Assistance in my leisure.

[a-guitarist]

As the title states, I'm looking for assistance in my leisure time. I've recently come under some medical problems which result in me not being able to do much (I walk with a cane, can't go far, exhaustion, etc.) physically, and I don't sleep much. All this amounts to many hours of free time... of which I'd like to take my mind off the neuropathy. What I'm looking for is a damn decent old(er) video game. But, I've got some requirements...

It should be able to be run on an emulation program if I can get it for my OS (linux). Dos Emulation, certain Window's Emulation, and some Mac ones are done easily. Freeware is great, Shareware is okay, but Open Source is tits (I like to support what I believe in, and will donate to a game or project I think is doing well enough- and different enough). But, I'm not against tossing out a modest chunk of change for a game that is going to give me good hours of fun. (paid for Flatspace II recently, an indie publisher, amazing game.) I do have a spiffy fast Windows Machine, runs XP, but I like to avoid it for some reason.

Another thing, I don't like twitch gaming much. If all the game is is mashing one button over and over, then I'll plug in my Nintendo box or Sega Emulator.

Games I've played and liked (own them): Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (best game of all time, Alien Crossfire didn't make it better, or worse, in my eyes), Civilization II/FreeCiv, Muds (obviously), Zork, Battle for Wesnoth, Sim City 2k/LinCity (ef you, man, I like to be God), Legend of Zelda: Ocarana of Time, Super Mario World, Mario Brothers III, Tetris (in its various version), Oregon Trail, Command and Conquer Red Alert, Flatspace II, Sonic 2/3/& Knucklers, B.O.B., Battlefield 2442,

Games I've played and not liked: Baulder's Gate, Diablo I (haven't tried II yet, but I can get the battlechest for $25 locally.), World of Warcraft, Alice, Guild Wars, Galactic Civilization II (or it's expansions), Elder Scrolls III (have IV, haven't tried it yet), CoD4, Medal of Honor Series.

I'm not a fan of flashy graphics, as every game I've played that is visual stunning is just that... visually stunning and a yawn for me to play. I do enjoy role playing games, but most of them are the same tired thing with a different look (not bad, just not for me most times). I don't own any game consoles past a Yobo Games FC Twin Turbo (NES/SNES player) and a Playstation I collecting dust somewhere. I won't buy a PS II, an Xbox, or anything higher than those- I don't have the cash to blow on something I won't put that much time into.

Basically, I just need help finding interesting games. Cash is limited, but not nonexistant. I am very much into older games because the technology was limited and doing things meant doing them creativly and differently. New games are okay, but they've gotta have pizzaz! Thanks for the help.

a-g

[Iusedtobesomebody]

Oregon Trail? No wonder you can't PK.

[a-guitarist]

Hey, I know when and when not to ford any river though. That will help me when I up and take off to the West in search of gold. Laugh now, man, laugh now.

a-g

[Tom]

I recently reinstalled Alpha Centauri and spent so much time on it I disgusted even myself. If you don't have it installed anymore, I drive through SYR most every weekend and wouldn't mind lending the disk (I don't think you need it to play).

Based on the other things you said:

Wolfenstein Enemy Territory - FPS similar to Battlefield, but free.Heavily moddable. Populous online presence. If you'd prefer something more user friendly, if you liked one Battlefield you'll probably like the others. My brother just bought a copy of 1942, an expansion thereto, and Vietnam all for $10 at Best Buy.

ADOM. - Freeware. ASCII graphic RPG.

M.U.L.E. - No idea how you'd get this.

Diablo II was different than 1, but not so different that you'd like it if you didn't like I for some reason.

[Guest emp_newb]

ADOM. - Freeware. ASCII graphic RPG.

QUOTE]

Adom is some of the greatest programming and design ever. I LOVE that game. Sadly I have yet to close level 50 off. I have gotten there on several chars. Some of my tops are:

level 39 dwarven weaponsmith - Writhing massed

level 35 dwarven paladin- starved to death after getting poison hands corruption and no thick gauntlets

level 37 high elven wizard- died cause I accidentally hit my Moloch familiar (used a summon familiar scroll in the dwarven halls)

Anyone else seriously get into this game?

[Mali]

With a Ps1, it would be worth your time to give Final Fantasy 7 a try. As far as Mac/PC games, theres Escape Velocity Nova which is shareware and alot of fun to run. Plus spiderweb has some decent low graphic rpgs up and running.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ (EV nova shareware at the bottom)

http://spidweb.com/

[Tom]

I generally like to go with Dwarven Beastmasters, 'cause I like to get my PV ridiculously high. Highest I ever got was with a Drakeling Barbarian, I think. Didn't hit 40 with it, though.

[Guest emp_newb]

Try dwarves. I dunno why I always do great with them. My personal favorites are mages and archers. I always run out of arrows with my archers hehe. Also if you find a scroll of familiar summoning, use it in the dwarven halls. THat moloch I got no **** single handedly killed all the mobs in the blue dragon caves, mana temple, earth temple, fire temple. THat is probably the NASTIEST thing ever. I had a wand blow up to a mob fire balling me, and zapped a ball li ghtning on accident hehe.

[a-guitarist]

Thanks, Tom, for the offer. I currently have Alpha's Planetary Pack on about three CDs, along various ISOs (I even think I have a Mac version somewhere...). I got prepared when I couldn't find it in the stores anymore.

ADOM, I keep hearing about it so I guess this means I'll have to check it out. As for the rest, thanks for the input.

Mali, as always, great links. I'll be scoping many out, and that Nova is 33 seconds away from completion.

a-g

[Deykari]

Someone mentioned it above, but you can get Final Fantasy VII and VIII for Windows. I know you're a Linux guy, but you have a Windows system and it doesn't take much to run it, and they are two of my favourite RPGs of all time. You might even be able to get them on Linux.

Dey

[Guest emp_newb]

Seriously though, back on topic

www.adom.de

That game, once you learn it, is FANTASTIC. I highly recomend reading the help files, and browsing the guidebok. The guide will offer you alot of help espescially since you will be starting in the new versions, and do not know the commands hehe, which ADOM is relatively simple, it has more commands than any game I have ever played.

[Kyzarius]

Dont burn your brain on mind numbing time consuming things.

Write.

outline, elaborate, develop, write!

in the end you can at least leav an intellectual footprint

[mya]

Ever considered Skateboarding ?

Now a real advice.

Ever tried the Dwarven Fortress game ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_Fortress

It's is free, quite complex and mindbogglingly.

You order a bunch of Dwarves around and build a Dwarven city, but things are very complex and mostly you will fail miserably.

Then you start to learn from your mistakes and start to do better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn4kmlZTKr0

Check their intro.

Failing games, you could always pick up a book and read.

Do the Dragonlance series, do the Dune series, do the Wheel of Time series (perhaps not). Read the LoTR, read the Hobbit.

[a-guitarist]

Dont burn your brain on mind numbing time consuming things.

Write.

outline, elaborate, develop, write!

in the end you can at least leav an intellectual footprint

You don't say? Most people read what I've done and flat out tell me to stop. Heh.

I do write, on occasion. My latest stuff:

Blasted more, penniless and curt[./ ] Forget the then[,/./ ] wasted and hurt[./,/ ] and not for yesteryear[./,(/ ] Instead [,/)/ ] I fear[,/./ ] a forlorn youth[./ ] looking for [(/ ]a blooming sleuth[ /)] something amiss within the mist.

The nightly haze[,/(/ ] if not in days[,/) ] dies [./ ] Unlike you or I[,/.] the twitching twitter[,/./(] nigh, the lie[,/)/ ] is what feasts upon the thoughtless time.

So lost [,/.(/ ]with stumble, limp and cry [)/,/./ ] the youth walks kindly[./,/(] by and by[)/.] However[,/./ ] not miss-allied to the beaming sun's son[,/(] soon to fail[,/)] flailing high to stars misaligned, maligned, and soon ignored[./ ] on a grand, astral scale.

Peace[!/,] What drives the thoughtless war[,/?/.] raging hearth-like[ /,/.] within his gore torn heart and ear[./,/ ] The sound[!/ /(] The sound[,/)/./(!)] is tomorrow's bier... but oft to kindly (yesteryear?) not remind us of the tier of which our sin is found.

De-mask (re-mask?) the spineless cur[./ ] as it hides [(/,/ ]in other's fur[./,/ /!)] the source of it's relentless life. Avast! Ahoy! The sea of joy[,/!/ ] being cut with soul and knife... but to find the self made whole through means [(/,]read acts[)/,] of selfless self.

Pass it down, take heed around-

you've found the Lair of the Lyre Liar;

He sings his songs of butchered beauty-

---adopted then adapted through the adjacent views

------of poetic licenses(which he calls rape).

But of all his cross-eyed crowds and ups and downs,

---He kisses the end-lost-long-found hope in all it's trite need-

------If all for you, and all for naught, then distraught

The Lyre Liar lays within his Lair leering for lies cast out from

------------eyes to indicated, less not outright

--------------find (within the thoughtful, open

----------------glances), the notes(of or and)

------------------attaching to every, and all

--------------------bold laugh thats to drop

----------------------cascading downward to

------------------------drift evenly (and)

--------------------------eventually, for

----------------------------finding you.

If in a romantic foray of underskirt, undertable-

tip-knuckle-knuckle assault,

I told you that I loved you,

would it mean other if->

by chance<-

I told you a mirror but with flowers and song?

Refraction interaction that permeates the eyes-

Red-yellows through blues hued (in) aqua.

Smile! Smile the love-light-lecture of Ra's

ho-ra-lament from Ise'd blight-night bliss.

---But, not without a warming bite;

---The fright (in) Ng (felt) as he harpooned the sperm

---would soon conquer the rancourous-cantankerous

---split-shift ne'er-do-almost-always-intended-well:

---hell-bound and ground to a bony marrow of

---hi-pro gelatin to make the mindless-

---automatonic cog spin in their spineless spine

---of "intelligent design" v.s. "we just are" (or something less divine.)

In the end, kiss the bends goodbye for all in all,

you took the dive, the fall, to plumb the abyssal wall

of kissed-seraphim-pharmed-farmed botanical bliss.

Breathe-> breath -> inhale -> embrace -> end the race -> you're smiling, now!

a-g

edit: Now with 20% more formatting!

[a-guitarist]

Ever considered Skateboarding ?

Now a real advice.

Ever tried the Dwarven Fortress game ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_Fortress

It's is free, quite complex and mindbogglingly.

You order a bunch of Dwarves around and build a Dwarven city, but things are very complex and mostly you will fail miserably.

Then you start to learn from your mistakes and start to do better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn4kmlZTKr0

Check their intro.

Failing games, you could always pick up a book and read.

Do the Dragonlance series, do the Dune series, do the Wheel of Time series (perhaps not). Read the LoTR, read the Hobbit.

Oh, thanks for the input Mya. The Dune Series is my favorite series ever. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Unfortunently I have a hard time reading, as some questionable advice from medical professionals in the past has done some damage to my ability to read. (I get stuck on the same line for a few minutes before I realize I've read it ten or so times, I've got very bad short term memory but it is getting better.) The Dwarf Game looks great.. I'm looking into that aswell. Thanks to everyone for the help so far.

a-g