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Get SimCity 2000 SE, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2, and more DRM-free EA classics 60% off!

This weekend nearly 30 classic from the Electronic Arts collection make their way to GOG.com with a solid flat-rate 60% discount. A line-up of timeless games arriving at such speed deserves to be called nothing shorto of a [url=http://www.gog.com/promo/ea_weekend_promo_030513]Classic EA Convoy! You'll find memorable stand-alone titles here, as well as all-time favorite series. Games from many genres to suit all tastes and temperaments. Whether you are an adventurous soul, a keen manager, or a daunting pilot, you'll find an excellent match for yourself on our promo page. But before you go there, let's take a quick look at some of the brilliant games we offer you today, shall we?

There was a time that all that a aspiring mayor of a virtual town needed, was a computer plugged in into nothing more than a power socket. Well, that and a copy of SimCity 2000, preferably the Special Edition that allowed you not only to construct and manage your town--that is: metropolis--but also allowed you to become an architect and design your very own buildings using the patented Urban Renewal Kit. Oh, yes! City-building was carefree and full of bliss, back in the day (up until an earthquake or alien invasion--but even that only happened locally). Many have forgotten, but we, here at GOG.com, remember. Today you can experience the urbanistic utopia once again, for only $2.39--a fraction of what you'd be paying for building a birdhouse, let alone a city!

If you prefer a smaller scale in your managerial sim, but maybe even more gameplay intensity, you should pick up Theme Hospital for only $2.39. This medical facility simulation takes serious matters like health care and exotic diseases with a hefty pinch of humor. Treating Hairyitis in patients suffering from prolonged exposure to moonlight might be a tad challenging, but its got to be fun at the same time. After all, not every day you get to order flea-powder and silverware compress as a treatment, right. Only here!

Lots of humor, even if a bit darker in tone, you will also find in Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper 2, Bullfrog's excellent fantasy games pitting iron-clad heroes and heroins against a horde of vile dungeon-dwelling monsters led by a repulsive demon. The twist is: this time around you're the evil boss of the dungeon. Command your minions, design deadly traps, and fend off those damn do-gooders trying to perform their petty quests. You also get to hoard ridiculous heaps of gold and jewels here, and the entry investment is only $2.39 for each of the games.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, just as all of the games above, delivers complex and deep strategic gameplay with lots of factors to track at once--probably even more then the others. On top of that, it presents you with the most important task ever undertaken by the humankind: colonization of space! Taking everything that was so involving and enjoyable about the Civilization game, this one takes matters into an otherworldly setting. The version we offer here comes with the elusive Alien Crossfire expansion, all for the low price of--you guessed it--$2.39!

Impressive? Oh, but that's just the tip of the giant mountain of DRM-free EA gems we have lined up for you in our Classic EA Convoy! Be sure to check the whole promo page, not to miss out on any of the excellent titles we offer 60% off until until Tuesday, May 7, at 3:59AM GMT.

Have a nice weekend!
Nice promo but I'll pass. Maybe happens Pay What You Want in the future.
Hmm, avoiding the stinkers, (mostly third installments of the series, some 9th (Ultima) ) there is a lot of fun to be had in this bundle.
Thanks GOG and (former) EA.
Can't believe people are still bashing Ultima IX. It had some technical problems when it came out. It has a few gameplay flaws, and a lot of people disliked some of the changes it introduced, etc. All fair, but it still doesn't make it a flat-out bad game. I wonder, did all of the people who love to go on about how bad a game it is actually play it, or is it just the hip thing to do to put down the last installment of a long-running series? :)
Post edited May 04, 2013 by Anamon
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Leroux: Any advice regarding those?
Lands of Lore 3:
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CrowTRobo: I hope someone who played this can clarify, but my impression of the game after just watching a Let's Play of it was poor at best. LOL3 did not seem like a good game at all - it was sad how the series ended. Like you said, it actually looks worse than LOL2 graphics-wise. The animation is terrible. You can level up just by performing training tasks, allowing you to get to a high level right at the beginning of the game. You can also obtain incredibly powerful weapons early on as well. Check out the LP to get a sense of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCOJn5wiiz0&list=PLB0FB8F2DB35FB89C

But I can't believe LOL1+2 is on sale this weekend. I was just thinking about buying it full price. GOG has great timing. I bought LOL1 back when it was originally released but never finished it. I remember writing Westwood because I was having difficulty with figuring out a part of the game and they sent me a huge packet with printouts of every single map and solutions for every puzzle. Can you imagine a company doing that today?

After reading this thread I think I may pick up Theme Hospital too.

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I just grabbed LOL 1 +2 and then 3. Very happy to see they were on sale as, like you, I've been debating picking them up for weeks :) Now, already downloading and hopefully starting to play the first one soon. Meanwhile, I'm watching a Let's Play Lands of Lore 1 on YouTube. Awesome looking game.

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Anamon: Can't believe people are still bashing Ultima IX. It had some technical problems when it came out. It has a few gameplay flaws, and a lot of people disliked some of the changes it introduced, etc. All fair, but it still doesn't make it a flat-out bad game. I wonder, did all of the people who love to go on about how bad a game it is actually play it, or is it just the hip thing to do to put down the last installment of a long-running series? :)
I've wondered that too. I haven't played thru all of Ultima IX yet, only a few hours, but what I saw I really liked. It's on my list to grab at GOG as soon as I've finished a few more games in my backlog.
Post edited May 04, 2013 by Bloodygoodgames
Perfect time to buy Medal of Honor Warchest. Never played it on PC but enjoyed Frontline (the PS2 port).
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Bloodygoodgames: I just grabbed LOL 1 +2 and then 3. Very happy to see they were on sale as, like you, I've been debating picking them up for weeks :) Now, already downloading and hopefully starting to play the first one soon. Meanwhile, I'm watching a Let's Play Lands of Lore 1 on YouTube. Awesome looking game.
I was also debating picking those up, but then Patrick Stewart!

It also looks like he'll be playing a bigger part than he did in Oblivion. I mean it's freakin' Patrick Stewart and they used him for like 5 minutes before killing him off. I never beat Oblivion, though, does he show up later on?
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Bloodygoodgames: I've wondered that too. I haven't played thru all of Ultima IX yet, only a few hours, but what I saw I really liked. It's on my list to grab at GOG as soon as I've finished a few more games in my backlog.
My I ask, did you play many of the previous Ultimas? Because I've come to believe that it's mainly a problem of expectation. Most people who dislike/hate the game seem to have wanted it to be like previous Ultimas, traditional RPGs. But Ultima IX is a different kind of game, it is an action adventure. That's not a bad thing. Ultima IX is quite a good action adventure, in fact. It is a poor RPG, but that's because it isn't one, and doesn't try to be one. (Only the writing I can see disappointing long-time fans of the series a bit).
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Bloodygoodgames: I've wondered that too. I haven't played thru all of Ultima IX yet, only a few hours, but what I saw I really liked. It's on my list to grab at GOG as soon as I've finished a few more games in my backlog.
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Anamon: My I ask, did you play many of the previous Ultimas? Because I've come to believe that it's mainly a problem of expectation. Most people who dislike/hate the game seem to have wanted it to be like previous Ultimas, traditional RPGs. But Ultima IX is a different kind of game, it is an action adventure. That's not a bad thing. Ultima IX is quite a good action adventure, in fact. It is a poor RPG, but that's because it isn't one, and doesn't try to be one. (Only the writing I can see disappointing long-time fans of the series a bit).
Three words: "What's a Paladin?"
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Anamon: My I ask, did you play many of the previous Ultimas? Because I've come to believe that it's mainly a problem of expectation. Most people who dislike/hate the game seem to have wanted it to be like previous Ultimas, traditional RPGs. But Ultima IX is a different kind of game, it is an action adventure. That's not a bad thing. Ultima IX is quite a good action adventure, in fact. It is a poor RPG, but that's because it isn't one, and doesn't try to be one. (Only the writing I can see disappointing long-time fans of the series a bit).
It has nothing to do with Ultima IX being a different game. If you really want to understand why it is hated so much, I suggest you either read site about the Ultima-games or watch Spoony's [url=http://spoonyexperiment.com/category/game-reviews/ultima-retrospective/]Ultima Retrospective. Spoony is primarily an entertainer (and a die-hard Ultima-fan) so take what he says with a grain of salt.
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Bloodygoodgames: I just grabbed LOL 1 +2 and then 3. Very happy to see they were on sale as, like you, I've been debating picking them up for weeks :) Now, already downloading and hopefully starting to play the first one soon. Meanwhile, I'm watching a Let's Play Lands of Lore 1 on YouTube. Awesome looking game.
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Shaolin_sKunk: I was also debating picking those up, but then Patrick Stewart!

It also looks like he'll be playing a bigger part than he did in Oblivion. I mean it's freakin' Patrick Stewart and they used him for like 5 minutes before killing him off. I never beat Oblivion, though, does he show up later on?
No.
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Gaunathor: It has nothing to do with Ultima IX being a different game. If you really want to understand why it is hated so much, I suggest you either read site about the Ultima-games or watch Spoony's [url=http://spoonyexperiment.com/category/game-reviews/ultima-retrospective/]Ultima Retrospective. Spoony is primarily an entertainer (and a die-hard Ultima-fan) so take what he says with a grain of salt.
That's a lot of text :) If what you mean and what that's largely about is the plot inconsistencies and lacklustre characters, I understand, that can offend die-hard fans. That some characters are very flat is a pity. But it still doesn't make it a bad game. As for inconsistencies, I suggest replaying the older titles... it was a mess all along, and it doesn't really matter. I liked the conclusion that IX brought.

Anyway, in terms of game world and exploration and story (mostly) and details, a lot of players enjoyed the game very much. That already makes it, objectively, not a bad game. I have read so many reviews of the title, and most criticism is in relation to older Ultimas. I remain convinced that the vast majority of Ultima IX haters dislike the game because they wanted it to be something else. It certainly doesn't have "nothing" to do with being different. Maybe some players genuinely disliked it and wouldn't have enjoyed it under a different title either. But most negative reviews focus on exactly that: judging it against the preset expectation of a different kind of game. A lot of people loved that game and it's simply not the offendingly, inexcusably bad game it's made out to be.

What I'm saying is, I can understand the game getting mediocre ratings by people who are into the series a lot. But 1-star ratings, which seems to be the fashionable thing to give, are just ridiculous. Those reviewers must have never played an actual 1-star game.
Post edited May 06, 2013 by Anamon
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Anamon: That's a lot of text :)
Just read the part about Ultima IX, if you don't want to wade through all of it. Or, even better, read the original plot and compare it to what we actually got.

As for the 1-star reviews, I can understand where they are coming from. I have the same feelings towards Roland Emmerich's/Dean Devlin's GINO (I can't even call this abomination a Godzilla-movie).
Post edited May 06, 2013 by Gaunathor
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Gaunathor: Or, even better, read the original plot and compare it to what we actually got.
That looks like it might be an interesting read, thank you. I hope to find some time to read it soon.

I don't doubt that the writing in particular could have been a lot better, where the game's place within the Ultima series is concerned. And I get that many Ultima fans were very disappointed in that regard. What I don't approve of is that this has led a lot of those fans to claim the game is horrible in every way, which it isn't. And while I could somehow understand that being a frustrated reaction when the game came out, I don't get how people can still do that 14 years later. Strip away the Ultima title, even strip away the story, strip away everything but the bare gameplay, and it's still fun to play and explore for many people. All I'm saying :)

Maybe it helps that I also only played Ascension after getting some distance from the Ultima series. After having played all previous titles multiple times, I bought Ascension on release day, and was utterly disappointed -- I had to wait another 2 years or so until I had a computer that could actually run it... =)
Post edited May 06, 2013 by Anamon
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Gaunathor: As for the 1-star reviews, I can understand where they are coming from. I have the same feelings towards Roland Emmerich's/Dean Devlin's GINO (I can't even call this abomination a Godzilla-movie).
Hey, another Godzilla fan, you hear about the new movie coming out? It looks like it may not be crappy.

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pds41: No.
Figured as much. At least they learned their lesson and used Liam Neeson much more in Fallout 3.
Post edited May 06, 2013 by Shaolin_sKunk
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Shaolin_sKunk: Hey, another Godzilla fan, you hear about the new movie coming out? It looks like it may not be crappy.
Yes, I heard. I'm keeping my hopes low at the moment, because I don't want to get disappointed again.