kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kurt A. Geisel) (01/18/91)
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a request on information on several popular Amiga games. Namely I was interested in Amiga 3000 compatibility, hard disk installibility, and software protection nastiness (level of disk drive grinding). In addition, I volunteered to post this information along with any subjective comments on the game people were willing to offer. What follows are the results. The only game I mentioned which was not reported on was Prince of Persia. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Dungeon Master II * Todd R Johnson <tj@cis.ohio-state.edu> writes: It runs on my 68020 (A2620) with 4 megs ram. It is not HD installable and won't let you save games to the HD. Occasionally (not very often) it accesses and sometimes grinds the floppy drive. DM II is the best RPG since DM I (which is still the best RPG). *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: Loads of fun. Copy protected (cannot back up disk, does not load on HD). Slow to start up. Seems to be buggy. If you liked Dungeon Master, you'll like this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Drakkhen * Todd R Johnson <tj@cis.ohio-state.edu> writes: Won't run on my A2620. It will run if I boot in 68000 mode. Isn't HD installable. The graphics are nice, but the interface isn't very intuitive. Combat is difficult to control. Until you build up your characters you just keep getting killed over and over. Still, its probably the next best RPG after DM II. *** witzany@sparc1.isgs.uiuc.edu (David Witzany) writes: Hi! The only game on your list that I have, or have played, is Drakkhen. I don't know if it's 3000-compatible; at this stage, it isn't HD_installable. It doesn't gronk the floppy drive very much at all-- as opposed to Populous, for instance. It loads quickly off of the first disk, then shifts control to a second disk which has the character and scenery data. This second disk can be duplicated by booting your computer off of the original second disk which comes with the game. In other words, you can't duplicate the first disk (although I imagine Project D will change that Real Soon Now), but the second disk helps you to duplicate itself. I've never tried copying Disk 2 any way but by booting from it. As far as the game play goes, it's very well done. The graphics are about as good as low-res gets, and the animation is well-done. You play the gane by walking your team of four around an island, entering castles and defeating goonsand meanies, while collecting information that will help you to stave off the final onslaught of the Drakkhen (dragon) hoards. I have to admit, I haven't gotten that far into it yet, and I've already had to resort to asking for help on the net. If you've played D & D-type computer games before, you'll probably find it to be quite a bit easier. All of the reviews that I've seen have said how great it is (which is why I bought it), but the reviewers said that it was far from the hardest thing they had ever played. All in all, I can reccommend it, unless you have little patience; like a lot of these games, you're expected to save your characters a lot, since you'll see them bleed frequently before you finish the whole game. Even for someone like me, who has trouble to start with, the interface and degree of detail (even low-res detail) make for a very interesting game. *** Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: Doesn't work on 3000, fun, but too hard/repetitive *** miracle@SCTC.COM (Barry Miracle) writes: Simple copy protection, doesn't grind much. This is a great game. Gets a 8 for graphics and a 8 for playability. *** reavis@oxy.edu (Paul Herbert Reavis) writes: hello. about drakkhen -- this is my current game; so i'm still pretty up on it. as far as graphics and such go, the game is amazing. it has an objective third-person mode and a first-person cockpit-type mode for overland travel. you have four characters of various standard D&D-derived types, and wander around this strange land killing off the leaders of the drakkhen, this race of reptilian whatnots with imperialistic tendencies. standard adventure stuff -- kill things, get their treasure (money and nifty weapons and armor, which appear on a little picture of the characters off to the left of the main screen.) the game is predominantly mouse-run, though you use the arrow keys during overland mode for some really nifty pseudo-flight simulator stuff (vector graphics. good vector graphics). and there are these really cool teleporters that shoot you across the countryside at an update speed that blows most flight-simulators away. i really like the general format, and it is a very fullfilling and satisfying way to waste time, but... problems: 1) the disk is really cranky. i blame copy protection, though i haven't really messed with it any. they manage to make it sound like a reall dragon in the beginning sequence. 2) the movement can be really annoying, especially when you first get started. overland mode is all fine and dandy, but when you're in combat/ dungeon mode, you have to designate a leader for everyone to follow, or move each character separately. standard point-where-you-want-'em, and they don't have much trouble getting around tables and such, but sometimes they get hung up on trying to go where the table is, or better yet, where another character is, and end up dancing all over the place (often in couples). can be annoying as hell. in combat, there is no way to make them sit still, so they charge to the fore whether they'll survive or not. lots of nifty spells though. 3) it has some sort of weird galloping undefinable bug. sometimes it screws up scenery in dungeons, putting stalactites in wooden rooms. lately it's been making the dragonlord i'm trying to kill disappear, effectively rendering it impossible for me to finish the game with that set of characters. this alone may very well make the game unplayable. otherwise -- it has great sound effects, cool and almost realistic combat, great scenery and hundreds of different monsters and treasures. the spells are all written out in an annoying runic script (remember ultima?) which is a pain, but they are pretty neat. most of the magic rings, etc. though are useless. i love the game. its a definite winner -- unique enough format and sort- of new plot twist; pretty good controls once you get used to them, absorbing and challenging without being impossible or taking six years and five hundred pages of notes (and no damn dungeon maps (praise the lord!)). good clean uncomplex fun, lots of thud and blunder and heroic bullshit. but i still can't solve the damn thing, because of that bug -- think i'll post a query on it, in fact. that alone makes the game a real pain, and really ruins what could have been an excellent product. enough. i have spoken. oh yes... when you post that synopsis, you might want to include this cheat feature: when creating your characters, type SUPERVISOR for the first one's name. it will query again -- type pi, omitting the decimal, to eight digits (31415927). it will query again -- this time give the character a name. you only have to do it once per party. it improves the generated ability scores just amazing amounts. *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: Cannot back up disk. Hard to get started. Has not kept my attention like Dungeon Master (I/II). Many people like it though. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Shadow of the Beast II * Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: Doesn't work on 3000, not much fun anyway *** miracle@SCTC.COM (Barry Miracle) writes: Non-standard DOS, grinds some during boot, which is about 2 full minutes, but not alot during play. The graphics are great(10), but the game is too hard for me without cheat mode on. Play is good(8). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * It Came From the Desert * Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: Awesome, 3000 compatible, hd installable, Copy protection makes you use first disk to play off of hard drive. Only accessed at beginning. *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: I don't care for this game too much. You go around and try to get rid of the ants that are invading your town. Adventure-like with some arcade. Good graphics/sound. The one time I got serious about playing it, it Guru'ed on me about 2hours into the game. Supposed to load onto a hard disk. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Wings * Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: 3000 compatible, hd installable, password protected I believe. (don't have) *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: One of my favorite games. Three games within a game -- bombing, strafing, and dogfighting. The dogfighting is a simple flight simulator. The bombing and strafing games are more arcadish. Good sound and music. Slow to play from floppies (but I did it because I had so much fun). Will load to a hard disk. Look up a word in the manual copy protection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * The Immortal * Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: Best game on list (aside from pirates), does not work on 3000 (runs too fast), heavy disk copy protection. *** miracle@SCTC.COM (Barry Miracle) writes: Can't remember protection, and doesn't grind too much. This game has great graphics, but I think that player control is a little difficult. The game gets a 10 for graphics and a 7 for playability. *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: Looks like good sound/graphics. Cannot back up disk *and* manual based copy protection. I haven't played it a whole lot. Seems like what a Genesis/Nintendo RPG would be. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Pirates * Richard McGowen <mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu> writes: HD installable, works on 3000, manual protection first time you start a char. After that when you restore a saved game for character protection skipped. Very enjoyable game, long lasting playability. Definetly work buying. *** $Elaine_May <elaine@hpmtlx.lvld.hp.com> writes: Great game. Sail around the Caribbean playing pirate. Loads to hard disk, look it up in the manual copy protection. The sailing part of the game can get a little boring. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Future Wars * <MBS110@PSUVM.PSU.EDU> writes: Good news, the only copy-protection for this game is a match-with-something- in-the-manual type of thing. It CAN be backed up and it WILL run from the hard disk with no trouble. Just click on the icon to run! (Now why can't more games be this polite?) As for the A3000, I don't know if it would work. But, I think it PROBABLY would, given its OS-friendly nature. As for its quality, excellent. Great music and very nice artwork/anim, plus a play system that is innovative and easy to use. *** keithh@bwdls40.bnr.ca (Keith Hanlan) writes: Future Wars was promising but: o While it can be installed on a hard-disk as advertised, the game doesn't run properly from a HD. You can't save the game. o The user interface is very awkward and poorly designed - the 3D perspective is nice but it is very difficult to place your character in exactly the right place to perform a function. (For example, you walk across a carpeted room and feel something under the carpet a one point. When you try to lift the carpet, unless you are in exactly the right position, the game tells you either that you are standing on the carpet or you are too far from the carpet.) It takes too many iterations of simple movements to get the game to do what you want and as a consequence, game-play is seriously compromised. o The North American distributer, Interplay Productions, has no handle on the game designers, Delphine who are French. In 4 telephone conversations with Interplay since May 25th, I have yet to receive any satisfaction. I spent a lot of money on the game because it advertised itself as hard-disk installable.