From: 10667547@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (JIMMY FANG)
Subject: Re: Critical mass getting bigger?
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 00:49:29 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.162702.13713@usl.edu> das9674@usl.edu (Stephenson Daniel A) writes:
>From: das9674@usl.edu (Stephenson Daniel A)
>Subject: Re: Critical mass getting bigger?
>Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:27:02 GMT
>In article <10667547.170.716019535@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au> 10667547@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (JIMMY FANG) writes:

[STUFF DELETED, so CONTINUITY PROBLEMS MAY EXISTS]

>
>I mostly meant the 'generational' progress of RPGs.  There is no 
>doubt that many many people love the overhead-view Ultima (not
>Underworld) series.  I think I have heard of 'Shadowlands'...isn't
>also available for one of the consoles?

Probably available for consoles as well.  Many of the British programming 
teams are also coding for the consoles.  (Which is much better than trying 
to play a Japanese RPG games on a Nintendo Famicom with disk-drive).

>
>Microprose, a rather favorite game maker of mine, is coming out/will
>come out with their OWN RPG.  It will be an 'angled-overhead' view,
>sorta like Zaxxon was.  The review I saw in a magazine was favorable,
>and Microprose has done so much RIGHT in their games before (read: 
>Railroad Tycoon, Civilization, Silent Service).  

Actually, Shadowlands is a 3-d isometric, angled kind of view (enough 
adjectives for you?).

[micropose coming RSN stuff deleted]

>I think that DM and EoB both have their plusses and minuses.  
>For example, in DM the monsters CHASE YOU.  In EoB sometimes (not always!)
>they stop after a while.  DM seemed to have more/more interesting puzzles.
>I think you would agree that the the graphics of EoB surpass DM...ought to
>since DM is _so_ old.  The lower levels look really keen.

I agree that the graphics are much better in EoB, but I've never bothered 
playing EoB again, wheras I have played DM and CSB more than once.  The 
monsters seemed to jump out at you in DM/CSB.  I felt that I was actually 
running down the corridors, being chased by baddies, trying to peer around 
the corner of the monitor to see around corners.

>
>Concerning magic, while the EoB magic is that same damn magic system from
>D&D, you DO get used to it after a while and appreaciate it more than
>in DM sicne there are so many MORE _useful_ spells.  And scroll.  In
>DM just about all one EVER used was Fireballs, Poison clouds for slow/
>cornered monsters, and the anti-elemental spell.  That  was about it.
>Oh, and healing potions. :-)

I used to play D&D/AD&D and was comfortable with the magic system.  You're 
so right about the spells in DM/CSB.  CSB was kind of a let down actually.  
It wasn't much of an improvement over DM, just more tricky.

>Dan Stephenson                                           das9674@usl.edu


Jim Fang


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