D2 : Vertigo....where to get it?

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:40 am

I read somewhere that Descent 2 : Vertigo was avaliable as a free upgrade to anyone who already bought Descent 2

http://www.gamespy.com/articles/493/493038p1.html

Descent II also has an "official" expansion called The Infinite Abyss, which not only includes more action, but support for Win95 (which was later added as an upgrade to Descent II as a free download) as well as support for 3D accelerators. Also included was a Vertigo series that includes a new multiplayer game type, new missions, enemies and AI. The people at Interplay did a good thing and allowed people who bought Descent II, but not the expansion, to upgrade to the Vertigo series as well for free.

I bought Descent 2 a while back...but I couldn't find anything about downloading Vertigo (probably because this was more than 7 years ago, and Interplay went belly up

)

can you still get Vertigo for free if you bought the original D2?

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 1:49 pm

this brings up a point about what are the current legalities concerning descent 2 ownership. anyone know who currently has legal ownership of the game?
would be willing to at least inquire as to how/whether a re-issue could be done. anyone with any info, let me know here.

edit: they release the code for only non commercial use. am looking into finding out if a limited production license could be issued if not for profit.

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:12 pm

me neither....

but I have the feeling that the game resource data in the .hog files are still copyrighted, since they were not released when source code became avaliable...

I'm probably wrong though

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:26 pm

No, you're absolutely right. The copyright over the contents of the .hog files was never released. Parallax Software (which still exists) still owns the copyright. Funny enough, the "Descent" name was trademarked by Interplay, which no longer exists. So it might be legal to call another game Descent, but it's not legal to distribute the contents of any of the games' HOG files.

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:35 pm

No, you're absolutely right. The copyright over the contents of the .hog files was never released. Parallax Software (which still exists) still owns the copyright. Funny enough, the "Descent" name was trademarked by Interplay, which no longer exists. So it might be legal to call another game Descent, but it's not legal to distribute the contents of any of the games' HOG files.

I guess there's a first for everything

but I suppose unless if I find a really old official newsrelease from Interplay stating that Vertigo is free to D2 users, then I guess a downloaded Vertigo copy is not legal

I guess I could also consider buying Descent 1&2: The Definitive Collection...doesn't hurt to have 2 copies of the same game, right?

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:37 pm

The Definitive Collection doesn't include the entire soundtrack of getting the two (D2 and Vertigo) separately, but otherwise it's just as good.

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:40 pm

now the boxed version of Vertigo would be called Descent 2: The Infinite Abyss??? with full soundtracks I assume

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:56 pm

DCrazy
are you certain that parallax software still exists?
they're not at pxsoftware.com there's a parallax software at parallaxsoft.com but that doesn't look like them.
matt toschlog at outrage not found = no website for outrage.
i have emailed mike kulas at volition for help.
if he provides a lead for who the copyright belongs to and how to contact them, i will pursue a quote for cost of license to re-release.

hey, it can't hurt to ask.

Kirby, if you need it i can dig out the boxes for them all to see what exactly they're called.

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 3:58 pm

Kirby, if you need it i can dig out the boxes for them all to see what exactly they're called.

thanks....also if you're willing to sell, I'm willing to buy

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:04 pm

well, since i do have the definitive collection, i could sell the d2 vertigo edition legally without losing MY ability to play. That didn't contain the most up to date exec. i think i don't know if the levels changed or not. have to ask around here. i would have to think about it. (hey it's now a collector's item.) let's see if something can happen with the level data files?

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:21 pm

actually....I'm watching the Definitive Pack on eBay right now...never knew Descent 1 has an expansion pack too :3

and about the redbook audio....

http://board.acmlm.org/thread.php?id=6667

- Descent II: The Infinite Abyss; or, The Definitive Collection [disc 2] (redbook audio) - Windows Media Player labels this as The Moonblower EP, which is weird... I wonder where that came from. Anyway, I'm missing the very last track because my CD is scratched to hell.
- Descent II: Vertigo Series; or, The Definitive Collection [disc 3] (redbook audio) - One of the tracks on my CD skips, not sure which one... It'd be nice if someone who has these CDs could contact me.

so both versions might actually be the same

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:26 pm

Kirby wrote:now the boxed version of Vertigo would be called Descent 2: The Infinite Abyss??? with full soundtracks I assume

No. The boxed Vertigo expansion pack would be something like "Descent 2: The Vertigo Series"... not that I have it, just from a guess.

I personally have the Infinite Abyss set, and it is actually the entire game of Descent 2 plus the Vertigo expansion and DMB2. And yeah, it does have the extra music from the Vertigo CD...

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:26 pm

DCrazy wrote:The Definitive Collection doesn't include the entire soundtrack of getting the two (D2 and Vertigo) separately, but otherwise it's just as good.

That's actually not true. The Definitive Collection version has the entire D2 redbook soundtrack; it's just split up between the second (D2) and third (Vertigo/DMB2) disks. Either way, it doesn't really matter, since Interplay released all of the tracks soon before they went belly-up; it's being hosted at PD.

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:28 pm

in other words....bid bid bid!!!

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:31 pm

Ah, that'd explain a bit.

From what I hear the original Descent 2 disc only had the shortened form of the songs that are on it? D2IA disc 1 doesn't have any redundant tracks, just - from what I hear - the long versions of the same ones, while D2IA disc 2 has the original tracks from Vertigo...

Nikolai · Post by **Nikolai** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:37 pm

I suppose most of you, guys, have the Vertigo add-on. Too bad for me - I live in the country, where it's impossible to buy such a thing

From the D2X documentation:

Vertigo consists of both netgame enhancements (codenamed HOARD) and an additional mission. To install HOARD, place hoard.ham in your data dir. To play the vertigo mission, place d2x.hog and d2x.mn2 in your mission dir.
If you want the movies that go with the vertigo mission, place d2x-h.mvl and/or d2x-l.mvl in your data dir.

Now the question: how much space do d2x.hog and d2x.mn2 take up? Can anybody send me these 2 files over the e-mail or upload them to rapidshare.de and post a link?
I understand: copyright and all that legal stuff... But try to understand me too. I would buy the Definitive Collection with pleasure, if it was available somewhere in Ukraine. To ask someone in US to send me over these CD's via airmail - I think it is absurd...

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 6:38 pm

Vertigo series was not released by itself. It was released as part of Infinite Abyss.

As for Interplay being dead, apparently you haven't been to their website lately.

Parallax is still alive on paper. Mike Kulas and Matt Toshlog are the only employees though.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:51 am

I think there was a separate Vertigo Series release, but I haven't seen it for a long time.

Nikolai · Post by **Nikolai** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:11 am

Problem is solved. Thanks to the community! Files d2x.hog and d2x.mn2 take up only 1.8 MB in archive. If anyone needs them, just mail me.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:00 pm

Yeah, you just won't be able to play any of the movies though.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:22 am

There are a few more additions than just those two files, though; I don't know whether descent2.hog/ham were modified, but I do know there is a hoard.ham in the D2 root directory, and there have been changes to the executable as well (naturally; this is before the days of dynamic extensions).

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:38 am

I bet he has hoard.ham, too, and as far as the exe goes: D2X-XL will cover that as well.

BUBBALOU · Post by **BUBBALOU** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:15 pm

The Definitive Collection disc 2 and 3 is Descent II: The Infinite Abyss disc 1 and 2 just relabled for the set, I have them all

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:17 pm

ummmm sorry but, isn't that illegal?

EDIT:
Never mind. Its gone.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:41 am

Probably.

Gold Leader · Post by **Gold Leader** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:13 am

I'm not so sure since that it was free for the people that have Descent2 and since that the source code has been given freely, I wasn't so sure at all

and if it was free why can't I download it anywhere else that is also very odd.

don't feel that worried I do have all Descent versions original in Boxed format

I'm willing to make pic's of my Descent collection one day

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 1:17 am

I had to delete the post that had links to the files in question because yes, it is illegal until we hear different.

Gold Leader · Post by **Gold Leader** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:50 pm

norries there, do what you feel is best ofcourse, that is something I can't decide for you or the others.

Anyways I found it with Google.nl, it was meant for the good not the bad I didn't know it was illigal, oh well I suppose now it may have been illigal.

It shall not happen again.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:54 pm

FYI: Just because a game has had it's source code released doesn't make it freeware. Also, D2ers did NOT get the Vertigo series as a free upgrade. It was merely an expansion pack. If you really want to get a legitimate copy, its not that hard to find online.

Gold Leader · Post by **Gold Leader** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:12 am

well that would be nice

but it's hard to find really, I've tried ebay also, do you know a place where it can be purchased in retail format ?

That would be very cool then my Descent collection is complete all parts boxed

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:17 am

ahhhh....
I have The Definitive Collection and Descent II: The Infinite Abyss. All boxed and lookin very nice on my shelf!

Gold Leader · Post by **Gold Leader** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:31 pm

mja, I well I just got Descent 3 + Descent3 : Mercenary USA Edition sealed for 2.95 US Dollar @ ebay lol.

the only one's I'm look'n for is the USA versions of Descent1 and 2

and the Vertigo Mission disk as a sepperate item, I wonder if that ever came out sepperately...

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:57 pm

Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote:the only one's I'm look'n for is the USA versions of Descent1 and 2 and the Vertigo Mission disk as a sepperate item, I wonder if that ever came out sepperately...

MD-2389 wrote:Vertigo series was not released by itself. It was released as part of Infinite Abyss.

Infinite Abyss consisted of D2, Vertigo Series + soundtrack, and Descent Mission Builder 2. Your best bet is to buy the Definitive Collection, which has D1 and the "Levels of the World" add-on, and D2 and its add-on Vertigo Series. Whether or not it has the Vertigo series soundtrack, I have no idea. That you can download legally though. As for finding D1 and D2, thats not very hard. It took all of five seconds to find multiple sources selling it online via google.com.

Amazon.com

I've seen it listed on ebay a few times as well.

D2 : Vertigo....where to get it?

D2 : Vertigo....where to get it?

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