ARCHIVED ENTRY JULY 9, 2025

Dragon Quest X: Language Barriers and Linux Workarounds

Dragon Quest X has been on my radar for a long time and is now listed in the Linux-Tested MMOs & Private Servers section. This is partly because it's the only mainline Dragon Quest MMO, and partly because it never officially released outside of Japan. Getting it to run on Linux was a slow process filled with trial, error, and low-level tinkering. After several days of pushing through missing libraries, broken Wine prefixes, and Japanese installer quirks, I finally got it playable. Not perfectly, but well enough to log in and explore without major issues.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get DQXClarity to work properly on Linux, even after trying several compatibility methods. It's a fan-made translation tool that patches the Dragon Quest X client to display in English. Most real-time screen translators didn't perform much better. The only tool that gave me reliable results was ScreenTranslator. It's not ideal, but it works well enough to get through menus, quests, and basic dialogue.

The biggest drawback is the loss of nuance. Dragon Quest games rely heavily on charm, humor, and carefully written dialogue, much of which gets lost in raw machine translations. Even so, the game holds up remarkably well. The turn-based combat is intact, and the pacing feels consistent with the rest of the series. This is not an action MMO with a familiar name slapped on. It is a full-fledged Dragon Quest title that just happens to require a bit more patience to access.

Right now I'm only playing the free trial. I plan to take a deeper look later and may experiment with different translation overlay methods. For now, it's playable, functional, and clearly built with care. If you've ever wanted a traditional JRPG experience in an MMO format, Dragon Quest X quietly delivers. As long as you're willing to put in some setup time.

On a related note, I've added Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis to the Linux-Tested MMOs & Private Servers section. I first tested it out of curiosity, expecting to run into Proton-related issues. Instead, it installed cleanly, launched without extra tweaks, and played smoothly with only occasional frame drops in crowded zones. It's a surprisingly smooth experience on Linux for a modern online title.

I also updated the link button collection with three classic RPG fan sites that still carry the spirit of the early web. Caves of Narshe focuses on Final Fantasy VI, IV, and Chrono Trigger, offering maps, guides, and original art in a clean, timeless layout. Icy Brian's RPG Page is a snapshot of the early 2000s, packed with fanfiction and fanart centered on classic JRPGs. The Final Fantasy VII Citadel is one of the longest-running FFVII sites, collecting lore, media, and community contributions focused entirely on the original game.

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ARCHIVED ENTRY JULY 12, 2025

Revisiting Winamp, Reloading Azeroth

Let's take a minute to talk about Winamp. If you grew up in the late '90s or early 2000s, chances are it was your main media player for everything such as CDs, MP3s, and online streams. For me, it was about queuing up albums I ripped myself and tuning into niche stations like Rainwave to hear video game remixes and obscure chiptunes. I recently downloaded the latest version from the official Winamp site, but what really got me was the option to install the classic build. Same old llama. Still whips.

This whole revisit has been driven by nostalgia, but it's also a reminder of how much personality older software had. You can spend hours browsing through the Winamp Skin Museum on the Webamp site, which runs a full version of the player right in your browser. I got lost scrolling through skins I hadn't seen in decades—anime themes, fake stereo systems, bizarre user-made art. I might even try making one myself. The official site's button has been added to the collection.

On the gaming front, I've been looking back at vanilla World of Warcraft. My brother and I played a lot during The Burning Crusade days, and lately I've been missing that slower, more tactical pacing. That led me to try out Project Ascension, a private server that adds its own spin with a classless system built around archetypes. It's a weird mix of old-school WoW with Diablo-style loot drops and tons of custom tweaks.

Getting it running on Linux wasn't straightforward. The launcher didn't behave with the usual Lutris setup, so I had to dig into the documentation and figure out how to download the AppImage manually. Once I got the right packages and configured it through Lutris, everything clicked into place. The game runs well once you're in, and the leveling is fast-paced, which is pretty common for custom servers like this. I rolled a Night Elf named Mournis and started as a Dark Ranger. It's a fun twist on familiar mechanics and worth a try if you're itching for a fresh WoW take.

I also made a small tweak to the site layout: the left-side background icons are now styled to look more like mobile app icons, just for some modern contrast. If you want to reach out, I use Revolt instead of Discord. My YouTube channel is mostly an archive for old clips and random uploads, nothing flashy, but feel free to drop by. You can also follow my Neocities profile and leave a tip if you'd like to support the site. Or if you want to chip in directly, buy me a coffee. Every little bit helps keep the lights on.

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ARCHIVED ENTRY JULY 13, 2025

Dollet Under Fire: The FFVIII Demo from 1998

Squaresoft on PlayStation 1998 Collector's CD Vol.2 has been added to the Demo Disc Dump. This disc was bundled with retail copies of Brave Fencer Musashi and features a playable demo of Final Fantasy VIII for the Sony PlayStation. The demo throws you straight into the action with no access to the main menu outside of battles. Rinoa is equipped with the Guardian Force Leviathan, while Squall and Zell can use Draw. Enemies drop potions and phoenix downs, keeping things simple and focused.

The mission takes place during the Siege of Dollet, a key military conflict between Galbadia and the Duchy of Dollet. It's an iconic opening scenario in the full game, but here it plays out with a few tweaks. The most notable change is Rinoa replacing Selphie in the party, likely to highlight the lead characters Square was promoting at the time. The combat, visuals, and music all hold up, making it a solid vertical slice of what would become one of the most discussed JRPGs of its era.

I've also added Mystic's Cave to the Link Button Collection. Mystic's Cave is a neatly designed personal site featuring an eclectic mix of art, game development logs, photography, and thoughtful video game reviews. It's polished in a low-key way and feels like wandering into an indie creator's workbench—exactly the kind of quiet corner I appreciate.

With its clear layout, rich visuals, and varied content, Mystic's Cave reflects the same sense of personal curation that I aim for here. Whether you're interested in art, dev experiments, or reviews of lesser-known titles, it's a site worth bookmarking and exploring.

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