tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post413144717961127226..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Revisiting: Wizard Warz (1987)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-57280045516470661062020-05-28T15:29:32.126-04:002020-05-28T15:29:32.126-04:00. . . "Eugene" . . .
Not for that reas.... . . "Eugene" . . . <br /><br />Not for that reason, but I'm afraid I don't remember. I don't remember having any trouble finding it, so it must be something obvious like SPACE or ENTER. I was on a laptop, too.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-73085038953845099102020-05-25T11:03:15.910-04:002020-05-25T11:03:15.910-04:00Hi Eugene, maybe a bit stupid question. I'm tr...Hi Eugene, maybe a bit stupid question. I'm trying to play the DOS version you did in 2011. But i cannot figure out the "Fire" key. Do you remember what key it was?<br />I might need to map it, because I'm on a laptop...Latishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09610676091521012496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-16282171961853745032019-06-25T19:20:47.799-04:002019-06-25T19:20:47.799-04:00I played Swords of Glass as a kid. I never finish...I played Swords of Glass as a kid. I never finished it and I had a lot of time on my hands, so I doubt that it would take Addict 10-15 hours, but I was also a lot dumber than I am now. I would love to see Addict go back and try to win that one, because it looks like he stopped because he didn't understand the interface to get past sleep traps.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040874637214905870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-31384427974382414432019-06-25T05:30:04.543-04:002019-06-25T05:30:04.543-04:00There was a period before that when shareware/free...There was a period before that when shareware/freeware games would prominently include "VGA!" in the title to show how special that was :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-85299094932386696582019-06-25T03:42:08.494-04:002019-06-25T03:42:08.494-04:00Actually, one big one that addresses a specific is...Actually, one big one that addresses a specific issue Addict faced is improved spell point regeneration times in BT3. Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040874637214905870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-91747159669775650812019-06-25T02:49:01.947-04:002019-06-25T02:49:01.947-04:00Yup. Triple A games that spearheaded VGA adoption ...Yup. Triple A games that spearheaded VGA adoption were Ultima 6, Wing Commander, King's Quest 5, Secret of Monkey Island, and all were from mid/late 1990.<br /><br />I was surprised to see on the blog some titles that were definitely ahead of their time, like Drakken (1989).Vincenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-247764268270521562019-06-24T13:37:38.761-04:002019-06-24T13:37:38.761-04:00Sounds like a different (easier) experience that c...Sounds like a different (easier) experience that can be accomplished with hex editing and save stating.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-41014538577783419842019-06-24T09:26:31.887-04:002019-06-24T09:26:31.887-04:00IIRC you abandoned BT3 because the encounter rate ...IIRC you abandoned BT3 because the encounter rate was too high. The DOS version of BT3 (and maybe 2 as well) sets the encounter rate based on your computers speed, so if you have anything above an XT/AT you're going to fight a monster every move. If you go back and play these, play the C64 or Apple II versions as these are the originals and have no issues.Tempestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-28883362340143198242019-06-24T09:03:27.996-04:002019-06-24T09:03:27.996-04:00Yes, VGA only started to really catch up on videog...Yes, VGA only started to really catch up on videogames from 1991. 1987 had mostly CGA/EGA computers aroundshankaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06194425920878224732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86067526715693410912019-06-23T22:07:23.874-04:002019-06-23T22:07:23.874-04:00Looking at your postings from 9 years ago, seems t...Looking at your postings from 9 years ago, seems to me like Swords of Glass and Scavengers of the Mutant World, while not quite "Quick" wins, are certainly candidates for a re-do and would probably clock in around the 10-15 hour mark if you finished them. Wizard Wars (with an "s", not "z" like this game) you also could turn into a W relatively easily, although it would make a redundant blog post seeing as how you already posted about someone else winning. The rest, as you mention, look either too hard or too long and boring.Mikrakovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359946565373258773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-64802912421955844052019-06-23T13:50:10.611-04:002019-06-23T13:50:10.611-04:00Say what, now? Anyone with access to a modem could...Say what, now? Anyone with access to a modem could EASILY import digital assets from one platform to another. Almost every studio did that, it's a rarity that this one does not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-46738405962146947312019-06-23T13:49:52.958-04:002019-06-23T13:49:52.958-04:00Wizardry IV calls you. Will you resist the Sirens...Wizardry IV calls you. Will you resist the Sirens' song?Dungyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12199751859534712567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19845992092295316522019-06-23T10:00:15.897-04:002019-06-23T10:00:15.897-04:00I think the 10 hours is the combined time played n...I think the 10 hours is the combined time played not just this sessionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-3839646885005124782019-06-23T09:39:29.026-04:002019-06-23T09:39:29.026-04:00Just ran the DOS screenshot through the Color Blin...Just ran the DOS screenshot through the Color Blindness Simulator (https://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/), and yeah, it looks a lot more plausible/less garish in one of the red- or green-weak or red/green-blind modes. <br /><br />For all the downsides and frustrations of color blindness (which i don't mean in any way to trivialize <b>or</b> catastrophize), I wonder if it also makes some early DOS palettes seem less hideous.PK Thunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14416777230563913195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88493629659451344412019-06-23T07:01:59.438-04:002019-06-23T07:01:59.438-04:00There were ways to port graphics (see for instance...There were ways to port graphics (see for instance how French amstrad cpc game graphics were often designed on and ported from atari STs), but these were custom solutions developed in-house by bigger studios. A lot of the game porting work was done by freelancers (often with very low pay and short deadlines) who didn't have access to these tools.<br />(That's for the European 80s game industry and it's unique blend of platforms, I don't know enough about other parts of the world)<br />Interestingly the cpc version was properly redone, it's not just a straight spectrum port as there were so many, but the amiga version seems to be a straight st port. That's a good illustration of the different approaches to making multiplatform games in the 80s.<br /><br />The amstrad version was rather liked by french reviewers (it scored 75% in amstrad 100%, 13/20 in 2 other magazines), though none of them mention it's a crpg, in fact they tend to put it in the arcade adventure category (one of the reviewers compared it to the Druid games, which seems fair).<br /><br />About Canvas software, it seems to be one of those software houses that churned out a lot of games, many under contract from someone bigger, and it probably shows in the quality of their own designs. The manual suggests there's all sorts of tactics and a complex system of spell interactions, but as you and a French reviewer noted fireballs are good enough for most of the fights. It could probably have used some more design time, but that just wasn't how it was done back then.<br /><br />I should also mention that the 2 other canvas games you mention (Highlander and Miami Vice) were made under contract and they're famous for being some of the worst licensed games ever made, and it may have been on purpose in Highlander's case, see this Kim Justice video for details: https://youtu.be/zuy7jKRNu5wemptyfortressnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-30637647143789659092019-06-23T06:23:35.672-04:002019-06-23T06:23:35.672-04:00The standard was introduced in late 1987 but was n...The standard was introduced in late 1987 but was not widespread for years, it was expensive at the time. It took a while for 256 color mode to catch on, especially for games which were often programmed to the lowest common platform.<br /><br />I actually saw a VGA demo of Kings Quest in 1991 on an enormous 27 inch Trinitron and was super impressed. At that time it was still a new and shiny standard. Yusuf Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16397206351759358713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-30780534425519281392019-06-23T03:46:38.338-04:002019-06-23T03:46:38.338-04:00You consider 10 hours of THIS as low hanging fruit...You consider 10 hours of THIS as low hanging fruit? I wish I had your patience with actually good games... I'm looking forward to another post on War in Middle-Earth. The old one was pretty funny.Commentmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37942428847037078202019-06-23T01:57:11.557-04:002019-06-23T01:57:11.557-04:00I think your colorblindness is making the DOS vers...I think your colorblindness is making the DOS version look a lot better than it actually is. To me, that looks like the absolute worst looking version, while the C64 version looks fairly decent to meTwibathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872080022551062309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-55367387849838179672019-06-23T00:07:14.018-04:002019-06-23T00:07:14.018-04:00Plus there was just really no way to import digita...Plus there was just really no way to import digital assets from one platform to another. What was written for Commodore stayed on Commodore. If you'd designed the graphics on paper, on a grid-map, for example, you could use that as the basis for new sprites, but even then differing screen resolutions often meant that you just didn't have the same number of pixels to work with anyway.GregThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532920274312703426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-66571483070372913972019-06-22T20:59:15.624-04:002019-06-22T20:59:15.624-04:00If you decide to play BT2 again, I recommend start...If you decide to play BT2 again, I recommend starting over with a new party. The starter dungeon is arguably the best part of the game. In fact, you could only complete the starter dungeon and have a brief, enjoyable, and satisfying experience.Timbo Jimbonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-43038037628847878502019-06-22T20:10:07.875-04:002019-06-22T20:10:07.875-04:00that is not the same as i mentioned I thought abou...that is not the same as i mentioned I thought about<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxdkyQKLpJIstmpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-8788654968071542612019-06-22T19:49:20.203-04:002019-06-22T19:49:20.203-04:00The 8-bit machines typical in the UK were so limit...The 8-bit machines typical in the UK were so limited by hardware and different in architecture. That often publishing houses had specialist programmers and artists for each platform. So instead of modifying and repurposing assets, it was easier and quicker to remake a game for each platform as needed.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17829001313890900570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-947858393974504382019-06-22T18:07:25.903-04:002019-06-22T18:07:25.903-04:00Yeah, you're right. Those two are essentially ...Yeah, you're right. Those two are essentially the same. Doesn't weaken the broader point, though.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19924748282414505592019-06-22T18:05:41.753-04:002019-06-22T18:05:41.753-04:00BT3 I played long enough that my abandonment of it...BT3 I played long enough that my abandonment of it was informed and I feel okay with my rating. BT2 is another matter. I'm preparing a quick entry on this issue for tomorrow.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-61628146736114887972019-06-22T18:04:54.653-04:002019-06-22T18:04:54.653-04:00RE: Catacombs. It actually should be Catacomb with...RE: Catacombs. It actually should be <i>Catacomb</i> without the "s." I found it on the Amiga "Hall of Light" page:<br /><br />http://hol.abime.net<br /><br />I'm not sure if that's the one that you're talking about or not.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.com