Gold Box SSI's Gold Box Series Thread

[Jaesun]

Bryan Lustmord/Robert Rich - Stalker

Perfect music for every game.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Go for the full classical experience. None of the light and fuzzy stuff mind you, just the hardcore instrumentals.

Failing that, you could try Popcorn...make sure you also include Alleycat as an accompaniment.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Nightwish, all the old Tarja albums.

Vader.

Suidakra.

Winter Sun.

Opus Atlantica.

That's what worked for me.

 

[Gragt]

What version of Popcorn? There is a great number of them but only a few are worth it. After listening to all or at least most of them, I found the original by Gershon Kingsley, Hot Butter, The Popcorn Makers, Jean-Michel Jarre (aka Popcorn Orchestra), Galaxy Sound Orchestra and M&H Band (often mistaken for Kraftwerk but those never made a Popcorn) worth keeping.

 

[ghostdog]

The original hot butter version is the best IMO. It's recorded with a real classical guitar --not some synth tune-- and it actually sounds like popcorn.

 

[Luzur]

it says Galaxy Sound Orchestra on my old Synthesizer Hits vol 2 CD from 1991.

 

[Gragt]

The original hot butter version is the best IMO. It's recorded with a real classical guitar --not some synth tune-- and it actually sounds like popcorn.

Hot Butter isn't the original version. It is a 1972 re-recording of a 1969 song by Gershon Kingsley (the true original). That version was very popular though, it's usualy considered as the reference now.

Anyway ...

Gershon Kingsley

Hot Butter

The Popcorn Makers

Jean-Michel Jarre (Popcorn Orchestra)

M&H Band (not Kraftwerk)

 

[Satori (original)]

Nice and Calm?

Loscil
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops
Belong - October Language
Biosphere - Substrata
Tim Hecker
Xela - The Daed Sea

You haven't really specified what atmosphere you're going for.

 

[Luzur]

i have the M&H version on LP.

 

[ghostdog]

That's my instrumental "non symphinic" playlist. It probably doesn't fit that well with epic fantasy , but it's a matter of taste of course.

1. Akira Yamaoka - a stray child (5:30)
2. Akira Yamaoka - alone in the town (2:21)
3. Akira Yamaoka - breeze in monochrome night (4:16)
4. Akira Yamaoka - Cold Blood (3:13)
5. Akira Yamaoka - Dance With Night Wind (5:21)
6. Akira Yamaoka - fear of the dark (1:15)
7. Akira Yamaoka - forest (1:45)
8. Akira Yamaoka - heaven's night (2:06)
9. Akira Yamaoka - Illusion In Me (4:30)
10. Akira Yamaoka - killing time (2:56)
11. Akira Yamaoka - love psalm (4:28)
12. Akira Yamaoka - Melancholy Requiem (3:53)
13. Akira Yamaoka - Meltdown (3:13)
14. Akira Yamaoka - Nightmarish Waltz (3:09)
15. Akira Yamaoka - null moon (2:52)
16. Akira Yamaoka - overdose delusion (4:33)
17. Akira Yamaoka - Please Love Me...Once More (1:54)
18. Akira Yamaoka - promise (4:42)
19. Akira Yamaoka - rain of brass petals (3:41)
20. Akira Yamaoka - room 312 (2:09)
21. Akira Yamaoka - she (2:38)
22. Akira Yamaoka - Silent Circus (2:55)
23. Akira Yamaoka - silent hill (2:53)
24. Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill (Other Side) (1:38)
25. Akira Yamaoka - Snowblind (2:00)
26. Akira Yamaoka - tears of... (3:18)
27. Akira Yamaoka - theme of Laura (3:26)
28. Akira Yamaoka - Traversing the Portals of Reality (2:03)
29. Akira Yamaoka - true (3:32)
30. Akira Yamaoka - Underworld 4 (3:06)
31. Akira Yamaoka - Witchcraft (3:57)
32. Alexander Brandon - WanChaiExtended (8:07)
33. Alexander Brandon - All Hallows Sunset (3:08)
34. Alexander Brandon - Battery Park (1:49)
35. Alexander Brandon - Begin The End (Bunker) (1:44)
36. Alexander Brandon - Bot Pack #10 (4:20)
37. Alexander Brandon - Carolina Steel (3:00)
38. Alexander Brandon - Conspiravision (5:38)
39. Alexander Brandon - Deus Ex - End Title 2 (2:25)
40. Alexander Brandon - Deus Ex - Main Title (4:12)
41. Alexander Brandon - Deus Ex - NYC Streets (7:20)
42. Alexander Brandon - Deus Ex - UNATCO (3:51)
43. Alexander Brandon - DuClare Chateau (3:19)
44. Alexander Brandon - Dusk Horizon (3:27)
45. Alexander Brandon - DX Club Mix (3:01)
46. Alexander Brandon - Ending 2 (1:21)
47. Alexander Brandon - Enemy Within (1:50)
48. Alexander Brandon - Extreme END (2:03)
49. Alexander Brandon - Free Fall (5:48)
50. Alexander Brandon - Guru (4:52)
51. Alexander Brandon - Hong Kong Action (1:01)
52. Alexander Brandon - Hong Kong Club 1 (4:56)
53. Alexander Brandon - Hong Kong Club 2 (2:57)
54. Alexander Brandon - Hope II (2:56)
55. Alexander Brandon - Hub 4 (Fourth) (6:23)
56. Alexander Brandon - Intro Sequence (2:19)
57. Alexander Brandon - Invisible War Title Theme (1:51)
58. Alexander Brandon - Main Title (4:42)
59. Alexander Brandon - Majestic 12 Labs (1:53)
60. Alexander Brandon - Mechanism Eight (6:27)
61. Alexander Brandon - Nali Chant (5:25)
62. Alexander Brandon - NYC Bar (5:10)
63. Alexander Brandon - Ocean Action (1:26)
64. Alexander Brandon - Oceanlab Complex (1:50)
65. Alexander Brandon - Paris Action (1:26)
66. Alexander Brandon - Paris Cathedral (3:36)
67. Alexander Brandon - Paris Club 1 (2:49)
68. Alexander Brandon - Paris Club 2 (4:31)
69. Alexander Brandon - Paris Streets (1:21)
70. Alexander Brandon - Phantom (6:01)
71. Alexander Brandon - Return to NYC (1:36)
72. Alexander Brandon - Surfacing (5:26)
73. Alexander Brandon - The Course (4:28)
74. Alexander Brandon - The Dragonfly (3:50)
75. Alexander Brandon - The Illuminati (2:41)
76. Alexander Brandon - Training Room (2:03)
77. Alexander Brandon - Trier - Streets & Black Gate (2:59)
78. Alexander Brandon - Unreal #13 (Newmca13) (7:01)
79. Alexander Brandon - Unreal Tournament Menu (2:00)
80. Alexander Brandon - Versalife (1:39)
81. Alexander Brandon - WarGate (5:16)
82. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Bricks Normal 2 5 (3:56)
83. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Democbattleloop (2:25)
84. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Democnormal1 (2:35)
85. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Levantboss (2:42)
86. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Rowdys (2:53)
87. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Sssadnovoices (2:21)
88. Bill Brown, Will Loconto - Ssundergroundnormal (2:25)
89. Clint Mansell - The Fountain OST compilation (13:10)
90. Global Communication - 8.07 (3:10)
91. Hot Butter - Popcorn (2:34)
92. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - A Very Dangerous Place (2:40)
93. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Battle at Eden Prime (1:22)
94. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Criminal Elements (1:56)
95. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Liara's World (2:35)
96. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - M4 Part 2 (Faunts) (8:17)
97. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Mass Effect Theme (2:21)
98. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Saren (2:00)
99. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - The Normandy (1:35)
100. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - The Secret Labs (2:38)
101. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - The Wards (3:13)
102. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Vigil (1:44)
103. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick - Virmire Ride (1:40)
104. Jan Hammer - Miami Vice Theme (1:13)
105. Kenichi Tsuchiya - Game Over (2:08)
106. Kenichi Tsuchiya - Heretic Mansion (4:37)
107. Kenichi Tsuchiya - Heretic Mansion ~Curse~ (2:55)
108. Kenichi Tsuchiya - Normal Battle ~Stuck in Amarah~ (3:00)
109. Kenichi Tsuchiya - Puzzle Boy (2:06)
110. Klaus Schulze - Eleven 2 Eleven (10:04)
111. Klaus Schulze - Global Medication + Windy ... (3:47)
112. Klaus Schulze - Global Medication + Windy ... (4:51)
113. Klaus Schulze - Privat (19:05)
114. Klaus Schulze - Private (25:00)
115. Klaus Schulze - Privatissimo (4:03)
116. Klaus Schulze - Privee (14:57)
117. Klaus Schulze - The Breeze (5:30)
118. Klaus Schulze - Vox 'n' Harmony (5:23)
119. Konami Kukeiha Club - BEYOND SORROWS (2:42)
120. Konami Kukeiha Club - BIO HAZARD (SNATCHER) (4:37)
121. Konami Kukeiha Club - Coda (3:40)
122. Konami Kukeiha Club - Creeping Silence (0:47)
123. Konami Kukeiha Club - DANGER DANCE --- & JUSTICE ALL (3:43)
124. Konami Kukeiha Club - ETERNAL PROMISE (SNATCHER) (8:37)
125. Konami Kukeiha Club - Faded Memories (2:18)
126. Konami Kukeiha Club - FADED MEMORIES (SNATCHER) (3:50)
127. Konami Kukeiha Club - Innocent Girl (1:31)
128. Konami Kukeiha Club - Junker HQ Theme (0:30)
129. Konami Kukeiha Club - MASTER OF PUPPETS AMONG THE DISEASE (1:54)
130. Konami Kukeiha Club - of-snatcher-part-1 (2:15)
131. Konami Kukeiha Club - of-snatcher-part-2 (4:21)
132. Konami Kukeiha Club - of-tension (3:29)
133. Konami Kukeiha Club - ONE NIGHT IN NEO KOBE CITY (PC-ENGINE SNATCHER) (6:31)
134. Konami Kukeiha Club - PLEASURE OF TENSION (SNATCHER) ~ RESISTANCE (SD SNATCHER) (4:08)
135. Konami Kukeiha Club - promise- (3:48)
136. Konami Kukeiha Club - Real Memory (2:23)
137. Konami Kukeiha Club - Theme of Ending (8:57)
138. Konami Kukeiha Club - Theme of JUNKER (5:28)
139. Konami Kukeiha Club - Theme of Snatcher (1:50)
140. Konami Kukeiha Club - THEME OF SNATCHER (PART 1) (SNATCHER) (3:40)
141. Konami Kukeiha Club - Twilight of Neo Kobe City (8:12)
142. Lustmord - Blood Deep in Dread (7:52)
143. Lustmord - The Eliminating Angel (11:43)
144. Mark Morgan - Annah Theme (1:28)
145. Mark Morgan - Car (1:07)
146. Mark Morgan - Credits (1:54)
147. Mark Morgan - Dak'kon Theme (1:35)
148. Mark Morgan - Deionarra Theme (1:27)
149. Mark Morgan - Fall-From-Grace Theme (1:22)
150. Mark Morgan - Fortress of Regrets (1:49)
151. Mark Morgan - Good Ending (1:27)
152. Mark Morgan - Khans of New California (3:19)
153. Mark Morgan - Main Title (1:50)
154. Mark Morgan - Planescape Torment Medley (15:09)
155. Mark Morgan - Ravel's Maze (1:27)
156. Mark Morgan - Smoldering Corpse Bar (2:12)
157. Mark Morgan - Smoldering Corpse Bar Alternate (1:10)
158. Mark Morgan - Smoldering Corpse Bar Alternate (1:10)
159. Mark Morgan - Trias Theme (1:43)
160. Mark Morgan - Vault City (3:21)
161. Matt Seldon - Bonus Track (4:57)
162. Matt Seldon - DreamWeb01 (2:19)
163. Matt Seldon - DreamWeb02 (3:14)
164. Matt Seldon - DreamWeb06 (2:52)
165. Matt Seldon - I Died Last Night (2:51)
166. Matt Seldon - The Dealer (4:17)
167. Matt Seldon - The Deliverer (4:28)
168. Matt Seldon - The Dreamweb (6:59)
169. Michael Giacchino - Red Hair Is Better (2:31)
170. Precursors (E. Gatzschmann & T.A. Fjellstad) - Starbase - Under a Red Sky (5:51)
171. Ray Lynch - The Oh of Pleasure (3:00)
172. Tangerine Dream - Beach Scene (6:51)
173. Tangerine Dream - Burning Bar (3:12)
174. Tangerine Dream - Chamber Of Hope (4:38)
175. Tangerine Dream - Cool Shibuya (3:54)
176. Tangerine Dream - Culpa Levis (10:08)
177. Tangerine Dream - Diamond diary (10:57)
178. Tangerine Dream - Elf June And The Midnight Patr (4:41)
179. Tangerine Dream - Escape From Shadow Land (4:23)
180. Tangerine Dream - Going West (4:12)
181. Tangerine Dream - Goldhunter (4:52)
182. Tangerine Dream - Iguana (5:35)
183. Tangerine Dream - Labeo (5:18)
184. Tangerine Dream - Law Paradiso (5:02)
185. Tangerine Dream - Lover Phantasy (3:41)
186. Tangerine Dream - Order Of The Ginger Gild (9:06)
187. Tangerine Dream - Q-Time (5:10)
188. Tangerine Dream - Scrap Yard (4:39)

 

[Erebus]

Dammit ! I've finally decided to play the whole trilogy in order, re-played "Champions of Krynn" (which isn't that fun, aside from the combat), started playing "Death Knights of Krynn" and... what the fuck ! all of my best items are gone ! What a rip-off ! And to add insult to injury, they're gone because I've been forced to give them to the knights so they can "protect the land". These fuckers couldn't protect the land if they had flamethrowers and were attacked by snowmen ! They didn't even notice the huge armies being raised right next door to them in the first game and we get attacked by undeads right at the beginning of the second game ! NICE FUCKING JOB, IDIOTS ! YOU REALLY PUT MY DRAGONLANCE AND STRENGTH-ENHANCING ITEMS TO GOOD USE !!!




Anyway...

I probably won't play the whole trilogy now, since I've already played "Dark Queen of Krynn" quite a few times. Trying it again with a better equipment sounded like fun, but I know the game too well to enjoy playing it again otherwise.
I'm not quite decided on whether or not I'll keep playing "Death Knights". It doesn't look too bad so far, but I'd be interested in some opinions by people who've played it to the end.

Also, can somebody tell me whether the Forgotten Realms Gold Box games also take away powerful items when you import your PCs from one to the other ?

 

[PorkaMorka]

What are you, retarded?

Keeping your items would cause huge problems.

Think about it.

They want to give you a Dragonlance at some point, so you can play around with the titular item, despite the fact that Champions is low level.

Dragonlances utterly rape Dragons.

So they have to take it away for the next game or you'd never get to have any challenging fights against Dragons.

Overall, there aren't a huge number of unique items in the Gold Box engine, so letting you keep all your items could lead to a feeling of "nothing more to gain" very quickly.

It's a necessary mechanic and it's used heavily in the FR series as well, although I can't swear that every single game has it, most of them do.

D&D works best when you've still got some items to look forward to, besides upgrading from +4 swords to +5.

Also Death Knights is great, you should play it.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Has the world gone crazy? I kept my Dragon Lance. Most of the other stuff was taken, but the Dragon Lance was still with me starting Death Knights (importing my characters from Champions that is, not starting a new set of characters).

Mind you this was on the C64 and Amiga versions, so others may have to help me in backing this up for the PC.

Edit: actually, I may be wrong. Perhaps it was the Girdle of Giant strength that I kept. I will have to replay this trilogy and find out. I know some of the good stuff came across with my characters.

Also, can somebody tell me whether the Forgotten Realms Gold Box games also take away powerful items when you import your PCs from one to the other ?

Yes. All of your items are taken with each game. Same with the Savage frontier.

 

[clockradiospeakers]

I'm not quite decided on whether or not I'll keep playing "Death Knights". It doesn't look too bad so far, but I'd be interested in some opinions by people who've played it to the end.

You might as well, it's by far the shortest of the Gold Box games.

 

[Fowyr]

Also, can somebody tell me whether the Forgotten Realms Gold Box games also take away powerful items when you import your PCs from one to the other ?

You lost your items in CoAB (because your party was captured by enemies) and in SotSB (your party was magically summoned) but save items in PoD
Don't remember about TotSF.

 

[made]

Better not play Pools of Darkness if losing your gear annoys you so.

 

[Zeus]

It's better than not being able to use your gear until Adam gives you permission, I guess.

 

[Erebus]

Well, I just finished playing the game. I don't regret going back to it : it's indeed quite enjoyable ! The story's much better than in the first and third Dragonlance games (which both have horribly basic plots). The characters and atmosphere are way above Champions of Krynn. Unlike the other two games, DKoK has a lot of optional quests.

I was happy to discover that I am allowed to keep all of my stuff for Dark Queen of Krynn. Maybe I'll do the LP of DQK I was considering after all. But I'm not making any promise !

 

[Sceptic]

The story's much better than in the first and third Dragonlance games (which both have horribly basic plots).

:/

Plot? what plot? None of the Gold Box games have much of a plot. Maybe CotAB has the most advanced one of the lot... which isn't saying much.

Unlike the other two games, DKoK has a lot of optional quests.

That's one of the coolest features of Death Knights IMO. Wandering around the world map is actually fun because you know there's lots of possible encounters there. I remember not finding one of them (the ship) until I had finished the game, then going back and spending some time going up and down the river to trigger it. I think the only other game that had so much side stuff on the map was POR.

 

[Erebus]

Plot? what plot?

Maybe "plot" is the wrong word... Let's just say that I found the pretexts for all the fighting to be a bit more developed than in the other two Gold box games I've played.

I remember not finding one of them (the ship) until I had finished the game, then going back and spending some time going up and down the river to trigger it.

The kuo-toa ship, right ? I tried to find it (by also going up and down the river) but my lack of success eventually made me give up on it.

 

[Metro]

Well, I just finished playing the game. I don't regret going back to it : it's indeed quite enjoyable ! The story's much better than in the first and third Dragonlance games (which both have horribly basic plots). The characters and atmosphere are way above Champions of Krynn. Unlike the other two games, DKoK has a lot of optional quests.

I was happy to discover that I am allowed to keep all of my stuff for Dark Queen of Krynn. Maybe I'll do the LP of DQK I was considering after all. But I'm not making any promise !

Yeah, DKoK was a huge leap from Champions in terms of storyline and side-questing. Two decades later I still remember the Koa-Ta slave ship and that tree glade or whatever. Undead Sir Karl was also a pretty cool mini-adversary.

I'd love to see an LP of Dark Queen. It has some pretty interesting venues including under water combat if I recall right. I remember having to call the hint line to figure how to get up that first tower.

Also, the whole 'losing your items on transfer' thing was pretty standard in the Forgotten Realms er... 'Quadrology.' I think eventually they allowed you to keep your gear from Silver Blades to PoD but I can't remember.

 

[Fowyr]

I remember only undead chickens and city searching for some man with candle from DKoK. And glimpse of battle with Soth or maybe some another death knight.
Btw, I remember that you may use spells like dispel magic and sticks to snakes in the some encounters. That was cool.

 

[Sceptic]

Let's just say that I found the pretexts for all the fighting to be a bit more developed

You'll probably like POD then, as it makes you visit some very interesting locales and the fights themselves are very challenging and fun. Be advised it is NOT a beginner's game; experience with the previous 3 games (POR, CotAB and Silder Blades) is absolutely required, and so is bringing over a high-level party. The game's probably the best Gold Box release though.

The kuo-toa ship, right ?

Yep, I think it's the least common encounter. Quite fun though.

It has some pretty interesting venues including under water combat if I recall right. I remember having to call the hint line to figure how to get up that first tower.

Underwater combat was fun, what with having to change strategies and the spells behaving quite differently. That first tower, is that the one with the basement teleporter? because that wasn't interesting, that was FUCKING AWFUL. Ten levels of complete waste of time. I hate that tower.

I think eventually they allowed you to keep your gear from Silver Blades to PoD but I can't remember.

Yeah they did, same as keeping it from DK to DQ.

 

[made]

experience with the previous 3 games (POR, CotAB and Silder Blades) is absolutely required, and so is bringing over a high-level party.

Nonsense. It was the first Goldbox game I played, without journal or manual, and I managed. He'll be fine.

 

[Erebus]

That first tower, is that the one with the basement teleporter? because that wasn't interesting, that was FUCKING AWFUL. Ten levels of complete waste of time. I hate that tower.

Yeah, it's probably the worst part of the game. I guess SSI really wanted us to buy the cluebook !
I actually stumbled upon the teleporter fairly quickly (dumb luck FTW !), but still found the whole tower very annoying, especially since it came just after the cool underwater part.