DOSBox 0.72

The next month already the next release. Even before I updated the MOO2 related guide. Anyway, the default dosbox.conf settings should work on most new hardware now. Therefore just the autoexec part should be added. See the DOSBox Guide for details.

DOSBox 0.71 released

Try the latest version in their download section. The DOSBox Guide will be updated soon.

Monday, July 30th, 2007 - Qbix A bugfix release this time, but we couldn't resist adding a few new exciting features:

• Added a new recompiling cpu core which is easier to port!


• Added a x86_64 and a mipsel_32 recompiling core.


• Fixed hangups on certain platforms after long gameplay of several games.


• Fix several joystick bugs.


• Improved cdrom support. (fixes for audio, iso and detection.)


• Improved SVGA and VESA. (detection and display)


• Fixed a few textmodes and improved ansi emulation a bit.


• Fixed pcspeaker and certain types of soundeffects.


• Added undocumented mousebackdoor.


• Made mount and imgmount a bit easier to use. (ioctl by default, support
  for ~ and ~username, auto size guessing for images)


• Fix a few compilation problems on various hosts and a general code
  cleanup.


• Several small fixes that improve compatibility.

The compatibility should be the same as 0.70 aside from the games we fixed. (see the Changelog for details)

Master of Orion II Digital Download on Atari.com

Finally, Atari announces the Digital Download version of Master of Orion II. And I have to remove my earlier rant about their price. They had a technical problem this morning - the price of the download version of MOO3 was displayed.

Atari offers MOO2 for very fair $9.95.

Where is the modern Master of Orion?

This question was asked in the last issue of the German magazine GameStar. German readers might remember that GameStar itself made MOO2 very popular in Germany. In 1999, they offered MOO2 on their Bonus CD and one should keep in mind that the print-run was over 300.000 back in the days.

Here is the translation of his comment:

Where is the center?

Trusting the PC Games Charts the PC owners play Action titles, Real Time Strategy, Role Playing Games and additionally maybe Football. This is the misapprehension of the mainstream. Indeed, some of these genres are popular and are cultivated by the large producers exclusively. However, alongside niches are prospering.

There are sufficient people, who love genres, that barely exist any longer: Turn Based Strategy, Flight Simulators, Jump & Runs. The large companies don't want to serve these niches. Therefore small developers step into the breach and produce curd like UFO Extraterrestrials or Space Empires V - more or less failed clones of erstwhile genre masterpieces. They sell well nevertheless.

It is one of the huge mistakes of our industry that a strong middle segment is missing. There are the top games, that cost millions, and there is a miraculousness depth of cheap easy-to-play games. But good titles for niche genres do barely exist. Where is the next Battle Isle? Where is the modern Master of Orion? These two examples should attract attention. The written off genre of Graphical Adventures is currently the only one where this middle segment exists, where good games are produced on a monthly base. On the other hand, the Handheld Game Consoles: (ambitious!) round-based tactic like Advance Wars has sensational success on the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS.

There is no reason, why this shouldn't work on the PC.

Christian Schmidt
GameStar

(translated by siron)

Editor for AI-Races

At first, I have to thank Siron for allowing me to post on his blog. Here we go: thanks, Siron!

I just finished the work on a RaceEditor for the computer races which are defined in the racestuf.lbx.

For it is completely done in Java, you'll need the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.5 to use it. Not sure if it runs with JRE 1.4.

Just download the jarfile and put it into your orion2 directory. It works quite self-explaining. However, there is a help-button which explains a little more on how to use the editor.

A usable feature could be to define the mostly played races like UniTol, UniAqua etc. and play them not by creating a custom race but just by selecting one of the predefined races.

My intention to create this editor was to push the AI a little, but it doesn't work. My Psilon has now +2 Research, LowG, Large HW, Artifacts HW, Lithovore and Democracy. But even this race doesnt research very fast … but it is amazing how fast you can go by playing such a race. And I have not talked about the modded Klackon ;-)

Just have a try. Comments and Suggestions are welcome, send them to

Classic Game Of The Week

The game blog Gamers with Jobs chooses MOO2 as Classic Game Of The Week:

[...]MOO2, as the game is affectionately known, rivaled, I dare say, Civilization itself as one of the defining turn-based strategy games of all time, and it is this week's Classic Game of the Week.

StarCraft 2 Rumor

A new South Korean source claims that, according to a leak, Blizzard will be announcing StarCraft 2 at the World Wide Invitational, on the 19th of May 2007.

Update May 19th: Confirmed!
And here we go:

After years of waiting, Blizzard Entertainment seconds ago announced that StarCraft 2 would be the new game! "Looks strikingly similar to SC1" according to IGN.

See also: http://www.starcraft2.com

Soren Johnsen joins EA Maxis to work on Spore

...Electronic Arts has confirmed the former lead designer of Civilization IV has quit his gig at Firaxis. Johnson has now returned to his old digs at Electronic Arts' Maxis studio and is working on the much-anticipated evolution-to-civilization sim Spore.

Spore's Civilization Phase is therefore directly tuned up by the lead dev of Civ4. Could they now hire Steve Barcia or Ken Burd for the Space Phase? Pleeeeeaaaase!

Re: Master of Orion 2 Intro Cinematic

A video response to the Master of Orion 2 Intro Cinematic:



...and here the next MOO2 influenced generation, making fun of....hmmm what exactly?! ;)



Finally scored: