After a short delay, I am back with Crypts of Chaos by 20th Century Fox. A fine dungeon crawler if I do say so (and I do), a genre that is underrepresented on the Atari 2600. Coming up next is the arcade port Kangaroo by Atari. If you have feedback for this game, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day October 18th, and the show will be out on the 21st. So he says.
I am playing for Extra Life again this year, but I am going to split it between November 3rd and 10th. I am old and I can't stay up that long anymore, it's really the thought that counts. I will be playing once again for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Please donate at the link below, thank you for your support! And I thank you as always for listening.
Please donate to my Extra Life campaign!
Sean's Extra Life page
Andrew's Extra Life page
Crypts of Chaos on Random Terrain
Michael Rideout's CoC maps on Atari Age
John WS Marvin's Dread Unicorn Games site
Cyberroach interview with John WS Marvin
John WS Marvin on Iconic Podcast
John WS Marvin on Game Master's Journey Podcast
John WS Marvin on GM Intrusions Podcast
James Dowlen's web site
James Dowlen on The Computer Chronicles
Florian's Atari Age thread about Sun Science
Weird Levi's commercial
No Swear Gamer 198 - Crypts of Chaos
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Game 327: Darkwood (1992)
Darkwood
United StatesPublished as shareware in 1992 for the Macintosh
Date Started: 15 May 2019
Date Finished: 16 May 2019
Total Hours: 4
Difficulty: Easy (2/5)
Final Rating: (to come later)
Ranking at time of posting: (to come later)
Difficulty: Easy (2/5)
Final Rating: (to come later)
Ranking at time of posting: (to come later)
You are an orphan named Derek who wants to join the elite city guard of Darkwood, the safest city in the kingdom. Anyone who defeats the toughest creature in the arena will become Captain of the Guard. You start at Level 1 with no experience, a dagger, and 10 gold pieces. In front of you lies a town with a weapon shop, an armor shop, a magic shop, an inn, and an arena.
 |
| Starting the game. You click on buildings to enter them. |
Because it's all you can afford, you buy some leather armor for 5 gold pieces before heading into the arena. You are offered battles against 20 creatures, listed in order of difficulty from a giant rat to a red dragon. You choose the giant rat. You defeat him in a few rounds of combat and get 10 gold pieces and 75 experience points. You rest up at the inn, and with your newfound wealth, you upgrade your weapon to a short sword. Back you go to the arena to face the next monster.
Over the next several hours, you kill successively harder monsters, buy successively better equipment, and level up. You can save at any time, so death is not permanent. Eventually, you make your way to the arena wielding a Sword +5 Holy Avenger and wearing Full Plate +4, and you defeat the red dragon. Then the game is over.
As tempting as it is to go immediately to GIMLET and make this the shortest entry of all time, there are a few more things to talk about. The first is that I've played this game before, when it was new. Someone had loaded it onto one of the lab computers at my university, and I copied it to floppy disk and brought it home. (This would have been around 1993, in my only Mac-owning period.) The entire time I played, I assumed I was playing a prologue, and once I was named Captain of the Guard, the game would open up and I'd perform a bunch of quests in my new role. I couldn't believe that it was over when it was over.
I mis-remembered a few things about the game. I thought I remembered that you could only fight each creature once, but not only would this make for a 10-minute game, it would be impossible. You need to grind relentlessly against low-level creatures to survive and build wealth. The game doesn't really encourage you to test your limits. Even with reloading, if a goblin gives you 25 gold pieces and 110 experience points, and you can kill him 100% of the time (which you can after Level 2), what is your incentive to move up to a bugbear, which offers 40 gold pieces and 250 experience points but a 50% chance of death? Just fight the goblin twice. It only takes a few seconds.
You have to be careful not to be lured by the ghoul (400 gold, 500 experience) or the wight (500 gold, 700 experience). They can drain levels, so their rewards aren't worth it. If you can get to the point that you can defeat the troll, he's a reliably rewarding enemy, offering 1500 gold and 1800 experience. He's the third-to-last enemy, so he should be a lot harder, but something isn't programmed properly. He almost never hits you.
I bought the best weapon and armor in the game, as well as a ring of protection +3, before purchasing any healing potions (easier just to reload than chug a 1000-gold-piece potion) or tomes. The tomes cost 2,000 gold pieces each and allow you to increase your dexterity and constitution to 18 and your strength to 18/100. (I don't think intelligence, wisdom, or charisma do anything. They can't be improved.) After that, the only things to spend money on are wands and potions.
I made it to Level 8. It was taking too long to grind to Level 9. I found that the red dragon was unconquerable with melee weapons, even with a full stock of healing potions. But it was vulnerable to the lightning wand that you can buy in the magic shop. Four or five blasts and I was Captain of the Guard.
In a GIMLET, it earns:
That gives us a final score of 18. It's about as minor as you can get and still qualify as an RPG at all. Author Robert Chancellor returned to the setting with Siege of Darkwood (1993), a light strategy game that he published through Pointware. Based in La Verne, California, Chancellor would later go on to work for Blizzard and Amazon Game Studios.
What Darkwood does best is raise uncomfortable questions about what makes it a "lesser" RPG. Imagine that it is the menu town of something like a Gold Box game. Instead of leveling up and gaining wealth by fighting monsters in the arena in 30 seconds, you have to spend hours questing in dungeons, only to ultimately return to the city to spend your money and level up. What have all those extra hours gained you? Are they anything more than sound and fury? In stripping away the frills of typical, more elaborate RPGs, does Darkwood also strip illusions about the value of time spent playing those games? Can I honestly say that the endgame screen is less satisfying than a typical era title that takes 5 times as long but introduces no extra plot?
Those questions might be more worth thinking about if the combat in Darkwood were a bit more elaborate, a bit more tactical. I feel like if you're going to set your title entirely in the confines of an arena, combat needs to offer something more than clicking the icon of a sword until someone is dead. (Has any good RPG been set entirely in an arena? I'm open to the possibility.) Perhaps an action-oriented approach drawing upon the underlying attributes. Perhaps the ability to team up with other NPCs. As it is, Darkwood leaves me uncomfortable and unsatisfied. Perhaps I can pretend it's a prologue to Darklands.
****
I've removed Dragons Shard from the list after playing it for a while, then realizing that the shareware version caps character development at Level 5. This is my third half-hearted attempt to play a Bit Brothers game, all of which seem to feature the same engine. Until I can somehow obtain a full-featured copy of the game, I can't get far enough to bother writing about it.
Also gone is Mission: Thunderbolt, which it turns out is not really a 1992 game but a 1991 Macintosh release of a single mission of a mainframe game called Doomsday 2000 (1987). The game has been moved to re-consideration in its appropriate year.
 |
| Battering away at an enemy. |
As tempting as it is to go immediately to GIMLET and make this the shortest entry of all time, there are a few more things to talk about. The first is that I've played this game before, when it was new. Someone had loaded it onto one of the lab computers at my university, and I copied it to floppy disk and brought it home. (This would have been around 1993, in my only Mac-owning period.) The entire time I played, I assumed I was playing a prologue, and once I was named Captain of the Guard, the game would open up and I'd perform a bunch of quests in my new role. I couldn't believe that it was over when it was over.
 |
| Dad would be so proud. |
I mis-remembered a few things about the game. I thought I remembered that you could only fight each creature once, but not only would this make for a 10-minute game, it would be impossible. You need to grind relentlessly against low-level creatures to survive and build wealth. The game doesn't really encourage you to test your limits. Even with reloading, if a goblin gives you 25 gold pieces and 110 experience points, and you can kill him 100% of the time (which you can after Level 2), what is your incentive to move up to a bugbear, which offers 40 gold pieces and 250 experience points but a 50% chance of death? Just fight the goblin twice. It only takes a few seconds.
You have to be careful not to be lured by the ghoul (400 gold, 500 experience) or the wight (500 gold, 700 experience). They can drain levels, so their rewards aren't worth it. If you can get to the point that you can defeat the troll, he's a reliably rewarding enemy, offering 1500 gold and 1800 experience. He's the third-to-last enemy, so he should be a lot harder, but something isn't programmed properly. He almost never hits you.
 |
| Grind all those experience points again? Or just reload? |
I bought the best weapon and armor in the game, as well as a ring of protection +3, before purchasing any healing potions (easier just to reload than chug a 1000-gold-piece potion) or tomes. The tomes cost 2,000 gold pieces each and allow you to increase your dexterity and constitution to 18 and your strength to 18/100. (I don't think intelligence, wisdom, or charisma do anything. They can't be improved.) After that, the only things to spend money on are wands and potions.
 |
| Using a tome. |
I made it to Level 8. It was taking too long to grind to Level 9. I found that the red dragon was unconquerable with melee weapons, even with a full stock of healing potions. But it was vulnerable to the lightning wand that you can buy in the magic shop. Four or five blasts and I was Captain of the Guard.
 |
| I don't want to accuse the author of anything, but our past experience with shareware titles makes me suspicious of the provenance of these graphics. |
In a GIMLET, it earns:
- 2 points for the game world, featuring a basic backstory commensurate with the scope of the game.
- 1 point for character creation and development. There's no creation, and leveling doesn't seem to do much more than confer extra hit points.
- 0 points for no NPC interaction.
- 1 point for encounters and foes. The bestiary is Dungeons and Dragons standard, and the level-draining attacks of the undead are the only special attacks programmed in.
 |
| A few statistics help you determine what foe you'll want to defeat next. |
- 1 point for magic and combat. Your options are only to attack, use an item, or surrender.
 |
| Using the Wand of Lightning in the final battle. |
- 3 points for equipment. Only one weapon and armor slot, but the magic item selection is decent.
- 4 points for the economy. It lacks any complexity, but it remains relevant until the end.
- 2 points for a main quest.
- 2 points for graphics, sound, and interface. There are only a couple of sounds: hit, miss, and "you won!" Graphics are sparse enough that it might as well have been a text game. It's disappointing how all the monsters are represented by the same helmeted figure. I found the all-mouse interface annoying, as I do all all-mouse interfaces, but it was easy enough to determine what to click on.
- 2 points for gameplay. Too easy, too limited, and not replayable, it's at least short.
That gives us a final score of 18. It's about as minor as you can get and still qualify as an RPG at all. Author Robert Chancellor returned to the setting with Siege of Darkwood (1993), a light strategy game that he published through Pointware. Based in La Verne, California, Chancellor would later go on to work for Blizzard and Amazon Game Studios.
 |
| He sure got a lot of mileage out of that graphic. |
What Darkwood does best is raise uncomfortable questions about what makes it a "lesser" RPG. Imagine that it is the menu town of something like a Gold Box game. Instead of leveling up and gaining wealth by fighting monsters in the arena in 30 seconds, you have to spend hours questing in dungeons, only to ultimately return to the city to spend your money and level up. What have all those extra hours gained you? Are they anything more than sound and fury? In stripping away the frills of typical, more elaborate RPGs, does Darkwood also strip illusions about the value of time spent playing those games? Can I honestly say that the endgame screen is less satisfying than a typical era title that takes 5 times as long but introduces no extra plot?
Those questions might be more worth thinking about if the combat in Darkwood were a bit more elaborate, a bit more tactical. I feel like if you're going to set your title entirely in the confines of an arena, combat needs to offer something more than clicking the icon of a sword until someone is dead. (Has any good RPG been set entirely in an arena? I'm open to the possibility.) Perhaps an action-oriented approach drawing upon the underlying attributes. Perhaps the ability to team up with other NPCs. As it is, Darkwood leaves me uncomfortable and unsatisfied. Perhaps I can pretend it's a prologue to Darklands.
****
I've removed Dragons Shard from the list after playing it for a while, then realizing that the shareware version caps character development at Level 5. This is my third half-hearted attempt to play a Bit Brothers game, all of which seem to feature the same engine. Until I can somehow obtain a full-featured copy of the game, I can't get far enough to bother writing about it.
Also gone is Mission: Thunderbolt, which it turns out is not really a 1992 game but a 1991 Macintosh release of a single mission of a mainframe game called Doomsday 2000 (1987). The game has been moved to re-consideration in its appropriate year.
How To Find The Best Loot In PUBG?
If you are a noob and began to play PUBG a few days ago or if you are experienced or pro but still fail to get a good loot then don't worry this post is only for you.
Finding the best loot is a difficult task. The developers of PUBG are always trying hard to get the best version of PUBG and hence the place where you earlier got the best loot may disappear this time.
But we have some brought some places where you can get the best loot.
1. Air Drops :
Airdrop may the best way to gain loot as it contains many types of equipment which are usually unavailable during the gameplay. But beware because the risk is high as well. Not only you but many PUBG players are waiting for the same loot.
2. Sosnovka military base :
The military base has been established in the Erangel map. Some loot like Level 3 Vests, Helmets, and other higher tier weapons may be found. The radar antenna in the map also offers anyone that can climb it.
3. School :
The school has 3 floors of high-quality loot can get players flooded with loot.
Loot including level 2 gear, good weapons and attachments and some medical loot too are found there.
4. Pochinki :
Every player should think at least twice before landing there. Pochinki has good loot. But the risk in this dead zone is not worth the loot. If you are a pro player it may be okay for it but just never expect it to be safe.
N.B : We already made a post regarding "Why most players are afraid of Pochinki?". To view it, click here.
5. Shelter :
You might have visited the shelter many times. It is typically filled with high-tier loot. But the thing is that with multiple corridors and less of coverings its not less than a deathtrap.
If you enjoyed please share with every PUBG players. Don't forget to leave a comment below.
6. Dobro Mesto :
Dobro Mesto in Vikendi has very good loot. The shacks up the hill near Dobro Mesto have some good weapons. As of my experience, you can sometime find a full set of level 3 armour there.
If you enjoyed please share with every PUBG players. Don't forget to leave a comment below.
Corpus Christi
Not about video games but about reality.
This morning, I held between my thumb and finger a small piece of bread, and with sacred words uttered in almost silence, I held Jesus Christ, my saviour, my Lord, Who loves me, Who knows me, the lot marked out for me.
I, chosen among thousands, His beloved.
What a privilege! A greater act than the creation of the universe, an intimacy even the angels do not possess. When I am tempted to hold other things, other people, other life options,
I look at Him, Who is hiding between my thumb and forefinger.
HE is Mine and I am His. And I realize that to exchange this for anything else, even the whole world, would be madness, would be folly to the utmost, because I am holding Him, my true end, my lasting good, the summum bonum.
O priest, all this is yours!
To turn away from this, is to turn away from Him.
-Fr. Mark Higginsx
x
O priest, all this is yours!
To turn away from this, is to turn away from Him.
-Fr. Mark Higginsx
x
Watch Dogs Free Download
Watch Dogs Free Download
Watch Dogs Free Download PC game setup direct link for Windows. it is an open world adventurous and action game with high quality graphics.
Watch Dogs Overview
Watch Dogs is a great accomplishment project of ubisoft who brings a real feel in the game. It is set in Chicago city Where the vigilante wants to bring justice here because of his past tragedy to his family.
The city of Chicago and their people activities. and information are not privately secured. The central network of computers connects the people with using technologies i.e. mobile phones, cameras in streets, wifi 3G, social media etc. The player can hack any information regarding to any people in this city. You as a player will play as Aiden Pearce. Who is a thug and intelligent hacker. He would bring justice of his own brand because of the violent tragedy family past. The sound effects of whether pouring rain, crowd of people their conversation,banging of cars or trucks etc. They all bring a real feel for player to be in Chicago. You can do multiple tasks in games instead of only hacking the information of the residents that includes are controlling the traffic lights to stop the public transport to get the enemy, also gets the information to locate the target and many more to accomplish your mission.
Features of Watch Dogs
Following are the main features of Watch dogs.
- High Quality Graphics gives real chicago life effect.
- Great effects of sound.
- Brilliantly make up storyline with latest technology.
- Hack any information of city residents.
- Personal mission to bring your own brand of justice.
System Requirements of Watch Dogs
Below are the minimum system requirements of watch dogs
- Operating System: Windows Vista/ Windows 7/ Windows 8 and 8.1
- CPU: Core 2 Quad 2.66 GHz
- RAM: 6 GB of RAM
- Hard disk Space: 25 GB available space
Watch Dogs Free Download
Click on below button to start Watch Dogs Free Download. It is a full and complete game. Just download and start playing it. We have provided direct link full set up of the game.
Good People Doing Cool Things…
Just read an email from one of the original DFG Kickstarter backers, James.
James helped me out quite a bit in my KS giving feedback, making videos and just chatting about the Kickstarter, the industry and life in general. James is good people and I am more than happy to help any way I can.
James started up his own company and miniatures line. Reclusive Phoenix, is running a kickstarter (Slumbering Oblivion: Cthulhuinspired game miniatures)
The minis look great! If you like Cthulhu or creature minis to use in other games, please go give it a look, if you are short on funds now or it's not your cup of tea, you can still help by spreading the news.
I don't know about you, but I am really loving that Murguba :P
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