The Mystic
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Posts posted by The Mystic
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Yeah, VirtualBox makes virtual computers easy to set up, since pretty much all you need to do is follow each screen in the wizard. I've gotten pretty good at setting them up; between two computers, I've created a total of five 32-bit guests (two WinXP's, two Ubuntu 11's, and a Win7). I haven't tried to do a Mac yet, nor have I successfully created a 64-bit guest.
A few words about virtual hard drives: The file size can get quite large; the OS you're emulating alone can take a handful of GB. Also, fixed-size virtual hard drives take a while to set up (anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the drive you're creating, and the speed of your host system).
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That's okay, I just thought I'd extend the offer. Also, IIRC, there wasn't all that much errata in the hintbooks to begin with.
As far as data backups are concerned, this is a good thing.Originally Posted By: HarehunterParanoia is just part of the job. -
What operating system are you using?
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And I still say gene-forge.
I'll also continue to agree to disagree with those who pronounce it differently; I still know what they're talking about.
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In any case, I've already scanned all three hintbooks into my computer. The resulting PDF files were a lot larger than I expected (just under 30MB total), but they came out looking rather nice.
Harehunter: If you do get approval, you can use my scans. I've even corrected a little bit of errata in them.
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I'll go one better, and write a walkthrough. Creating a machine (called a "guest computer," or simply a "guest") in VirtualBox is fairly straightforward. First, you need:
- VirtualBox installed on your computer (obviously),
- a (preferably legal) copy of an OS, and
- enough RAM and hard drive space to support a guest.
Click to reveal..On the VirtualBox main screen, click "New" to bring up the new virtual machine wizard, then click "Next."The next screen prompts you to enter a name and OS for the guest. For the OS, Windows XP is the default setting. The VirtualBox website maintains a list of guest OSes with a little info as to how well they work. I prefer Windows XP; it can run not only the Exile trilogy and the original BoE, but also Nethergate, N:R, A1-5, BoA, G1-4 (I haven't been able to get G5 to work, though), and the open-source BoE. When you're done, click "Next."
The next screen prompts you to allocate RAM for the guest; I recommend going a little above the amount suggested by VirtualBox. Note: The more RAM you allocate to the guest, the less you'll have available for other programs. Do NOT select the full amount listed; this can and probably will cause a lot of problems. Also, if you end up allocating too much/little RAM, you can change this amount in the Settings dialog.
The next screen prompts you to select a virtual hard disk for the guest, either by choosing an existing one, or creating a new one. If you choose an existing hard drive, click "Next," followed by "Create," and you're done creating the guest. If you choose to create a new virtual hard disk, clicking "Next" will bring up a wizard to create one; when this is done, you'll be returned to the "Virtual Hard Disk" screen, only the disk you just created will be selected. Click "Next," followed by "Create," and you're done creating the guest.
To create a new virtual hard disk:
Click to reveal..In the wizard, you'll first be prompted to select a file format; just choose one, and click "Next." I just leave it at the default (VDI).The next screen asks you to choose whether the new disk should be fixed or dynamic size. If free space is limited on your computer, you'll probably want to make it dynamic; otherwise, make it a fixed size. Click "Next."
The next screen asks you for a name, location, and size for the new virtual disk. The name defaults to the name of the guest you're creating, and the location defaults to the folder created for the guest's information. The size defaults to a minimum amount, based on the OS you chose earlier. Once you've chosen a name, location, and size for the disk, click "Next," followed by "Create," to create it.
Now that you've created a new guest, you need to load the OS onto it:
Click to reveal..On the VirtualBox main screen, select the guest, followed by "Settings," and "Storage". There should be a hard drive and disk drive listed in the window; select the disk drive. Under "Attributes," the drive should be listed as "CD/DVD Drive" or something similar. Click the disk symbol all the way to the right, and a list will appear. Select "Host Drive'X'"; "X" is the drive letter for one of the physical CD/DVD drives on your computer (called the "host" computer). Click OK.Insert the OS installation CD (I recommend an OEM copy, to avoid cretain headaches) into the drive you selected, and close anything that starts running from it. Now, start the guest, and install the OS as you would on a normal computer.
Once you have the OS installed, remove the CD, insert the Exile 3 installation CD, and install it.
You might be able to do this with VirtualBox too, though you'd probably need to install VirtualBox onto the drive as well, and need a much bigger flash drive. VirtualBox is pretty much designed to run directly from your computer.Originally Posted By: HarehunterOne thing I like about the DOSBOX solution is that once you have built it, you can put it onto a thumb drive (2Gb is sufficient) and it is totally portable. I can move it from one to another machine and play it directly off the thumb drive (although it is slower that way). What I do is copy the directory onto the hard drive, make a shortcut to the DOSBOX, click and enjoy! -
Also, a minor spoiler with the mines you disarm with spore batons:
Click to reveal..The batons come in a few different colors, and so do the mines (you'll be told which ones are which color in the text). Each color baton will only disarm mines with that specific color. -
If you go the VirtualBox route, VirtualBox works great with Linux, which is free. You can even download WINE for Linux, and play E3 (as well as E1 and E2) that way as well. Also, Jeff has a version of E3 that runs natively in Linux. I haven't tried any of this with Linux yet (I'm still fairly new to the OS), but it should work.
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Yes I would, and for free. I just need to scan it in, and it would be all ready to go. Or, as Harehunter said above, he's waiting on Jeff's reply for permission to host the hintbook. If Jeff does approve, you'll be able to download it there.
In any case, it's worth a try asking; as far as I know, the worst Jeff can do is say no.
I just checked too, and they're not there. If you haven't already, it may be worthwhile to ask Jeff if you could host all three hintbooks on your site, and not just the one for E1.Originally Posted By: HarehunterI checked Jeff's website and sure enough, the Exile hintbooks are not even offered. -
Happened to me too, though the truck I hit was parked. And there was absolutely no visible damage to the truck, because its back bumper was replaced by (I think) a recycled section of an I-beam.
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Yeah, it sounds like you're trying to install the game on a 64-bit system. Since the original Exile trilogy is 16-bit software, the odds of running it in a 64-bit environment are virtually nil without either an emulator or a lot of computer knowhow.
Your best bet would be either Alorael's suggestion of DosBox, or VirtualBox.
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If I knew Jeff would approve, I'd scan my copy and email it to you.
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Yes, especially when the skill gets pretty high, and you can make 2 or 3 potions using only one set of ingredients. Or is that just for E3/BoE?Originally Posted By: HOUSE of Salchemy greatly increases the resale value of any ingredients you find.
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I was only here for six of the eighteen avatars. I haven't been able to be around as much as I'd like. I did, however, catch my avatar, though it looked kind of fishy to me....
Anyway, awesome job, Nikki!
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My guess would be the meteor impact.
According to the show Ancient Aliens, a bunch of UFOs came down and wiped out the dinosaurs.
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This has never happened to me, although I have had everything get marked as "read."
I use Firefox.
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Again?!Originally Posted By: HOUSE of SIs anybody else getting a really uncomfortable sense of deja vu right now?
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Welcome back, Thralni!
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You could still do it if you like. I hadn't planned to make the drawers under my board, but decided to do it anyway because 1) I wanted to challenge myself, and 2) I didn't have anywhere to store the pieces.
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Thanks. It's one of the subtle joys of having a father who does woodworking as a hobby; you tend to get into it a bit, too. He usually has a stockpile of unused scrap wood lying around, so I play around with my own projects every now and again. The downside: Our basement is covered in sawdust and tiny wood scraps.
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Thanks for the suggestions, everyone; I decided to go with Photobucket. Here are pictures of my board and pieces.
First, the board itself, and the drawers underneath that hold the pieces:
Now, the board with a set of standard-type pieces:
Finally, the board with a set of tool-shaped pieces:
The tool set may need a bit of explaining. I know it looks like the knights are in the wrong places, but the original pattern labeled those pieces as bishops. Here's what these pieces are:
- king: brace drill
- queen: saw
- bishop: hammer head hitting a nail
- knight: pliers
- rook/castle: slotted screwdriver, though I've been told it looks more like a chisel
- pawn: phillips head screw
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No thanks. Sounds a little too kinky for my taste.Time to bring back the Matchmaker Thread?
Also, welcome back, ADoS!
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As usual, Dikiyoba posts an awesome chapter. Keep up the good work!
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My two favorites are Monopoly and Chess. Unfortunately, for the past decade or so, I've pretty much only ever been able to play against a computer, so my skills against a human opponent are probably somewhat rusty.
Awesome. I should post the board I made several years ago, although mine is a bit crude by comparison. I also made a box underneath the board, as well as 2 full sets of pieces.Originally Posted By: HomageChess is awesome. Relevant: In woods last year, I made this.EDIT: Can anyone recommend a good (preferably free) photo sharing site?
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