GameZig

I know this isn’t game related - but it’s game rig related and it’s a real pain in the ass if you don’t know what to do.  Since I did my system rebuild yesterday (damn,  it’s sweet!) I figured I’d come in and share some of my hardships and how I fixed it just in case some of you are facing the same problem.

It all started right about the time I finished assembling my new system.  I was just about to install a 64 bit version of Windows XP on my pair of 10k RPM Raptors in Raid 0 mode when I realized something - they are SATA and I don’t have a floppy installed.  For those who don’t know and are still reading this, you need a floppy because Windows XP doesn’t come with SATA drivers pre-loaded, so when you go to install Windows for the first time it won’t even see your hard drive(s) to install it on.

Lucky for me (or so I thought) I did have a floppy drive on hand and installed it relatively easily - considering I had every other wire and cable crowding the area where the floppy needed to go.  Long story short, I got the drivers onto a floppy and proceeded to install Windows - seemingly without incident until it came to copying files for Windows.  The installation had seen my floppy and read the drivers fine for me to install on the SATA RAID array, but when it came time to copy those drivers over to the HDD for the first Windows boot it failed.  It failed miserably, time and time again.  I kept getting to the Windows boot and getting nothing but the blue screen of death - telling me to look for viruses and such (like you will find them on a brand new install, right?)

I was at my wits end when I discovered a handy, easy to use program called NLite.  To sum it up quickly before I tell you how to do it, NLite is a program that rips your original Windows installation CD to your hard drive and allows you to easily modify the installation and add drivers - all using NLite to do it.  I ripped the install, incorporated the SATA drivers to the image and re-burnt a CD using the ISO I made and it worked like a dream!  No need to press F6 to install extra drivers - just let it breeze on through.

Now to the nitty gritty.  First, if you are going to do this make sure you do this while you still have a good computer to do it on - or if you are like me, your spare.  Next - make sure you have enough free disk space on said computer for DOUBLE the size of the installation disk.  Just a little over one gigabit should do it.  This is because you will rip the installation to your drive and then make an ISO on the same drive before you physically burn it, so you’ll in reality have two copies in different forms on the hard drive.

Okay - the real deal.  Step 1.

Download NLite

Step 2.  Download or copy the SATA drivers to the hard drive you’ll be doing this operation on.  Look for a version that has a txtsetup.oem file with it, that’s the right version.  Most people will find this first try.  If you don’t - keep looking is all I can tell ya.

Step 3.  Install and run NLite for the first time.  When you run it, you will be asked to provide the path to the Windows install package.  Insert your Windows CD into the drive and select that drives letter.  Click okay, then select the destination path for the temporary copy of Windows install on your hard drive.  After it’s complete, you’ll see a status window with some information I didn’t bother to read - think it’s just Windows version info.

Step 4.  Click next twice and you should be at a screen that has Integrate, Remove, Setup and Create as options.  We’re interested in Integrate here.  On the integrate menu, you’ll see a handy little button called DRIVERS.  Click that bad boy and select the folder where you saved the previously mentioned SATA drivers for your particular motherboard.  Next select your driver or drivers from the list (just pick all that show up to be safe) - and begin the integration process.  This may take some time.  Finish with NLite when done.

Step 5.  You’ll have to re-open NLite - I know I just told you to finish but do it anyway.  It’ll be worth the effort, heh.  Okay - select your folder with the Windows install in it (should be selected by default) and click the Last Session that’s selectable in the window.  Now, go to the options menu and select bootable ISO.  Now on this next window, double check that the mode is set to Create Image and click the make ISO button.  It’s about mid-way down on the right - not the next button!  Pay attention here, will ya?

Step 6.  The ISO should be finishing up soon.  When it’s complete, burn a copy to a blank CD using whatever favorite burning software you have and use that disc to run your install.  You should be problem free and smooth sailing without the need for a floppy to even be hooked up.  They are obsolete you know.

Have a nice day!

Before you tie me up to the stake and light the torches, hear me out!!

Star Wars Galaxies, even though it is still alive today is a failure for the Star Wars fans in my book.  It started out as a fun game with some features I really enjoyed.  Granted, there were parts of the game that weren’t all that great but we’ll leave those ideas out of KOTOR.  The question I’m asking is that is there anything that you liked about Star Wars Galaxies that you think is salvageable for Knights of the Old Republic?

I for one liked two things above all else in SWG that I haven’t really seen done well in other games.  First was the crafting system.  To me the crafting system was unique in that it gave people the ability to produce better goods than competing crafters by spending the time and money to find the best resources.  Having the end product be strongly based on the resource quality it was made from is a big plus in my book.  Finding the best resources took commitment, a lot of time and patience.  It wasn’t something just anyone could do.  Ya, anyone could craft and make stuff but the best stuff was crafted by an elite few and those people became very famous in their servers, very sought after and very rich.  That feature of SWG is no longer really evident today in the way SOE screwed up the game, but you veterans will remember it.

Another feature I really enjoyed about SWG was player owned housing and cities.  A place you really got attached to because it was yours!  Some people only used houses for extra storage - others actually used it to show off their rewards and trophies.  They even had a weekly or monthly contest where people would go around judging the best decorated houses.  Is that Star Wars?  No, not by itself but it made you feel a bigger part of the Star Wars Universe.  You didn’t just visit from time to time - you lived in it.

Are there any features you enjoyed from SWG you’d like to see in KOTOR?  I know there are plenty you would not like to see, but what did you like about the game that you’d like to see implemented?

Along with all the new content in the Wrath of the Lich King update, Blizzard will be releasing a new feature called the Achievement System.  Basically, it’s a list of things a player can do to gain titles and rewards.  Mostly through things they are already doing, like PVP, exploring the game world or progressing through different professions.

This is not a new idea by any means but I for one am glad WoW is including it in the game.  Syp over at Waaagh! wrote up a rather lengthy post stating his disdain for Blizzard ripping this idea off of Mythic’s Warhammer Online upcoming MMO but as I mentioned there it isn’t a Mythic original idea either.  Star Wars Galaxies was the first MMO that I’m aware of to include a system like this and it was done years ago.  Granted, it may not be nearly as robust but it existed none the less.  Players in SWG could gain recognition for Mastering Professions, exploring different sights through the game or making discoveries like the Krayt Graveyard or Obi-Wan’s hut.  Both WAR and WoW no doubt will have a bit more robust system, which will be necessarily better is something I’m not going to guess at - or care.  Syp has already done a good job comparing the two, if you want a strong opinion on the matter go read his writeup on it.

I’ll be glad to have the idea available in both games myself.  I still play WoW and plan to play WAR as well.  WoW having the Achievement System is in no way going to make me enjoy WAR’s Tome of Knowledge any less.  I’m sure both systems will be custom tailored to the game they were written for.  Neither was an original idea, so you can’t really argue that either ripped off the overall idea from the other.  They both took it from somewhere else and made it there own.  ‘Nuff said.