I miss old SSI games and all the beauty and wonder they brought me as a child. Perhaps it’s more of the feeling of playing old MS-DOS games and that no worries feeling of playing games all summer long when your parents are out working; no cares in the world but that of the evil dragons and goblins of an RPG world. Secret of the Silver Blades arrived in May of 1990, developed and published by Strategic Simulations Inc (SSI), a company we covered in our gaming history back in TD Gaming Podcast Episode 9.
Secret of the Silver Blades is actually the third in a four-part game series which was eventually packaged in the Gold Box editing of the SSI games. It was a continuation of the game Curse of the Azure Bonds and the first in the series: Pool of Radiance. The cool part of the series was the leveling system where each would let you level to a certain limit just like most modules in D&D games, this game let you get to level seven which means a Mage could use the cool Delayed Blast Fireball spell which was one of my favorite magic spells in D&D (yeah, I’m a dork.)
The graphics were a whopping 16-colors, with slight graphical improvements over the other two prior games. This game didn’t have an overworld map like the others, going full first person for the length of the game. Another great enhancement was the ability to use the arrow keys to navigate menu’s without the need for “hot keys” like older SSI titles, given the game is very much menu-based for combat, equipment and inventory management it was very handy to have the use of those nice little arrow keys.
You create your party and start adventuring in a game engine very similar to all the games before it, so introduction to game mechanics was minimal, you could advance your characters further in level and, most importantly, import characters from previous games. The D&D world is really a character-driven game environment and you grow fond of your characters and understand the best ways to battle with them, importing is key and still, today, is a big part in well done RPG expansions (Guild Wars is a great example). Unfortunately, many games fall short of character import and it kind of blows away some of the magic of an RPG.
One of the frustrating issues with Secret of the Silver blade is the limitation on levels for the Cleric, because they can’t level up past 7 they can’t get the good ressurection spell, only allowed to use Raise Dead which lowers your characters constitution by 1 (much like the traditional D&D rules). However, given its a video game and not a paper-dice based game, the raise dead penalty is annoying, so it was easier to save often and re-load when you died to try again and avoid the penalty. I do recall their being some scrolls or something to get back your constitution penalty… but it’s been awhile I might be making that up.
Anyway, a well done series, classic RPG and helped build a foundation for games like Morrow Wind and Oblivion in my opinion.
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Was 176 banned?
Was 176 banned?
As for CBGB, it’s a place in the East Village where a ton of classic bands like The Ramones got their start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGB
Bands that started there include: The Stillettoes (later known as Blondie), The Ramones, The Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers, and so on.
As for CBGB, it’s a place in the East Village where a ton of classic bands like The Ramones got their start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGB
Bands that started there include: The Stillettoes (later known as Blondie), The Ramones, The Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers, and so on.
@Zynga partners with 7-11:
An interesting maneuver. If Zynga simply prints stickers than then get placed on products that get sold anyway, then it is a pretty good deal, since it will bring them some money.
I don’t think that 7-11 will get an extra revenue from that though. I mean I don’t see the doughnut market experiencing an increase of demand because of a Farmville label.
@Nintendo 3DS close to HD console abilities:
I am skeptic. Let’s do a bit of math:
– let’s say we have a display of 100 mm width (the DS has it at about 60 mm)
– in full HD, the width is 1920 pixels
– that gives us the size of the pixel at 100/1920 = 0.052 mm. Currently, the dot size for LCDs is about 0.24. So we’re talking about a display 4 – 5 times better.
And that’s not all! In order to actually notice a detail that small, the pixel must translate into an angle of 1 minute. This constraint means that the display must be held at 180 mm from the eyes. The human eye has to do some serious efforts to focus on distances less than 250 mm. This thing can actually harm your eyes.
@listener’s comments:
lol, you play games on the iPod while sitting on the toilet? Ha ha ha, I can imagine horror games helping people who feel constipated 😉
@ question of the week:
Sorry … me is PC gamer … I don’t think I’ll get anything for it.
@Zynga partners with 7-11:
An interesting maneuver. If Zynga simply prints stickers than then get placed on products that get sold anyway, then it is a pretty good deal, since it will bring them some money.
I don’t think that 7-11 will get an extra revenue from that though. I mean I don’t see the doughnut market experiencing an increase of demand because of a Farmville label.
@Nintendo 3DS close to HD console abilities:
I am skeptic. Let’s do a bit of math:
– let’s say we have a display of 100 mm width (the DS has it at about 60 mm)
– in full HD, the width is 1920 pixels
– that gives us the size of the pixel at 100/1920 = 0.052 mm. Currently, the dot size for LCDs is about 0.24. So we’re talking about a display 4 – 5 times better.
And that’s not all! In order to actually notice a detail that small, the pixel must translate into an angle of 1 minute. This constraint means that the display must be held at 180 mm from the eyes. The human eye has to do some serious efforts to focus on distances less than 250 mm. This thing can actually harm your eyes.
@listener’s comments:
lol, you play games on the iPod while sitting on the toilet? Ha ha ha, I can imagine horror games helping people who feel constipated 😉
@ question of the week:
Sorry … me is PC gamer … I don’t think I’ll get anything for it.
Hey, great show as usual guys, which is impressive given that farmville was featured so heavily 😛
@3DS having 360-like graphics
I’m not believing anything unless it comes from Nintendo themselves and as you guys explained, having HD graphics on a handheld seems very unlikely. I’m still expecting a graphical upgrade for it, just not as massive an upgrade as that.
@QOTW
This would get me back into the rhythm genre:
– Massive selection of (good) songs
– More interesting (maybe story driven) career mode
– Interesting new additions to the instruments (whether it’s a whole new instrument, i.e. keyboard in rock band 3, or new features for the existing intruments)
Somehow, I don’t think that dressing up my fake plastic guitar (kudos to whoever gets the musical reference…) is going to revolutionize the genre. I’ve always preferred Rock Band to Guitar Hero anyway.
Oh, and what happened to episode 176? Unlucky number or something? 😛
Hey, great show as usual guys, which is impressive given that farmville was featured so heavily 😛
@3DS having 360-like graphics
I’m not believing anything unless it comes from Nintendo themselves and as you guys explained, having HD graphics on a handheld seems very unlikely. I’m still expecting a graphical upgrade for it, just not as massive an upgrade as that.
@QOTW
This would get me back into the rhythm genre:
– Massive selection of (good) songs
– More interesting (maybe story driven) career mode
– Interesting new additions to the instruments (whether it’s a whole new instrument, i.e. keyboard in rock band 3, or new features for the existing intruments)
Somehow, I don’t think that dressing up my fake plastic guitar (kudos to whoever gets the musical reference…) is going to revolutionize the genre. I’ve always preferred Rock Band to Guitar Hero anyway.
Oh, and what happened to episode 176? Unlucky number or something? 😛
@ MyWOW guild – There are plenty of members in it. Easily over 30. I would have thought you had know about the Insane in the Membrane achievement.
http://www.wowhead.com/achievement=2336/insane-in-the-membrane
It gives the title of “The Insane” (in case Jen wants to go for this reputation based title!), but is usually achieved after getting The Exalted. You need exalted with the 4 Steamwheedle Cartel, Shen’dralar (Dire Maul Library), Darkmoon Faire, Ravenholdt (which is done by looting junkboxes through pickpocket), and honored with Bloodsail Buccaneers.
As for my character – I’m currently ranked 6th in my guild for achievement points, on 7305, which isn’t bad as I’ve stopped playing for the last month to concentrate on some console gaming. Red Dead Redemption arrived this morning, as well as picking up Mario Galaxy 2 last night.
@ your rant on my comment about resales – Halfway through Derrick banning me from posting (will this get read out???) he actually began to make the point I was trying, albeit badly, to get across. In my opinion the only way the publishers will get rid of the resale issue is to just have online digital sales only. With OnLive going through Beta this may be the way of the next generation of home consoles. Either that or we start getting bundled petabit hard drives. (That’s 1000 terabits, but I’m sure you’d know that.)
@ QotW – I don’t think I could conceivably “get back in to” plastic instrument gaming. One of the big things that made me prefer Rock Band over Guitar Hero was the ability to use tracks from previous versions, or simply download tracks from PSN for “Rock Band”. Once GH5 came out, World Tour support was dropped, so I can’t get anything easily for it. The only thing which might garner some interest is if they actually started making “real” instruments, and actually got you to learn how to play properly.
@ MyWOW guild – There are plenty of members in it. Easily over 30. I would have thought you had know about the Insane in the Membrane achievement.
http://www.wowhead.com/achievement=2336/insane-in-the-membrane
It gives the title of “The Insane” (in case Jen wants to go for this reputation based title!), but is usually achieved after getting The Exalted. You need exalted with the 4 Steamwheedle Cartel, Shen’dralar (Dire Maul Library), Darkmoon Faire, Ravenholdt (which is done by looting junkboxes through pickpocket), and honored with Bloodsail Buccaneers.
As for my character – I’m currently ranked 6th in my guild for achievement points, on 7305, which isn’t bad as I’ve stopped playing for the last month to concentrate on some console gaming. Red Dead Redemption arrived this morning, as well as picking up Mario Galaxy 2 last night.
@ your rant on my comment about resales – Halfway through Derrick banning me from posting (will this get read out???) he actually began to make the point I was trying, albeit badly, to get across. In my opinion the only way the publishers will get rid of the resale issue is to just have online digital sales only. With OnLive going through Beta this may be the way of the next generation of home consoles. Either that or we start getting bundled petabit hard drives. (That’s 1000 terabits, but I’m sure you’d know that.)
@ QotW – I don’t think I could conceivably “get back in to” plastic instrument gaming. One of the big things that made me prefer Rock Band over Guitar Hero was the ability to use tracks from previous versions, or simply download tracks from PSN for “Rock Band”. Once GH5 came out, World Tour support was dropped, so I can’t get anything easily for it. The only thing which might garner some interest is if they actually started making “real” instruments, and actually got you to learn how to play properly.
Hello! It’s good to be back and listen to the podcast again!
I never got completely out of the rhythm genre. However I was really skeptical when it came to DJ Hero, but to my surprise I actually find DJ Hero a lot of fun, and the rhythm genre fun when there is a group of friends together. I think anything that changes the game experience while still making it fun is a great thing, and for me that even includes the Virtual Boy 🙂
Hello! It’s good to be back and listen to the podcast again!
I never got completely out of the rhythm genre. However I was really skeptical when it came to DJ Hero, but to my surprise I actually find DJ Hero a lot of fun, and the rhythm genre fun when there is a group of friends together. I think anything that changes the game experience while still making it fun is a great thing, and for me that even includes the Virtual Boy 🙂
Hey guys, good cast.
For the question of the week, i actually never bought into the GH series i just happened to get world tour & GH 5 for free . But i didnt overly play the game cuz i wasnt super good @ it. But GH is an awesome game to bring out @ a party i found. Now for my answer it really comes down to the songs, if the game comes with a great deal of songs i like i will consider.
Off topic side note
I remember the 1st time a played GH @ a party, was an amazing experience will all role played the hell out of it. The high of the night was when i Playing “Before i forget” & started spinning a round on the ground on a solo & retained my streak. Simply AWESOME.
Lately been playing alot of ICC & Red dead redemption which is an EPIC game.
Cheers
Hey guys, good cast.
For the question of the week, i actually never bought into the GH series i just happened to get world tour & GH 5 for free . But i didnt overly play the game cuz i wasnt super good @ it. But GH is an awesome game to bring out @ a party i found. Now for my answer it really comes down to the songs, if the game comes with a great deal of songs i like i will consider.
Off topic side note
I remember the 1st time a played GH @ a party, was an amazing experience will all role played the hell out of it. The high of the night was when i Playing “Before i forget” & started spinning a round on the ground on a solo & retained my streak. Simply AWESOME.
Lately been playing alot of ICC & Red dead redemption which is an EPIC game.
Cheers