From: dpipes@spica.srg (Dave Pipes x4552)
Subject: Darklands
Organization: just me
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 13:08:11 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games

     Spent the weekend playing Darklands.  It was a mixed bag, as there
is some bug that corrupts the character files after an hour or two of
playing.  Sometimes it is little things - the characters clothes change
colors, maybe - other times, weapons turn into candles, or names change,
or you get lots of money.  Once, variable names showed up in a list of
items.

     The good news is that MicroProse has a patch which seems to work.
I was able to play most of Sunday with the patch, with no sign of problems.
This is several times longer than it took for the problems to show up before,
so I am hoping it really does fix things.  You can get the patch by downloading
from their BBS, or leaving your name and address there, or calling/writing.
The voice number is 1-800-879-7529.

     As far as the game goes, it seems to be a winner.  The menus echo a
"dungeonmaster" - "You find yourself in the main square of the city, do you:"
and then a list of choices.  While it does get repetitive, the artwork is
very nice, and it takes little time to get through the menus to actually do
something.

     Buying, selling and inventory stuff is done with scrolls, which contain
lists of things that can be grabbed and passed around.  Different characters 
will have different results in bartering, so be sure to identify who is best.
Watch for item quality and weight - this greatly affects price.  Cheap 
weapons and armor can be found at the Leihhaus, a pawnshop, for starting
characters.

     When a menu lands you in combat, you get a nice representation of the
area you are in, colored for the season, with your opponents at a variable
distance.  You can deploy your folks, taking advantage of chokepoints to
gang up on enemies, or maybe firing a few shots from a bow or gun first.
As the character fights, he/she tires according to load and wounds, and
often passes out before death, so even losing is not *always* the end of the
party.  Weapons/armor can be changed to alleviate this somewhat.  Don't
neglect any character's strength in starting out: if it is not 30 or above,
don't expect him/her to fight well or long.

     Moving around outside cities yields another scrolling map, very nicely
done.  A changing sun records time: it goes faster as you traverse slow 
terrain.  Horses will greatly speed travel, and sometimes help you outrun
opponents.  Lots of encounters on roads :-).

     Entering a Raubritter's castle or a mine can bring up yet another
scrolling map, with doors, stairs and chests to open.  The party can move
individually, or in real time single-file or as a group.  You can get stuck
on corners, but manuvering out again is easy.  The whole combat interface is
very nice.

     Building characters is neat.  Everyone starts out with the same values,
which you then modify greatly - endurance, strength, agility, perception,
intelligence, charisma.  Choosing a family background changes these somewhat,
and limits the skills/careers available.  Then you go through 5-year increments,
taking the skills you want.  An initial character gets some minimal starting
equipment; a replacement character gets none.  Neat careers, like Alchemist
or Noble Heir or Swindler, are available.

     As your fame grows from (usually) trashing theives, you can apply for
special missions with some of the merchant houses or the political types.
These missions not only increase your fame in the city, but in all of 
Germany as well.  Note that bad events can reduce your fame to Suspected or
even Wanted in a city, forcing you to sneak back in and do good deeds for a
while to regain respect.

     There are a lot of weapons and armor available, all of differing
quality and usefulness.  Alchemists can make useful potions.  Anyone can
train or study to improve skills, although sometimes the University staff
are pretty obnoxious.  Religion and Virtue values play a role here too - no
monastery will teach "Devil's spawn" about the saints.  (Saints can be appealed
to for miraculous aid - there are a *lot* of saints in the game).

     I think this is a very good game.  Replay value will be high *if* you
like the system, as the whole game is randomized with each new start.  There
are also follow-ons planned - England and France during their wars and the
Wars of the Roses; Italy; Asia and others.  Data files will be transeferrable
between the games; walk off of one map, and it will start up the other game
and continue.  Sounds good; I recommend this one.

     Oh yeah, it takes 2 Meg RAM minimum, VGA, about 20 Megs of hard disk space.
A slow hard drive like mine is noticeable, but not too bad.  I am running on
a 486 33, so I noticed no animation speed problems.  Your mileage may vary.


		David Pipes
robear@digex.com

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games