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| Does anybody remember this?; An old interactive encyclopedia of prehistoric life | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 13 2016, 03:41 PM (830 Views) | |
| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 13 2016, 03:41 PM Post #1 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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There's this interactive encyclopedia, made in France in the early '90s, that explores the evolution of oceanic flora and fauna from the Cambrian to the Cretaceous. Its original title, I think, was L'océan des origins ("The Ocean of Origins"), and its Italian title is Alle origini della vita ("To the Origins of Life", despite not actually treating the origin of life). It was developed by Microïds, the same company that made Amerzone and Syberia. I have a copy of the Italian edition, which apparently was attached to an issue of a popular science magazine called Newton in 1999. I say "apparently" because I don't actually remember how I got it: I have this very vague memory of being handed the CD-ROM as a souvenir (?) in some sort of park, but it happened so long ago that I'm honestly not sure that's how it went. It started with a short animated intro showing some sort of undersea palace as schools of fish swim by, and this voiceover: Voiceover The game is set inside the "temple", all rendered in 3D graphics, where the different rooms contain various kinds of activities. A statue of Tethys, depicted as a mermaid, presented the rooms. Everything has a very solemn and... mystic?... feel: for example, the genealogy room contains a large «symbolic egg» covered in the lineages of life, while the scientists of the past are remembered as marble busts in a sort of mausoleum. The narrations, while accurate, sound almost like myths, and are accompanied by orchestral music. The vast library is decorated with Thomas Hawkins's "Great Sea Dragons". My favourite room hosted a sort of submarine, called the "Paleoscafo" ("Palaeoship"?) that shows brief animated movies of sealife in each geological period, ranging from Anomalocaris and Opabinia to Pteranodon and Elasmosaurus. While the CGI graphics is quite terrible by today's standards, I like to think it was pretty good for its time. While most of the content is presented as slide shows, texts or movies, there are also more game-like activities. A cramped laboratory, among slide shows that describe the process of fossilization and maps that show continental drift, has a table with a fish fossil that must be restored and identified with the correct use of glue, acids and reference photos. Computer screens found throughout the temple had you identifying the extinct relatives of modern animals, peopling prehistoric lanscapes with the correct species or writing an appropriate scientific name for imaginary organisms. A nice touch: the loading pointer was a little animation of a swimming jellyfish! I really loved that game, and I have played it so much that by now I know by heart every word and picture in it. I think (again, I'm not sure - I was so young back then) that it had an important role in shaping my interest for evolution. Then, gradually, it deteriorated until, when I was 13 or so, it refused to work altogether. It's probably just unable to run on modern operative systems. I could access all pictures, text and sounds from the CD, but it wouldn't work as a game anymore. At the time I was afraid it was due to physical damage of the CD, so for several years I tried rather desperately to find another copy. I managed to get it working only last summer, on a virtual machine running Windows 95. It seems to work as well as I remembered it. I'm asking anybody on this forum if you have heard anything about it, because it's incredibly difficult to find on the Internet. There are a couple decade-old Amazon pages that used to feature it, and a few dated webpages that offer the italian edition. Beyond that, nothing. So... do you remember it? Does anybody? This image from ebay.it is the only picture of the cover that I could find. I'll try to post some screenshots if I can. EDIT: Screenshots
Edited by Dromaeosaurus, Mar 14 2016, 09:10 AM.
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 14 2016, 09:11 AM Post #2 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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OK, I found a way to take some actual screenshots through the virtual machine, in the case anybody is interested in what the game looks like. Here they are: Spoiler: click to toggle
Edited by Dromaeosaurus, Mar 14 2016, 09:29 AM.
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| Dr. Legend | Mar 14 2016, 09:27 AM Post #3 |
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Newborn
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Those are some pretty great graphics for a 90s game. |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 15 2016, 05:35 PM Post #4 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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Yup, they are. The soundtrack is quite great too: it has these powerful pieces that really give a sense of the vastness of the timescale, with each geological period having its own distinctive theme. There's the soft tune of the Carboniferous, the low drone of the Permian, the soaring music of the Jurassic, and so on. Some more pictures: Spoiler: click to toggle
Edited by Dromaeosaurus, Mar 15 2016, 05:41 PM.
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| Dr. Legend | Mar 15 2016, 08:21 PM Post #5 |
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Newborn
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Is it in English? Cause I don't really speak European. If I can find a download, that would be graet. It looks very educational and I might get it for a little kid I know, since he is obsessed with dinosaurs and prehistoric stuff. |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 16 2016, 08:28 AM Post #6 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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The copy I have is in Italian, and to be honest I have yet to see another one. I guess it never was very successful. If you're looking for a copy on the Internet, well, I sincerely wish you good luck. You could try directly contacting Microïds; according to Wikipedia, at the time Origini was made they had a distributor in England called "Microïds Ltd" and one in Canada called "Microïds Canada Inc." No mention is made of distributors in the US. You know what, the text should be easy enough to translate, since it's all saved in separate .rtf files. Audio files would be a bigger problem, though maybe subtitles could be inserted somewhere. |
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| urufumarukai | Mar 16 2016, 01:31 PM Post #7 |
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Hitler is my spirit animal
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wut? |
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Henry you dick! Mr. Hands "Am I boring? Depends, do you like watching documentaries about 19th and 18th century warfare, having complicated feelings about bismark and crying over the film of winston churchill putting flowers on FDR's grave. If so then I'm so fucking boring. " | |
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| Monster | Mar 17 2016, 01:46 AM Post #8 |
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Space Oddity
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English is European, congratulations, you've exceeded your own expectations of yourself! Have a gold star On topic, I never saw this but I would have enjoyed it. |
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Flashlights, nightmares, sudden explosions. 'active' {tumblr} {Veles} {10 Million Years of Rain] Commissions: Open. | |
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| Talenkauen | Mar 17 2016, 02:35 AM Post #9 |
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Perpetually paranoid iguanodont
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Same for me. |
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PLEASE NOTE: If I come off as harsh or demanding whilst talking to you, please tell me. I apologize in advance..... UPCOMING PROJECTS: Projects here
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| Mr Mysterio | Mar 17 2016, 02:38 AM Post #10 |
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Waiting...
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Imagine not being able to understand the language that you yourself are speaking right now. The anxiety that would cause. Also more on topic, I would love a game like this. Most palaeontology-related kid's stuff is mainly about dinosaurs, with the cool and weird fishes being completely neglected (which sucks, because they were so weird and interesting). I also really like the look of it. Makes me think that old Ology site. |
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Dumb Quotes Coming Soon/To be Rebooted: How To Hunt Gods - Everything you need to know about Gods and the art of God-killing. Intrazoology - The world of semi-corporeal lifeforms. A world you walk through every day, without even knowing it. The Dungeonverse - Magical creatures forced to adapt in huge, underground caverns, while surface-dwelling humans go dungeoneering for treasure. Crossover - A mish-mash of worlds, with Earth smack in the middle of the chaos. What could go wrong? no worries ![]() | |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 17 2016, 11:40 AM Post #11 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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Huh, apparently there is some trace of its content. A certain David Ong posted a few videos from the game on his channel back in 2006. So, apparently, the English title is Oceans: Origins of Life. Interestingly, he calls it "our CD-Rom", and while the name "David Ong" is not in the credits, I can't rule out that he was involved somewhere in the production. These videos are shown in the palaeoship: there's one for each geological period of the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras. David Ong only posted the Palaeozoic ones. Cambrian Ordovician and Early Silurian Late Silurian and Early Devonian Late Devonian Carboniferous Permian
Edited by Dromaeosaurus, Mar 17 2016, 11:40 AM.
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| Carlos | Mar 17 2016, 11:48 AM Post #12 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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Oh, this is the CD game I was looking for in the other thread! Thanks for the help, guys.[/sarcasm] |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Mar 17 2016, 04:30 PM Post #13 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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You... you knew this? Where's that thread, please? |
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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| Carlos | Jun 1 2016, 01:53 PM Post #14 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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Sorry for the extremely late reply: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/single/?p=1230518&t=5950307 |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Dromaeosaurus | Jun 2 2016, 02:46 PM Post #15 |
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Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
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Spoiler: click to toggle Ah, the dinosaur one, I remember that too! I have it here, "Dinosauri! Alla Ricerca del Mondo Perduto" ("Dinosaurs! In Search of the Lost World"). I don't recognise the video at the bottom, though. Apparently this one was more widespread, maybe because it's a British production rather than a French one. I remember how you could dig up dinosaur bones, and if you put them back correctly you could have a live dinosaur running around the museum... How about this one? This is "Viaggio alle Origini dell'Uomo" ("Voyage to the Origins of Man"), also from Microïds. It covered human evolution over ten time periods, starting from Purgatorius in the Late Cretaceous. It described 28 primate species, divided in "Ancestors" and "Cousins", as well as a few of their contemporary species. Instead of a museum, it was structured like a very crowded desktop, with books and folders leading to the various activities. The credits list Yves Coppens - the director of the expedition that discovered Lucy - as a scientific advisor. To me, it formed a sort of trilogy of prehistoric life along with "Alle origini della Vita" and "Dinosauri!". In Italy they were all published with Newton.
Edited by Dromaeosaurus, Jun 2 2016, 02:50 PM.
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My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!) My projects here: Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space) Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way) Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future) Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it) | |
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