[comp.sys.amiga.games] Captive?

robert@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert Reynolds) (05/01/91)

I just read a review of Captive in the latest QuestBusters, and am
intrigued.  I've never seen any discussion of this game on the net (or
anywhere else) and wondered if anyone out there actually has it.
If so, please mail me your impressions.

One statement in the review really has me wondering.  Does this thing
really have 65,536 levels?  You must be kidding!

	Robert

-- 
Robert Reynolds                 inet: robert@hubcap.clemson.edu
CS Dept, Clemson Univ.    	uucp: ... !gatech!hubcap!robert
phone: (803) 656-6783           

dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au (Andrew Clayton) (05/02/91)

In article <1991May1.155907.4719@hubcap.clemson.edu>, Robert Reynolds writes:

> I just read a review of Captive in the latest QuestBusters, and am
> intrigued.  I've never seen any discussion of this game on the net (or
> anywhere else) and wondered if anyone out there actually has it.
> If so, please mail me your impressions.
> 
> One statement in the review really has me wondering.  Does this thing
> really have 65,536 levels?  You must be kidding!

I purchased Captive. It's a neat program.

As someone lamented here in c.s.a.games, they did happen to leave the GAME
out.

Program wise, its quite an impressive game. I got a demo copy of it, that
wouldn't let you talk to shopkeepers [which kills you dead, real soon]. I was
hooked, and purchased the game. Played for two weeks, got to level four, still
thought it was great. Purchased a copy for my father, talked four other people
into buying it. 

Then I hit ennui.

It was neat advancing, but the repetition factor got to be a drag. Different
goals? Nah, you blow up the level, and get out. Each 'level' is actually a
seperate 'dungeon'. There are stairs, elevators, secret passages, and traps,
lots of traps. Grossly outnumbered, you die lots, and have to go back to your
backup [which means you SAVE the game a lot].

There are something like 10 starbases, each with their own associated mazes
and monsters. Then you get to fight the space-station guards, and rescue
yourself [you're in control of the four droids, you see ...] Then, when you
finish that, the game sez 'well done', and then advances from level 1 to level
2.  There are supposedly 5000 of these "levels".  Each one harder than the
next.

Like I said, I got to stage 4 of level 1, and gave up. My father finished
level 1, and then gave up.

It's a great program, but lacks in the gameplay. Too repetitive. Too boring.
Too bad.

Dac
--
David Andrew Clayton. // _l _  _|Normally a resident at dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au    
Canberra, Australia.\X/ (_](_l(_|But, due to circumstances beyond my control, I
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\|don't RECEIVE mail at the moment. You could try
prolix!dac%eyrie@labtam.oz.au   or  ...!munnari!labtam!eyrie!prolix!dac |Post.Am

edg@ingres.com (Ed Goldman) (05/03/91)

In article <1991May1.155907.4719@hubcap.clemson.edu> robert@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert Reynolds) writes:
>I just read a review of Captive in the latest QuestBusters, and am
>intrigued.  I've never seen any discussion of this game on the net (or
>anywhere else) and wondered if anyone out there actually has it.
>If so, please mail me your impressions.
>
>One statement in the review really has me wondering.  Does this thing
>really have 65,536 levels?  You must be kidding!
>
>	Robert
>
>-- 

This is a great game!  It's similar to dungeon master in play and interface,
but has a science fiction theme as opposed to fantasy.  I personally like
it much better than DM in terms of graphics, playability and variety of
monsters.  However, DM has a wider variety of puzzles to solve and I think
many people prefer DM for this reason.

I've read that the author, Tony Crowder, is working on a new game in the
same vein that addresses the puzzle solving variety in Captive.

I'm not too suprised at the number of levels.  Each mission requires you
to go through 10 levels, and the mission counter is displayed using
4 digits ( i.e. mission 0001 ).  I'm sure you'd probably end up shelving
it way before then.  I'm still on the last level of mission 1 and I've been
playing it off and on for about 3 months.

Anyway, I'd say it's a very addicting game and worth checking out.

-edg-