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Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? #1229258
09/29/20 03:37 AM
09/29/20 03:37 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Hi all,

a long time ago, I asked for a good myst clone and got really good advice from several Boomers.
In particular, one of you was very knowledgeable and mentioned that some games from some companies (Microids,...)
offer stripped down versions on Steam. Being sort of a perfectionist, I would like to play the full versions
of all games. I can't find any information about the versions from Still Life 1+2 (Mircroids) that are on sale (1,49! for the bundle)
on Steam.
So I am wondering: does anybody know whether these are the full versions or not?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Last edited by mike_bn; 09/29/20 03:51 AM.
Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229290
09/29/20 09:47 AM
09/29/20 09:47 AM
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Marian Offline
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I hope someone is able to answer your question. On GOG, these games are the full version, but I cannot say for sure about the ones on Steam.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229305
09/29/20 01:51 PM
09/29/20 01:51 PM
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oldbroad Offline
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While I have the games in my Steam library, I only have played the disc and GOG versions, so I cannot say either.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229328
09/29/20 05:13 PM
09/29/20 05:13 PM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Ok, thamks Marian and oldbroad. Btw, Marian, you were the person I refered to as knowledgeable ;-)

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229329
09/29/20 05:17 PM
09/29/20 05:17 PM
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Marian Offline
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That's kind of you. Unfortunately I don't know about the Steam versions of these games. I purchase almost all of my adventure games from GOG. I am thinking that it might have been Jenny100 who had mentioned the possibility of stripped-down versions. I have never encountered that myself, fortunately.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229341
09/29/20 07:01 PM
09/29/20 07:01 PM
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Mike, it was Jenny100 that said the games aren't complete in this thread here.

Although, both Marian amd Jenny100 are rockstars in the help they provide! We'd be lost without them!

Ana wave


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Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229343
09/29/20 07:06 PM
09/29/20 07:06 PM
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Marian Offline
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Thanks, Ana. I remembered that Jenny100 got burned with some stripped-down versions in the past. Thanks for the confirmation and your kind words as well. smile

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229378
09/30/20 07:54 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Thanks for the link to the old thread, Ana. I read it again and have questions to Jenny. As I don't come here on a regular basis - is she still active?

So, Jenny, in case you are reading this, at some point you wrote:

Quote
All 1st person games from Kheops, Cryo, and Microids published by GOG and elsewhere are stripped down mobile ports. I have played (or started playing) nearly all Mac OS X versions of 1st person games from Kheops, Cryo, and Microids offered at GOG, and without exception they have been the eviscerated mobile ports. That includes Amerzone, the Egypt games, etc.'


Is it possible that the statement in the first sentence of this quote ONLY refers to the MacOS versions of the games from these companies?
This is the only way I can see this not contradicting other statements you made, eg. like

Quote
he Windows versions of the Beyond Atlantis games on GOG are the full versions


These games are from Cryo, so this would be a contradiction.
I have more questions but I don't want to bother you with too many questions at the same time :-)

Update: Maybe one more question here wink What exactly is the meaning of 'mobile port'. I know what port means here and in general
I know the meaning of the word 'mobile', but I still cannot figure out what exactly a 'mobile port' is.

Last edited by mike_bn; 09/30/20 07:56 AM.
Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229394
09/30/20 10:07 AM
09/30/20 10:07 AM
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Marian Offline
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Jenny100 is still here but has not posted on GameBoomers the past several days. Hopefully she will see your post.

A "mobile port" just means a game that was ported to mobile, a game that started out on a PC/Mac and ended up with a mobile version as well.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229396
09/30/20 10:22 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Marian, thanks, but i am still not sure i get it. You mean 'mobile' like 'cell phone', so a game available in apple store, google store?
I am not sure why this would make sense in this context, because to me, Jenny is comparing the orginal CD/floppy version with
versions available on GoG/Steam. I am not sure why it should be relevant in this discussion whether the game has a (probably stripped down)
version on AppleStore/Google Store for cell phones. Or is it meant in the way that the mentioned companies (Microid, Cryo...) created stripped down versions for ios/android (=applestore, google play store) and then used these versions on GoG/Steam?
Sorry, I am still confused...

Last edited by mike_bn; 09/30/20 10:24 AM.
Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229650
10/03/20 06:29 AM
10/03/20 06:29 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Too bad Jenny does not reply frown
Can anybody help me with the term mobile port then? See my follow up question above, thanks.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229668
10/03/20 08:28 AM
10/03/20 08:28 AM
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mike_bn, mobile means cell phone and pads that people can easily transport and play on the fly. I can't speak for Jenny and she hasn't been here due to personal reasons. She will be back when she can.


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Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229688
10/03/20 11:15 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Thanks, Ana, so my assumption was correct. i am not sure how this then is related to the topic of stripped games.
Only way that the statements make sense to me is that these mobile ports (stripped down versions developed for cell phones and pads ) were
then offered on Steam/GoG instea dof the old, full original versions which were released a long time agon on DOS/old windows versions.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229715
10/03/20 02:51 PM
10/03/20 02:51 PM
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oldbroad Offline
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Not knowing anything about this stuff, my understanding of it agrees with yours smile.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229724
10/03/20 04:21 PM
10/03/20 04:21 PM
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Marian Offline
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I found an old post by Jenny from 2015 in a thread about Cryo games, and I am going to repeat it here because it contains useful information about stripped-down versions of games:

Quote
The Anuman ports I've tried are stripped down garbage compared to the originals. The Mac ports seem to be the same as the iPad/iPod ports in the games I've tried. Hotspots are removed. Puzzles are removed. They increased the resolution of the graphics, but so many of the nodes are removed (nodes being the places where you can stand and pan around). And they didn't just do that with Cryo games. They also did it to Microids games like Amerzone. In the original Amerzone, there's a door on the upper floor of the lighthouse. You can open the door and walk around a sort of balcony outside the upper floor of the lighthouse. In the port, the door can't be opened. There are also objects in the lighthouse that you could interact with in the original. They are only pictures of objects in the remake -- non-interactive. When you go downstairs and through the tunnel in the floor of the lighthouse, there are places you could walk in the original that are missing in the port. They simplified the computer in the basement to the point that you "solve" any puzzle connected to it just by clicking on it at random. I didn't get further than that. I was too disgusted by what they did to the game.

With Atlantis II, they removed the Mayan number puzzle. This makes the clues given by the guards confusing and meaningless. You can pick up the little stick or stone, but you just plonk it on the wall any old way -- even though it's the wrong answer to the puzzle. Anuman also removed the rainbow bridge puzzle and some inventory puzzles. The only thing they left intact was that annoying jungle maze, where you can get turned around just as badly as in the original. I didn't play any more of the game after that.

With Road to India, it seemed there was practically nothing left. No real puzzles left. You just stumble around looking at things until you're done.

It's been that way with every Anuman port I've tried for Mac or iPad/iPod versions of games by Cryo, Microids, and Kheops. I do not recommend the ports at all.

The last time I downloaded the PC version of Beyond Atlantis from GOG, it was the old version with old graphics and all the puzzles, nodes, and hotspots intact. However the Mac version that GOG had was the Anuman version. Hopefully GOG will keep the old PC version available and won't replace it with the eviscerated Anuman version. Anyway, so far the PC versions of games from GOG were the original versions last time I downloaded them. But not the Mac Versions.

I bought several Cryo and Kheops games for iPad/iPod when I saw them offered. Unfortunately I threw my money away because they'd all been gutted by Anuman. I can't stand playing them in that state.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229728
10/03/20 04:59 PM
10/03/20 04:59 PM
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oldbroad Offline
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Thanks Marian! That "rainbow bridge puzzle" in Atlantis II was the most fun I ever had with a puzzle. It took me about 10 hours to figure it out and I never got bored.

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229730
10/03/20 05:20 PM
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10 hours? That's amazing. Atlantis II is on my to-play list. I will remember that when I reach that puzzle!

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229734
10/03/20 05:58 PM
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oldbroad Offline
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It's also on my to replay list so I do hope the GOG version has the whole game. I was still pretty new at gaming I think (or at least I'll use that as my excuse) and so it just took me a long time to figure out how the puzzle worked. Once I did that, then some time to get it right. I'm sure it wouldn't take me as long now to figure it out. Not that I'm a pro now; just a bit better informed. lol

Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1229758
10/04/20 06:42 AM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Thanks for re-posting the old post, marian!
Our goal is to identify all games on our 'to-play-list' where stripped down
versions do exisit, so that we don't accidentially play one of those stripped down versions.
So every post like the one you re-posted helps!

Last edited by mike_bn; 10/04/20 06:42 AM.
Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1230000
10/06/20 04:07 PM
10/06/20 04:07 PM
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It is the 1st person games like Road to India, Return to Mysterious Island, and Atlantis 2 and 3 that get stripped down with puzzles and locations removed, not the 3rd person games like Syberia and Still Life.

When I played the Windows version of Atlantis 2 from GOG, it was not stripped.
The Mac version, however, was stripped -- the bowdlerized port of the tablet version.

Last edited by Jenny100; 10/06/20 04:10 PM. Reason: added info
Re: Are Still Life 1 + 2 (Microids) on Steam stripped down? [Re: mike_bn] #1231572
10/22/20 03:03 PM
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mike_bn Offline OP
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Hi Jenny,

sorry for the late reply. I just wanted to say thank you for responding to my original question :-)
I also created a separate thread about this topic, btw.

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