Widescreen Gaming Forum

http://store.steampowered.com/sub/2103/

This is pretty cool news. Jedi Knight 1&2 were particularly awesome. I'm curious to see how JK1 turns out - it has a ton of problems in Vista. It also originally used redbook audio for music, which doesn't translate well to digital downloads. I'm thinking best case scenario is they update the game to work on modern systems with full 3D acceleration and to play mp3 music instead of redbook. Worst case scenario is they change nothing and don't include any music (like what Activision did with Quake 1&2 despite workable solutions clearly existing).

Lucasarts upgraded the previous Steam/D2D titles, so I bet they do here as well.

Not really upgraded, but unofficially patched to make them work better on modern machines. For instance, the old SCUMM games launch in a window with no obvious emulation and have filters applied. Republic Commando now allows bump mapping to work with newer video cards. Someone told me KotOR was tweaked to prevent the somewhat common crash problems, and this might bear out because 10 hours in I haven't crashed once.

So I assume they will change some things to make these versions run perfectly.

Great news indeed. I think I actually have the entire DF/JK series on retail discs...

That reminds me of my early x86 PC gaming days. X-Wing, configuring EMS/XMS memory in DOS...good times. :)

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VirtualDub Game Recording Guide | BFME2 & RotWK Widescreen/Triplehead Mods

The Windows SCUMM engine you see was actually done by Aaron Giles of MAME fame, and they're a couple of years old too - it originally popped up in retail compilation packs released in Europe in 2002 and later.

Someone told me KotOR was tweaked to prevent the somewhat common crash problems, and this might bear out because 10 hours in I haven't crashed once.

Patched or unpatched KotOR, I never once had a crash. KotOR2 and Mass Effect, on the other hand...

MP3 music and video fixes, Lucasarts! If I can get the whole Lucasarts back catalogue on Steam, it might actually make me order something off it...

...oh. And TIE Fighter "2"! ;)

Lucasarts upgraded the previous Steam/D2D titles, so I bet they do here as well.

Only the old adventure games, which got a Windows compatible SCUMM engine, everything else that was Windows native to being with was put on the service is untouched.

Someone told me KotOR was tweaked to prevent the somewhat common crash problems, and this might bear out because 10 hours in I haven't crashed once.

Nah it's the same as the original disc version. Perhaps what was being referred to is that Steam version's config file, by default, has a line to disable a feature that commonly causes problems on newer systems; but it's nothing that wasn't available in the disc version, it just wasn't disabled by default.

And if they actually did make changes to the executable you wouldn't be experiencing them anyway if you're using the no-CD executable for our widescreen solution ;)

So I assume they will change some things to make these versions run perfectly.

Unfortunately, based on the above, I'm assuming they won't. I just can't see them paying a team to dig out, relearn, fix, QA, and rebuild the ages old (in software terms) source code for these games. Hell, chances are there's no one at the company who even knows how to compile the code anymore (what libraries are needed, etc.) or even where it is because the organization, archiving, and documentation practices at game companies are typically so poor. I figure the only thing special about the Steam versions is that they'll automatically include DosBox for the original Dark Forces like id did with the old Doom games.

I don't see how you can say that.

Whether the windows SCUMM emulation already existed or not, they did use the most modern way to play the games possible.

Even if it was one line of code, they did pay attention to KotOR and change something needed.

And you didn't mention Republic Commando, which I know works better now because I saw screens of what it looked like previously on a modern card.

It could easily be that Jedi Knight is coming later to make more in-depth changes than those made to earlier released titles.

i have my retail of dark forces 2 somewhere. I wonder if the steam version supports mods.

Bump Mapping was simply disabled rather than fixed. There are threads and screenshots on the Steam Republic Commando forum showing this. They had to do something with it because it was a game breaker on 8800 series cards and newer. So if they did nothing they'd have had a right mess on their hands with angry customers.

Bump Mapping was simply disabled rather than fixed. There are threads and screenshots on the Steam Republic Commando forum showing this. They had to do something with it because it was a game breaker on 8800 series cards and newer. So if they did nothing they'd have had a right mess on their hands with angry customers.

I read through that thread and don't recall anyone confirming it was disabled. Actually, I remember people saying it was still broken, and then I tested it and didn't have the anomalies they talked about.

I'll have to do comparison pics to be sure.