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 The Operative: No One Lives Forever is an funky 60's spy first person shooter with stealth elements that actually work! Released way back in 2000, it's a rare FPS that has actually aged pretty well although it took a bit of work to get it running on Windows 10. This was made back in those wild days before we had HD and widescreen. This game absolutely oozes charm. It's got a ton of incidental dialogue and I'll pick up as much as possible. I'm not actually super familiar with the game but I still think it's wonderful enough to see again. I might also dig into the sequel after this but that's a ways off yet! There's actually not too much to know about the story that isn't explained within the game. We play as Cate Archer, the first female agent at Unity HQ, a clandestine world peacekeeping force. Of course sexism is in full force as she's yet to have any real operations in the field. But who knows! That could be changing soon. Very soon! Videos The Assignment Scene 1/Polsy Misfortune In Morocco Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy (issues on Chrome at 25:34, skip past it) Scene 3/Polsy Requiem For A Spy Scene 1/Polsy Berlin By Night Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Unexpected Turbulence Scene 1/2/Polsy Care To Explain? Scene 1/Polsy Rendezvous In Hamburg Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy A Tenuous Lead Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Scene 4/Polsy Scene 5/Polsy (issues on Chrome at 5:53, skip past it) The Dive Scene 1/2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy If Our Demands Are Not Met Scene 1/Polsy A Man Of Influence Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Further Investigation Required Scene 1/Polsy Safecracker Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Scene 4/Polsy Scene 5/Polsy Scene 6/Polsy An Ounce Of Hope, A Pound Of Despair Scene 1/Polsy Rescue Attempt Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy A Stern Warning Scene 1/Polsy Trouble In The Tropics Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Low Earth Orbit Scene 1/Polsy Good Luck And God Speed Scene 1/Polsy Alpine Intrigue Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Scene 4/Polsy The Indomitable Cate Archer Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Scene 3/Polsy Scene 4/Polsy A Very Large Explosion Scene 1/Polsy Scene 2/Polsy Such Is The Nature Of Revenge Scene 1/Polsy Bonus! Agent Cate Snarker In The Lounge: Bonus Music and Remixes A Man Of Wealth, No Taste Mission Briefings dscruffy1 fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Feb 1, 2016 |
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Nov 15, 2015 14:34
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Dramatis Personae Cate Archer  Fearless, flawless, and always fashionable. Our heroine, and the first female field agent in UNITY. A noble-born daughter of Scotland, she was orphaned at the age of 12 and grew up making a living on the streets where she was known under the alias "The Fox". Recruited into UNITY by Bruno Lawrie, whose wallet she unsuccessfully tried to lift. Since being recruited into UNITY she's had no luck in getting what she thinks of as "real work", but due to personnel issues that could change! Bruno Lawrie  Code name Galahad, Bruno is one of UNITY's finest operatives. A little long in the tooth, he is nonetheless a highly effective operative. Responsible for bringing Cate into the fold, he still serves as a mentor and a source of support. Mr. Jones  The chairman of The Committee, and the head of UNITY's clandestine operations. Mr. Jones is responsible for directing the operations UNITY undertakes and believes in Cate's performance. More supportive than Mr. Smith, he still does not tolerate incompetence and failure. Probably expected from the sort of business UNITY is in. Mr. Smith  Deputy Chairman of The Committee. Desperately unlikable. Mr. Smith is an old hand, and retired from active field duty into an administrative job when his time came. He believes Bruno's time is far past, and also believes that Cate's time has not and will never come. Dimitrij Volkov  A Russian spy, Volkov is notable for his ruthless efficiency and his calling card. Likely holds a grudge against Bruno Lawrie, who is responsible for Volkov's need for an eyepatch. Rumor has it Volkov is now the Director of Operations for HARM. But just what does HARM stand for? Otto Schenker  Dr. Schenker is the head of the biological explosives department in Eastern Germany. Sounds intimidating! But certainly this won't have any effect on future efforts by UNITY to protect the free world. Magnus Armstrong  Magnus Armstrong is a true blooded Scotsman with a heart of...well, not gold. But he's more into fair fights than he is into this whole wanton destruction thing. He has a grudging respect for Cate Archer due to her nationality and her damned perseverance. It's not every day you see someone skydive without a parachute and live. Tom Goodman  Codename Bold Eagle (go figure), Tom Goodman is a welcome addition to the active agent roster. Thought killed in action during a mission in Amsterdam, it seems as though he was able to affect a daring escape. If he can stay that resourceful he'll surely be quite a boon in missions to come. It's just a shame about those shirts. Inge Wagner  A horrifying operetta. Supposedly a relation of Richard Wagner, Inge has absolutely no vocal talent. Well, that's not being fair. She can shatter glass and cause physical pain to her listeners. But it doesn't sound good, if that's your question. No one seems to be willing to tell her so, however. Baron Dumas  The head of Dumas Industries, spectacularly wealthy, and an unrivaled huntsman. If appearances are to be believed! Currently under investigation by UNITY for potential associations with HARM. Baroness Dumas  The wife of Baron Dumas. Seems to have expensive tastes and shopping habits. Does not appreciate being called Chipmunk. dscruffy1 fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Dec 23, 2015 |
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Nov 15, 2015 14:40
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Hell Yes. I could gush about how this game oozes charm, wit, humour, and sundry from every possible angle, but, really, none of that's needed, as the game speaks for itself quite clearly. I will say without reservation that the opening tune is one of the best, in part because it actually feels like a 60's-era spy thriller (or a James Bond movie).
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Nov 15, 2015 15:02
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Oh hey, I've played this game very briefly at a store, back in the day, but never found out its name. I'll be sure to watch and see how it actually plays out.
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Nov 15, 2015 15:08
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I remember having a fair bit of fun in multiplayer for both this and the sequel; are we going to see any videos of that? edit: Oh, and yes, be the snarkiest agent in existence. Atomikus fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Nov 15, 2015 |
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Nov 15, 2015 15:17
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Be the snarkiest agent please.
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Nov 15, 2015 15:30
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Also, sadly, a game unlikely to ever be released on services such as GOG or Steam since none of the potential rights-holders are even remotely interested in figuring out who actually owns the rights to it. Night Dive tried and failed to make this happen, unfortunately--the big corporations just aren't interested, even when somebody else offers to do hard work for them of making the game run on modern hardware/OS.
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Nov 15, 2015 16:16
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This game is great.ivantod posted:Also, sadly, a game unlikely to ever be released on services such as GOG or Steam since none of the potential rights-holders are even remotely interested in figuring out who actually owns the rights to it. That's too bad! I'd definitely pick this up (and the sequel) again if given the chance.
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Nov 15, 2015 16:21
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I'm so glad someone is LPing this again! This along with NOLF 2 are probably up there as my favorite games of all time. Please be snarky, it is the only choice. Also LP NOLF 2 please.
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Nov 15, 2015 16:39
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Never heard of this, but it looks super interesting!
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Nov 15, 2015 16:47
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I wish I could play this myself, but without stuff like GoG getting it... Well, it'll be interesting to see this play out, at least!
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Nov 15, 2015 16:54
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ivantod posted:Also, sadly, a game unlikely to ever be released on services such as GOG or Steam since none of the potential rights-holders are even remotely interested in figuring out who actually owns the rights to it. This is pretty much true and that's awful. http://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind-a-dead-pc-game-that-cant-come-back-1688358811 Atomikus posted:I remember having a fair bit of fun in multiplayer for both this and the sequel; are we going to see any videos of that? I've heard good things about the multiplayer but having never played it and needing to dig up ways to play it, I'm leaning towards no. I'm probably going to do the sequel at some point though! That being said I think there is still an active community for the game, multiplayer and all, which is how I got it working on Windows 10. I still run into graphical glitches on occasion but that only takes a little dicking around.
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Nov 15, 2015 17:04
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YES. I love these games, played them a bunch of times; they do managed to do the intelligent parody bit just perfectly while still being fun to play. Speaking of the sequels: there are two and one of them is horrible. Please do both. edit: I don't remember the release dates, but could the Carrigton team mention be a reference to Perfect Dark and its own completely absurd secret service? anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Nov 15, 2015 |
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Nov 15, 2015 18:01
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NOLF LP? Watching!
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Nov 15, 2015 18:09
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No One Lives Forever By Scruffy  Such a shame about the rights issues preventing the game from being released on modern platforms, too (but eh, it's not the only game that is subjected to such fate)
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Nov 15, 2015 18:19
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How in the world did you manage to get it running on a modern system? Does it work for the sequel as well?berryjon posted:NOLF LP? Watching! 
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Nov 15, 2015 18:25
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This game has oddly detailed faces, which just makes the lightly textured club-hands they have stand out more. Also: Your you-tube video's description is still linking to the Half-Minute Hero thread.
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Nov 15, 2015 18:33
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Kurieg posted:Also: Your you-tube video's description is still linking to the Half-Minute Hero thread. Fixed that! Poil posted:How in the world did you manage to get it running on a modern system? Does it work for the sequel as well? It took some doing and it's not perfect yet but I got most of the work done from a guide at http://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2012/05/23/no-one-lives-forever/ Let me start from the beginning. I recently upgraded to Windows 10. I've got a non-GOTY version of the game, which is an issue since the installer is 16-bit and 16-bit programs don't play well with 64-bit systems. That website has an installer that will work with 64-bit systems, same for applying the patches. It also required screwing around with some DirectX commands and resolution settings to make it work widescreen. Another problem that's probably unique to Windows 10 is that it doesn't run SECDRV.SYS, which is SecuRom. It's an old copy protection process. Without SecuRom running the game doesn't want to start, luckily a no-CD patch will bypass that. I haven't booted up the sequel yet but I imagine it has similar problems/fixes!
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Nov 15, 2015 18:51
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The GOTY version actually runs fine on modern systems. I bought hard copies of it and 2 when Night Dive announced they wouldn't able to salvage the series. 2 needs a patch to run, but there are places that still host it.
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Nov 15, 2015 19:03
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Bookmarked, this should be great. As long as you remember what H.A.R.M. stands for, this LP should be of fabulous quality. Also whoever at FOX and / or Warner Bros is responsible for blocking the deal, get herpes. And cancer.
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Nov 15, 2015 19:12
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double nine posted:Also whoever at FOX and / or Warner Bros is responsible for blocking the deal, get herpes. A lot.
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Nov 15, 2015 19:13
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Usually when I watch something in the Sandcastle I start skipping through the video after a few seconds or minutes to see whether there's anything technical that jumps out and leave it at that. This time I just kept watching until it was done and then I wanted more. Thanks for doing this.
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Nov 15, 2015 19:34
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This is still one of my favorite games of all time.
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Nov 15, 2015 19:55
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I was 8 when this game came out, so eventually it became a very common thing for me to play on my PS2 through my middle school days. I was very sad to find that there's no real way to get it apart from used copies on the PC (or  ) so I haven't been able to play it in years.The PC version is definitely the definitive one. The PS2 has inferior loading times and has new music altogether, but the tradeoff is three flashback stealth levels to Cate's days as a thief.
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Nov 15, 2015 20:06
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Hell yeah, new Scruffy LP! And they start off really Bond-ily with a good old-fashioned British-off in the briefing scene, where two or more old British character actors compete to see who can be the stuffiest. M and the Roger Moore Bond did this a lot. E: And I swear that the field tactics tutorial guy sounds a hell of a lot like Desmond Llewellyn, who played Q from From Russia With Love to The World Is Not Enough. Philippe fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Nov 15, 2015 |
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Nov 15, 2015 20:20
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Never got to play these games, so I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fond praise I've heard over the years is about. The incidental dialogue and sneaky bits remind me of Thief already. 
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Nov 15, 2015 20:22
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Since I'm a gun guy, I can talk about the very neat weapons in this game as well! There's some common FPS weapons, but also some unusual things that aren't in many games. The Walther P38 is under its real name (mostly), but it was developed and manufactured by Nazi Germany as a cheaper and more reliable replacement for the Luger (which is also in the game). Its operating system is actually a direct ancestor to the famous Beretta 92, which is used by the US military today as the M9. What isn't as well known is that the Germans actually used it as their standard sidearm all the way until 1994 (and took until 2000 to get rid of all their surplus stocks), when it was replaced by the USP of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fame. They just renamed it the P1 and made it with an aluminum frame. The "Petri" revolver is a Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight or Model 36 Chief's Special. "Airweight" revolvers had an aluminum frame and steel cylinder to make them lighter. Other than the frame material, it's identical to the Model 36 (which I actually have experience with). It's disparaged in-game as a "purse gun" suitable for a lady, but in fact the .38 Special round out of such a small and light revolver has very snappy recoil that can make rapid fire hard to control. In fact, modern shooting experts often recommend that physically weaker people carry either very light calibers or heavier guns that can more easily absorb recoil. Cate Archer preferring a gun in that caliber that weighs less than a pound unloaded would ironically indicate that she's got a strong grip and is an excellent shot.
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Nov 15, 2015 20:28
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chitoryu12 posted:Cate Archer preferring a gun in that caliber that weighs less than a pound unloaded would ironically indicate that she's got a strong grip and is an excellent shot. 
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Nov 15, 2015 21:22
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I got this game as a pack-in with my first videocard. Unfortunately, I never appreciated it because I got to the flashlight tutorial bit, instantly failed like three times, and quit the game in disgust forever. I really enjoyed (and beat) the sequel, though.
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Nov 15, 2015 21:34
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Galaga Galaxian posted:The incidental dialogue and sneaky bits remind me of Thief already.
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Nov 15, 2015 22:07
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Is it known who did the writing for the game? Or was it a team effort with no-one getting the official "writer's hat"?
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Nov 15, 2015 22:12
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We need to be snarky every chance we can unless it makes us look like too much of a jerk. I really like the humor in this game.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:18
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I can't actually remember if the dialogue choices lock you out of things, like being too snarky to your boss gets you any kind of punishment.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:23
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I Really wish I could buy this one and play along. gently caress's sake publishers.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:25
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double nine posted:I Really wish I could buy this one and play along. gently caress's sake publishers. http://www.amazon.com/No-One-Lives-Forever-Game-Edition/dp/B00005QX48 gently caress it, I think I'll buy myself a copy too.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:25
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Obviously the biggest influence in this game is the Bond films, but I am reminded quite vividly of Modesty Blaise, re. Main character being a woman criminal turned to the field of espionage.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:37
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chitoryu12 posted:I can't actually remember if the dialogue choices lock you out of things, like being too snarky to your boss gets you any kind of punishment. Yep; if you're too snarky, you can lose out on intel items. (Also, if you get high enough a mission rating, you get permanent boosts to stuff like your heath, armour, or quietness when moving). On the other hand, the snark options, and their reactions are pure gold.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:51
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chitoryu12 posted:I can't actually remember if the dialogue choices lock you out of things, like being too snarky to your boss gets you any kind of punishment. Samovar posted:Obviously the biggest influence in this game is the Bond films, but I am reminded quite vividly of Modesty Blaise, re. Main character being a woman criminal turned to the field of espionage.
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Nov 15, 2015 23:52
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I never got to play this game but it was one of the first LP's I ever watched and it was amazing. It was one of those games I was sorry I had missed, looking forward to seeing it play out all over again. I've always wondered if H.A.R.M was slightly inspired by that terrible movie Agent for HARM (which i have only ever seen as a mst3k).
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Nov 16, 2015 05:33
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Those scientists talking about "Carrington" Is probably a reference to the Carrington Institute, the "good guys" of Perfect Dark, considering that game came out six months before this one and is also spy thriller (albeit in the future).
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Nov 16, 2015 08:08
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