Mefi
05-13-2005, 01:35 PM
Dreamcatcher is obviously a very considerate developer. When I opened up the Dungeon Lords box there was not one but two copies of disk 2. I would have gladly traded the spare copy for a manual or a map but consideration only stretches so far.
Installation was a simple process. Install disk 1, install disk 2, CTD, start again trying to figure out what is going wrong. It would appear that the old 2.4 processor did not appreciate the genius of D.W.Bradley so I moved on to the 3.7 .
Second time round installation went smoothly. In 30 short minutes, the game was installed and ready to play.
The cool innovation of the disco light effect sent shivers down my spine. No doubt in future patches the black screen, which appears for just shy of a second every 3 or 4 seconds, will flash in every colour of the rainbow giving this game a true retro style.
Rather than weigh the player down with the tedious chore of choosing a custom avatar, Dreamcatcher has removed this option in patch 1.1. This was no doubt in answer to those who criticised the implementation in the out-of-the-box game. This is a sign of a company which values the feedback of its customers.
The game has no soundtrack but does feature the innovation of sound effects which occur after the event. This makes for an atmospheric game in which the player chooses the background music. I went for Gloria Gaynor to match the retro feel of the constant flicker.
The character development in Dungeon Lords is very well done. Levelling up is a continuous process where you spend your XP on the skills in which you wish to focus. Respawning monsters allow you to hone your skills before heading off to explore the dynamic and immersive world. This is a vital process otherwise you may adversely effect the game balance by being too weak to venture out into the wilds.
No true RPG player enjoys the magic casting classes so the game focuses instead on the melee classes. Rationally, every time a mage might attempt to cast a spell it would be interrupted by an arrowstorm, which is why DL has got it spot on in this respect.
Combat itself is wonderfully simple, trimmed down as it is to clicking or not clicking on an opponent. This allows a new player to dive straight into the game, while a more experienced player is free to think about other things. I thought about how cool it was that every time I moved from area to area I was attacked by regiments of bandits, supersized packs of wolves and the odd rat or fifty. The game is combat, combat, combat and is all the better for throwing very weak enemies at you in such large numbers as it allows the player to master the combat interface. Which is simple. But a little more practice is always a good thing. The AI of the monsters is superlative. They shoot arrows and attack you with melee. Fortunately you can use the terrain to gain an advantage - finding a position where you are standing above the monster obviously means they would not be able to see you, so from there you can rain down blows with impunity. Never has tactics been so important in a RPG.
Playing on my low-spec computer it was inevitable that I would encounter slowdown. I really can't complain about a frame rate that never rose above 19 FPS when I'm playing with a P4 3.7 with only 2 gigs of RAM and the very poor 9800 gfx card. But zoning was not an issue here; I rarely exceeded 7 minutes. No doubt the state of the art graphics did play a part in the occasional hangups which I noted. Again, these were well within the limits of what I expected of the game by using my ancient system. Four seconds before every combat is a small price to pay for the glorious animations of seeing your mighty warrior jab at the gibbering hordes with his sword or jab at the foul beasties with his axe. It is here that I realised that the game may need a little patching because I was looking forward to also seeing the animation in which you jab at the creatures of chaos with your bow too. Still, I have no doubt at least one more patch will be forthcoming and this issue will be resolved.
The game fulfills its promise of a vast world to explore and interact with. I counted well over 20 NPCs which is a huge leap forward from games such as Morrowind. Unlike Morrowind, DL doesn't burden your processor with the fripperies of too many non-quest NPCs nor unnecessary features such as furniture within rooms. Instead it allows you to give your imagination free reign, filling in the details which are not necessary for an immersive game.
The lack of any mapping feature encourages the player to roleplay the character. Your pen becomes a piece of coal, your paper a piece of bark as you map out the world for yourself. So too with your quest log. Naturally your character has only the barest of information to work with so it would break the game's spell should the quest log be even vaguely useful.
Having to pick the locks and then mundanely open chest has always been my private bugbear with RPGs. DL wonderfully minimises this tedium by innovating the 'unopenable chest' feature. Some chests are even left open for you to examine their lack of contents. On such innovations is Bradley's reputation built.
Another stupendous innovation is the use of backflip to jump over the odd NPC who may block your egress through a doorway. This neatly solves the problem while many other games have to settle for the second-rate option of clipping the NPCs down to size.
Being trapped in a corner by a door or coffin lid is a problem in every RPG I have ever played. DL has a very subtle and unique approach to solving this one. Through cunning use of the save and load game feature, you can learn from your errors and avoid repeating the mistake of standing in the wrong place when you open said door or lid.
This is a game to cherish and I am so glad my gf bought me a copy. If she had not, I would have missed out on the unique storyline of a single hero discovering how to save the world. I can truly say this game brought tears to my eyes. Flicker does that to you.
Installation was a simple process. Install disk 1, install disk 2, CTD, start again trying to figure out what is going wrong. It would appear that the old 2.4 processor did not appreciate the genius of D.W.Bradley so I moved on to the 3.7 .
Second time round installation went smoothly. In 30 short minutes, the game was installed and ready to play.
The cool innovation of the disco light effect sent shivers down my spine. No doubt in future patches the black screen, which appears for just shy of a second every 3 or 4 seconds, will flash in every colour of the rainbow giving this game a true retro style.
Rather than weigh the player down with the tedious chore of choosing a custom avatar, Dreamcatcher has removed this option in patch 1.1. This was no doubt in answer to those who criticised the implementation in the out-of-the-box game. This is a sign of a company which values the feedback of its customers.
The game has no soundtrack but does feature the innovation of sound effects which occur after the event. This makes for an atmospheric game in which the player chooses the background music. I went for Gloria Gaynor to match the retro feel of the constant flicker.
The character development in Dungeon Lords is very well done. Levelling up is a continuous process where you spend your XP on the skills in which you wish to focus. Respawning monsters allow you to hone your skills before heading off to explore the dynamic and immersive world. This is a vital process otherwise you may adversely effect the game balance by being too weak to venture out into the wilds.
No true RPG player enjoys the magic casting classes so the game focuses instead on the melee classes. Rationally, every time a mage might attempt to cast a spell it would be interrupted by an arrowstorm, which is why DL has got it spot on in this respect.
Combat itself is wonderfully simple, trimmed down as it is to clicking or not clicking on an opponent. This allows a new player to dive straight into the game, while a more experienced player is free to think about other things. I thought about how cool it was that every time I moved from area to area I was attacked by regiments of bandits, supersized packs of wolves and the odd rat or fifty. The game is combat, combat, combat and is all the better for throwing very weak enemies at you in such large numbers as it allows the player to master the combat interface. Which is simple. But a little more practice is always a good thing. The AI of the monsters is superlative. They shoot arrows and attack you with melee. Fortunately you can use the terrain to gain an advantage - finding a position where you are standing above the monster obviously means they would not be able to see you, so from there you can rain down blows with impunity. Never has tactics been so important in a RPG.
Playing on my low-spec computer it was inevitable that I would encounter slowdown. I really can't complain about a frame rate that never rose above 19 FPS when I'm playing with a P4 3.7 with only 2 gigs of RAM and the very poor 9800 gfx card. But zoning was not an issue here; I rarely exceeded 7 minutes. No doubt the state of the art graphics did play a part in the occasional hangups which I noted. Again, these were well within the limits of what I expected of the game by using my ancient system. Four seconds before every combat is a small price to pay for the glorious animations of seeing your mighty warrior jab at the gibbering hordes with his sword or jab at the foul beasties with his axe. It is here that I realised that the game may need a little patching because I was looking forward to also seeing the animation in which you jab at the creatures of chaos with your bow too. Still, I have no doubt at least one more patch will be forthcoming and this issue will be resolved.
The game fulfills its promise of a vast world to explore and interact with. I counted well over 20 NPCs which is a huge leap forward from games such as Morrowind. Unlike Morrowind, DL doesn't burden your processor with the fripperies of too many non-quest NPCs nor unnecessary features such as furniture within rooms. Instead it allows you to give your imagination free reign, filling in the details which are not necessary for an immersive game.
The lack of any mapping feature encourages the player to roleplay the character. Your pen becomes a piece of coal, your paper a piece of bark as you map out the world for yourself. So too with your quest log. Naturally your character has only the barest of information to work with so it would break the game's spell should the quest log be even vaguely useful.
Having to pick the locks and then mundanely open chest has always been my private bugbear with RPGs. DL wonderfully minimises this tedium by innovating the 'unopenable chest' feature. Some chests are even left open for you to examine their lack of contents. On such innovations is Bradley's reputation built.
Another stupendous innovation is the use of backflip to jump over the odd NPC who may block your egress through a doorway. This neatly solves the problem while many other games have to settle for the second-rate option of clipping the NPCs down to size.
Being trapped in a corner by a door or coffin lid is a problem in every RPG I have ever played. DL has a very subtle and unique approach to solving this one. Through cunning use of the save and load game feature, you can learn from your errors and avoid repeating the mistake of standing in the wrong place when you open said door or lid.
This is a game to cherish and I am so glad my gf bought me a copy. If she had not, I would have missed out on the unique storyline of a single hero discovering how to save the world. I can truly say this game brought tears to my eyes. Flicker does that to you.