Nookrium

Ever want to play XCOM on the go? I modified a Sony PlayStation 1 version of the original X-COM and transferred it to my Sony PSP.
It's a kind of a pain without a mouse, but it works with the buttons (obviously). It also plays the CD music version so THAT's a plus.

Here's the pics, enjoy.








-NoX

You know, in retrospect. I think I should have added this to my Tropical Island games Top 10 list. Hey Nook, if you still read this topic, check out these modsI  made years and years ago for GalCivs II.

Click here,  Click here,  and Click here. Fun little read from years ago. Sigh.

Read the discriptions and go download 2 Ultimate Edition and see how cool stuff was.

-n0x

Space Quest... Loved those, I think I played 1-4. Learned a lot of English through games like that. I might have even bought them at GoG due to nostalgia, I'm not sure. I get crazy like that.

Fall in Maggots. I don't know who you've pissed off, but it must have been really bad to have you assigned here. Here, what is here. Well I'm sorry to tell you but you've been assigned to corps of a dead people. That's right, as of it now, you can think of yourself dead. How dead, that depends. You ask why? Well let me tell you. We are investigators and trash collectors at the same time. We've got a call about a derelict ship, we find the ship, investigate and deal with the problem that was given. Fact is, mostly we know shit and the things you can find are far more scarier than the scariest stories you could have imagine. Aliens, mutants, ghost, zombies and Cthulhu himself. I've commanded more than dozens of teams of people such as yourself and I'm proud to say none of them are alive Today. Maybe if you're lucky you will break this streak. Probably not.

But enough of this. Let's see who this time they've given me...

1. Space Voyager. They say that you are a leader of some kind. Graduated from First Leaders school and continued your career as a protector of some kind. They also say you prefer to hang out with people and don't like close spaces, well tough luck buddy as tight corridors will be your next best friend. They also say you attract a lot of attention. Let's hope you have some last words when some alien decides to chew on your guts.



2. Nook. Well well, it looks like we have a real tough guy here, straight from the Academy. Soldering through the entire career. Think you are tougher than those monsters out there? I think not. They also say you have a memory issue. For your sake let's hope you don't forget how to shoot and who to shoot.



3. Sunflash. Ah another from the Academy. Not so tough like the last one and it looks like you don't like to get hurt. I hope you scream like a baby girl. But remember: No one can hear you scream in Space.



4. Thorondor. You look like the brain of this sorry bunch. I can see in those eyes, calculating every word I say, every step I make. Don't overexert yourself boy, you will see things that weren't meant to be seen by human eyes. Hmm it also looks like you love them stims. Aliens love them too it's like spice to them and they love human blood all spiced up.



5. Zombie. And you must be the tech guy of this squad. I've seen better, and they are all dead. Also strange combination for a guy that like all thing electronic and all electronics don't love you.



Also just to be upfront with you. I don't care whether you live or die. I'm getting paid anyway.

So, SV has it's own Elite: Dangerous thing, so I've decided to do something different. Although probably this will be one time thing, but hey.

Subnautica is one of those survival exploration games. Lately we had few such games and I believe last one highly praised was amazing looking game called: The Forest.
This year we've got still in development another game of this kind but instead of building our shelter on an big island inhabited by cannibals, we are now stranded on an unknown planet that is one big Ocean. Since this is all about survival and exploration this means there will be base building of some sorts. And also as we know from our world, waters can hold many beautiful sights. Schools of fish, kelps etc. But as we also know the deeper we go the nastier it gets.
As you've probably imagined I've played a little of this game. Though it's still in development, this game has separate creative mode, just like in Minecraft, we have all the tools and minerals and all the survival needs are removed. So after playing a little I've decided to spend not too much time and try to create something from one of the games we love (and hate by it's brutality). Base building + underwater environment + horrors from the deep = Can I create X-COM base and how accurate can it be? I'm not a very creative person, and probably this work will be looking average in comparison to what others could achieve. Even given the limited tools there are. I've only spent few hours on this little project, but let's see what could was done. I've also made a short tour of the base and it's surroundings. So let's have a look.





So let's start it easy. It's a new sunny day on the planet, but where we are going sun will not accompany us.



Giving a DEEP dive (300 meters deep) suddenly a structure appears and a big sub "guarding" it. It's the default X-COM Experimental base.



Unfortunately due to some restrictions in the building process I could not exactly create the connections but I did try to put it exactly how the default layout of base looks like. Starting from the top we have a sub pen that connects to living quarters and airlock. Airlock is connected to general stores and living quarters to the lab, those branch to workshop and standard sonar. Unfortunately the sonar (scanner) special room does not allow multiple entrances I had to move it more slightly to the left and add T shape connection for the sub pen. Oh well. Now let's check the insides. First of course is the airlock.



Nothing big, it's definitely not the size of what we encounter in the X-COM itself but you know limitations are limitations, can only have this big tubes. Passing bulkheads we enter the living quarters.



Unfortunately there are no bunk beds and this is the best what this games offers when it comes to bed for two people. And of course the room is not big enough to hold as much beds as there would be in X-COM tactical view. But let's look around.






It looks a little comfy room where the aquanauts can chill, play some cards, rest, boast what they did in the missions, and it can double as an infirmary for those in need (sorry SV no nurses for you). As you can see everyone has it's own cabinet for gear.



Ok so now let's move to the next room. The laboratory. Small and simple, few desks and lab counters for the eggheads to work and some local fauna for the research.




Next is a workshop for our engineering needs and a reactor for the base.



Moving along we end up in the sub pen when our faithful Triton-1 awaits (unfortunately 1 man only)




Let's move back and head to the general stores. Few lockers for minerals, water dispenser and aquarium with some local fish.




Moving along we are now visiting our sonar (scanner) room, where we could make a drone tour of our base and have a scan of nearby resources.






Our second sub pen is empty, but maybe there will be other submersible vehicles.



And last but not least, third sub pen with a walker suit, used for mining and possible combat.





Ok so that's about it for the base tour. Let's hop in to our Triton and we maybe find T'Leth and probably die out of scare of what we might find. Upon entering the sub we are greeted by a friendly voice. "Welcome aboard captain".



So let's explore. Our sub is equipped with a sonar for deep sea exploration. Don't go exploring without it otherwise you might get lost. Fortunately we are in creative mode, so there is no way of us dying or being stranded out of energy. That would be bad.
Not far from our base is a deep cavern. As you can see it's very dark there. Are you already getting the chills?




Exploring the deep forest of glowing sea trees we find a first potential monster that would be the death of us.



We could role-play and fire some torpedoes at it, although there are no lethal weapons (unless you count a knife, but who would want to go with knife against this electric monstrosity (NoX probably))



Or we could exit the sub and play with our gun (it's only stasis rifle but for now we can imagine it's Blasta Rifle)



Ok let's head back to our sub and explore more. And if you are wondering, yes there are Tentaculat like creatures...



Fortunately they do not zombify. Unfortunately they have EMP kind of attack that disables the sub. Not sure if it drains whole battery. Being in creative mode I've got energy restored after few seconds.
What's more in the depths. How about them big bones?



Or this big alien structure?



And I'm beginning to get lost in the underground. This also looks fascinating and scary



Time to get home, but where is the exit?



Oh, I think I've made it.



Now let's take a trip on the bigger sub.



Well damn, do you see anything? Imagine going even deeper with this thing. Fortunately it has a slot for 1 vehicle, but it is so big and clunky. Fortunately there are 3 cameras to help.



We could also drop in our power suit. Though it is still beta and the suit doesn't like to auto stabilize.



Hope they will fix it as it looked and felt very strange to walk tilted that way.




Anyway that's about it for this small presentation. I'm pretty sure if Firaxis will make TFTD version of XCOM it will not be that dark and scary which is a shame. I liked TFTD and would like to experience it in far more scary way.

An interesting game, this... Play this and watch "Mr. Robot" and you're on your way to hack the world!

Happy 35th silencer!

Yes, my birthday was this past Sunday (the 7th). Still hanging in there, thanks for the warm wishes guys!

- Zombie

With the birthday board gone, Happy Birthday me (35).

And as far as I know there is a third awesome person who was born under this great month:

Happy Birthday SV in a week or two?

Zombie, on 25 July 2016 - 03:20 AM, said:

Got this today. This is a demo disk containing XCOM:Enemy Unknown, Carrier Command:GAEA Mission, Torchlight II and Gateways. How can you fit 4 big demos on one disk? Simple! Use a double sided disk! First time I've ever seen one so it was quite a shock when I opened the package to find that. Will maybe get some scans of this up next week. I have to work tomorrow, go to someone's birthday party in the evening, and then Sunday is my own birthday and I'd like to wash my vehicle and do a little maintenance on it before winter is upon us again.

- Zombie

For all the money your spending on this cra....collectible stuff   you better make sure you update your renters/home insurance. I'm serious, with the amount of time and money you've spent over the years it'd be a damn shame to see it all get ruined or lost.

-NoX

A couple new additions to my collection will be arriving soonish (August sometime). First is a demo for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I picked this up from a seller in Australia, but have no idea if it was only released there or other places as well. I've never seen the physical demo in any form before so this is probably a little rare.

And the "second" is not really one thing, it's more of a collection than anything else. I found the Bureau: XCOM Declassified Press Kit (there are a few different variants of the kit but mine includes everything)! Not only that, but the seller included a bunch of other items to make the deal even sweeter: 2 fedora hats, 3 declassified keychains, zippo lighter, what I assume is a boxed moneyclip (I forget what was all possible when it came out), the pen and paper, a couple declassified t-shirts (yellow and black), an XCOM "notebook", a promo pen (I have the pen already, but hey, why not more?), XCOM: Enemy Unknown "t-shirts" (I only see one listed in the pictures, but there may be more underneath it), a promo game for the PS3, and the pièce de résistance: an XCOM: Enemy Within dev-only Muton figurine.

The auction wasn't cheap by any means, but compared to other auctions with just the Press Kit, it was a good deal in that it contained so much more. Can't wait to get this.

- Zombie

Indiegala is giving away another free indie title called Sometimes: Success Requires Sacrifice.
Click here to get it.

-NoX

Bundle Stars is giving away Megabyte Punch. Pick it up now as there is a limited amount of keys available.

-NoX

He is a true EA fan.