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Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:15 am
by Expack3
In celebration of Tribes' 20th anniversary, every Starsiege and Earthsiege game has been released for free! Do know there are some oddities, such as Earthsiege 2 lacking its soundtrack and the Starsiege: Tribes download actually being for Starsiege Universe.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:17 am
by Collector
I would have thought that Activision had the IP for the Tribes games. I didn't even realize that Hi-Rez Studios had developed a new game in the series.

The reason that they are missing their soundtracks is that several of these originally had Redbook CDA tracks, which can't be part of an ISO. They would have had to done a BIN/CUE or some other format that can image the audio tracks, too. My installers rip the audio tracks and use _inmm patched EXEs for disc-less play with music.

I have not tried it, they would probably work with the ISOs, but there would be no audio tracks to rip. _inmm would probably complain about the missing when starting the game, but that could be solved by copying over the original EXEs from the ISOs. I guess I will have to DL these ISOs to see if the installers are compatible. It would be possible to upload the tracks for the installers to DL.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:44 pm
by Collector
For anyone trying to use the SHP installers for these freeware release go to this support thread: http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=4362

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 12:30 am
by stuntology
I've never heard of these games, but they look pretty interesting! I'll definitely give them a look.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 1:08 am
by Collector
They were originally developed by Dynamix. They are mechwarrior games, but then Dynamix was also the original MechWarrior developer. The first few games were produced by Mark Crowe of Space Quest fame. I guess that they were one of the few Sierra/Sierra family franchises that Activision did not get. The current IP holder, Hi-Rez Studios continued development with Tribes Ascend in 2012.

This is not the entire library of Metaltech/Tribes universe games. Metaltech: Battledrome was an early one is missing and a couple of the Tribes games. There are also a few other games that are often considered part of that universe, like two Cyberstorm games and some include CyberGladiators (what became of the CRY.SYS project) and Hunter Hunted.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:26 pm
by Tawmis
Expack3 wrote:In celebration of Tribes' 20th anniversary, every Starsiege and Earthsiege game has been released for free! Do know there are some oddities, such as Earthsiege 2 lacking its soundtrack and the Starsiege: Tribes download actually being for Starsiege Universe.
So weird; the first game downloads; all the other say they download; but they never do.

Might be a firefox issue.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:49 pm
by Collector
Works for me in FF. AV issue?

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 7:39 pm
by stuntology
Too bad only the first one's a DOS game- I'll have to wait until I've got access to a windows machine to try out the others (or try fiddling around with Wine again!)

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 7:42 pm
by Collector
What are you on?

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 3:00 pm
by Maxor127
I think there was a non-Tribes Starsiege mech game too.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:04 am
by stuntology
I'm on Mac.

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:17 am
by Collector
What about a Mac variant of Wine?

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:50 pm
by Rakeesh
Great news on the day I decide to check this forum again :)

I had played the first Earth Siege game, but never finished it.

Silly question: I haven't been able to make head or tails about the Metaltech/Earthsiege/Starsiege/Tribes universe. Do the games represent some cohesive storyline? Are there some prequels, or does the story "start" on one of those games? When do the spin-off start to branch off the main story line?

Re: Metaltech/Tribes Universe Games Released For Free!

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 3:25 pm
by Collector
There are synopses at the beginning of the games. How consistent they are with each other is another matter. I couldn't find much of anything about any of the Tribes games on YouTube in the short amount of time I was willing to look, and I didn't look for the Cyberstorm games and Battledrome didn't have an intro but here are the intros from the first three (pre-Tribes) games.

The original Earthsiege: Earthsiege 2 part 1: Earthsiege 2 part 2: Starsiege: