I have no problem with them if the original game has been shut down and enjoyed playing back through the quest line in SWG: Legends.
I wasn't in a position to play a lot of the older games in their hey day as much as I wanted to, so being able to go to an EMU lets me experience some of what I missed back then now that I have more time on my hands.
So far the only game I liked enough to play on an EMU is SWG, but I can think of another I'd love to see get the EMU treatment as I enjoyed it back then and some of the unique features it had that haven't ever been reproduced.
Consumers need a feedback loop. We have very little consumer power left anymore. With copyright laws lengthening over time (from less than 10 years to 99 years in the last half century), consumers and indie developers are left to exist in a monopolized industry, leaving no room for original and creative outlets into sub-genre gaming.
This is why emulators exist. Products meant to be made for consumers are now being controlled by big business who do not want ANY competition, even from paying customers. They have sculpted the laws so they own every pixel and every player profile. They own and control the communication feedback loop or are trying to own it. They do not want your feedback, they only want the averages from mass market feedback, hence why you always receive polls. They want to know the largest segment opinion. This has no connection whatsoever with shaping the creative vision of a game. It's to create a mass market product. It is the death of artistry.
What are we left with? Nearly rebellious, pirate-like means to play the games that were MADE FOR US!
Emulators should exist, they have to exist because competition has to exist. We will never have genre or variety gaming for different audiences wanting different things. There needs to be an outlet for gaming outside of the propaganda loop saturating the market and the gamers who now think mass appeal games are the only games allowed ... because they lost any sense of independent and small community thinking. They became mindless consumers, because they were trained to be that.
There is no evolution in gaming. Stop using that term. There is only a failing sense of vigilance, and watching your consumer rights being stripped from you. Games and game play have become a landscape of clones, sequels to clones and clones made through advertising propaganda playing these games.
I'm on a vanilla+ server. The server instantly proved to me that I was right, the #Nochanges Classic crowd were idiots. People play vanilla because of what the game is; an older-school mmorpg based on specific design principles, and they want new content added to it without changing the game.
Nobody plays Classic anymore, because TBC is a totally different game. Because of this, the player base cut in half, and Classic players are now filling private vanilla servers again.
Old mmorpgs across more than 1 generation, are now hosted and getting brand new content. From CoH to Warhammer to vanilla Wow and others, players are telling developers that they missed the mark. They threw the baby out with the bathwater. Quarterly report driven development with maximized RMT abuse cannot and will not, EVER make a living, breathing world that is required for a true MMORPG.
Only a community minded developer with a close connection to their fans, can make a MMORPG.
Are the emulations making any money for those fronting the MMORPG? If not then fine. I used to speak out against them in fact as I thought they kept too many old school players locked in the past, but the truth is we have so few places to go now that it would be unfair to advocate that.
But isn't that the individual's choice? "being locked in the past?"
Also, it's not being locked in the past, it's a preference for a very specific type of gameplay.
I mean, I've been having fun watching old 50's and 60's sci-fi/monster movies. this past weekend I listened to several pieces written in the 1500's as well as late 19th/early 20th century.
I don't consider any of this being locked in the past but a preference, or at least an enjoyment, of a completely different experience that isn't really offered in the present.
It's only a preference as long as the individual isn't locked into a 'this only' mentality. I know too many players stuck with games that have outlived their lifetime. People don't live constantly in their world of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the Micheal Rennie version) and Richard Wagner operas. Even I come out occasionally.
yeah but that's kind of a judgment isn't it?
Sort of a "you can do what you want provided you only do it under these criteria"
If a person wants to play these games then they should be able to play them if they are available.
If a person wants to listen to music solely from the 1920's, if that makes them happy, then I say great.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
If the game is still running then I'm not for them. If the game isn't running then sure. I have seen issues and complaints with private servers as those running them aren't necessarily the most professional people.
And of course there is no guarantee they will last or have some technical issue and everything will be lost.
As long as both sides go in knowing that they can be shut down at any time or that there can be issues then sure, have at it.
I have visited the Vanguard private server from time to time though haven't stayed for long. Something I've been meaning to revisit as they are doing a decent job from when they started..
So if the official version is bad, but the players want to play an older version that they liked better, are you still against them? Should players put up with a version that they hate just so they can be "legitimate"? I think not.
Another example - Aura Kingdom is still officially running, but has been P2W to boot since day 1 in 2014, now even more. One private server offers the same "Vanilla" experience with x1 rates on everything, only difference is that the P2W from the game is removed and replaced with cosmetics.
I only wish that I would have known that things like the SWG EMU was going to come up. I threw my install disks away (on accident) and have had a terrible time getting replacements. Yes, I know about E-bay and such but still, what a pain. I am really hoping that someday there will no longer be a requirement to have those disks in order to play those games.
I only wish that I would have known that things like the SWG EMU was going to come up. I threw my install disks away (on accident) and have had a terrible time getting replacements. Yes, I know about E-bay and such but still, what a pain. I am really hoping that someday there will no longer be a requirement to have those disks in order to play those games.
You can download them now from MyAbandonware.
I still have the original discs somewhere, but no CD-ROM player for my computer anymore. Not going to bother buying one either. So I downloaded it from there.
I'm on a vanilla+ server. The server instantly proved to me that I was right, the #Nochanges Classic crowd were idiots. People play vanilla because of what the game is; an older-school mmorpg based on specific design principles, and they want new content added to it without changing the game.
Nobody plays Classic anymore, because TBC is a totally different game. Because of this, the player base cut in half, and Classic players are now filling private vanilla servers again.
Old mmorpgs across more than 1 generation, are now hosted and getting brand new content. From CoH to Warhammer to vanilla Wow and others, players are telling developers that they missed the mark. They threw the baby out with the bathwater. Quarterly report driven development with maximized RMT abuse cannot and will not, EVER make a living, breathing world that is required for a true MMORPG.
Only a community minded developer with a close connection to their fans, can make a MMORPG.
Are the emulations making any money for those fronting the MMORPG? If not then fine. I used to speak out against them in fact as I thought they kept too many old school players locked in the past, but the truth is we have so few places to go now that it would be unfair to advocate that.
But isn't that the individual's choice? "being locked in the past?"
Also, it's not being locked in the past, it's a preference for a very specific type of gameplay.
I mean, I've been having fun watching old 50's and 60's sci-fi/monster movies. this past weekend I listened to several pieces written in the 1500's as well as late 19th/early 20th century.
I don't consider any of this being locked in the past but a preference, or at least an enjoyment, of a completely different experience that isn't really offered in the present.
It's only a preference as long as the individual isn't locked into a 'this only' mentality. I know too many players stuck with games that have outlived their lifetime. People don't live constantly in their world of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the Micheal Rennie version) and Richard Wagner operas. Even I come out occasionally.
That's still a preference. People can 'this only' to their heart's content. If the games are still available to play they haven't outlived their lifetime. If they can still draw in sufficient revenue despite their age they haven't even outlived their commercial viability.
As long as the game is no longer in the market its sort of like an abandoned car. Sure, someone technically owns it but they obviously have no use for it. I currently play the Resto 3 SWG and having a great time. Lots of active players.
Only a community minded developer with a close connection to their fans, can make a MMORPG.
That's a pleasant fantasy that has no connection to reality.
That's how most mmorpgs of the past were made. You young? Didn't get to play during the golden age of gaming? Sorry lad. Tough luck.
I was commenting on where the industry once was, and where it is now. That is reality, because it happened. Gamers once made games. Now industry makes games, like the 5 kinds of Oreos fat America consumes.
Community minded developers exist, but in the realm of high risk indie development. Check your nihilism.
I think the authorities should track down each person running them ...
Go to there houses ..
Pepper Spray them ..
and drag them out beating them with night sticks , then throw them in prison
I laughed way too hard reading this.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
If the game is still running then I'm not for them. If the game isn't running then sure. I have seen issues and complaints with private servers as those running them aren't necessarily the most professional people.
And of course there is no guarantee they will last or have some technical issue and everything will be lost.
As long as both sides go in knowing that they can be shut down at any time or that there can be issues then sure, have at it.
I have visited the Vanguard private server from time to time though haven't stayed for long. Something I've been meaning to revisit as they are doing a decent job from when they started..
Oooh. I did not know someone brought Vanguard back to life through EMU? Who is it?
Look up VGOemulator. They have a discord and everything. It's slow developing since the code for the game was the spaghettiest of the spaghetti and they have two devs, but it's still very playable. People even group up and do dungeons!
Personally, I think that unless the host has permission from the content creator, they should be illegal, as that is straight up stealing someone else's work and product.
With canceled games, it's a bit Iffy, I think once a game shuts down, if someone else wants to host a copy of the shut down game, as long as they don't try to make money off it, IE: a fan project/labor of Love, I am fine with that.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
I still consider Star Wars Galaxies my favorite gaming experience ever. But I can’t bring myself to play on an Emu not even considering my discs are long gone.
My gaming habits have changed as has the technology in the gaming industry. I just got a Nintendo Switch and it is an amazing console. If I booted up Legends I think it would sour the memories I had. I’ve been spoiled by more recent MMOs offering better combat and other quality of life changes not present.
Still no game immersed me as much as Galaxies and I’m still hoping a game comes around that fills the Shadowfire shaped void in my heart. I don’t want a replica of my time with SWG, I want something better and I am optimistic something will come along.
It was also the people we knew in SWG. They are long gone, some left MMOs all together after SWG took a dive.
Comments
I wasn't in a position to play a lot of the older games in their hey day as much as I wanted to, so being able to go to an EMU lets me experience some of what I missed back then now that I have more time on my hands.
So far the only game I liked enough to play on an EMU is SWG, but I can think of another I'd love to see get the EMU treatment as I enjoyed it back then and some of the unique features it had that haven't ever been reproduced.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
This is why emulators exist. Products meant to be made for consumers are now being controlled by big business who do not want ANY competition, even from paying customers. They have sculpted the laws so they own every pixel and every player profile. They own and control the communication feedback loop or are trying to own it. They do not want your feedback, they only want the averages from mass market feedback, hence why you always receive polls. They want to know the largest segment opinion. This has no connection whatsoever with shaping the creative vision of a game. It's to create a mass market product. It is the death of artistry.
What are we left with? Nearly rebellious, pirate-like means to play the games that were MADE FOR US!
Emulators should exist, they have to exist because competition has to exist. We will never have genre or variety gaming for different audiences wanting different things. There needs to be an outlet for gaming outside of the propaganda loop saturating the market and the gamers who now think mass appeal games are the only games allowed ... because they lost any sense of independent and small community thinking. They became mindless consumers, because they were trained to be that.
There is no evolution in gaming. Stop using that term. There is only a failing sense of vigilance, and watching your consumer rights being stripped from you. Games and game play have become a landscape of clones, sequels to clones and clones made through advertising propaganda playing these games.
Nobody plays Classic anymore, because TBC is a totally different game. Because of this, the player base cut in half, and Classic players are now filling private vanilla servers again.
Old mmorpgs across more than 1 generation, are now hosted and getting brand new content. From CoH to Warhammer to vanilla Wow and others, players are telling developers that they missed the mark. They threw the baby out with the bathwater. Quarterly report driven development with maximized RMT abuse cannot and will not, EVER make a living, breathing world that is required for a true MMORPG.
Only a community minded developer with a close connection to their fans, can make a MMORPG.
I never got to play the original...it sounded like fun
yeah but that's kind of a judgment isn't it?
Sort of a "you can do what you want provided you only do it under these criteria"
If a person wants to play these games then they should be able to play them if they are available.
If a person wants to listen to music solely from the 1920's, if that makes them happy, then I say great.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
So if the official version is bad, but the players want to play an older version that they liked better, are you still against them? Should players put up with a version that they hate just so they can be "legitimate"? I think not. Another example - Aura Kingdom is still officially running, but has been P2W to boot since day 1 in 2014, now even more. One private server offers the same "Vanilla" experience with x1 rates on everything, only difference is that the P2W from the game is removed and replaced with cosmetics.
Let's party like it is 1863!
I still have the original discs somewhere, but no CD-ROM player for my computer anymore. Not going to bother buying one either. So I downloaded it from there.
That's still a preference. People can 'this only' to their heart's content. If the games are still available to play they haven't outlived their lifetime. If they can still draw in sufficient revenue despite their age they haven't even outlived their commercial viability.
That's a pleasant fantasy that has no connection to reality.
I was commenting on where the industry once was, and where it is now. That is reality, because it happened. Gamers once made games. Now industry makes games, like the 5 kinds of Oreos fat America consumes.
Community minded developers exist, but in the realm of high risk indie development. Check your nihilism.
Look up VGOemulator. They have a discord and everything. It's slow developing since the code for the game was the spaghettiest of the spaghetti and they have two devs, but it's still very playable. People even group up and do dungeons!
With canceled games, it's a bit Iffy, I think once a game shuts down, if someone else wants to host a copy of the shut down game, as long as they don't try to make money off it, IE: a fan project/labor of Love, I am fine with that.
It was also the people we knew in SWG. They are long gone, some left MMOs all together after SWG took a dive.