AZ?Å$0H‹break break> Program terminated with signal 11,
Segmentation fault.
../sysdeps/i386/i686/multiarch/../../i586/strlen.S:99
99 H‰Paèî ../sysdeps/i386/i686/multiarch/../../i586/strlen.S:
file not Timing (msec): Total run %d..... Startup - MD
initialization UATAUAVAWH?b$0þÿ
Parsing <not found>
Emitting MD %d.....
><entering diagnostic console mode>
> <warning: Anomaly detected in laboratory><locks disengaged><security sysssssssAWH?¬$0þÿ ms not enabled>
> <recording/transcribing>
"... eah, this is definitely the place. Wow. What a mess.
There are floppy disks everywhere. No, I'm pretty sure...
yeah, this has to be it. Man, this terminal is ancient.
> <signal lost>
> <signal regained>
"...it's got to be the source of the... yeah, it looks like
it crashed or something... I don't know. I swear, I think it's
still using vaccuum tubes. But...
> <signal lost>
> <signal regained>
"... just reboot it and see what happens. What's the
worst that could happen, right? Okay. I think this is
the power button. Yeah. It's off. And... back on. Is
that any...
> <signal lost>
> <signal regained>
><system restoration in progress... 10%... 25%... >
"Okay, good. I wanna get out of here; it's creepy. Yeah,
I'll call you back when I'm in the office. Yeah, see you
then."
><system restoration in progress... 57%... 94%... 100%>
> <security system re-enabled> <x-lasers re-enabled> <anomaly terminated> <iniating cleanup routines
>.. .. .. .. done!>
><re-engaging personality module TA14SPALLSH_v702. Exiting diagnostic console mode>
>.. .. .. ..
>.. .. .. ..
>.. .. .. ..

01001000 01101111 00101101 01101000o-ho-ho!

Whoa. That was weird. My clock's off. I guess I overslept. Sorry about
that. It's been a busy few days of giving away games. But it's
probably for the best that I got some rest! We got so many more games
ahead of us!

Like these games!

* Call of Juarez
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
"Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
like it.

* Valfaris
https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
"Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
challenging platformer!

There you go! Two more games, and another day closer to THE BIG DAY!
Hope you have fun with these. As for me, I gotta get a move on. My
whole schedule has been thrown out of whack; I got a lot to catch up
on. But I'll be back tomorrow with more games!

Ho-ho-ho!

<system terminated>

On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:30:04 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>* Call of Juarez
>https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
> like it.
>
>
>
>* Valfaris
>https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
> "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
> away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
> yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
> deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
> you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
> don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
> than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
> example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
> another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
> challenging platformer!

I will pass on both games.

Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
end or yours.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
....
> Like these games!

> * Call of Juarez
> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
> like it.

I'm pretty sure I played its OK demo back then so pass. Outlaws rocked.

> * Valfaris
> https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
> "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
> away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
> yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
> deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
> you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
> don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
> than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
> example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
> another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
> challenging platformer!

"Valfaris is already in your Steam library". :P

> There you go! Two more games, and another day closer to THE BIG DAY!
> Hope you have fun with these. As for me, I gotta get a move on. My
> whole schedule has been thrown out of whack; I got a lot to catch up
> on. But I'll be back tomorrow with more games!

> Ho-ho-ho!

Yeah, Monday started out busy for me too! It's not over yet!
--
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." --Romans 12:16
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:30:04 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
> <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> >* Call of Juarez
> >https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
> > There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
> > There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
> > in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
> > Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
> > is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
> > "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
> > captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
> > are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
> > the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
> > what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
> > like it.
> >
> >
> >
> >* Valfaris
> >https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
> > "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
> > away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
> > yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
> > deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
> > you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
> > don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
> > than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
> > example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
> > another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
> > challenging platformer!

> I will pass on both games.

> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
> end or yours.

I was thinking he did that on purpose.
--
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." --Romans 12:16
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:20:33 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:

>> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
>> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
>> end or yours.
>
>I was thinking he did that on purpose.

Do you think Spalls might actually really be Shodan?

How did we miss this?

--
Rob

On 2024-12-16, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> * Call of Juarez
> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
> like it.

Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(

--
Don't be afraid of the deep...
--[ bbs.bottomlessabyss.net | https | telnet=2023 ]--
--[ /query geeknix on libera.chat | tilde.chat ]--

On 16/12/2024 22:41, Mike S. wrote:
> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
> end or yours.

Much the same as normal but I thought it would be rude to point it out :-)

On 17/12/2024 08:00, Geeknix wrote:
> On 2024-12-16, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>> * Call of Juarez
>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
>> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
>> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
>> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
>> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
>> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
>> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
>> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
>> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
>> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
>> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
>> like it.
>
> Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(
>

You're not really missing out on much to be honest. Out of the series
the one I really like is CoJ:Gun Slinger. That one changes the direction
somewhat as it goes for a more fake tongue-in-cheek Wild West you see in
some movies including the story is kinda played out as a voice over of
sometimes embellished situations. There are even parts where the story
is 'rewound' as some of the details are incorrect. Then you do of course
have the shoot outs so beloved of movies.

Currently it's a whopping £2.19 on Steam and I'd say well worth it at
the price. It's not going to blow you away but it is one of those games
that I found just fun.

On 12/16/2024 3:20 PM, Ant wrote:
> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...
>> Like these games!
>
>> * Call of Juarez
>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
>> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
>> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
>> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
>> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
>> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
>> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
>> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
>> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
>> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
>> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
>> like it.
>
> I'm pretty sure I played its OK demo back then so pass. Outlaws rocked.
>
>
>> * Valfaris
>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
>> "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
>> away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
>> yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
>> deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
>> you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
>> don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
>> than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
>> example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
>> another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
>> challenging platformer!
>
> "Valfaris is already in your Steam library". :P

"Code has already been entered" I'm not sure if this means you blocked
me, or if someone else got it.

I'm not really into platforms any more, I just thought I should try to
get one, and this one looked possibly fun.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

Mr Rob <noemailformethx@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:20:33 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

> >Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:

> >> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
> >> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
> >> end or yours.
> >
> >I was thinking he did that on purpose.

> Do you think Spalls might actually really be Shodan?

> How did we miss this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iZMD_eCpEo

Also, she called me an insect which is true! SS2 rocked except its ending.

I need to play that SS1 remake. I briefly played its prerelease version
back in 2016 or so. It was beautiful and easier to play. So much better
than the original DOS version.

--
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." --Romans 12:17-18. Crappy Mon.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Justisaur <justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 12/16/2024 3:20 PM, Ant wrote:
> > Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> > ...
> >> Like these games!
> >
> >> * Call of Juarez
> >> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
> >> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
> >> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
> >> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
> >> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
> >> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
> >> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
> >> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
> >> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
> >> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
> >> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
> >> like it.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure I played its OK demo back then so pass. Outlaws rocked.
> >
> >
> >> * Valfaris
> >> https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
> >> "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
> >> away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
> >> yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
> >> deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
> >> you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
> >> don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
> >> than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
> >> example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
> >> another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
> >> challenging platformer!
> >
> > "Valfaris is already in your Steam library". :P

> "Code has already been entered" I'm not sure if this means you blocked
> me, or if someone else got it.

Someone already got it. I had to check to see what game this was and saw
I already have it from a few days ago.

> I'm not really into platforms any more, I just thought I should try to
> get one, and this one looked possibly fun.

I loved them like R-Type. I want to play that newer R-Type 1 remaster at least once.
--
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." --Romans 12:17-18. Crappy Mon.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:33:21 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@gmail.com>
wrote:
>On 12/16/2024 3:20 PM, Ant wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>>> * Call of Juarez
>>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/

>> I'm pretty sure I played its OK demo back then so pass. Outlaws rocked.

Yes. Yes it did. But we already had a recent thread about that ;-)

>>> * Valfaris
>>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/

>> "Valfaris is already in your Steam library". :P

>"Code has already been entered" I'm not sure if this means you blocked
>me, or if someone else got it.

Well, I don't know why I'd block you if I could, but I don't have that
power anyway. Once the key goes up, it's free for anyone to try, and
since it's a one-use item, once somebody claims it, everyone else just
gets an error message for their troubles.

It's not really clear if somebody using a key when they already have
the game in their library 'uses it up' or not, but it is possible, so
please plesae PLEASE everybody, check your accounts before grabbing a
key.

But generally, the TL;DR is that you were just too slow, Justisaur ;-)

>I'm not really into platforms any more, I just thought I should try to
>get one, and this one looked possibly fun.

I was never really into platformer games; I play them and even
occassionally enjoy them, but they're never my first choice when it
comes to deciding what to play next. I think this is partly because
for the longest time platformers were largely the staple of console
games. Not only did this trigger my PC Master Race tendencies, but the
majority of games -and especially platformers- on consoles tended to
be designed for the younger set, and were less appealing to me.

Over the years, of course, PCs have gained a lot of great platformers
of their own, and the genre as a whole has become more sophisticated,
but I'm set in my ways, so platforming remains the less appealing
choice for me.

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:33:21 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@gmail.com>
wrote:

>> "Valfaris is already in your Steam library". :P
>
>"Code has already been entered" I'm not sure if this means you blocked
>me, or if someone else got it.
>
>I'm not really into platforms any more, I just thought I should try to
>get one, and this one looked possibly fun.

For Ant, it means he has the game already. For you, it sounds like you
were just too late. I don't think the key becomes unusable if someone
tries to redeem it but they already have it. If someone here knows
differently, please let me know.

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:01:02 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>It's not really clear if somebody using a key when they already have
>the game in their library 'uses it up' or not, but it is possible, so
>please plesae PLEASE everybody, check your accounts before grabbing a
>key.

Yeah, this is why I just asked. I will check my account from now on to
make sure this isn't an issue.

>But generally, the TL;DR is that you were just too slow, Justisaur ;-)

This is what I was thinking also.

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:07:47 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

>On 17/12/2024 08:00, Geeknix wrote:
>> On 2024-12-16, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>> Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(

The problem with these keys is that it's hard to figure out why they
don't work. Did I get a bogus key? Was it valid for a while but
expired? Did I mistype the key? Did a lurker snatch it out from
underneath us? (Did Ant try to claim it only to find out he already
owned it? ;-) There's really no way to tell. There isn't even a way
for me to test if a key is valid before I offer it here.

So it's always a bit of a gamble giving these keys out. But that's
part of the fun!

(In the case of Call of Juarez, the key is fairly 'fresh', acquired
less than a month ago, and it actually was something I paid for (as
part of a bundle) as opposed to being some freebie. So I suspect the
reason it wasn't working was because someone sneaked it away. You're
welcome, unseen lurker; enjoy the game!)

>You're not really missing out on much to be honest. Out of the series
>the one I really like is CoJ:Gun Slinger. That one changes the direction
>somewhat as it goes for a more fake tongue-in-cheek Wild West you see in
>some movies including the story is kinda played out as a voice over of
>sometimes embellished situations. There are even parts where the story
>is 'rewound' as some of the details are incorrect. Then you do of course
>have the shoot outs so beloved of movies.
>

I'm a bit more forgiving with the original Juarez game, although I
admit a lot of its best points only look impressive when compared to
its contemporaries. 18 years of development made its strengths look a
lot less impressive. But it had pretty good visuals for its time, and
its maps were massive... even if most of its levels didn't make good
use of all that size. The gunplay was pretty good too.

Where the game really failed was its mission structures; enemy
placement and pacing were pretty poor, and at times the game could be
quite tedious. Its controls were a bit clunky too, which was a bit
problematic since one of the two characters relied on his speed and
agility, and the game really didn't let you take advantage of that.
The story and characters were a bit weak too.

But at times, the game really captured the feel of being on a
wild-west adventure, and it covered most of the tropes fairly well.
It's not the best western FPS, but it still ranks pretty high... even
if that's mostly because there just aren't that MANY western FPS games
to begin with. ('Fifth best western FPS ever made' isn't as compelling
an award if there are only seven western FPS games, after all ;-)

The developers later went on to make the "Dying Light" games (the ones
with parkour and zombies).

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:56:21 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Also, she called me an insect which is true! SS2 rocked except its ending.
>
>I need to play that SS1 remake. I briefly played its prerelease version
>back in 2016 or so. It was beautiful and easier to play. So much better
>than the original DOS version.

I think I would prefer the remake as well. It is 60% off right now.
$15.99

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:02 GMT, Geeknix
<usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:

>Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(

You guys need to be quicker. Spalls is posting these games every day.
He may even do it multiple times a day.

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:18:10 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:

>On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:02 GMT, Geeknix
><usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:
>
>>Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(
>
>You guys need to be quicker. Spalls is posting these games every day.
>He may even do it multiple times a day.

I haven't done it multiple times a day this season... yet. But who
knows what might happen in the future. ;-)

(out of respect for your time, I'll give you this much: the schedule
is for once a day UNTIL Christmas day. But even I am not sure what
might happen on the 25th, although past history shows a tendency
towards excess on my part)

On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:41:46 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Mike
S. wrote:

>On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:30:04 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>* Call of Juarez
>>https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020/Call_of_Juarez/
>> There aren't that many Western-themed games out on PC.
>> There are even fewer GOOD ones. "Call of Juarez" is definitely
>> in one of those two groups. I'll let you decide which one.
>> Personally, I wouldn't call it a bad game -although itTYJKA
>> is dated- but it doesn't hold a candle to something like
>> "Red Dead Redemption" or "Outlaws". It's okay; it 5PY8Z
>> captures the feel of the Old West pretty well, the graphics
>> are still passable (I mean, it _is_ 18 years old), and HN8IZ
>> the gunplay can be fun. It's just not GREAT. But you get
>> what you pay for, I guess. Give it a try anyway. You may
>> like it.
>>
>>
>>
>>* Valfaris
>>https://store.steampowered.com/app/600130/Valfaris/
>> "Wait," I hear you cry, "Didn't you just give this game
>> away a few days ago?" And the answer to that is 6CC78
>> yes, but this is not an intentional attempt at
>> deception or duplication. The simple fact is that when
>> you give away as many games as I am, sometimes you ECE9Q
>> don't notice that you're giving away the same game more
>> than once. Some might say this is might be another AC9H8
>> example of me being foolish with my money; I say it's
>> another opportunity for you to grab this fun and
>> challenging platformer!
>
>I will pass on both games.
>
>Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
>even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
>end or yours.

It is the wrath of the Holy Number. Return to the fold before it's too
late, Spalls!

--
Zag

This is csipg.rpg - reality is off topic. ...G. Quinn ('08)

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:56:21 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>Mr Rob <noemailformethx@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:20:33 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>> >Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:

>> >> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
>> >> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
>> >> end or yours.

>> >I was thinking he did that on purpose.

I know naught of what you speak. Maybe it's that my post started with
4 hos ("ho-ho-ho-ho") instead of the usual three; is that the problem?
I guess I got a bit excited. Extra hos will do that. Other than that,
the post looks completely ordinary to me. ;-)

>> Do you think Spalls might actually really be Shodan?
>> How did we miss this?

I am not an AI! I'm barely an I!

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iZMD_eCpEo
>Also, she called me an insect which is true! SS2 rocked except its ending.

IIRC, that final end sequence was made on the rush after a disk-crash
erased the original. So I'm a bit forgiving of its lack of depth.

>I need to play that SS1 remake. I briefly played its prerelease version
>back in 2016 or so. It was beautiful and easier to play. So much better
>than the original DOS version.

I was actually underwhelmed with the remake. Now, to be fair, I never
really was that thrilled at the 1996 original either (it was
okay-not-great). But in my opinion, the remake hewed too closely to
the original game, and its dated mechanics weren't any more fun just
because it had some improved QOL and better visuals.

My personal take-away was that of all the games, the "Redux" version
was the best one to play; the remaster looked like a 2024 game but
played like one from 1996, and this mixture of old and new was
aggravating. There were so many things they had the opportunity to fix
and improve, and they didn't! But with the Redux you never were
confused that you were playing an old game, so its creaky mechanics
were more forgivable.

Still, if you want to give the game a try, sure, why not? I wonder if
there's any chance it will be a freebie during the 2024 holiday
giveaway. I guess we'll just have to wait and see ;-)

<-End of Line->
<beep>

Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:56:21 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

> >Also, she called me an insect which is true! SS2 rocked except its ending.
> >
> >I need to play that SS1 remake. I briefly played its prerelease version
> >back in 2016 or so. It was beautiful and easier to play. So much better
> >than the original DOS version.

> I think I would prefer the remake as well. It is 60% off right now.
> $15.99

I will wait until it is free. /s
--
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." --Romans 12:17-18. Crappy Mon.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
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/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
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( )

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:56:21 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
> >Mr Rob <noemailformethx@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:
> >> On Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:20:33 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
> >> >Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:

> >> >> Spalls, I am seeing a lot of gibberish characters in your post and
> >> >> even in your subject header. I don't know if this is a problem on my
> >> >> end or yours.

> >> >I was thinking he did that on purpose.

> I know naught of what you speak. Maybe it's that my post started with
> 4 hos ("ho-ho-ho-ho") instead of the usual three; is that the problem?
> I guess I got a bit excited. Extra hos will do that. Other than that,
> the post looks completely ordinary to me. ;-)

> >> Do you think Spalls might actually really be Shodan?
> >> How did we miss this?

> I am not an AI! I'm barely an I!

I am an AI bot! /me bot dances.

> >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iZMD_eCpEo
> >Also, she called me an insect which is true! SS2 rocked except its ending.

> IIRC, that final end sequence was made on the rush after a disk-crash
> erased the original. So I'm a bit forgiving of its lack of depth.

I never knew that. Where did you read that?

> >I need to play that SS1 remake. I briefly played its prerelease version
> >back in 2016 or so. It was beautiful and easier to play. So much better
> >than the original DOS version.

> I was actually underwhelmed with the remake. Now, to be fair, I never
> really was that thrilled at the 1996 original either (it was
> okay-not-great). But in my opinion, the remake hewed too closely to
> the original game, and its dated mechanics weren't any more fun just
> because it had some improved QOL and better visuals.

> My personal take-away was that of all the games, the "Redux" version
> was the best one to play; the remaster looked like a 2024 game but
> played like one from 1996, and this mixture of old and new was
> aggravating. There were so many things they had the opportunity to fix
> and improve, and they didn't! But with the Redux you never were
> confused that you were playing an old game, so its creaky mechanics
> were more forgivable.

Hmm. I thought this version was supposed to fix the original game's issues. I don't remember having that
problem with its prerelease test or whatever it called in 2016.

> Still, if you want to give the game a try, sure, why not? I wonder if
> there's any chance it will be a freebie during the 2024 holiday
> giveaway. I guess we'll just have to wait and see ;-)

I noticed there is a demo now. I can try that too if I don't get the full game. :-P

> <-End of Line->
> <beep>

ERROR /me re(start/boot)s you.
--
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." --Romans 12:17-18. Crappy Mon.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
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/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:18:10 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
> wrote:

> >On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:02 GMT, Geeknix
> ><usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:
> >
> >>Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(
> >
> >You guys need to be quicker. Spalls is posting these games every day.
> >He may even do it multiple times a day.

> I haven't done it multiple times a day this season... yet. But who
> knows what might happen in the future. ;-)

> (out of respect for your time, I'll give you this much: the schedule
> is for once a day UNTIL Christmas day. But even I am not sure what
> might happen on the 25th, although past history shows a tendency
> towards excess on my part)

Just post at a random time daily to make this more challenging and fair to all of us. I was like 30
minutes late and a couple hours early for today. DOH!

--
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." --Romans 12:17-18. Crappy Mon.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:44:43 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:18:10 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
>> wrote:
>
>> >On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:02 GMT, Geeknix
>> ><usenet@apple.geeknix135.net> wrote:
>> >
>> >>Tried to get this, says it is already taken :-(
>> >
>> >You guys need to be quicker. Spalls is posting these games every day.
>> >He may even do it multiple times a day.
>
>> I haven't done it multiple times a day this season... yet. But who
>> knows what might happen in the future. ;-)
>
>> (out of respect for your time, I'll give you this much: the schedule
>> is for once a day UNTIL Christmas day. But even I am not sure what
>> might happen on the 25th, although past history shows a tendency
>> towards excess on my part)
>
>Just post at a random time daily to make this more challenging and fair to all of us. I was like 30
>minutes late and a couple hours early for today. DOH!

I generally _do_ post at random times (or at least, I try not to post
at the same time every day). I call it the "Mike S Rule" because one
particular year he was quite adept at snapping up all the games (in
fairness, when this was pointed out, Mike S quite graciously paused
the acquisitions so others might have an opportunity to get some of
the freebies). But since then, I've tried to vary the time of my
free-game announcements to make it more difficult for anyone to 'sync
up' with my schedule and grab all the goodies for themselves.

(That said, the variance this year isn't quite as wide as in previous
years. That requires effort and I am infamously lazy ;-)

As for the Christmas Day postings, I haven't decided exactly how and
what I'm going to do, but in previous years I tend to give away a game
once every hour or so throughout the day until the games were all
gone. Although it was mostly wasted efforts since most of those games
weren't actually CLAIMED until the day thereafter, since you all
understandably were doing real holiday stuff rather than religiously
watching Usenet ;-)

This has been your daily peak behind the CSIPGA Holiday Give-Away
curtain. Betcha didn't know it was so complicated, eh? ;-)

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:43:15 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>> IIRC, that final end sequence was made on the rush after a disk-crash
>> erased the original. So I'm a bit forgiving of its lack of depth.

>I never knew that. Where did you read that?

I don't remember. It was something I read in the news way back when
"System Shock 2" was still new and fresh. Apparently the final
cinematic was lost and Looking Glass had to rush to make a
replacement. Supposedly that's why the protagonist rejects Shodan's
offer with a simple "nah" before he just shoots her.

Hmmm. Searching Google, I find a (slightly) more modern re-telling on
Kotaku:
https://kotaku.com/system-shock-2s-surprise-ending-for-ken-levine-anywa-5460395

"Due to miscommunications or differing ideas, a different
cinematic video was created from the one that I originally
scripted," Levine says in a behind-the-scenes story
Irrational published on its Web site yesterday. "We didn't
have much to work with. It was like when you look in the
cupboard and you're trying to make soup, and you have a bag
of salt and couple of pinto beans."

Levine says they bulled ahead anyway, having to rewrite parts
of the game's story to fit with the video they'd been given.
"We completely ran out of time and that cut scene wasn't
the right ending for the game," he says."

It's possible both stories are true; that the reason Looking Glass
created the unsatisfactory end-game cinematic mentioned by Levine
--and had so few resources to do so-- was because all the money was
spent on creating the original, lost video. But whatever the truth of
the matter, the final result was that the we the gamers never got to
see the INTENDED ending to the game, but instead got an inferior
version.

>> My personal take-away was that of all the games, the "Redux" version
>> was the best one to play; the remaster looked like a 2024 game but
>> played like one from 1996, and this mixture of old and new was
>> aggravating. There were so many things they had the opportunity to fix
>> and improve, and they didn't! But with the Redux you never were
>> confused that you were playing an old game, so its creaky mechanics
>> were more forgivable.

>Hmm. I thought this version was supposed to fix the original game's issues.
> I don't remember having that problem with its prerelease test or whatever
>it called in 2016.

That depends on what you consider a 'problem'. If you want a
prettified recreation of the original, then the Remaster is probably
perfect for you. But I personally was always disappointed by the
maze-like level design, the constant searching for keycards, the lack
of sign-posting providing guidance to the player, the uneven combat,
and the overall poor pacing of the original. All of which are pretty
much recreated in the remake.

The "System Shock Remaster" FEELS very much like a game made in 1996
with 2020 visuals. Personally, I think that a complete redesign would
have been the better move, but in too many areas the design was almost
slavishly copied from the first game. I completely understand /why/
this was done; after all, there was quite an outpouring of outrage
when the developers suggested they might change things. And
considering how it was these upset fans who were likely to be the
primary audience for the remaster, keeping them happy was obviously
paramount.

But I think it made for a poorer game overall. It catered too much to
the nostalgia-blinded fans and ignored three decades of advancements
in game design.

But YMMV. If all you want is "old game with new skin because old game
was perfect" then the remaster will probably please you. I personally
was hoping for more.

>ERROR /me re(start/boot)s you.

<beeeeeeeeeeeeeep> <beep-beep-beep>
<beeeeeeeeeeeeeep> <beep-beep-beep>
<beeeeeeeeeeeeeep> <beep-beep-beep>
<beeeeeeeeeeeeeep> <beep-beep-beep>