some great games on that.  The Zelda game for that was fantastic.

Sometimes it's small things in PC games that impress me.  Like I remember in Doom 3 you when typed in a keypad it didn't change to a different screen.  That impressed the hell out of me.  Likewise in Half-life 2 where you could see several monitors where things were going on and it didn't have to change screens for that also impressed me.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 17, 2013, 12:35:00 AM
Those little details are great. One of my favorite details in most recent Bethesda games are the doors; I first noticed this in their Fallout. They only open in one direction, as proper doors do. The vast majority of games out there is lazy and has "swinging" doors that open in either direction when you walk through them.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Viking on March 17, 2013, 01:39:17 AM
Harpoon (in addition to others mentioned here).

My best moment. I took on the entire russian north fleet with the illustrious and support ships. Never in the course of electronic events have simulated AEW helecopters done more for the cause of sinking simulated russian guided missile cruisers. The fuckers chased me from the faroes to le havre while I launched 20 strike missions with my 6 harriers one after the other until they ran out of air defense missiles. If the bastards had found me once the sky would have darkened with soviet SSNs.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 17, 2013, 01:58:04 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 17, 2013, 12:21:06 AM
Yeah Zelda 1 and 3 were fantastic.

Yes.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 17, 2013, 06:27:58 AM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 17, 2013, 01:58:04 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 17, 2013, 12:21:06 AM
Yeah Zelda 1 and 3 were fantastic.

Yes.

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqFddf2f.png&hash=650f27f971d090d7674414aad477c4ff86765117)

This one was less fantastic.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: DontSayBanana on March 17, 2013, 10:25:47 AM
Battlezone

For a kid who started with firing bananas from a cannon at King Kong on a 386, this was an eye-opener.  Probably my first 3D game.

Flight Simulator 98

The amount of graphic goodness Microsoft Studios packed into that game was almost completely unprecedented- I lost many a night doing flyovers of my home and running flight paths to distant friends and relatives' locales.

X-wing vs TIE Fighter, then TIE Fighter, in rapid succession

A friend let me borrow the Collector's Edition 3-pack.  At first, I got sucked in by the better graphics on XvT, but once I got into the TIE Fighter campaign... to this day, no flight sim has been able to dethrone TIE Fighter for me.  Not even X-Wing: Alliance.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

This game was just pure "nucking futs," as my dad would put it.  You start off playing a Zelda game, crawling the dungeons, and just when you think the game's over, it fakes you out and starts you off completely new as an adult.  The game's one of the best-balanced I've ever seen, and some of it was just completely off the rails (thinking particularly of the twisty corridors in the Forest Temple, the leaps of faith in the Shadow Temple)... it could be remade with better graphics (which they did slightly up for the 3DS remake), but the game was insanely advanced for the time, and it's held up incredibly well since then.

Some honorable mentions...

Angband

My first Roguelike; I was skeptical that you could do that much with an ASCII character set, but I've since lost entire nights to that one.

Metroid Prime

I found the game to be kinda "meh" in the end, but it sure was gorgeous.  Probably marked the first game I played with water physics.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 17, 2013, 11:53:49 AM
For nostalgia's sake I re-installed Morrowind, with the Complete Overhaul mod. It sucks me back in.  :blush:

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthenexusnews.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FMorrowind-Overhaul-3.0-2.jpg&hash=67e889ba8f89085e61f30534a85ff86ee62ae9a9)

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Foblivion.nexusmods.com%2Fimages%2F41808-1296411867.jpg&hash=4f352fac5176ca6521704e6de6c943b054bc3d34)
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ideologue on March 17, 2013, 12:38:21 PM
Street Fighter II: Championship Edition.  I'd always wanted to play as Vega, Sagat, or Bison, and now I could.  Those three are still my favorite characters.  Along with the tweaks to the original characters, SF2:CE is pretty much the perfect SF game, never surpassed, and if it was, only by its own Hyper Fighting variant.  It also had the advantage of not requiring thousands of hours of practice and the reflexes of a replicant to even maintain a competitive edge, let alone master it, unlike some latterday entries into the series.

Mortal Kombat II was also a sequel that far outshone the original, at least for me, even though MK1 was really great.  You get to be Shang Tsung, and by extension have access to every move by every selectable character in the game, including their fatalities?  And that awesome one/two/three fireball?  Excelsior.

EU2 and WiTP of course.

Super Mario Bros. 3.  Amazing level design throughout.  I've still never beaten it on the game's terms, but I feel that I did in spirit, since I killed Bowser (I just happened to fall in the pit after him -_- ).
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Warspite on March 17, 2013, 04:23:07 PM
Space Quest
Civ 1
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
SimCity 2000
Mechwarriors 2
Command and Conquer
Battlezone
Fallout
Half Life
European Air War
Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord

Guess I haven't really been "blown away" since adulthood - a lot less time to get sucked into games. :(
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: 11B4V on March 17, 2013, 05:01:36 PM
Quote from: Warspite on March 17, 2013, 04:23:07 PM
Mechwarriors 2
European Air War
:(

Forgot about MW2, I also liked Mech Commander.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: katmai on March 17, 2013, 05:10:22 PM
Red Baron
Aces of the pacific
Wasteland
Front Page Sports Football
Pong
to name a few.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: mongers on March 17, 2013, 06:39:52 PM
I don't think any game has "blown me away", maybe more a long the lines of "cool, that's a neat game".

So for that criteria, Civ 5 G&K is doing it for me now.

In the past:

Arcade - 'Defender' 'Space Invaders' 'Crazy Planets' 'Star Wars'

ZX Spectrum - 'Codename Mat'

PC - 'Day of the Tentacle', 'Gods', 'Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe', 'Gunship 2000', 'Civilization II', 'Master of Magic', 'Populous 2', 'Europa Universalis 1 & 2' 'Hearts of Iron', 'Lord of the Realms', 'Transport Tycoon Deluxe', 'Nox', plus a few more I'm bound to have missed.


edit:

How could I forget the original 'Colonization'.  :cool:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: crazy canuck on March 17, 2013, 08:02:08 PM
I think I saw a Sask sighting  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 18, 2013, 03:27:54 PM
Quote from: mongers on March 17, 2013, 06:39:52 PM
'Nox'

Holy shit, I loved that game. I especially loved playing Ogreball online.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Bluebook on March 18, 2013, 05:58:31 PM
Elite
Aces of the deep
X-com
Gunship
Silent service II
Defender of the crown
Their finest hour
Kampfgruppe
Empire
Baldurs gate
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: MadImmortalMan on March 18, 2013, 06:57:57 PM
Privateer
Star Control 2
Daggerfall

I didn't realize that I was experiencing about the best feeling I could get from games at the time.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 18, 2013, 06:59:49 PM
Hey Syt, this was a good thread idea.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Duque de Bragança on March 18, 2013, 07:07:40 PM
At least the following:

Fallout 1 & 2
Secret of Mana
Ogre Battle
Civilization
Panzer General
Target Renegade
Arkanoid (got me into videogames and discovered at school as part of discovering IT; more interesting than LOGO)
Europa Universalis II
Close Combat II

more coming later

Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Eddie Teach on March 18, 2013, 07:35:16 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 17, 2013, 08:02:08 PM
I think I saw a Sask sighting  :thumbsup:

You only think you think that.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: saskganesh on March 18, 2013, 08:05:16 PM
Indeed. It's a myth.

I said Ultima II because it was state of the art for what, 1982? Computer games were forbidden at school so we had to find the sneaky ways of playing it, which added to the allure.

Liked IV of course as well. I don't think I played III.

In other news, I'm OK. That's all I got.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Jacob on March 18, 2013, 08:42:35 PM
In more or less chronological order:

Wizardry
Leisure Suit Larry
Football Manager
Defender of the Crown
Civ 2, later Civ 4
Dune II
Privateer
EU 1
Neverwinter Nights
World of Warcraft
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Eddie Teach on March 18, 2013, 09:16:11 PM
Quote from: Jacob on March 18, 2013, 08:42:35 PM
In more or less chronological order:

World of Warcraft

:huh:

Didn't you quit after like a week?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: frunk on March 18, 2013, 09:18:06 PM
Civ
M.U.L.E.
Masters of Orion and MOO II
Neverwinter Nights
Panzer General and PG II
EU II
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: mongers on March 18, 2013, 10:02:20 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 18, 2013, 03:27:54 PM
Quote from: mongers on March 17, 2013, 06:39:52 PM
'Nox'

Holy shit, I loved that game. I especially loved playing Ogreball online.

Yeah, still have the cd somewhere, it plays on under XP too. 

Never tried the ogreball.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 18, 2013, 10:42:22 PM
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 16, 2013, 08:49:37 AM
Wing Commander I & II

But I was also younger and more impressionable then.
Me too.

Then next game that did that was Halflife.

Graphically both World in Conflict and Crysis were stunningly good looking for their time and genres. WiC was really fun too.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Jacob on March 18, 2013, 10:53:07 PM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on March 18, 2013, 09:16:11 PMDidn't you quit after like a week?

Playing with you guys, yeah.

I was playing on a PvP server with my GF at the time (she was the one who got me into the game to begin with). In the days before the Battlegrounds the open world slaughterfests at Tauren Mills where pretty entertaining. The first year or so of battlegrounds were good too, back when you could twink properly. I got a good two or three years of 20-40 hrs/week play in before we broke up :)
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Habbaku on March 18, 2013, 11:24:33 PM
X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter was an eye-opener for me.  Combined with Diablo and Warcraft I/II, I lost most of a summer to the PC.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 19, 2013, 12:06:03 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 18, 2013, 06:59:49 PM
Hey Syt, this was a good thread idea.

Thanks. :)
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 19, 2013, 12:14:24 AM
Quote from: Jacob on March 18, 2013, 08:42:35 PM
World of Warcraft

My first MMO was Star Wars Galaxies; its system really impressed me - player driven economy, freeform class systems etc. Unfortunately the balancing was crap, and they "fixed" it by turning the game into action junk. The huge planets were amazing (the lifeless suburban sprawl of player houses around cities less so).

I played WoW in 2005 for a couple of months with the Paradox clan at the time (Mithril Guard) on the EU servers. I was amazed by this huge, detailed world, the smooth gameplay and fun cartoony visuals. I got to around level 40, but then the game turned into a massive grind for me and I stopped playing. My initial reaction (coming off SWG) was that the game system would be great for a Star Wars MMO. Well, we have The Old Republic now which does pretty much that . . . only a couple years late, when other MMOs have advanced the "classic" formula a fair bit (Age of Conan's more action oriented combat, Guild Wars 2's removal of time sinks etc.).

Another MMO that recently impressed me was EVE Online. Considering that the whole game is player driven (except the missions you can pick up), it's amazing what they've done there. 10 years running, constantly evolving, this is by now easily one of the most complex games I've encountered, and the fact that the economy runs completely on player interaction is one hell of an achievement. I would have kept playing, but with limited time there's only so much you can do - the game is slow paced, so doing anything that requires you leaving the station you're docked at can take a while.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Eddie Teach on March 19, 2013, 12:34:00 AM
Quote from: Syt on March 19, 2013, 12:14:24 AM
. I got to around level 40, but then the game turned into a massive grind for me and I stopped playing.

Yeah back then questing was a real chore after 40, there were few decent quest hubs and the levels went by pretty slowly. However, I'd played a couple earlier mmos and they were even grindier, so I managed to stick it out. Shortly after reaching 60, they introduced Warsong Gulch and that was the point I fell in love with the game.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 19, 2013, 12:36:05 AM
To be fair, I think playing on a PvP server also killed it for me at the time - nothing like wanting to do some quests in Stranglethorn Vale and then spending half the evening getting ganked by bored level 60 rogues. :blush:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 19, 2013, 04:50:41 AM
No MMO really did much for me.  I guess I should mention Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Alpha Centuari.  Both great games.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: FunkMonk on March 19, 2013, 08:04:31 AM
Sid Meier's Gettysburg, forgot about that one. Good choice.

Also I'll put forward NFL Blitz. That game rocked.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Queequeg on March 19, 2013, 08:14:14 AM
Anarchy online was the only MMO that did that for me.
Fallout
System Shock 2
Jade Empire
688i
EF-2000
Shogun:Total War
Darklands
Half Life and Half Life 2
I pretty much loved Arcanum at first sight
Thief 2
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 19, 2013, 10:42:37 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 17, 2013, 06:27:58 AM
This one was less fantastic.

Well, you know, sometimes we are error.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tamas on March 19, 2013, 11:54:06 AM
You guys listed some games I should have mentioned. Alpha Centauri and Aces of the Deep, most notably.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Liep on March 19, 2013, 12:40:26 PM
Quote from: Jacob on March 18, 2013, 08:42:35 PM
Neverwinter Nights

I had forgot about that one, great game.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: DGuller on March 19, 2013, 02:01:02 PM
If by blown away you mean "why is my alarm going off, I haven't gone to bed yet?", then Civ2, Civ3, Civ4, and Civ5 would definitely be at the top of my list.  I've also been obsessed with the first attempt at a racing sim with realistic physics called Grand Prix Legends, and it was my first serious experience with multiplayer.  I've also been highly impressed with GTA IV, just due to how seamlessly they've managed to create an entire city that you can just explore without a mission in mind.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 05:57:35 PM
The one game I didn't see here that I would add is Balance of Power.  Flawed and frustrating, yet very sophisticated for its time.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 20, 2013, 06:00:45 PM
I should have been rewarded for causing WWIII. Chris Crawford sucks.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 06:02:36 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 20, 2013, 06:00:45 PM
I should have been rewarded for causing WWIII. Chris Crawford sucks.

Russians had more nukes and we had better cities so no you shouldn't.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 20, 2013, 06:04:04 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 06:02:36 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 20, 2013, 06:00:45 PM
I should have been rewarded for causing WWIII. Chris Crawford sucks.

Russians had more nukes and we had better cities so no you shouldn't.

You're no fun.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 06:07:00 PM
And you evaded my trap.  :(
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tonitrus on March 20, 2013, 06:12:44 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 05:57:35 PM
The one game I didn't see here that I would add is Balance of Power.  Flawed and frustrating, yet very sophisticated for its time.

BoP was good.

BoP: Multipolar Edition was superior.

Games "that blew me away" is often a bit too strong for the usual reaction.  But other games I remember enjoying intensely (and could likely still play today):

- Alpha Centauri
- Seven Cities of Gold
- Ancient Art of War at Sea
- Command HQ
- Ultima V
- Ultima VI
- V for Victory: Velikiye Luki
- V for Victory: Utah Beach
- V for Victory: Market Garden
- Defender of the Crown
- Civ I & II
- Half-Life
- Half-Life: Counterstrike mod
- Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat mod
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 20, 2013, 06:30:26 PM
Quote from: Syt on March 19, 2013, 12:36:05 AM
To be fair, I think playing on a PvP server also killed it for me at the time - nothing like wanting to do some quests in Stranglethorn Vale and then spending half the evening getting ganked by bored level 60 rogues. :blush:

:unsure:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 20, 2013, 06:31:57 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on March 20, 2013, 05:57:35 PM
The one game I didn't see here that I would add is Balance of Power.  Flawed and frustrating, yet very sophisticated for its time.

I was going to mention it, but then I fell asleep.  Like I did when I'd load it on my old Tandy.
I still have the book he wrote about it, though.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Caliga on March 20, 2013, 08:15:15 PM
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 20, 2013, 06:12:44 PM
- Seven Cities of Gold
Greatest computer game of all time. :cool:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Neil on March 20, 2013, 09:23:11 PM
SimCity
Wing Commander I, III and Privateer.
X-Wing
Civilization
Star Control II
Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII and X
Chronotrigger
Xenogears
Super Street Fighter II
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Mass Effect
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ideologue on March 20, 2013, 11:28:37 PM
Quote from: Neil on March 20, 2013, 09:23:11 PM
Super Street Fighter II

Hm.  Super, not CE?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 21, 2013, 12:16:59 AM
Quote from: Caliga on March 20, 2013, 08:15:15 PM
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 20, 2013, 06:12:44 PM
- Seven Cities of Gold
Greatest computer game of all time. :cool:

You might be interested in Pioneers (http://www.destructoid.com/explore-the-four-colored-world-in-pioneers-248697.phtml), then (still in alpha, but supposedly already quite playable).
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Caliga on March 21, 2013, 05:01:51 AM
 :w00t: 'Liked' on Steam.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Neil on March 21, 2013, 07:43:02 AM
Quote from: Ideologue on March 20, 2013, 11:28:37 PM
Quote from: Neil on March 20, 2013, 09:23:11 PM
Super Street Fighter II
Hm.  Super, not CE?
I suppose you could just say SF2, since I first played and loved the original.  But Super was the best incarnation and the one I played the most.  Cammy and T-Hawk for the win.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 21, 2013, 01:07:46 PM
Quote from: Syt on March 21, 2013, 12:16:59 AM
Quote from: Caliga on March 20, 2013, 08:15:15 PM
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 20, 2013, 06:12:44 PM
- Seven Cities of Gold
Greatest computer game of all time. :cool:

You might be interested in Pioneers (http://www.destructoid.com/explore-the-four-colored-world-in-pioneers-248697.phtml), then (still in alpha, but supposedly already quite playable).

Holy shit, I WANT THAT.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 21, 2013, 01:38:18 PM
http://eigen.pri.ee/pioneers/#download

http://eigen.pri.ee/pioneers/#support
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: crazy canuck on March 21, 2013, 02:19:05 PM
Please let us know when this is ready for purchase
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Caliga on March 22, 2013, 09:55:41 AM
Hee, I got Seven Cities of Gold sort of working on my Nexus 10 tablet with a Commodore 64 emulator.  I say 'sort of' because the game will load and you can start playing it, but when you try to board your ship the sprite representing your captain just walks clear off the top of the screen, then comes back on to the screen from the bottom, looping forever. :lol:

Maybe I'll get an Atari 800 emulator and try the Atari version.  I've heard it's better than the Commodore version anyway.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 10:54:13 AM
Quote from: Caliga on March 22, 2013, 09:55:41 AM


Maybe I'll get an Atari 800 emulator and try the Atari version.  I've heard it's better than the Commodore version anyway.

HERESY!
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 22, 2013, 11:00:39 AM
Oh, how could I forget Nethack and Dwarf Fortress in this thread?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:03:26 AM
You assholes are making want to break out the emulators.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 22, 2013, 11:11:55 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:03:26 AM
You assholes are making want to break out the emulators.

DO IT MAN EVERYBODY'S DOING IT
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: CountDeMoney on March 22, 2013, 11:15:33 AM
Hell, even I dug up my old Odyssey2 out of my parents' basement.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:15:58 AM
 :lol:

Another game I loved: Colonial Conquest by SSI. Totally unhistorical, but still groovy.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Caliga on March 22, 2013, 12:44:35 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 10:54:13 AM
Quote from: Caliga on March 22, 2013, 09:55:41 AM


Maybe I'll get an Atari 800 emulator and try the Atari version.  I've heard it's better than the Commodore version anyway.

HERESY!
SRSLY?

The original platform for the game was the Atari, so it stands to reason Dan Bunten put the most work into that version and probably got pressured to rush through all of the ports when the game started selling well.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 22, 2013, 02:18:09 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:03:26 AM
You assholes are making want to break out the emulators.

I've recently playing some old SNES games again. Still, I can't find an emu that can handle the full sound of Contra III.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 22, 2013, 02:18:59 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:15:58 AM
:lol:

Another game I loved: Colonial Conquest by SSI. Totally unhistorical, but still groovy.

I played that often with two friends. It was always a nailbiter - is it just one really long combat round or has the game crashed again?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Caliga on March 22, 2013, 02:41:29 PM
 :lol:

Me when loading Wasteland on my Commodore 64 1541 floppy drive:

*fingers crossed* "PLEASEDONTCRASHTHISTIMEPLEASEDONTCRASHTHISTIMEPLEASEDONTCRASHTHISTIME" *fingers crossed*
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 22, 2013, 02:46:44 PM
I couldn't finish Champions of Krynn because disk side E had a glitch when you entered a certain (necessary) quest location. <_<
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 22, 2013, 04:15:33 PM
For a while I had a bad Disk 2 for Bard's Tale III. <_<
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: The Brain on March 22, 2013, 04:55:25 PM
Cassette tapes ruled.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Valmy on March 22, 2013, 05:00:48 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 22, 2013, 04:15:33 PM
For a while I had a bad Disk 2 for Bard's Tale III. <_<

Stupid Tenebrosia!  Hated that place.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Tonitrus on March 22, 2013, 06:08:02 PM
Also, from the Apple II days....

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F43186-ali-baba-and-the-forty-thieves-apple-ii-screenshot-title-screens.gif&hash=4cbc8ee756d1013ca8c09b98b03295b3370cbc65)

Conan
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F42895-conan-hall-of-volta-apple-ii-screenshot-title-screen-1s.gif&hash=f4f5479cd64b3f2ec754fdf0f707896245091868)


And the early PC days...

I also remember, very early in my PC-gaming life, an adventure game based on the Ring of the Nibelungen legend that I played an awful lot...

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F695-icon-quest-for-the-ring-dos-screenshot-title-screens.gif&hash=30e3c02e6a4aaf8471dbf402ab85423b8f352fe2)

My first favorite PC strategy game:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F14612-sword-of-aragon-dos-screenshot-title-screens.gif&hash=c3d948d394ecece199721dc8a7871cf6d40fdca4)

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F14616-sword-of-aragon-dos-screenshot-tactical-views.gif&hash=2c4ea374c54b33cb617841cf7b52dbd9d51d80d1)
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Duque de Bragança on March 22, 2013, 06:20:54 PM
Quote from: Syt on March 22, 2013, 02:18:09 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 22, 2013, 11:03:26 AM
You assholes are making want to break out the emulators.

I've recently playing some old SNES games again. Still, I can't find an emu that can handle the full sound of Contra III.

:yuk:

It must be played on a Super Nes with a proper pad and at 60 hz!   :nerd: :menace:
CRT or scan lines-enhancing device on a flat screen, ideally.  :smarty:
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Scipio on March 23, 2013, 09:18:34 AM
Nuclear War.  That was a fun game.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Queequeg on March 23, 2013, 01:02:17 PM
Why would someone name a fantasy kingdom after a real kingdom?
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: garbon on March 23, 2013, 01:15:51 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on March 23, 2013, 01:02:17 PM
Why would someone name a fantasy kingdom after a real kingdom?

Why not? It sounds exotic and most who played the game probably hadn't heard of the real one.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 23, 2013, 05:41:12 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on March 23, 2013, 01:02:17 PM
Why would someone name a fantasy kingdom after a real kingdom?

Cause coming up with a large number of fantasy place names is hard.  It's not uncommon for authors or game designers to steal names.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Eddie Teach on March 23, 2013, 05:52:27 PM
Fantasy names should be evocative, just randomly splicing syllables together doesn't make for good names even if they are generally original.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on March 24, 2013, 12:13:45 AM
Ideally, they should also follow a certain logic. Does your made up fantasy land have a common word for "City", "Fort(ress)", "Settlement", "Village", "Crossing" etc. that should appear in location names (Minas Tirtih, Minas Morgul)? Or do you create fictional names in your own language based on your setting (think the Shire: Frogmorton, Bywater, Depphollow, Tuckborough . . .).
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Warspite on March 24, 2013, 12:03:31 PM
It's annoying when fantasy authors, whether in books or games, seem to think that throwing in Qs, gutteral stops and consonant strings suffice to indicate an exotic language.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Alcibiades on March 24, 2013, 12:39:06 PM
Grand Theft Auto 3,  completely blew me away with its sandbox nature.


World War 2 online, also.   Such great times, really miss playing it but don't think it will be the same if I try again..
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Drakken on March 25, 2013, 07:25:30 PM
Quote from: Alcibiades on March 24, 2013, 12:39:06 PM
World War 2 online, also.   Such great times, really miss playing it but don't think it will be the same if I try again..

Agreed. Me as a French tank commander in a Kursk-like heavily exchanged tank battle with the Nazis is among the best recollections of my gaming life.

Sadly, though, still no Artillery. <_<
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 26, 2013, 12:33:16 AM
Quote from: Syt on March 24, 2013, 12:13:45 AM
Ideally, they should also follow a certain logic. Does your made up fantasy land have a common word for "City", "Fort(ress)", "Settlement", "Village", "Crossing" etc. that should appear in location names (Minas Tirtih, Minas Morgul)? Or do you create fictional names in your own language based on your setting (think the Shire: Frogmorton, Bywater, Depphollow, Tuckborough . . .).

Tolkien had the benefit of being a linguist.  Still he stole names like almost all of the Dwarf names, and the names of Frodo and his father Drogo.  I do agree that names should have a ryme or reason.  I remember the old AD&D campaign Birthright, where they needed to create hundreds of names for provinces.  For most of the names they looked at real world place names and changed a syllable or letter. It worked fairly well.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: fhdz on March 26, 2013, 02:22:12 AM
TONIGHT WE JOURNEY FROM STAIN TO FLANCE
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Razgovory on March 26, 2013, 09:22:58 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 26, 2013, 02:22:12 AM
TONIGHT WE JOURNEY FROM STAIN TO FLANCE

Hey, the Prussians got away with it.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on March 26, 2013, 09:41:43 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 26, 2013, 02:22:12 AM
TONIGHT WE JOURNEY FROM STAIN TO FLANCE

Maps by Timmay.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Scipio on March 26, 2013, 09:50:05 PM
Quote from: fahdiz on March 26, 2013, 02:22:12 AM
TONIGHT WE JOURNEY FROM STAIN TO FLANCE
I think you mean Stain to Prance.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Solmyr on March 30, 2013, 09:01:51 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 26, 2013, 12:33:16 AM
I remember the old AD&D campaign Birthright, where they needed to create hundreds of names for provinces.  For most of the names they looked at real world place names and changed a syllable or letter. It worked fairly well.

Unless you knew the original languages those names were taken from. :D
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Syt on April 04, 2013, 11:39:00 AM
I'll have to add Bioshock Infinite to the list. The game on highest details in 1920x1200 looks gorgeous, not least thanks to the beautiful and meticulously designed game world. I think it's not been since Morrowind that I stopped so often just to gaze/drool over the scenery of a game.

Not to mention the story/finale that'll keep me thinking for a fair while.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: KRonn on April 05, 2013, 03:00:36 PM
Civilization most versions especially I & II since it was such a new concept. X-Com: UFO Defense, Sim City, Darklands, Patrician 2 & 3. Empire and Stars! Also probably Hearts of Iron, Europa Universalis. I'm sure a couple of others as well that I can't think of.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on April 06, 2013, 01:19:38 PM
StarDrive has kind of blown me away. It isn't really that I haven't seen anything like it or whatever, its more that it's so fun and good (imo, of course. Ymmv) for a beta made by one dude.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Warspite on April 07, 2013, 07:42:28 AM
WW2 Online never really grabbed me. I signed up, joined a clan, but even then I found most battles to be disorganised run-arounds a la OPF rather than a simulation of mid-century combined arms combat. Call me a miserable old git but just throwing in historical equipment doesn't make a game "realistic" for me, which was supposed to be WW2OL's selling point. A good clan v clan CounterStrike game I found much more entertaining.
Title: Re: Games that absolutely blew you away when you first played them?
Post by: Ed Anger on April 07, 2013, 07:43:57 AM
I liked to grenade spam in the original Medal of Honor. See a wall? Toss 3 grenades over it.  :)