These are just the open sources built for Ubuntu Lucid, the packages do not include any game data, you still need the original pak0.pk3 .. pak8.pk3 files from Id.

However, I never did receive a CD Key for Quake III Arena, back then I assumed it didn’t matter because I never played online. Still you get that please enter your CD Key nag screen every time you start Quake III Arena, so as time passed by one learns to automatically hit Escape after starting Quake III Arena.

Only recently I learned that you can enter ‘jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj’ as a valid CD Key, Quake III Arena will then no longer ask for a CD Key. I assume that servers running with sv_strictAuth on will still reject the key, but at least you won’t be nagged anymore…

But then Wizards released 4th edition. Initially I was somewhat excited about the release, but that wore off pretty quickly after I got the books. The classes seemed to have gotten a bit more bland, since even a Fighter now can cast spells (they are just called different). Also the base books now cover up to level 30, which is a big deal, especially since the base books have only covered up to level 20 since ever. And when properly played it takes ages to get to level 20, most campaigns die long before players ever reach level 20, let alone 30. They also crufted the base books with paragon path bullshit. And as a personal pet-peeve the PHB‘s text has been terribly set, it’s font is set way to large and fatty, which makes it relatively hard to read. All-in-all I’m sure D&D 4th edition is still a decent game, but I can’t really be bothered to play it, unless motivated by others…

Some folks would say, why not just stick to 3.5? Well there’s a problem with that, and it’s a problem akin to vendor-lockin, since 3.5 books are quickly disappearing from the shelves. While I own a 3.5 PHB, I have no other books, and since Wizards stopped publishing 3.5 there is no easy way to get them any more. Yes I know ebay, etc. But that’s way too much effort. As time passes this problem will get worse, since new players won’t be able to get any 3.5 books anymore. So keeping 3.5 alive would be bothersome at best.

But where there’s a problem there’s a solution, funnily enough even in the pen-and-paper gaming industry that solution could be called open source. There are boatloads of projects who are trying to rebuild either the 1st editions of D&D or 1st edition AD&D, both originally designed by Gygax and Arneson. Each of those projects have a different take on how to go about this, but I’m going to cover the two that appeal most to me: Basic Fantasy RPG and OSRIC.

Basic Fantasy RPG

BFRPG tries to recreate the feel of the original D&D game, but with mostly modernized rules (ascending armor system). The rules are based on 3.5, but a lot of weight has been shed. The author has masterfully seperated the essential from the non-essential rules, leaving a very lean-and-mean game. And while the core rules are quite modern, the races, classes, monsters, etc. are very old school. Only the four classic races are included: Human, Halfling, Elf and Dwarf. The same goes for the classes, only Fighter, Magic-user, Thief and Cleric are included, as in the original D&D.

Everything considered BFRPG is very very easy to learn, and still interesting enough to play more than once or twice. If you’ve never roleplayed before this is probably a great way to start out.

OSRIC

The second more ambitious project would be OSRIC, it tries to be a near perfect clone of 1st edition AD&D, which is basically the last version of D&D to  be written/compiled by Gygax and Arneson. Considering the OSRIC book is actually a combined Player’s HandBook, Monstrous Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide, it spans 400 pages of well written text. The game seems to offer as much depth as any current commercial version of D&D, while remaining faithful to the older traditions of D&D.

OSRIC has more races and classes available than BFRPG, and has more rules coverage, making a great refuge for more experienced players.

Concluding

Both games’ books can be purchased as dead-tree editions from Lulu at their respective storefronts. Both projects also offer free PDFs on reasonably liberal terms, so your not forced to pay a dime.

Since I’m quite partial to hardcover books, I already ordered a hardcover copy of both books (Lulu’s pricing is very competitive). I haven’t received them yet, nor did I actually play either of the two games though. I hope to soon though.

So after much rejoicing, the following thing struck me: straightaway after the homebrew channel release, ROM emulators became available. I was quite disappointed by this. Making rom emulators publicly available as Wii Homebrew endangers the very existence of the Wii Homebrew Channel. Not only have we used the Wii in ways Nintendo did not intend, we are also giving Nintendo every reason to lash out at the Wii Homebrew Channel, as we are subverting their business model. Nintendo already failed at their first attempt to disable the Twilight hack. And they’ll probably try again… And again…

This is exactly the reason why they are reluctant to opening up their console for unlicensed third party developers.

Anyway, I phoned the Dutch Nintendo Technical Department and got a friendly bloke on the phone who told me that there indeed were a few games which locked their save games to the memory card they were created on, prohibiting any copying. When I asked him if there was any solution for this issue, he told me there was nothing that could be done. After which I explained how Nintendo could potentially be violating my civil right, I suddenly got an offer to send my memory cards to the Nintendo technical department and they would try to copy it for me.

In the end this leaves me with mixed feelings, I never considered Nintendo holy, but locking save games?

So I inserted the new memory card and started copying my savegames one-by-one. Until I got to the F-Zero GX game data file, all of a sudden the option to Copy was greyed out. After some googling it seems impossible to copy the saved F-Zero game data.

At first I thought I hate Amusement Vision/SEGA because they chose to lock the savegame, but then again, it was Nintendo who implemented a DRM system into the GameCube which allowed AV/SEGA to lock the savegame. So the real evil here was done by Nintendo!

I should check their license, it’ll boil down to who actually (legally) owns the savegames, me or Nintendo. If I (legally) own the savegames Nintendo may be knowingly violating my constitutional rights.

Over the past year I mostly focussed on first-party titles:

• Mario Kart
• Mario Party 5
• Wario Ware
• F-Zero GX

Of course I have played some third-party titles too:

• Soul Calibur II
• Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
• Need for Speed: Underground

All in all, I had the most fun with Mario Kart. To be honest, even now, I can still recommend the GameCube as a console to buy. It’s a cheap console (at 90EUR) and many games are also available at a decent price (15-30EUR). But if you can spare the cash go for the Wii definately!

After going through the tracks, the last track really cought my eye… Wh? Because it’s definate proof the F-Zero GX track designers were on crack while designing the tracks:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MyQOcJUPsM#]

The GameCube really is an awesome console, it features an IBM PowerPC 750CXe processor at 485mHz along with an ATI* Flipper graphics chip at 162mHz. The GameCube is probably the last of it’s era not the feature a harddrive and multimedia centre capabilities, this of course can be attributed to it’s small size (which prohibit’s it from having a full size DVD-ROM drive) and extremely cool design.

Along with the GameCube I acquired a (reasonably cheap) fake controller by Joellenbeck which seems very sturdy.

* Based on ArtX technology