Another interesting thing is that LineWars II distro contains a rather long documentation which contains a lot of interesting details up to description of some of the algorithms used in the game, references to other people's work used or inspiring the game and even instructions on how to build a LPT-based Covox sound adapter.
Before LineWars II was released, a demo preview version of it was going around. It had shaded graphics and antialiased edges, but the radar was Elite-like. I'm looking for that version.
+svofski The link you tried to post to the early versions in the comments got mangled since TH-cam comments don't allow linking direct to FTP sites. I checked and it seemed to be an OK site so if you want to post it again, make sure to space out the pieces so it doesn't convert into a hyperlink.
+Pixelmusement I think everybody interested will be able to figure it out ;) Shame on ftp not even being considered a legit url. What's next, throw gopher out of the window?
>The Galaxy wants you dead. You don't agree. SHOOT EVERYTHING. Lmao, I'll try to remember it for future use. On a totally unrelated note, I wonder why I can't find one of the most common DOS games in history - Hostage. I was never that huge of a fan, but it just seems weird not to have it here. And arguably less weird - Subwar 2050. Maybe also Hi-Octane? Or is it too late of a bird? Anyway, here are my two cents for your consideration. So far... I'll probably think of more stuff while binging your wonderful (and criminally underrated) channel. And Bumpy! A truly hardcore Survival Horror of its time.
AFAIK, the 20000 cycle settings in this is equivalent to a real 486DX/50 Mhz (similiar in performanxe to the classic 486DX2/66 Mhz due to DX50 having a 50 Mhz bus) considering the default 3000 cycles correspond to 386/16 Mhz performance and a 486 is roughly 2x as fast as a 386 per clock. So this might be one of the few SVGA 3D games to run smoothly on an old 486, granted, monochrome and without textures, but SVGA. Funny enough, this would probably require a higher than 640x480 resolution to run on a high end 486 properly!
+Michal Zušťák Just a reminder though: Cycles do NOT translate perfectly into CPU speeds, otherwise DOSBox would measure them as such. There's a whole bunch of other factors which come into play since DOS games have a variety of ways in which they time themselves out.
***** Of course, but most speed testing programs will return similiar values, and it can be seen as a general equivalent. This game can certainly run very well on a medium 486 in SVGA through, which is not the case for most 3D SVGA games. AFAIK on Pentium 133 it gets about 200 fps.
I think the sands of time are clouding your memory. 😜 WC2 had hand drawn cockpits. It might be said to somewhat resemble the hud with the cockpit turned off in WC3 but it's pretty different. Both are great fun though!
I played this game with a friend of mine back in the early 90s. I remember it being generally being a pain in the ass getting these direct connect games working and even then we almost never could finish a game because someone invariably picked the phone up or needed to make a call. It sounds like I’m complaining but I’m really not, I miss those pre-internet through early-internet days and would strangle a donkey to get that back.
Oh man I don't think I've ever played this, and Finnish freeware games are kinda a pet hobby of mine! (I'm from there so it's not that weird probably.)
+GeekyNerd54 Both LW and LW2 use throttle-based movement. So you turn up the throttle and that pushes you forwards. LW2 has all the expected turning controls so you can pitch, yaw and roll, but LW is much more like Elite in that you can pitch and roll but do NOT have yaw control, which I can't stand and have never been able to get used to. :P
@@Pixelmusement so is it the plus and minus buttons to control the throttle on line wars 2? Or something else? I cant figure out how to rebind them. Ive gone into the config and readme and everything.
+GeekyNerd54 Yup, you got it! Just keep in mind the game starts controlling wrong if the framerate exceeds 70 so you may need to adjust your DOSBox cycles counts to compensate.
Not directly, no. I wouldn't be surprised if LineWars was inspired by NetWars to some degree, though I believe both games were independently inspired by Elite. :B
I like watching ADG, but your logo in the episode is faaaaaaaar to big! That's the only complaint I have. When it became transparent the video was far more enjoyable. I hope that will change in one of the catching next episodes. Anyway I won't stop until I have catched up to today.
Another interesting thing is that LineWars II distro contains a rather long documentation which contains a lot of interesting details up to description of some of the algorithms used in the game, references to other people's work used or inspiring the game and even instructions on how to build a LPT-based Covox sound adapter.
Hahaha that opening line with the Star Wars/Trek bit was gold.
I remember this game on a demo cd I had!
Before LineWars II was released, a demo preview version of it was going around. It had shaded graphics and antialiased edges, but the radar was Elite-like. I'm looking for that version.
+svofski You should trying asking the creator himself! linewars.patrickaalto.com/
+Pixelmusement good idea, I already did
+svofski The link you tried to post to the early versions in the comments got mangled since TH-cam comments don't allow linking direct to FTP sites. I checked and it seemed to be an OK site so if you want to post it again, make sure to space out the pieces so it doesn't convert into a hyperlink.
+Pixelmusement I think everybody interested will be able to figure it out ;) Shame on ftp not even being considered a legit url. What's next, throw gopher out of the window?
+svofski I think trying to link to a Gopher service would be even harder to do in comments or on a forum nowadays. ;)
One thing I thought was funny about the first Linewars is that if you die, the pilot exclaims, "Ouch! ... That hurts!"
>The Galaxy wants you dead. You don't agree. SHOOT EVERYTHING.
Lmao, I'll try to remember it for future use.
On a totally unrelated note, I wonder why I can't find one of the most common DOS games in history - Hostage. I was never that huge of a fan, but it just seems weird not to have it here. And arguably less weird - Subwar 2050. Maybe also Hi-Octane? Or is it too late of a bird? Anyway, here are my two cents for your consideration. So far... I'll probably think of more stuff while binging your wonderful (and criminally underrated) channel.
And Bumpy! A truly hardcore Survival Horror of its time.
No mention of how the ships models are basically ripped from Elite?
AFAIK, the 20000 cycle settings in this is equivalent to a real 486DX/50 Mhz (similiar in performanxe to the classic 486DX2/66 Mhz due to DX50 having a 50 Mhz bus) considering the default 3000 cycles correspond to 386/16 Mhz performance and a 486 is roughly 2x as fast as a 386 per clock. So this might be one of the few SVGA 3D games to run smoothly on an old 486, granted, monochrome and without textures, but SVGA. Funny enough, this would probably require a higher than 640x480 resolution to run on a high end 486 properly!
+Michal Zušťák Just a reminder though: Cycles do NOT translate perfectly into CPU speeds, otherwise DOSBox would measure them as such. There's a whole bunch of other factors which come into play since DOS games have a variety of ways in which they time themselves out.
***** Of course, but most speed testing programs will return similiar values, and it can be seen as a general equivalent. This game can certainly run very well on a medium 486 in SVGA through, which is not the case for most 3D SVGA games. AFAIK on Pentium 133 it gets about 200 fps.
+Michal Zušťák Most 3D games weren't written entirely in assembly language. ;)
I was thinking LW2 looked like it was written in assembly. It had that small file demoscene feel to it haha
So now I know why this game ran so amazingly on my humble 386.
The HUD from LineWars II looks like part of it was taken from Wing Commander 2
I think the sands of time are clouding your memory. 😜 WC2 had hand drawn cockpits. It might be said to somewhat resemble the hud with the cockpit turned off in WC3 but it's pretty different. Both are great fun though!
I played this game with a friend of mine back in the early 90s. I remember it being generally being a pain in the ass getting these direct connect games working and even then we almost never could finish a game because someone invariably picked the phone up or needed to make a call. It sounds like I’m complaining but I’m really not, I miss those pre-internet through early-internet days and would strangle a donkey to get that back.
1.52 looks exactly as Elite on pc.. Not just the ships, but debris and firing lasers and their sound.. Strange..
+Peli Mies Not strange at all given that LineWars was inspired by Elite. ;)
Oh man I don't think I've ever played this, and Finnish freeware games are kinda a pet hobby of mine! (I'm from there so it's not that weird probably.)
How about NetWars and Adwanced NetWars?
+Coluchiy84 Maybe someday. I am very aware of those games. :B
Yeah...I can understand on why you didn't wanna cover Elite or Frontier - Elite II. The Controls look confusing from the Gameplay here.
this might sound stupid, but how do you move in this game?
+GeekyNerd54 Both LW and LW2 use throttle-based movement. So you turn up the throttle and that pushes you forwards. LW2 has all the expected turning controls so you can pitch, yaw and roll, but LW is much more like Elite in that you can pitch and roll but do NOT have yaw control, which I can't stand and have never been able to get used to. :P
@@Pixelmusement you mean like with a flight stick?
+GeekyNerd54 I forget if either game supports that, but regardless they both have keyboard controls for sure.
@@Pixelmusement so is it the plus and minus buttons to control the throttle on line wars 2? Or something else? I cant figure out how to rebind them. Ive gone into the config and readme and everything.
+GeekyNerd54 Yup, you got it! Just keep in mind the game starts controlling wrong if the framerate exceeds 70 so you may need to adjust your DOSBox cycles counts to compensate.
Any relation to NetWars?
Not directly, no. I wouldn't be surprised if LineWars was inspired by NetWars to some degree, though I believe both games were independently inspired by Elite. :B
I like watching ADG, but your logo in the episode is faaaaaaaar to big! That's the only complaint I have. When it became transparent the video was far more enjoyable.
I hope that will change in one of the catching next episodes. Anyway I won't stop until I have catched up to today.
Lords of the Realm! (No, it isn't, sadly.)
only the first elite game has no yaw, the others are fine