Dark Forces Demo!!!!!
Knightmare
Just to let u all know ... the new game of games is out!!!!
Dark Forces <shareware> is now at ftp.uwp.edu !!!!
It is incredible !!!! Yet again Lucas Arts has surpassed my expectations!!!
The graphics are incredibly well done....The sound FX and digitized voices
are remarkable...game play is smooth <on my 486DX266 w 16M Ram> the game
needs 8 Megs of Ram on a 386 40<i think> ....Its full 3D ... Levels on top of
others <rooms on top of others....look up and down...jumping...ducking...
not like system shock...more like doom with more of a purpose...controls
can be configured to be like doom or heretic.....
Drawbacks....no modem or network support<big drawback!>
No Sound Blaster board add on support for wave tables <game
wont run if u try to configure it for one!><eg. Wave Blaster>
suggestion...use the auto sound config...not custom..if ur using a SB16.
Overall its better than Doom <this coming from a doom junkie>
But without the modem/network support and user editability it wont
hold up in the long run!!!
Still I recommend trying it
Knightmare
==>-------
flames via hell to dzie...@ecst.csuchico.edu
Lee P. Miller
> Overall its better than Doom <this coming from a doom junkie>
>But without the modem/network support and user editability it wont
>hold up in the long run!!!
> Still I recommend trying it
The movement of your character isn't as realistic, whereas in Doom when you
move and your character bobb's around you can see the walls move slightly to go
along with the movement of you head, in Dark Forces you gun bobb's back and
forsth and that's it. It looks like you walk perfectly straight without you
head moving and your arm's are just moving as you walk. The controls also
aren't as fine in Doom, when stopping to flip a switch I find myself having to
try two or three times in Dark Forces to hit what I could hit running on the
first shot in Doom. The look Center, doesn't work, you have to look down to
return to the horizon from looking up. And the semi self-guiding nature of you
weapon just looks darn silly at times since you can watch you weapon fire and
the laser beam angle up. Other than that it's a great game, if there had never
been a Doom, Dark Forces would be the best First person shoot 'em up game in
that category (I'm considering Descent a totally different category, just for
sake of arguement). But being used to Doom kinda spoils Dark Forces, this from
an avid Star Wars fan. But, I'll still probably grab it up the first chance I
get, the music, graphics, and digitzed voices are great, it runs smooth on my
486 DX/2 66 w/ 8meg, and it's Star Wars! Now if they'd jsut come out with some
Dark Forces Utilities so we could easily convert all the sprites and textures
from Dark Forces to Doom....;)
-Lee
Rex Jackson
(Knightmare) writes:
I've been trying to find this prog, but the ftp site isn't very
well-behaved. Anyone know the EXACT dir and filename?
Gothmog the Balrog Lord
: I've been trying to find this prog, but the ftp site isn't very
: well-behaved. Anyone know the EXACT dir and filename?
Try wuarchive.wustl.edu, in /pub/msdos_uploads/DarkForces/incoming. As you
probably know, wuarchive is a mess so they'll probably move it pretty
soon. There are 2 Dark Forces directories. One is DARKFORCES and the other
is DarkForces. The demo is in /DarkForces/incoming as dforces1.zip. Don't
waste your time with the other 2 files since they are just cut scenes and
not worth the download.
-Aaron
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Mark Orr
>
>The demo is in /DarkForces/incoming as dforces1.zip. Don't
>waste your time with the other 2 files since they are just cut scenes and
>not worth the download.
I got DarkForces (all 3 files), off WWW yesterday...I thought the cut scenes
were better than the game.
Good heavens, but Lucasarts is stingy -- 3.3 Megs, and you only get 1 small
level.
I finished it in .LT. 10 minutes, and I didn't even know what I was doing.
I played it on the hard setting and I never felt in any danger.
I played it a second time on the hardest setting, and won by just punching
everybody out. (not using the gun -- which oddly enough, takes less time)
"these special effects aren't very special" as Butthead would say.
The 3d engine looks good, but you can skip this one. Descent is about
the same size and much more fun.
Mark Orr
Penm...@tyrell.net
Mark Orr
> Drawbacks....no modem or network support<big drawback!>
Mabye they just didn't include it with this demo. I dunno, I haven't read
anything about it.
But hey, this is LucasArts we're talking about -- surely George Lucas' boys
know what's good for us :-)
> No Sound Blaster board add on support for wave tables <game
>wont run if u try to configure it for one!><eg. Wave Blaster>
>suggestion...use the auto sound config...not custom..if ur using a SB16.
This is not true (contrary to the docs) -- Creative Labs has an old TSR-fix
on their BBS called SBMPU401.EXE (I think), and that makes the SB16's MPU401
port behave (more) like a Roland one. With this TSR in place, and manually
setting it to your Wave Blaster port address, the GM music will work.
> Overall its better than Doom <this coming from a doom junkie>
>But without the modem/network support and user editability it wont
>hold up in the long run!!!
> Still I recommend trying it
I'd say the artwork (texture mappings) are between ROTT and DOOM, the
effects are average, and 3d engine is pretty good.
But this is a DOOM clone, no matter how you cut it. Id hasn't got anything
to worry about with this one.
Mark Orr
Penm...@tyrell.net
ian
dzie...@ecst.csuchico.edu "Knightmare" writes:
> Hello all,
> Just to let u all know ... the new game of games is out!!!!
> Dark Forces <shareware> is now at ftp.uwp.edu !!!!
> It is incredible !!!! Yet again Lucas Arts has surpassed my expectations!!!
> The graphics are incredibly well done....The sound FX and digitized voices
> are remarkable...game play is smooth <on my 486DX266 w 16M Ram> the game
> needs 8 Megs of Ram on a 386 40<i think> ....Its full 3D ... Levels on top of
> others <rooms on top of others....look up and down...jumping...ducking...
> not like system shock...more like doom with more of a purpose...controls
> can be configured to be like doom or heretic.....
Well you must of got lucky or maybe my version is corrupt since I have
tried it on three different PCs, each with 8MB RAM, smartdrv and memory
managers off etc etc and it crashes before it even starts on each.
Also, the bootdisk utility is really crap and you reallly need to
hack the crap out of the config files it creates, even then it still
didn't run...arrrgghhhhh!!! :)
-Ian
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+:+ +:+ +:+ :+:+:+ +:+ Ian Alexander
+#+ +#++::++#: +#+ +:+ +#+ ia...@hpman010.uksr.hp.com
+#+ +#+ +#+ +#+ +#+#+# Manchester, ENGLAND, UK.
#+# #+# #+# #+# #+#+# =========================
########### ### ### ### ####
ian
I have it working now. The problem seems to be that in disabling my
memory manager I had only 515K of base memory left (I have Stacker etc)
and when I created my own boot file and loaded a few things in upper
memory I then had 575K and it runs perfectly now with sound and joystick
working fine. I guess the moral of all this is don't try and install
dark forces at 4:00am since it's easy to screw up!! :)))
As for the game itself, IT ROCKS!!!
Brad Rose
Can you tell me what site and directory this demo is in? Thank
you,
Brad A. ROse
Erik Nokling
: In article <gothmogD...@netcom.com>, got...@netcom.com says...
: I finished it in .LT. 10 minutes, and I didn't even know what I was doing.
: I played it on the hard setting and I never felt in any danger.
: Mark Orr
: Penm...@tyrell.net
So you found all the 7 weapons, the secret level, the pig-guards,
the flying probe-droids, the guys who throw grenades, and the
switch that swamps the whole game with re-spawning enemies ?.
I bet you only finished the mission objectives, AND had your
shields on the invurnable-setting. Like some others, you probably
just spent 10 minutes total, and will miss out on a great game.
Remember Quake may not come out before early 96.
-------------------------------(er...@powertech.no)---------------
David Christopher
writes:
>
>Panic over!!
>
>I have it working now. The problem seems to be that in disabling my
>memory manager I had only 515K of base memory left (I have Stacker etc)
>and when I created my own boot file and loaded a few things in upper
>memory I then had 575K and it runs perfectly now with sound and
joystick
>working fine. I guess the moral of all this is don't try and install
>dark forces at 4:00am since it's easy to screw up!! :)))
>
>As for the game itself, IT ROCKS!!!
>Hey all, Im havn some sound problems for dark forces!!!
I cant get the demo to detect my card and when I manually set it up, the
game goes ta hell!! help!! ive got a "SOUNDS EASY PRO 16" please
help!
me...@unhggs1.unh.edu
All 7 weapons? Secret level? pig-guards? jeesh, is this in the demo version.
I couldn't find these. How about some hints dude ;-)
ps I love the grenades!
kevin
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Erik Nokling
: In <3ea1na$o...@lightning.powertech.no>, er...@lightning.powertech.no (Erik Nokling) writes:
: >So you found all the 7 weapons, the secret level, the pig-guards,
: >the flying probe-droids, the guys who throw grenades, and the
: >switch that swamps the whole game with re-spawning enemies ?.
: >I bet you only finished the mission objectives, AND had your
: >shields on the invurnable-setting. Like some others, you probably
: >just spent 10 minutes total, and will miss out on a great game.
: >Remember Quake may not come out before early 96.
: >-------------------------------(er...@powertech.no)---------------
: All 7 weapons? Secret level? pig-guards? jeesh, is this in the demo version.
: I couldn't find these. How about some hints dude ;-)
: kevin
Its 7 weapons out of 9, and the secret level is all described in
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action. Hint: blow cracked walls with
grenades. All are outside walls, 1 on first level, 3 on second level
reached by jumping. You also have to jump trough second-level window
crawling and jumping at the same time. Try it several times. After
the room with the secret plans, near the elevator to ship there is
a secret room.
----------------------------8er...@powertech.no)-------------------
Dave Chernetz
To set the record straight for all time:
Dark Forces sucks compared to Doom.
Anyone who thinks differently can just create a new group and post away.
That game is not in not good enough to be desecrating this *Doom* group.
I do, however think that *good* new 3d games should be mentioned here.
Note: As of late, only good games have one word titles. Proof, enough.
--
Dave Chernetz ".yakO" <esuap> "!enohp
cher...@mbnet.mb.ca eht no s'nyloraC ,regoR"
Greg_Walra...@notes.worldcom.com
reached by jumping. You also have to jump trough second-level window
crawling and jumping at the same time. Try it several times."
Can I get an amen! I have found another way!
If you go to the second level on the outside (the one on the left in your
HUD Map), you can jump across to the second level on the right. I could
never jump through those windows - the best I could do was to get stuck on
the sill.
Anyway, if you got to that really narrow point on the "south" side of this
level, turn so your back is to that wall, then run-jump, you can make it to
the corresponding ledge on the other side.
This is a COOL game - I must have it! I should get an updated ETA and post
it here . . .
ch...@fred.net
: " All are outside walls, 1 on first level, 3 on second level
I called a local software store last week after I got the Dark Forces
demo and they told me that the commercial version is due to release on
Feb. 15 1995.
--
Ch...@fred.net
Co-Sysop of The Leading Edge 301-865-1828, Alias "Wing Man"
.............Don't worry about life so much, no one gets out alive!
Harlan Hilman
>Okay, I've read enough... let's all just agree on one thing...alright?
>To set the record straight for all time:
>Dark Forces sucks compared to Doom.
>Anyone who thinks differently can just create a new group and post away.
>That game is not in not good enough to be desecrating this *Doom* group.
>I do, however think that *good* new 3d games should be mentioned here.
Proof that opinions vary widely. Different people like different games.
>Note: As of late, only good games have one word titles. Proof, enough.
All good games have either one-word names or one-word abbreviations. :)
Bren Lynne
>From: penm...@tyrell.net (Mark Orr)
>Subject: Re: Dark Forces Demo!!!!!
>Date: Sat, 31 Dec 1994 08:33:21 GMT
>In article <3dvi2o$7...@charnel.ecst.CSUChico.EDU>, dzie...@ecst.csuchico.edu says...
>> Overall its better than Doom <this coming from a doom junkie>
>>But without the modem/network support and user editability it wont
>>hold up in the long run!!!
>> Still I recommend trying it
>I'd say the artwork (texture mappings) are between ROTT and DOOM, the
>effects are average, and 3d engine is pretty good.
>But this is a DOOM clone, no matter how you cut it. Id hasn't got anything
>to worry about with this one.
I'm not sure we are all playing the same Dark Forces demo!
I found the 3d engine in DF was better than "pretty good"... as in better than
DOOM! In case you didn't notice, there was a true 3rd dimension, in that the
ceiling could also be a floor... and frequently was! There were doors
that could open sideways instead of merely up and down -- those big elevator
doors were terrific.
Also, I thought the art -- including textures and sprites, was superior to
DOOM or Descent. The enemy sprites looked a lot more realistic (truly
proportioned instead of the DOOM beefcakes), the gun beams and sparking
impacts were fabulous, and the mixture of true polygon objects mixed well with
the ray caster (i.e. for the spacecraft -- loved watching that thing come in
-- and those little square robots that zip all over the place).
Looking up and down was neat... sure. But be able to crouch and jump -- and a
lot easier than in System Shock -- was great. How many secrets did you find
on the first level of Dark Forces? And the HUD map overlay was fabulous! A
little strange at first, but once you get used to it you wonder how you lived
without it.
Give it a break! It was the first level, and a lot larger than DOOM's first
level, too!
I can't wait for the full commercial version to come out! LucasArts -- with
the possible exception of Rebel Assault -- hasn't released a poor quality rush
job yet, so calling DF a "DOOM-clone" is ridiculous. Heretic is a DOOM-clone.
Dark Forces is of the same genre, but is something entirely on it's own!
Knowing LucasArts, I would bet that the missions will be big and multifaceted,
as opposed to the "GetBlueKey-GetYellowKey-GetRedKey-GetExit" cycle.
I just hope we see network support, a lightsabre, and more characters from the
movies. (Like R2 and maybe C3P0... maybe Boba Fett, who knows?) At the very
least, let's have lots of complex levels and tough missions. Cool enemies and
cooler weapons! And lot's of cool visuals.
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Roger Hill
over Dark Forces. As it is it gets compared to DOOM. But come on,
it's not really that different to DOOM is is?
I've played a lot of DOOM and the Dark Forces Demo. I quite liked
the demo and I have nothing against it. I think it compares reasonably
well with DOOM.
One thing that strikes me about both Heretic and Dark Forces is that
the graphics are much less gory than DOOM. Might this be why many
people prefer DOOM ?-)
Roger Hill -- AEG Postal Systems
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Tony Dallison
cher...@access.mbnet.mb.ca "Dave Chernetz" writes:
There already is a Dark Forces newsgroup, but to set the record straight for
all time, I have played doom 1 and 2 since their release, and I personally
prefer Dark Forces for various reasons that I won't bore you with. Bottom
line, we all like different stuff, learn some respect and chill.
Cheers,
Tony Dallison, Reading, UK.
Pete Larkin
> that made me want to run out and buy it. I have a question. You mentioned
> the second level. Doesn't the demo end after the first level? Right
> after I beat the first level, there was a great cinematic demo, and then
> it returned me to the menu.
>
> Second, if I did get the "partial version" of the shareware, could you
> tell me where you got your version that has the second and subsequent levels?
>
> Tad Takara
>
Yo,
When he says second level, he means that the first level is Ground level, and the
second level is above the ground level. The demo plays on different floors,
hence different levels. So there is only one Playable "Episode" per say.
So there is only one version of the demo avavliable right now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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