The Other Dynamix Games

[Collector]

Like The Incredible Machine games? Perhaps you fancy an old fashioned bi-plane dogfight. 3-D Ultra fan? This is the forum for you. Post away.

[Rudy]

Question about Aces of the Deep, the first release from 1994. I have the 1.0 version on 5 3.5" disks. There is however also a CDROM version. What is the version number of that one? Also what is the difference? Does it include the Aces of the Deep expansion disk on the CDROM version? Thanks in advance.

[DeadPoolX]

Question about Aces of the Deep, the first release from 1994. I have the 1.0 version on 5 3.5" disks. There is however also a CDROM version. What is the version number of that one? Also what is the difference? Does it include the Aces of the Deep expansion disk on the CDROM version? Thanks in advance.

While I don't know the version number, I think the main difference between the two is relatively superficial. In other words, Command Aces of the Deep (the CD-ROM version) includes the expansion pack, voice recognition software and interviews with real U-Boat captains.

With the exception of the expansion pack (and that could be bought separately for the diskette version of the game), the other features were rarely utilized by players. I never watched the interviews and neither did most people I knew. You were supposedly able to give vocal commands if your sound card supported the voice recognition software bundled with the game. Even for those gamers who had a supported sound card, very few used it since the voice recognition capabilities of CAotD were rarely accurate enough for game play.

[Rudy]

I'm afraid there's a misunderstanding, DPX. I wasn't talking about Command: Aces of the Deep. The original Aces of the Deep also exists on CDROM:
http://www.sierrachest.com/index.php?a= ... ld=s&pid=4

[Collector]

I can't say what differences there are without installing and playing both. Just looking at it, the CD version is bigger, perhaps it includes the expansion pack and the CD version has speech. I'm not sure if there was any on the floppy version. As Rudy mentioned, CAotD was different game. It may have shared some of the same code base, but it was Windows only game that has an infamous SoundBlaster bug that will not let you start the game without turning sound off, which renders the voice recognition useless.

[Rudy]

Just looking at it, the CD version is bigger, perhaps it includes the expansion pack and the CD version has speech. I'm not sure if there was any on the floppy version.

Don't think the CD version includes the expansion pack. The expansion pack was supposedly released in 1995, while the CD version was released in 1994 (the same year as the floppy version). Also, on the backcover of the expansion pack, it says on the bottom: "This expansion disk requires Aces of the Deep floppy or CD".

I think Sierra simply decided to release the game simultaneously for CD and floppy, since many people still played with 3.5" disks those days. The CD version does have some additional stuff though, namely the U-boat Commander Interviews, which obviously would not fit on those 3.5" floppies. I also believe that Command:AotD is the original Aces of the Deep CD version, with the expansion pack and upgraded for Windows 95, and in addition updated graphics, better and more sounds and more extra material. There is in fact a German box for Command:AotD which has the frontcover of the original AotD and on the backcover it has Command:AotD.

[DeadPoolX]

I never knew the original AotD came on CD. I must've owned the diskette version.

[gat]

Just a heads-up for those who may be interested. Jeff Tunnel apparently re-acquired the rights to a number of old Dynamix games, and has already placed an Incredible Machine Mega Pack and a Red Baron Pack up for sale on GOG. $10 each.

[DeadPoolX]

Nice.

I already have a disc that includes both Red Baron and A-10 Tank Killer as a bonus. What I'd like to see is a redone version of Starsiege, one that could actually play correctly on modern systems.