tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post8324102123238836608..comments2024-03-28T10:19:08.172-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 10: AutoDuel (1985)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53714299804368066752015-06-17T06:49:25.348-04:002015-06-17T06:49:25.348-04:00The Addict has stated previously that when he goes...The Addict has stated previously that when he goes through 1985 again to pick up missed and newly qualified games, that he will probably give Autoduel another look. Tristan Gallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16769219573533545742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-31997716058222518262015-06-17T00:16:22.387-04:002015-06-17T00:16:22.387-04:00I realize this comment is about 5 years too late, ...I realize this comment is about 5 years too late, but you gave up on an incredible game. What you need to make this work is a joystick, it's pretty much necessary to be able to aim your shots with proper timing. Once you can do that the game is a completely different experience and a ton of fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-12316754063181142582014-02-01T14:17:02.057-05:002014-02-01T14:17:02.057-05:00I remember getting this for my Amiga 500 back in t...I remember getting this for my Amiga 500 back in the late 80s or early 90s, several years after its release. I had heard so many good things about it, I was so excited to finally play it. The day it arrived in the mail, my mom even let me stay home from school to play it. <br /><br />Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Amiga port wasn't any better in the graphics and sound department than the PC version. The game had permanent death and only one save slot, which I found archaic even back then. Maybe I'm wrong, but I recall that the Amiga version didn't support joystick control (maybe because the Amiga had no analog joysticks?), and the game was difficult to play with a mouse and keyboard.Mizkreanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01434433651251104140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19009090912831690412013-03-23T01:05:53.503-04:002013-03-23T01:05:53.503-04:00So, I just finished this game. I almost gave up be...So, I just finished this game. I almost gave up because I kept dying on the road. Then I realized 3000 cycles was too high in DosBox; I could survive in the arena but not on the road. 1100 cycles was reasonable and I dropped it to 800 after some experimentation. That did the trick... I rarely died again (although the last mission got me once despite my best efforts). Of course, I did have to resort to save cheating - I did not do money "cheats" per se but I did gamble for funds. Anyhow, I really liked the game but I think the original rating was not far off especially from a CRPG perspective.Bluerazorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08417137714916057380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-9531750252557683252013-02-26T21:10:24.377-05:002013-02-26T21:10:24.377-05:00CRPG Addict: Tell you what, If you are ever in the...CRPG Addict: Tell you what, If you are ever in the golden horseshoe at the same time as me, I'll see if we can swing by my Dad's and borrow his C64 to try it out with an actual C64 joystick. In exchange for the blog post, I'll BBQ you something.<br /><br />Edit: Note that this is super unlikely, as I'm about to move 3000 km from the golden horseshoe. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82830781555922866232013-02-26T19:38:20.017-05:002013-02-26T19:38:20.017-05:00Insert classic film quote here:
"Soooo..... ...Insert classic film quote here:<br /><br />"Soooo..... you're telling me there's a chance. Yeah!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88558992044113749402013-02-24T23:54:50.225-05:002013-02-24T23:54:50.225-05:00If I even hint that I'm thinking about such a ...If I even hint that I'm thinking about such a thing, I'll get a swarm of readers clamoring for me to finish <i>Wizardry IV</i>, and <i>Faery Tale Adventure</i>, and <i>Wizard's Crown</i>, and a host of other games I left undone. My official position will always be not to expect anything but the games I have listed in the upper-right, in the order I have them listed.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4945492281335740022013-02-24T18:16:47.276-05:002013-02-24T18:16:47.276-05:00Sooooooo..... does that mean you are going to give...Sooooooo..... does that mean you are going to give it another shot? I really enjoy reading your blog, and you have suffered through some ridiculously terrible games. With so many (correctly) claiming this to be a classic, perhaps you should give it another go? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-45591499505261192282012-12-21T20:22:01.677-05:002012-12-21T20:22:01.677-05:00Thanks for your perspective. I've done penance...Thanks for your perspective. I've done penance on this game throughout the comments, but I'll say it again: it was early in my blogging career, I really didn't have a handle on what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it, and I should have given the game some more time.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37109960841500092742012-12-19T18:08:59.287-05:002012-12-19T18:08:59.287-05:00Hiya. Just wanted to say that this review makes a...Hiya. Just wanted to say that this review makes a lot of sense, if you're playing the game on a modern PC without a joystick.<br /><br />The game was always meant to be played with a joystick with analog response (like how I played it on the Apple IIc, years and years ago), and it's a fluid and not-terribly-difficult game if you have one. I can see it being pretty painfully difficult without it, however.<br /><br />That said, it's a really solid game and I feel that your review did not give it justice. <br /><br />There is a convoluted series of plots in true CRPG fashion, including a main quest line that takes your character up and down the Eastern Seaboard. If you don't just do Atlantic City, you can have a very fun time doing courier runs and fighting your way up through the Arena, culminating in the ultimate fighting vehicle (which is somewhat like that van you equipped, with a few changes here and there- one of the few major flaws was that that van really was always the optimal choice). <br /><br />However, there was a lot about the gameplay that you had to be patient and thoughtful to really appreciate. For example, because they were so limited on screen real-estate, Lord British and Chuckles made it possible to fire weapons well out of visual range. So by carefully watching the radar, you could (and did, if you were any good) engage enemies that you couldn't even see yet, use terrain to your advantage, etc., etc.- things that look laughably ancient by today's standards but were very innovative at the time. Basically, Autoduel's a simplistic simulation game with a CRPG backbone in terms of plot mechanics. <br /><br />I agree with the frustrations of perma-death; it is one of the biggest flaws in this title. What I did when I played this game way, way, way back in the day was that since save-games were stored on a disc you could provide, I saved my character to more than one disk by entering / leaving places (which auto-saved) getting around this feature. I totally agree that this is one of the things that keeps this game out of the "ancient greats" category, but it's certainly worth playing :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-11204513894491646682012-11-18T22:14:00.045-05:002012-11-18T22:14:00.045-05:00Also...I won Autoduel on the C64...you most certai...Also...I won Autoduel on the C64...you most certainly can win...it was also a ton of fun. However, I do agree it hasn't aged well so can't fault you there. <br /><br />The final quest involves taking on a trucker of some sort...I remember that much. Still...the best game ending of all time would have to be Questron with the alarm ringing ever faster...Epyxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17207341813040412657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82120716569325659422012-11-18T22:11:44.181-05:002012-11-18T22:11:44.181-05:00You had mentioned playing Questron as a teen...did...You had mentioned playing Questron as a teen...did you forget you could gamble in that game and play mini games as well? :)Epyxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17207341813040412657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-7624874967533771332012-08-24T08:01:56.794-04:002012-08-24T08:01:56.794-04:00I'm sorry the original poster/reviewer didn...I'm sorry the original poster/reviewer didn't actually bother to try to learn to play the game before pissing on it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-63146642187324862612012-08-24T07:55:13.526-04:002012-08-24T07:55:13.526-04:00yes.... point to the date dismissively... Next tim...yes.... point to the date dismissively... Next time try before pissing on a classicAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-67433557607310449382012-08-24T07:52:56.076-04:002012-08-24T07:52:56.076-04:00ahhhh... Wasteland... blood sausages anyone?ahhhh... Wasteland... blood sausages anyone?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19759538216151872222012-08-24T07:29:57.737-04:002012-08-24T07:29:57.737-04:00Passionate defenders of Autoduel... gee, I don'...Passionate defenders of Autoduel... gee, I don't know why, it was only the most awesome frickin' road war/mad max inspired game ever, and based upon Car Wars to boot! Sheesh. The clones aren't that expensive. I used to play this game for hours--days on end. I'm sure several months of my teenage life were sucked into this game on the C64. Battles difficult... hmmm... Not to my recollection. YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH A JOYSTICK. Sheesh. Least fun? Wow. Half-assing? Maybe. This was my favorite game for a long time--bested only by Elite and right up there with Gunship, Echelon, the D&D Gold Box games, and perhaps Empire: Wargame of the Century. If you didn't enjoy this game, it's because it hasn't aged well, you didn't play it on the C64, or you're doing it wrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-49068878155198242262012-06-15T23:20:42.666-04:002012-06-15T23:20:42.666-04:00Great game. You can save your driver on a separate...Great game. You can save your driver on a separate disk. Just start a new driver on the main menu, and it will ask you if you want to save the current driver. Do this periodically and you won't have to start over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-39013859087202717182012-05-11T20:22:52.070-04:002012-05-11T20:22:52.070-04:00I am sorry that the original poster / reviewer fou...I am sorry that the original poster / reviewer found this game hard to play. <br /><br />I own a copy of this game, and have played it. I can assure you that there is a storyline, and an ending. The storyline is dependent upon your reputation score. Nobody is going to talk to a nobody, after all. Once you get your reputation high enough (by competing successfully in the arena, on the road, and by completing courier missions for the AADA) you will start having encounters with the plot and storyline. <br /><br />Use of the radar is key in winning combats. You can use it to line yourself up perfectly and actually hit opponents off-screen, though that is not quite in the spirit of the game. Having front and rear weapons is also key so that you can hit foes coming and going... or while you run away. <br /><br />Flamethrowers are great as rear weapons, so long as you do not mind getting little for salvage - which takes up cargo space in your vehicle. No space, no salvage, except for the occasional bit of ammo - and not much if you flamed them out. <br /><br />As for plot and storyline, I have completed 99% of the game. I will not reveal the details, but I was run down just short of completing the final mission of the game.... ran out of battery, and I couldn't make it on foot. <br /><br />Also, the game auto-deletes your character file if you die. i suggest going into the file directory and copying your character file out before you die to get around this. <br /><br />hope this helps others reach the endgame. <br /><br />--- nijinekoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35692551098566748422012-03-31T07:32:36.890-04:002012-03-31T07:32:36.890-04:00This game kind of reminds me of Motor Massacre (na...This game kind of reminds me of Motor Massacre (name found after hazy memory and googling). <br /><br />http://www.atarimania.com/st/boxes/hi_res/motor_massacre_gremlin_graphics_d7_2.jpg<br /><br />After watching video of C64 version, ain't sure if they were fond hazy memories. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JVfu8TmWGE<br /><br />Wasn't able to find much more, but do anyone know if it is somehow connected to Auto Duel more than thematically?Llainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-62832053112890592502012-03-28T19:24:44.715-04:002012-03-28T19:24:44.715-04:00spent hours and hours on autoduel on the apple IIe...spent hours and hours on autoduel on the apple IIe computer. It was one of the great games.<br /><br />For those of you unfamiliar, you might also look up Netrek. It was one of the first online multi-player games...early 80s. Graphics are not phenominal, but it's all about hand-eye coordination and teamwork.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-47794012680758868102011-11-06T21:57:06.814-05:002011-11-06T21:57:06.814-05:00Yes though it is hard. I have a couple of C64 joys...Yes though it is hard. I have a couple of C64 joysticks, one of which we got at a garage sale. just try ebay and such.<br /><br />For a basic model PC joystick they are harder to find then a few years ago, but they exist. What the addict could also try is plugging his xbox controller into the computer and using that. No idea how well it would work, but he has already said he owns one, so what does he have to lose?Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-24610578223493298602011-11-06T20:25:06.094-05:002011-11-06T20:25:06.094-05:00can one even get an old school joystick anymore?can one even get an old school joystick anymore?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-70365641341269828962011-08-26T23:27:20.477-04:002011-08-26T23:27:20.477-04:00'Nym, I appreciate your recollections. I wish ...'Nym, I appreciate your recollections. I wish I'd given the game more of a chance back in 2010, but I just couldn't survive for more than a few minutes. I'm glad to hear that the joystick was such a key issue.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58778005110751367252011-08-25T11:16:05.873-04:002011-08-25T11:16:05.873-04:00My father played this game. He tried very hard to ...My father played this game. He tried very hard to get me to enjoy it. I didn't. Couldn't. It's a cool idea, but even back then, I think it failed at execution.Bartholomew Klickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378804675286534373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-26201942303011663682011-08-24T18:49:32.697-04:002011-08-24T18:49:32.697-04:00This game is my favorite game of all time. I'...This game is my favorite game of all time. I've been reading through your posts in reverse chron order... was very much looking forward to this. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised at your verdict -- without a joystick, this game is near unplayable nowadays.<br /><br />I spent a massive amount of time playing this when it came out; I still have the box in my office, along with the rest of my Origin collection (the only game boxes i kept!).<br /><br />As for Autoduel, learning combat is key. There are some neat tricks, like high front armor, ramming an opponent, and destroying them.<br /><br />No game I've ever seen since has such an amazing ability to build yourself (in this case, your car) from the ground up. Absolutely loved the thrill of earning enough for another weapon -- I earned all my cash from challenges and salvage, never overused the casino.<br /><br />There are times when I'd have 3 busted wheels in the middle of nowhere and have to walk through the wastelands to survive... some tense, tense moments.<br /><br />As for perma-death, this game has the coolest (and hardest) form of perma-death I've ever seen... and I've Ascended on Nethack. You know that clone you have? On the final mission, it's destroyed. You need to beat the game, or start over.<br /><br />Yup.<br /><br />True story: fire down the street. Dad screaming to get in the car. Me, saving my game instead and grabbing the disk. <br /><br />But again, without a proper joystick this game is unplayable due to the controls. I wish they'd remake it. I know of some 'in spirits' but none ever hooked me the way this did.<br /><br />The only contenders for my favorite game of all time are wasteland, fallout, and bard's tale. Some modern games come close (Demon's Souls, I'm looking at you) but... ah, childhood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com