NationStates Jolt Archive

Anyone know how to get free games that are reasonably good? Most games like that are turned into pay-to-play games very fast. I don't wan't to buy a real game, but I can't seem to find any good free ones.

Try the BYOND gaming community. I manage a game there myself, DBZ Final Resurrection, quite enjoyable. www.byond.com

I know a good one:
NationStates

www.adom.de

Be warned...It doesn't have "Graphics" but once you get into it, it's brilliant.

You might like to look on www.the-underdogs.org for some other freeware and abandonware.

www.adom.de

Be warned...It doesn't have "Graphics" but once you get into it, it's brilliant.

*snip*


You shouldn't post abandonware. It is not legal. Somebody always holds a copyright.

You could put this site in trouble for doing that.....

You shouldn't post abandonware. It is not legal. Somebody always holds a copyright.

You could put this site in trouble for doing that.....

The website itself has a disclaimer before you download advising you of that. In addition, they always remove downloads when they find a copy online for sale, or if the publisher or developer asks them to do so. A lot of programs there are actually freeware, as they've obtained permission from the authors to distribute them.

www.adom.de

Be warned...It doesn't have "Graphics" but once you get into it, it's brilliant.


It is that. Once you get over the learning curve and start to explore the possibilities of the game it becomes fascinating. Other roguelikes don't just grab me in the same way, with the possible exception of the fairly short, straightforward and relatively easy DOOM roguelike - http://chaos.magma-net.pl/doom/ - it even has ASCII explosions.

If you have high speed internet and a good computer, you can play Gunz Online. For a free game, it's very good.

www.adom.de

Be warned...It doesn't have "Graphics" but once you get into it, it's brilliant.

You might like to look on www.the-underdogs.org for some other freeware and abandonware.

Brilliant? I'd go so far as to say that ADOM fucking PWNS!

But I've never beaten it... have any of you? I've gotten a handful of characters as far as the animated forest and a handful more got killed in the pyramid and that's about it. I did have one guy who found an artifact, some kind of scythe and it turned him completly chaotic in about 15 minutes of play... but in the meantime he was just laying waste to everyone... that dude was like Popeye on spinach for a while. Tremendous game, ADOM. All the roguelikes are good IMO but ADOM is easily the best.

I would start out with something like Nethack though, if I'd never played a roguelike, just to get used to how those types of games play. In fact I did start out with Nethack... never beat that one either :)

With abandonware, on reputable sites like Hotu they make sure that they stay out of trouble and don't put anything on there if the company that published it still wants to hold on to it. But most places aren't gonna raise an uproar if Temple of Apshai gets put out there or something... it generates interest in that game again and lets them pawn off a bad remake on us.

I'm not one to bitch about Pop-ups on free sites, but aren't the pop-ups on HOTU kind of over the top? Every time you click on anything you get 3-4 more popups.

Anyway, another really good true freeware site is www.GameHippo.com. Its all straight freeware and pretty modern stuff, probably done by students or something. Theres a game on there called GLTron, based on the tron light cycles, which I found to be kinda fun.

Another one of my favorite places is www.soccerproject.com - its a really good online soccer management sim if you're into that.

Has anyone else here tried their hand at writing really cheesy games on their own?

ADOM fucking PWNS!

But I've never beaten it... have any of you?


Yup. Orcish characters each time - Druid, Wizard, Paladin, Thief, Beastfighter, Barbarian and Healer - however, I have never gone for an ultra-ending, just shutting the Gate.

I've gotten a handful of characters as far as the animated forest and a handful more got killed in the pyramid and that's about it.

You still have a way to go. Its the Tower Of Eternal Fire that really sorts out the sheep from the goats: once you get past there you have a preety good chance of a win unless stupidity takes over. Personally I find the Pyramid one of the easiest parts of the game... but then I have a liking for Blessed Arrows/Quarrels of Undead Slaying.

I did have one guy who found an arfitfact, some kind of scythe and it turned him completly chaotic in about 15 minutes of play... but in the meantime he was just laying waste to everyone... that dude was like Popeye on spinach for a while. Tremendous game, ADOM. All the roguelikes are good IMO but ADOM is easily the best.

Do you know about this resource? The ADOM guidebook:

http://www.andywlms.com/adom/

Spoiler heavy, obviously.

titan.ja.org is a fun business sim

Medievia is a great hack and slash mud and it's free.

medievia.com

it's as much of a timesink as any other MMO's however.

Do you know about this resource? The ADOM guidebook:

http://www.andywlms.com/adom/

Spoiler heavy, obviously.

I'll give that a look. I do use a guide though but even with a guide it's no picnic... although that might be due to my style of play as much as anything. ;)

There's a certain point you reach where the game really steps up a difficulty level... right around the dwarven town and you don't have much choice except to either try the animated forest, the other fork in the dungeon which is also pretty hard, or the pyramid. And you've really got to have a certain type of character in order to get through the pyramid IMO.

In all role playing games I like to play humans.. humans that rely on stealth or magic. So in ADOM I'm usually a human wizard, monk, or assassin. I've got to try getting away from that I think and go more combat heavy.

www.adom.de

Be warned...It doesn't have "Graphics" but once you get into it, it's brilliant.

You might like to look on www.the-underdogs.org for some other freeware and abandonware.


God how I love ADOM! High-5 comrade! :D

I've beaten it, and I've almost gotten an ultra ending with my Grey-Elven Wizard, but AnDoR dRaKoN is healed and strengthened by spells. This time I'm going to try it as a Mindcrafter or as a Drakish or Dark-Elf ranger. Maybe as a Trollish Healer (this is a really cheap character, it's almost impossible to die with a Trollish Healer, especially one born in the month of the Candle)

And you've really got to have a certain type of character in order to get through the pyramid IMO.

Going on the 'Portal' quest (talk to the Dwarven elder about it) to bump your character up to about level 16 certainly helps. Having 'Detect Traps'* skill is also nice, but normally I just put my head down and charge through them, taking the equipment loss on the chin. Up on level three the mummys go down pretty easily to blessed undead slaying missiles, or fire magic. The rest of the nasties up there can normally be avoided if you are invisible.

I actually find the toughest dungeons to be the first few (SMC till level 5, PC, VD or DD, and then the UD) once I get through them then a character normally has the resources to survive through the rest of the game provided bad luck or stupidity doesn't take them.

* Can be learnt at Holeinthewall.

Brilliant? I'd go so far as to say that ADOM fucking PWNS!

But I've never beaten it... have any of you? I've gotten a handful of characters as far as the animated forest and a handful more got killed in the pyramid and that's about it. I did have one guy who found an artifact, some kind of scythe and it turned him completly chaotic in about 15 minutes of play... but in the meantime he was just laying waste to everyone... that dude was like Popeye on spinach for a while. Tremendous game, ADOM. All the roguelikes are good IMO but ADOM is easily the best.

I would start out with something like Nethack though, if I'd never played a roguelike, just to get used to how those types of games play. In fact I did start out with Nethack... never beat that one either :)

With abandonware, on reputable sites like Hotu they make sure that they stay out of trouble and don't put anything on there if the company that published it still wants to hold on to it. But most places aren't gonna raise an uproar if Temple of Apshai gets put out there or something... it generates interest in that game again and lets them pawn off a bad remake on us.

I'm not one to bitch about Pop-ups on free sites, but aren't the pop-ups on HOTU kind of over the top? Every time you click on anything you get 3-4 more popups.

Anyway, another really good true freeware site is www.GameHippo.com. Its all straight freeware and pretty modern stuff, probably done by students or something. Theres a game on there called GLTron, based on the tron light cycles, which I found to be kinda fun.

Another one of my favorite places is www.soccerproject.com - its a really good online soccer management sim if you're into that.

Has anyone else here tried their hand at writing really cheesy games on their own?


You can do what I do, copy and paste your character into your data folder, so that your save-game always has a backup. You'll never die because of a bad mistake, and you can save all your good items. This is obviously cheating, but the pros all do it.

Maybe as a Trollish Healer (this is a really cheap character, it's almost impossible to die with a Trollish Healer, especially one born in the month of the Candle)

Try an orcish candle healer - they aren't quite as fast at healing as trolls, but you do not run into that impossible wall of needing ludicrous amounts of xp to go up a level which seems to stop all of my trolls at about level 12 or so, and you also don't need to perpetually feed them. The one thing to look out for is that orcs have an even shorter natural lifespan than trolls, and so an early encounter with a ghost bat can really mess up your day. A level 50 candle born orcish healer with crown, bracers and rings of regeneration is a sight to behold.

This is obviously cheating, but the pros all do it.

I don't.* I save scummed through the game once when I was just learning, but the wins I listed above were totally legitimate wins. The problem with save-scumming is that it leads people to try the same strategy again and again in the hope of getting a good result from the RNG, instead of learning when it is advisable to cut their loses, run away, lick their wounds and try and think of a different way of overcoming the obstacle.



* Not that I am claiming that I'm a pro by any means: the pros are the ones that pull-off the wins from the near-impossible challenge games, such as winning the game by killing only one monster, or reaching level 50 whilst never leaving the wilderness, or going straight to the ToEF as a level one character and not leaving it until the ACW is dead.

I don't. I save scummed through the game once when I was just learning, but the wins I listed above were totally legitimate wins. The problem with save-scumming is that it leads people to try the same strategy again and again in the hope of getting a good result from the RNG, instead of learning when it is advisable to cut their loses, run away, lick their wounds and try and think of a different way of overcoming the obstacle.


I know that I shouldn't do it, but sometimes, it just gets so tempting. I tend to play with Magic heavy characters, so early on I do this to keep a good character alive, rather than have to generate a new one every half hour.

I don't really need to later on in the game, but when I want to try out a hard character (like a Dark Elven Necromancer, dear god that's a hard one to keep alive) I tend to do that.

Sometimes it's just bad luck that kills your characters, and it sucks to have to lose them to an accident like a massive critical hit, or the major pwnage the battle bunnies can dish out. That's why I advocate cheating, in every other game, the save function is OK, and face it, ADOM is a really tough game.

I don't.* I save scummed through the game once when I was just learning, but the wins I listed above were totally legitimate wins. The problem with save-scumming is that it leads people to try the same strategy again and again in the hope of getting a good result from the RNG, instead of learning when it is advisable to cut their loses, run away, lick their wounds and try and think of a different way of overcoming the obstacle.



* Not that I am claiming that I'm a pro by any means: the pros are the ones that pull-off the wins from the near-impossible challenge games, such as winning the game by killing only one monster, or reaching level 50 whilst never leaving the wilderness, or going straight to the ToEF as a level one character and not leaving it until the ACW is dead.


They usually build their characters into super-tanks to make up for that. I want to try the sceptre challenge, going straight down to level 66 and trying to beat Malakai, then bringing the sceptre of chaos out and leaving the chain. It's never been accomplished before.

Sometimes it's just bad luck that kills your characters,


Certainly, but there are ways to minimise the catastrophic risk of bad luck taking out your character - such as getting your perception as high as possible and wearing blessed necklace of the eye when in the lower dungeons, so that you can at least see that Ki-Rin or Gorgon before they death-ray or petrify you.

...and it sucks to have to lose them to an accident like a massive critical hit,

Getting the 'lucky' and 'fate smiles' intrinsics certainly helps a lot against that - a lot of the time they will kick in and leave you at 1HP instead of dead in the minus numbers, which gives you time to pray for full HP or drink that !oUH or teleport out.

or the major pwnage the battle bunnies can dish out.

I've lost one character to the Battle Bunnys - he had stiff muscles corruption and got surrounded when going back up through the level. My modus operandi on that level is this:

1. reach battle bunny level.
2. zap a wand of digging to make a corridor straight down to where Bugs is.
3. run towards him.
4. kill him.
5. kill any battle bunnies in the immediate vicinity.
6. use a wand of door creation to wall off the corridor I just made and the two stairways from the rest of the level, and the lock all the doors - this means that at most I will have to deal with two battle bunnies at a time whenever I am on that level, which is much safer than finding yourself surrounded by eight of them with more beyond that.

Medievia is a great hack and slash mud and it's free.

medievia.com

it's as much of a timesink as any other MMO's however.

Medievia is a hole, run by a bunch of thieves. I would empty mu skull before I played there.

www.armageddon.org - Mandatory Roleplaying at it's finest. Permadeath, strictly in-character, and the one place on the internet I spend more time than here at NS. Rock and Roll.

Certainly, but there are ways to minimise the catastrophic risk of bad luck taking out your character - such as getting your perception as high as possible and wearing blessed necklace of the eye when in the lower dungeons, so that you can at least see that Ki-Rin or Gorgon before they death-ray or petrify you.



Getting the 'lucky' and 'fate smiles' intrinsics certainly helps a lot against that - a lot of the time they will kick in and leave you at 1HP instead of dead in the minus numbers, which gives you time to pray for full HP or drink that !oUH or teleport out.



I've lost one character to the Battle Bunnys - he had stiff muscles corruption and got surrounded when going back up through the level. My modus operandi on that level is this:

1. reach battle bunny level.
2. zap a wand of digging to make a corridor straight down to where Bugs is.
3. run towards him.
4. kill him.
5. kill any battle bunnies in the immediate vicinity.
6. use a wand of door creation to wall off the corridor I just made and the two stairways from the rest of the level, and the lock all the doors - this means that at most I will have to deal with two battle bunnies at a time whenever I am on that level, which is much safer than finding yourself surrounded by eight of them with more beyond that.


I learned that after a few lvl 50 characters.

Nothing can stop a monsterous critical hit, and I've been hit for 200 by normal characters on a regular basis. If I just wanted to not die, I'd play a trollish healer every time, but I try to be as effective as possible, and nothing works better than a spellcaster (except against Andor, he's a bitch). Have you ever run into Greater Vaults filled with Emperor Lichs? I hate those, they seem impossible.

They usually build their characters into super-tanks to make up for that.

In most cases their wins haven't been with characters any buffer than an average level 50 character, instead it was the application of cunning tactics which got them through the games.

I want to try the sceptre challenge, going straight down to level 66 and trying to beat Malakai, then bringing the sceptre of chaos out and leaving the chain. It's never been accomplished before.

Ironman? At least ten people have completed it. Eterniumman - going to the SMC and staying there until you are level 50 - is the one that no one has managed to beat in a proper release version of the game.



EDIT: the inventiveness of ADOM players continues to amaze me - you have just reminded me of someone who managed to win the game without eating anything or drinking anything.

Have you ever run into Greater Vaults filled with Emperor Lichs? I hate those, they seem impossible.

As an inveterate orc player I stay away from Greater Undead Vaults - even if I have a stock of potions of youth/longevity, the risk of artificial ageing by ghosts is far too much for the potential rewards - they don't even give much experience compared to the nests of Great Wyrms that sometimes crop up, and I consider it better to just skip the fight and foresake the artifacts, after all they could well be the Gauntlets of Eternal Peace and Thunderstroke.

www.datarealms.com

Beta version of DIRT, which is sort of like Worms x1,000,000
Play it :P

www.taleworlds.com

Not free, but it has a free demo and only costs $10 or something to get the full version, worth every single penny as it is a truely awsome game.

Try:
www.happypenguin.org

I enjoy:

1) Xpilot

2) FreeCivilization

3) Xconq

4) etc...

Many here are directed at nonMicro$oft systems; but, there are some installs for Windows et. al. as well.

The first Tribes game is free now, or at least it was. I know they were letting people download it for free to generate hype for Vengeance. If Tribes is still out there for free, you should get it. It still has a pretty nice community, not Starcraft large or anything, but respectable.

It is that. Once you get over the learning curve and start to explore the possibilities of the game it becomes fascinating. Other roguelikes don't just grab me in the same way, with the possible exception of the fairly short, straightforward and relatively easy DOOM roguelike - http://chaos.magma-net.pl/doom/ - it even has ASCII explosions.

That Doom one was OK, played it a while back. I like Tales of Middle Earth (www.t-o-m-e.net) as well...which in turn is based on Angband (Though it's a *much* improved version). There's also a much older one (late 1980's) called Omega, which isn't bad, it has faction quests similar to Morrowind.

Though none really match ADOM. TOME comes closest...the LoTR setting is a big bonus.

Brilliant? I'd go so far as to say that ADOM fucking PWNS!

:cool:

Has anyone else here tried their hand at writing really cheesy games on their own?

Nope...but i'd love to try writing a Star Wars roguelike one day.

You can do what I do, copy and paste your character into your data folder, so that your save-game always has a backup. You'll never die because of a bad mistake, and you can save all your good items. This is obviously cheating, but the pros all do it.

Actually, I gave up on that a while back - that's why i've never beaten the game...I lack the persistance and stop my characters once there's a chance I could lose them :p - but it improves the gameplay tenfold, and you don't take anymore stupid risks. The sense of accomplishment is so much more as well. :)

My current character is a level 18 Orcish wizard...I got a wish from a pond, and used it on a sword of sharpness. It was either that or eternium plate mail. :D


EDIT: the inventiveness of ADOM players continues to amaze me - you have just reminded me of someone who managed to win the game without eating anything or drinking anything.

Using prayer, I guess?


Oh, another game that rocks: Star Control 2 has a freeware remake called the "Ur Quan Masters" - http://sc2.sourceforge.net

It's identical to the original game, except it runs under windows and has better music. I rate the original as one of my favourite games of all time.

Particracy is pretty brilliant once you get into it: www.particracy.net

Particracy is pretty brilliant once you get into it: www.particracy.net

I beg to differ. That game is all luck of the draw...or at least the random statistic generator. :p I was there as a leftist party from the start, but stuck in a country that was leaning towards conservative on pretty much all issues, and I was the only dissenting voice on all votes (and making bills was an arduous task involving certain failure)...and then I *lost* seats in the next election. I then quit in frustration.

That Doom one was OK, played it a while back. I like Tales of Middle Earth (www.t-o-m-e.net) as well...which in turn is based on Angband (Though it's a *much* improved version). There's also a much older one (late 1980's) called Omega, which isn't bad, it has faction quests similar to Morrowind.

I have been playing about with TOME a bit, but still haven't got past the 'what the hell does that thing do?' stage. The fact that it is colourful and has a relatively straightforward interface certainly seems to help. It also doesn't seem like such a bloodbath of new characters as ADOM.


Actually, I gave up on that a while back - that's why i've never beaten the game...I lack the persistance and stop my characters once there's a chance I could lose them :p - but it improves the gameplay tenfold, and you don't take anymore stupid risks. The sense of accomplishment is so much more as well. :)

My current character is a level 18 Orcish wizard...I got a wish from a pond, and used it on a sword of sharpness. It was either that or eternium plate mail. :D

Hmm. In a given game I would normally go for an Amulet of Life Saving if I hadn't got past Khelly yet and I didn't have one, or the old standbys of SLBs or Ring of Ice - you are guaranteed to get some form of good armour and a good weapon or twelve out of Darkforge.



Using prayer, I guess?
That's the way.

www.playlemonland.com

I beg to differ. That game is all luck of the draw...or at least the random statistic generator. :p I was there as a leftist party from the start, but stuck in a country that was leaning towards conservative on pretty much all issues, and I was the only dissenting voice on all votes (and making bills was an arduous task involving certain failure)...and then I *lost* seats in the next election. I then quit in frustration.

the election system has entirely changed. you now have visibility and coherency to worry about and the bill system has improved a lot... Also: the economy is getting more elaborate

www.ragdollsoft.com
ragdoll masters is so good i paid for the full version

Anyone know how to get free games that are reasonably good? Most games like that are turned into pay-to-play games very fast. I don't wan't to buy a real game, but I can't seem to find any good free ones.

Raging Universe

http://www.raginguniverse.net/

I like inselkampf.co.uk (inselkampf.co.uk)

You start out on a little island and have to build up mines for resources, your house, laboratory, research, harbours, barracks, stone walls, etc. You eventually build ships and colonize other islands or go to war and attack other islands. You can form alliances and there is a complex network of alliance relations.

It has a lot of silly little kids, but there are older people on it that take it quite seriously. You can usually ignore the little kids. It's a pretty simple game, but joining alliances can be fun. The game starts out slow, but if you decide to play stick with it because it gets more interesting.

If anyone from nationstates wants to play either message my nation on nationstates or message me when you sign up for the game. My inselkampf name is Drache. It might be cool to start a nationstates alliance.

http://www3.kingdomofloathing.com/login.php?results=
Here's a brief description for those too lazy to click:

The Kingdom of Loathing (or KoL, as it has come to be known by its player base) is a free, comical RPG, brought to you by the folks at Asymmetric Publications.

KoL is currently in open beta -- it's open to the public to play, but it's not quite finished. More features and things to do are being added on a nearly daily basis. Despite its unfinished state, it has already attracted a thriving community of interesting, intelligent, and helpful players.

KoL is, and always will be, free to play, but donations are appreciated and rewarded.

KoL is played from the comfort of your browser, and is adorned with a staggering array of stunning hand-drawn images. It is turn-based, which means you get a certain number of turns (Adventures) each day. What can you do with these turns? I'm glad you asked.

An Adventurer is You!

Choose from one of six intoxicating character classes, including:

The Seal Clubber
Seal Clubbers hail from the frigid Northlands, because one character class always hails from the frigid Northlands. They rely on their Muscle to survive.

The Accordion Thief
The scourge of mariachis and polka bands, the Accordion Thieves have plied their malign craft since time out of mind. Their Moxie serves them well in both their adventures and their interactions with "the ladies."

Places to go, People to see

The Kingdom is broad and deep. Visit such picturesque zones as:

Barrell full of Barrells
Orcish frat house
Misspelled Cemetary
Bugbear Bakery


Danger!

The Kingdom contains scores of terrifying monsters. Among them are:

The ferocious Sabre-Toothed Lime!
The menacing Booze Giant!
And hordes of fierce Ninja Snowmen!

Fat Loot!

Hundreds of usable and equippable items fill the dungeons and wildernesses of the Kingdom, including:


Meatloaf Helmet

This is a helmet made out of meatloaf. You feel like a Bat out of Hell when you wear it. You would do anything for this helmet (but you won't do that.)


Filthy Corduroys

This is a pair of filthy corduroys. They're filthy because they came from the wardrobe of a filthy, filthy hippy.

Gnollish Autoplunger

This is a Gnollish Autoplunger. It can be used to quickly unclog toilets, or to lay a foul-smelling smack down on someone or something.


eXtreme Mittens

This is a pair of eXtreme mittens. They'll keep your hands eXtremely warm, without interfering with that which separates you from the animals -- your lack of razor-sharp claws.

Hmm. In a given game I would normally go for an Amulet of Life Saving if I hadn't got past Khelly yet and I didn't have one, or the old standbys of SLBs or Ring of Ice - you are guaranteed to get some form of good armour and a good weapon or twelve out of Darkforge.

Whee, late reply here :p

Yeah. I've wished for an amulet of life saving before.

I neglected to mention that I got my sword of sharpness at Level 3, though, in the puppy cave...beats waiting to get to Darkforge. Made the game a little easy to begin with - plus I found an amulet of life saving in the shop in Dwarftown. :p

the election system has entirely changed. you now have visibility and coherency to worry about and the bill system has improved a lot... Also: the economy is getting more elaborate

Yeah, I started playing again about a month ago. It's better than it was before.

I'm the Democratic Socialist Workers Party in Kirlawa. :)

Pocket Tanks!
Repetitive but so addictive!

www.kingdomofloathing.com