daniel
05-31-2005, 09:00 PM
I've been giving some thought to the initial frustration I felt when I first started to play Dungeon Lords. I think I found part of the answer to why this game, which initially seemed so frustrating that I almost stop playing, blossomed into the game today that I can't seem to stop playing. I think part of the answer that Dungeon Lords can first be so frustrating (bugs & missing features aside) is that it is a game that blends the old with the new.
Old-time RPG'ers like myself are initially attracted to the thought of another D.W Bradley-inspired dungeon romp, someone who is comfortable with the old school pace of meticulously exploring dungeons, taking time to think out how to build my character, to which strategies work best on which enemies, etc. So imagine my surprise when I loaded up Dungeon Lords for the first time and five wolves and six goblins come running at me and I franticly started hitting keys and clicking my mouse, only to watch as my character tumbles and spins madly to his death. I'm thinking what the heck was that all about? Well a few more repeats of the same and you can see why I almost gave up, but strangely for some reason I stuck it out, and to my pleasant surprise, I found my old school RPG just under the surface. And you know what? That faster more action-oriented combat system has really grown on me.
Now to the other side of the RPG generation gap. You have the younger gamer that has grown up on the more fast-paced, action-oriented games. I don't know about you other old-timers, but I just sit in utter amazement at the speed and dexterity of the kids playing their console games. They see the combat system and immediately recognize it, but its not long before they run into the old school game that lies just underneath the surface. This is where the trouble starts for them, and although this part of the game is older, it's something new for them, and hence their frustration. But if the newer players can stick it out, they will find that what we old-timers call old school can add a richness and depth that can be so lacking in their action-oriented RPG experience.
I know that for this old-timer, adding the action to my old school RPG has added a whole new level of excitement to my gaming experience, and although I went kicking and screaming, I really have grown to love this game's unique blend of old and new, blemishes and all.
Old-time RPG'ers like myself are initially attracted to the thought of another D.W Bradley-inspired dungeon romp, someone who is comfortable with the old school pace of meticulously exploring dungeons, taking time to think out how to build my character, to which strategies work best on which enemies, etc. So imagine my surprise when I loaded up Dungeon Lords for the first time and five wolves and six goblins come running at me and I franticly started hitting keys and clicking my mouse, only to watch as my character tumbles and spins madly to his death. I'm thinking what the heck was that all about? Well a few more repeats of the same and you can see why I almost gave up, but strangely for some reason I stuck it out, and to my pleasant surprise, I found my old school RPG just under the surface. And you know what? That faster more action-oriented combat system has really grown on me.
Now to the other side of the RPG generation gap. You have the younger gamer that has grown up on the more fast-paced, action-oriented games. I don't know about you other old-timers, but I just sit in utter amazement at the speed and dexterity of the kids playing their console games. They see the combat system and immediately recognize it, but its not long before they run into the old school game that lies just underneath the surface. This is where the trouble starts for them, and although this part of the game is older, it's something new for them, and hence their frustration. But if the newer players can stick it out, they will find that what we old-timers call old school can add a richness and depth that can be so lacking in their action-oriented RPG experience.
I know that for this old-timer, adding the action to my old school RPG has added a whole new level of excitement to my gaming experience, and although I went kicking and screaming, I really have grown to love this game's unique blend of old and new, blemishes and all.