"Lesser Known" PC and Video Games?

[Reprisal]

Hey all,

I was just taking a look at my collection of "old" PC games and I got to thinking about the fact that some of them might work well as a D20 Modern "conversion."

I've compiled a short list:

• Ground Control
• Homeworld
• Dark Reign
• Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
• Red Faction*
• System Shock and System Shock 2
• Deus Ex

After reading the book for Ground Control, the information provided is impressive enough to merit me trying to take a whack at some sort of conversion... The same goes for Homeworld, but that looks to be more of a Space Operatic type game.

Has anyone attempted something like this? Do you have any insight in the execution of such an endeavour?

Thanks in advance,

- Rep.

* I'm also reminded of an "annual" comic series published by Image called The Red Star which may be an interesting conversion of some kind... Anyone read it?

 

[Sixchan]

*Pulls out SMAC and takes a look*
Wow! I can't believe I never though of this! I needed a third planet for my campaign, and this is perfect! Thanks!

Once I get down to conversion, I'll get back to you on this!

 

[Henry]

Give you another one, from Bullfrog Entertainment -

Syndicate.

Now, THIS could be an excellent D20 game, if you played the agents on the street level. Playing as the master crime lord, as you do in the game, would be somewhaty boring, except perhaps as a side game?

 

[PurplePCEater]

Just to add to this, one you've missed here that I've already thought about converting is the X-COM series of games.

Alien infiltration, interception of UFOs, the hunt for alien bases, and researching alien tech so that you can turn their weapons on them all sound to me like ideal plot devices for PCs. Might have to be played a little fast and loose, but there's loads of background info in the first game alone, let alone the series.

 

[Tonguez]

I haven't looked at the actual book but see GURPS Alpha Centauri

its the GURPS sourcebook for Sid Meiers Alpha Centauri setting and if its GURPS quality it will probably be a good resourse

and yeah I have the PC game and love it... the true sequel to Civilisation afterall

And what about adding SimCity, the Sims and Creatures to your least of games that could be converted...

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Personally, I'd use Spycraft over D20 Modern for Deus Ex. But that's me.

PurplePC...X-COM sounds pretty neat. I saw 'em in stores, but never looked at any really. What format are they (first-person shooter, etc.)? I think they're for Playstation or X-Box or something though, right?

 

[AmbushBug]

Gabriel Knight would make a kick butt d20 modern conversion

 

[Reprisal]

After watching some Iron Chef...

If memory serves me, I seem to remember the X-Com series being something of a squad-based, tactical game with the PoV being either Top-Down or Isometric. One of the later, perhaps the latest, was indeed an FPS.

I've never been much for Gabriel Knight... but that reminds me of such early cinematic games like Under A Killing Moon. Heh, I still snicker whenever I remember that Elephant Guy...

 

[magnas_veritas]

Personally, I'd use Spycraft over D20 Modern for Deus Ex. But that's me.

PurplePC...X-COM sounds pretty neat. I saw 'em in stores, but never looked at any really. What format are they (first-person shooter, etc.)? I think they're for Playstation or X-Box or something though, right?

I'd use Spycraft for almost anything over d20 Modern. I think, in fact, I'd be more likely to get out my hammer and modify Spycraft so far from its origins to be unrecognizable before I'd try and set something with d20 Modern. But that's me.

But, for most action computer/console games, Spycraft is up your alley. Of course the party's almost entirely soldiers, but hey...there're plentiful prestige classes, though.

X-Com's a squad-level tactical game, where you fight aliens and balance your budget. It's one of the classic early-90s computer games, and the first was arguably the best. There's nothing quite like coming to a site, opening the doors, your troops stepping out...and then they start dropping like flies.

Brad

 

[Unseelie]

X-COM sounds pretty neat. I saw 'em in stores, but never looked at any really. What format are they (first-person shooter, etc.)? I think they're for Playstation or X-Box or something though, right?

The X-Com games worth playing (1, 2, and IMO 3) are all DOS games. They run just fine on earlier OSes, but I'm not certain how they'd do on XP. Later games in the series tried to turn X-Com into a franchise, including a space fighter sim, as Wing Commander was THE game at the time.

Turn based, squad level, top down... very low tech by today's standards, and still better than most games published today.

It's mostly based on UFO a live-action British SF series from the 70's and would make excellent fodder for a game world.