tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post3220802286656785537..comments2024-03-28T23:14:06.156-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 152: Dark Designs II: Closing the Gate (1990)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-51163166508304501732023-12-11T18:34:27.024-05:002023-12-11T18:34:27.024-05:00Until now, I never questioned that it was an RPG. ...Until now, I never questioned that it was an RPG. My understanding was that it was a roguelike. Now I see that MobyGames doesn't classify it as such anymore.<br /><br />This is hardly the worst game that commenters have tried to convince me to play, though.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53019472512536784672023-12-07T04:15:12.885-05:002023-12-07T04:15:12.885-05:00I am trying not to comment too hugely often while ...I am trying not to comment too hugely often while finally catching up on every post here, but I am so gobsmacked by the idea that someone is trying to convince Chet to play an almost pure action game with permadeath and no saves under the guise that it is an RPG because, what, it has upgrades?, is just kind of awful.Quarexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-56074785253410183712016-12-16T16:18:06.818-05:002016-12-16T16:18:06.818-05:00Ha ha I finally killed that Aggressor golem! I fou...Ha ha I finally killed that Aggressor golem! I found him with only 72 body points, and kept at it until I hacked him down to 0, and amazingly enough my fighter delivered the coup-de-grace. You get his God Hammer and Aggressor armor, which oddly enough is no different than any other armor--no golem properties at all. Plus you get a hand-full of healing gifts.DD gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-42913427992691378332016-11-04T13:43:44.081-04:002016-11-04T13:43:44.081-04:00Once you collect a Striking Staff (I highly recomm...Once you collect a Striking Staff (I highly recommend arming each character with one), and defeat the Iron Golem, the player is introduced to other rooms to defeat that only contribute to experience points and gold. The last room is located on the ground floor and is bossed by the Aggressor, which is seen to be another Golem when attacked, and is armed with a God Hammer that casts a cure-all on him almost every time he uses it. His life points range from the 80s-90s, usually the later. With all my characters armed with Striking Staffs, I managed to chip him down to only 4, only to have his God Hammer cure him. It seems like its rigged like that. I mean, my fighter 1 hits him, fighter 2 hits him, the wizard hits him, but before the priest can deliver the coup-de-grace, he attacks and gets a cure-all. Every time. (However, it is possible to appear in his closet even without defeating him.) Incidentally, this is a dead-end for beating the game, just a frustrating diversion.DD gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-15631079473944404672016-10-25T18:20:41.145-04:002016-10-25T18:20:41.145-04:00I guess that makes sense. Yes, to the best of my r...I guess that makes sense. Yes, to the best of my recollection, I transferred the DDI party, and their equipment all came through.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-56763698490791691032016-10-25T08:04:33.316-04:002016-10-25T08:04:33.316-04:00Hey how are you playing this game, off of your har...Hey how are you playing this game, off of your hard drive in a DOS emulator?<br /><br />If so, when transferring your DDI characters over to DDII, did their acquired weapons transfer too?<br /><br />I have observed that none of the weapons or items acquired in DDII are able to hurt the Iron Golem. However, defeating him is not intrinsic to the game as he is just guarding extra bonus rooms. But in DDI, defeating the Golem is required to beating the game. So to defeat the DDII Golem it appears to me that you need the Striking Staff or Medusa Skull transferred from DDI. <br />DD gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-75378012668190749372016-10-20T08:17:46.304-04:002016-10-20T08:17:46.304-04:00Thanks for replying. (I'm the "Anonymous&...Thanks for replying. (I'm the "Anonymous" who asked.) I was replaying DDI-II on playdosgamesonline.com and thus couldn't transfer my characters over from DDI to DDII.<br /><br />If since 2014 is too long to remember, think of my plight of trying to retrieve memories from 1990! <br /><br />Thanks for the hint PetrusOctavianus.DD gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-65314738628829285192016-10-19T21:20:35.399-04:002016-10-19T21:20:35.399-04:00It's been way too long, I'm afraid.It's been way too long, I'm afraid.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-29719884004611148702016-10-19T10:53:52.764-04:002016-10-19T10:53:52.764-04:00Personally I think I used an insta-kill spell.Personally I think I used an insta-kill spell.PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21556713312139067142016-10-19T10:03:12.500-04:002016-10-19T10:03:12.500-04:00Yes that's an annoying bug. there are a couple...Yes that's an annoying bug. there are a couple of navigation bugs too in two rooms.DD gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-62786058154337235562016-10-19T09:54:14.526-04:002016-10-19T09:54:14.526-04:00Hi, I appreciate reading your reviews of Dark Desi...Hi, I appreciate reading your reviews of Dark Designs I and II.<br /><br />I’d like to comment about the Golem. In DDI, there was a “striking staff” that was specifically tailored to defeating him that was acquired on the ground floor in a northernmost room. But you had success with the Medusa skull too in defeating him. Now in DDII, there is an Iron Golem. I can’t remember if when originally playing this game in 1990 if my DDI characters were able to retain the DDI weapons for DDII or not. But I know I did defeat this Iron Golem, but I can’t remember how. So my question is, how did you do it? Thank you.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17259572133471587102016-06-22T15:09:06.276-04:002016-06-22T15:09:06.276-04:00For some reason "Reply" and "Add Co...For some reason "Reply" and "Add Comment" doesn't work.<br /><br />Anyway, I just completed this game, and I excpect I spent far more time with it than Mr. Addict did (smelling the roses and all that).<br /><br />So I have to make some nitpicks:<br /><br />The game is obviously balanced for an imported party. At least the difficulty seemed on par or slightly more difficult with my imported party.<br />Too bad part III is Apple only, since I played the DOS version of I and II. :-(<br /><br />There are four levels, not five.<br /><br />There are some secret doors, but they don't lead to anything interesting.<br /><br /><br />I thought this was a nice little CRPG, but then I'm a "blobberer", so it's right up my alley.<br />I thought the level design was quite good, and the weapons were interesting, since they could cast different spells. Being able to change weapons in combat added some extra tactics. Always nice to get a free Dispel Undead fromt he Holy Sword when facing undead, for example.PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4331321755426345112016-06-13T13:56:08.165-04:002016-06-13T13:56:08.165-04:00Hmm...what happened to my comment?
Oh well, let...Hmm...what happened to my comment?<br />Oh well, let's try again.<br />On Dungeon Level 1, in the room next to the Old Weapon Storage Room there is an "empty" encounter; no enemies appear on the combat screen. Anyone know if this is a bug or something special.PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37751876336724309342016-06-12T17:56:28.456-04:002016-06-12T17:56:28.456-04:00This is weird...in the room next to the Old Weapon...This is weird...in the room next to the Old Weapon Storage Room on Dungeon Level 1 there is an "empty" encounter, ie there is no monster listed, and there is nothing to attack. Bug?PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4849979761459433592016-02-12T13:33:29.391-05:002016-02-12T13:33:29.391-05:00ah, my bad. I must've missed that.ah, my bad. I must've missed that.Keighnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729875531199535433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-44156051968944378422016-02-12T00:59:54.406-05:002016-02-12T00:59:54.406-05:00Yes, already commented about it by him on 19/10/20...Yes, already commented about it by him on 19/10/2014.<br /><br />They were Apple only though.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2217287687026537232016-02-11T15:11:34.264-05:002016-02-11T15:11:34.264-05:00Did you know there were other Dark Design titles (...Did you know there were other Dark Design titles (probably not the same author but in the series)<br /><br />http://www.weekendwastemonster.net/crpgs/directory.html<br /><br />Dark Designs I: Grelminar's Staff<br /><br />Dark Designs II: Closing the Gate<br /><br />Dark Designs III: Retribution<br /><br />Dark Designs Character Editor for I,II,III<br /><br />Dark Designs IV: Passage to Oblivion<br /><br />Dark Designs V: Search for Salvation<br /><br />Dark Designs VI: RestorationKeighnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729875531199535433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17196846000857121882015-06-09T23:31:56.270-04:002015-06-09T23:31:56.270-04:00Can't you, y'know, use an iPad with one ha...Can't you, y'know, use an iPad with one hand while the other... well... do whatever guys do with their girlfriends. Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-33049332352380568912015-06-09T19:18:53.323-04:002015-06-09T19:18:53.323-04:00Working on it! Having a girlfreind who lives basic...Working on it! Having a girlfreind who lives basically nextdoor means that what used to be 'read Chet's blog' time is now "Watch Classic Dr. Who while cuddling with my love" time.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19638761236435001142015-06-06T23:33:02.633-04:002015-06-06T23:33:02.633-04:00That's about as close to a nightmare scenario ...That's about as close to a nightmare scenario as I can imagine, but thanks for the thought.<br /><br />Will you get caught the #$& up already?CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-40661950418908228292015-06-06T21:32:14.772-04:002015-06-06T21:32:14.772-04:00I found a game in my Dad's C64 collection with...I found a game in my Dad's C64 collection with a recipe on it for $90, so in Canada at least they could go a lot higher. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-29171218550820783352015-06-06T21:26:48.119-04:002015-06-06T21:26:48.119-04:00Dammit, I saw a bunch of those in my schools ewast...Dammit, I saw a bunch of those in my schools ewaste bin, still working. Could have mailed you one to play on the real hardware. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87813575488272622092015-06-01T12:39:53.417-04:002015-06-01T12:39:53.417-04:00MobyGames didn't originally have any of these ...<i>MobyGames didn't originally have any of these when I first compiled the list.</i><br /><br />They were newly-documented by some Apple 2 zealot at the time I left the comment. As for my assumption that they'd slip your net, first impressions linger a long time: I figured that as Apple 2 exclusives without MS-DOS versions, they would find themselves saddled with low priority. (The big question is what insight the "lost" games of the Dark Designs series lends to Softdisk's Catacomb (3D) series, which uses the same characters in a different genre.)Rowan Lipkovitshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08691096685515251681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1736089418069633412014-10-26T11:52:56.465-04:002014-10-26T11:52:56.465-04:00Wow, no kidding. MobyGames didn't originally h...Wow, no kidding. MobyGames didn't originally have any of these when I first compiled the list. What makes you think I won't cover them? They certainly meet my criteria.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4020789042818896162014-10-19T22:57:33.157-04:002014-10-19T22:57:33.157-04:00Ancient thread, but just spotted at Mobygames: ent...Ancient thread, but just spotted at Mobygames: entries for Dark Designs 3 through SIX, a persisting legacy on the Apple 2 only. So you likely won't be covering them, it's just very curious to see that this particular thread kept on keeping on. I imagine they just kept Carmack's engine, IP and name to capitalize on his fame once iD broke into the mainstream.<br /><br />www.mobygames.com/game-group/dark-designs-seriesRowan Lipkovitshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08691096685515251681noreply@blogger.com