tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post4469669454406533734..comments2024-03-28T07:54:57.566-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Die Dunkle Dimension: Won! (with Summary and Rating)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-46747947377971595692022-08-10T18:15:37.410-04:002022-08-10T18:15:37.410-04:00The vampire prince Kroloc might not be taken from ...The vampire prince Kroloc might not be taken from Ultima, but it seems to reference the vampire Count Krolock from the Polanski movie (and musical) 'The Fearless Vampire Killers' ('Tanz der Vampire' in German).<br /><br />Also, mentioned in another entry, "a prophet named Mohammed" in a city called "Ackbah" who preached about the god "Rastullah"? Sounds familiar and the city and god could be combined and adapted to "Allahu akbar".<br /><br />Last but by no means least I want to use the occasion to congratulate you on another nice wordplay / aural pun you created with the title of an earlier entry on the game: "Die Dunkle Dimension: Quest of the Abschreiber". Got another chuckle out of me.Buscanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37959662433681530862021-04-06T11:55:17.097-04:002021-04-06T11:55:17.097-04:00"Minor details that we probably shouldn't..."Minor details that we probably shouldn't be fixated on" are the lifeblood of this blog, as long as they don't involve my own typos.<br /><br />The issue you raise is something I never would have noticed in a million years, and yet I agree that it's a fascinating question. If you look later on in this entry, the screenshot with THRONSAAL does suggest that there is simply one letter per tile most of the time.<br /><br />My suspicion is that the author created special tiles that literally consisted of half a letter on one side and half a letter on another, just so he could center FULGAR on the throne, since the word, having an even number of letters, would otherwise be un-centerable. Why he didn't just change the demon's name to KRULGAR or something is the bigger mystery.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-45892077121741739232021-04-06T02:52:36.362-04:002021-04-06T02:52:36.362-04:00Huh. Okay, this is a very minor detail that I pro...Huh. Okay, this is a very minor detail that I probably shouldn't be fixated on, but there's one thing about one of the screenshots that strikes me as odd.<br /><br />Specifically, the screenshot of Fulgar's throne room. And more specifically, the name "FULGAR" above the throne. In the early Ultima games, of course, there are tiles for each letter, so "banners" like that are made by just arranging the appropriate tiles. Which is how I'd assume it was done in this game, too, except that the letters in this shot don't line up with the tiles. Note that Fulgar and the player aren't directly below a letter; they're halfway between the L and the G.<br /><br />So... what's going on here? Are there versions of letter tiles that are a half-tile offset somehow? (They <em>do</em> line up with the tiles in the screenshot of the king's throne room, so not all the letters are offset like this.) Or are the "banners" not done with tiles at all as they are in Ultima? Like I said, it's a very minor detail that it's probably absurd to spend too much time worrying about, but... I am honestly wondering about it.<br /><br /> Jalen Wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973042209003357278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87238472417208579022020-01-23T16:30:52.088-05:002020-01-23T16:30:52.088-05:00Perfect T-Shirt fodderPerfect T-Shirt foddersolringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06744447737261193350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-91939142496146453262019-01-16T15:19:00.499-05:002019-01-16T15:19:00.499-05:00THANK YOU !!!! Now I know how this game ends. I ca...THANK YOU !!!! Now I know how this game ends. I can die in peace :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16382343539674799975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21918340385833941432018-10-24T09:21:38.908-04:002018-10-24T09:21:38.908-04:00"I'm glad the game sold so well (I have a..."I'm glad the game sold so well (I have a note that it sold around 30,000 copies, but I'm not sure where that came from)"<br /><br />The author of the game mentioned this sales figures on his website (http://die-dunkle-dimension.de), which can still be visited via the Waybackmachine.Gerryhttp://home.wtal.de/gmbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-39430287187535306502018-10-05T20:43:33.106-04:002018-10-05T20:43:33.106-04:00Equally interesting was Bully. It took place in a ...Equally interesting was Bully. It took place in a smaller setting, the campus of a private school and the town in which it's located. That one was driven heavily by role playing decisions you made when dealing with the Jock, Preppy, Nerd and Greaser factions as well as the staff of the school and the people in town. You could improve your abilities by going to class but the inventory system is on the weak side. Character customization is off the hook though, I seem to remember putting a Hot Dog costume on my PC as he ran around town delivering flyers or something.<br />One of the amazing parts of PC and NPC interactions was that you weren't limited in your choices based on sex. You could, if you wanted to, try kissing boys.<br /><br />Rockstar has done some pretty good work in making their sandbox games into true sandboxes. Mr. Pavonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13286558267156792637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-74350689676664364482018-10-05T08:12:17.706-04:002018-10-05T08:12:17.706-04:00It's bad to kill animals, unless you kill them...It's bad to kill animals, unless you kill them with cannons." - Chet<br /><br />I lol'd at that.ERobertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100273633659655294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-67094998876732997702018-10-04T05:19:56.319-04:002018-10-04T05:19:56.319-04:00GTA 2 has a dark, dystopian setting, a faction sys...GTA 2 has a dark, dystopian setting, a faction system, and car thiefs and pickpockets acting independently from the player. I still have the box - but sadly seem to have misplaced the map that came with it.<br /><br />GTA 1 and 2 are definately not RPGs, but they are available for free. If the series interests you, there's no harm in trying them out for a short time.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07270991090065636515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4037381535649909782018-10-03T19:17:25.101-04:002018-10-03T19:17:25.101-04:00Well, this game is from the same era that brought ...Well, this game is from the same era that brought us such wonderful names as Werdna, Yendor, Trebor etc... there were many more but those I remember off the top of my head.<br /><br />While names tend to be less obviously based on dev names later on, it still happens - in Elder Scrolls cosmology, Akatosh is one of the divines, and where did the name come from? One of the devs had the nickname Tosh, therefore he was known as "a.k.a. Tosh", which became Akatosh.<br /><br />It happens less obviously these days, but it still happens... :PJarlFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139422412722665286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-52179797538030359542018-10-03T19:07:19.070-04:002018-10-03T19:07:19.070-04:00Also, for single words I can recommend the online ...Also, for single words I can recommend the online dictionary Linguee.de as it gives you several possible translations of the word AND even gives you example sentences from various sources.JarlFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139422412722665286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-11120218937817615452018-10-03T18:13:07.553-04:002018-10-03T18:13:07.553-04:00The first GTA game that comes close to meeting the...The first GTA game that comes close to meeting the criteria is Vice City, and the first one that really edges into this territory is San Andreas.<br /><br />I, II, and III don't have any form of (mechanical) character development or combat statistics beyond "this gun does this much, and this gun does this much". <br /><br />Vice City (4th in the main series, GTA only numbers games with major engine improvements) has a stamina system based on character behavior (if you drive everywhere, you'll get a bit fat and have little stamina, running around will make you slim and give you more stamina), which just barely touches both the "character development" and "stats affect combat" criteria.<br /><br />San Andreas (#5 in the series) adds a much more defined stat system, plus weapon and vehicle skills that make a big difference in how well you can shoot, drive, and fly. <br /><br />4 and 5 walk back on this a bit.Gnomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920812227941556716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69879935159571020172018-10-03T12:14:37.426-04:002018-10-03T12:14:37.426-04:00I agree with Viila, skip 1 and 2 and its expansion...I agree with Viila, skip 1 and 2 and its expansions. They're little more than individual missions pieced together with a story that has little to no real character development.<br /><br />I hope one day we're in the game year of the 2000s discussing how many of these open world sandbox games should qualify as an RPG.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-16060676811658543902018-10-03T03:57:59.466-04:002018-10-03T03:57:59.466-04:00San Andreas is probably the first one that does. 1...San Andreas is probably the first one that does. 1 and 2 don't have any persist inventory or attributes. 3 started to add a few persistent things, but not a lot.<br /><br />But yeah, I think you can easily justify it. They're not traditional RPGs, but very much in the spirit of role playing. You adopt a role, affect the world and make meaningful choices along the way.Viilanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-28820277209002981952018-10-02T13:31:35.965-04:002018-10-02T13:31:35.965-04:00To be honest, I've never played any of the gam...To be honest, I've never played any of the games in that series, and I've always been curious about them. If any of them technically meet my RPG definition, I'll be glad to have that excuse. We're talking about a long way off, though.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17736729400666295492018-10-01T21:39:38.968-04:002018-10-01T21:39:38.968-04:00It's also got:
A huge world, an entire city to...It's also got:<br />A huge world, an entire city to be exact. <br />A main quest.<br />Lots of side quests.<br />Lots of non-quest related activities.<br />Warring factions and the opportunity to affect those conflicts through role-playing choices.<br />Ways to customize your character's personal and vehicular appearance.<br />An economy that reacts to your level of wealth, especially if you go into debt.<br /><br /><br />Seems like GTA and other open world sandbox games should get their own addict.Mr. Pavonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13286558267156792637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-430174612588534992018-10-01T21:03:12.685-04:002018-10-01T21:03:12.685-04:00I had a stupid thought: under your rules, Grand Th...I had a stupid thought: under your rules, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas technically squeaks by as an RPG. You have an inventory in the form of weapons, you have weapon skills that go up as you use them, along with things like stamina and muscle that go up with running or exercising, and the weapons skills do contribute to combat. I would completely understand if you still wouldn't play it, but I thought it was still worth pointing outTwibathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872080022551062309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-70736968862791852482018-10-01T16:24:19.348-04:002018-10-01T16:24:19.348-04:00That's +1 for Game World: Your decisions and a...That's +1 for Game World: Your decisions and actions measurably affect game world :-) .<br />You may have lost and have to start over. But at least the king liked you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06648906284611543670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-41663968228315109712018-10-01T12:34:56.990-04:002018-10-01T12:34:56.990-04:00It's easier to play it while you still have ev...It's easier to play it while you still have everything in fresh memory.filozofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015640063031888465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-34884694097257712452018-10-01T11:41:28.920-04:002018-10-01T11:41:28.920-04:00Aw, hell. I just found an ST version. I've alr...Aw, hell. I just found an ST version. I've already wasted a ton of time on the C64 version (which is bugged too badly to win). I don't know if I have the stamina to try again with this one.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35070059137880490432018-10-01T11:30:18.982-04:002018-10-01T11:30:18.982-04:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6PbBVTRTl8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6PbBVTRTl8CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-697691412235354952018-10-01T11:28:33.782-04:002018-10-01T11:28:33.782-04:00That's very kind of all of you, but I'm at...That's very kind of all of you, but I'm at a professional event, and at this point I don't really know the schedule or what kind of time off I'll have. Maybe as it gets closer I'll put something out.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2640677488926241362018-10-01T11:26:47.717-04:002018-10-01T11:26:47.717-04:00That's a fair point. On a 100-point scale, tho...That's a fair point. On a 100-point scale, those extra couple of original foes might be worth a couple of points, but it's not quite enough to budge a 10-point scale.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-24644388854354946002018-10-01T11:25:51.609-04:002018-10-01T11:25:51.609-04:00It's funny you mention that. I had to reload a...It's funny you mention that. I had to reload at one point and lost some progress, and I think it was after I told the king about Mubrak. I remember thinking I didn't have as much gold as before and I was wondering why. That would explain it. I guess that's a good thing, or I wouldn't have been able to win the game without the ability to get the oak dagger.<br /><br />Don't know what to tell you about the magic armor, though. It did seem to make the game a little too easy, so perhaps I wasn't supposed to be able to wear it and something glitched.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-91690284569656091242018-10-01T11:20:45.559-04:002018-10-01T11:20:45.559-04:00It wasn't clear to me that strength was more i...It wasn't clear to me that strength was more important than dexterity (I still missed a lot of attacks) or that attack skill was better than defense. As for the latter, I was trying to go for 19 before I just couldn't take it anymore.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.com