Back when game installs used to be cool DOS C&C install.
Posted May 26, 2017, 7:26 AM UTC
9821
I loved this sequence. Loved the game too.
The only other game install with some style, that I remember, is the install for "Crusader: No Remorse" (also a very nice game that I replayed from GOG last year).
The screen was black with green text, nothing overly fancy, but the [Crusader Install Music] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX4N_qiRQ3o) played during the percentage crawl, which in 1995 was a big fucking deal, some people didn't even have soundcards, they played with the PC Speaker analogue sounds.
The music is very contemporary with the X-Files style of ethereal ambient synth fusion of Robert Miles. Also related, Jean-Michel Jarré, [Ray Lynch.] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD8trthqWZE)
5
Looks really cool but... i'm happy with how games are installing nowadays.
4
You don't really install games anymore, you just download them.
Game installers like these tended to set the mood for the game and also are very memorable.
I also loved these early 2000s InstallShield installers that had background music and some nice screenshots of the game.
But that was from the time when you had a disc and actually had to wait on the install screen, as the rest of your PC would lag too much. A relict. It wouldn't work with digital downloads.
21
Well, devs could still make good ol' launchers but those things are less and less spread.
I still remember those installers, i'm only a pcgamer since 2009 but i played a bunch of games like that. It was great but i don't feel too much nostalgia towards that.
You don't really install games anymore, you just download them.
Yeah that's what i meant, they automatically install themselves as they are being downloaded. We have basically nothing to do besides 3 clicks.
2
It's a long time to set the mood. Im sure i remember running the bath whenever I wanted to install something on the old pentium 133
2
And some game installations could be real hairpullers, some games had special requirements that meant you had to increase your available RAM available for the game, and you had 640K to work with, DOS took a chunk, and you had to fiddle with the remains until the game stopped crashing.
1
Makin batch files to load things into upper memory to make that space!
2
As a swede, I cursed every time Windows edited a game folder longer than eight letters into ~1, since tilde requires three buttons to generate on swedish keyboards, and it totally breaks up the typing flow.
1
Argh. Conventional memory, EMS, XMS, (Q)EMM386, etc. Fun times. :P
2
There was even a company that sold RAM units that plugged into the back of the computer, I think the 9-pin COM port, to boost your DOS memory availability. Talk about stopgap measure, and it wasn't cheap either. Fun times indeed.
Think how long we've come. Mouse starting to squeak because there's too much dust strands and hand grease building up on the roller-wheels!! Hahaha.
I used to sit with a razor and scrape the mouse input wheels the same way people [scrape goddamn horse hooves.] (https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/cleaning-horse-hoof-pick-black-62165306.jpg) When you cut out a long, unbroken ring of filth you felt like a champ.
2
Don't downloaders usually install too after when they are done?
1
Your sound card works perfectly.....
God I'm old, I remember dos installers fairly well and remember that I would actually prefer to play most of my sierra games in DOS rather than windows 3.1 because the cursors were then animated and colored and the game seemed more responsive.
Quest for glory II and IV, Gabriel Knight were a few.
I never actually had Command and Conquer before Red Alert but I CERTAINLY got plenty of hours in on Red Alert. Warcraft 2 was one of my favorites.
4
Here is one you will remember then! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOaiVeK5AhI
2
It's one of those nifty little bits of flavor that died with progress. Much like game boxes.
It's hard to complain about having installs just happen in the background today though.
3
The RTS Act of War had a video to watch while the game installed.
1
I really liked the Age of Empires 1 installer when those builders started building. (around the 1:05 mark)
1
Daaaamnnnn those were the days
1
The Westwood Studios installers were always so greatly detailed it was amazing. They did a similar thing for C&C Red Alert and IIRC they did something similar for Lands of Lore too.
Speaking of DOS Installers/Setups...
Please fill out the registration card while you wait.
Lands of Lore 2 had some fancy CGI, but it's less impressive than C&C
Lands of Lore 3 had storyline details in the installer that weren't available ingame.
There was this cinematic compilation that would fire up when you first launched Red Alert I think - showcasing the Westwood games at the time.
I can't for the life of me find it on YouTube, but I remember it being really cool.
Never realized RA1 had a dos installer.
Also never realized the DOS installer was more detailed than the Win installer.
Yeah. When I installed RA1 in Windows, I didn't get a cooler installer. My dorm suitemate installed, from the other disc, did and had its cool DOS installer. Haha! However, original C&C1's DOS installer was still better than RA1's.
Red Alert 2 scared the crap out of me the first time I entered the CD.
I forget. What it did it show/do?
A loud male voice would say: "Warning! Military Software detected! Top secret clearance required!"