Dungeon Hunger

Discuss anything about the original Dungeon Master on any of the original platforms (Amiga, Atari, etc.).
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JETENGINE
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by JETENGINE »

I wanted to see what would happen if I let my character (as I was doing a solo run on PC-DM) starve while keeping my character well hydrated. The result: low stamina. I wasn't taking any damage; neither was I using stamina potions. Please be aware that I haven't tested this on any other DM.
When I tested this on CSBWin however, the result was: low stamina alongside with damage at yellow food rating.

To all who are willing to read this far, I wish you all a good morning/afternoon/evening/night.
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slickrcbd
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

In the Apple IIGS version of Dungeon Master (no CSB for the IIGS unfortunately. I had to wait 10 years for the PC port. I even wrote to FTL asking if they had an Apple IIGS version back in 1990), you don't get any negative effects from hunger until you are into the red. You don't get any damage until the red line is almost completely gone.
That is IIRC, I mothballed my IIGS in 2009 after 21 years and haven't played that version since.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

I thought since this thread was necroed I'd post my own strategy.
I tend to be a packrat, but here is what I do.
In the early levels, I put all the good food items like bread, cheese, corn, and even drumsticks and apples into chests for later. They have a better nutrition to weight ratio than screamer slices, which are plentiful on level 2. (HOC is level 1, as per the hint book).
I collect and horde all the screamer slices into my champion's backpacks, and let them go hungry until they are into the yellow before giving them a single screamer slice.
I usually have enough screamer slices to last me through level 3.

On level 4, I again collect the screamer slices at the beginning, but horde those too. I do not spend much time in the "Screamer Store", avoiding it when possible, but instead subsist on worm rounds. I save all the worm rounds I can until I get to the end of the level.
There my backpacks are usually full, so what I do after I kill the worms that appear after you kill the mummy is collect the worm rounds and throw them down the stairs. I now have a nice cache of food for the next level. Again, during this whole time I'm stockpiling the good food items.
On the next level, I subsist on the worm rounds overfilling my backpack. I usually drop a few in that one central area with all the doors to make room for loot like magic boxes, flasks, weapons, etc.
The level is so long that I usually consume most of them by the time I'm finished, and I go back to grab more rounds from the staircase that I threw down earlier (literally, builds ninja levels). I will occasionally visit the screamer store to refill my backpack before going to level 6, but not always.
It is not until level 8 or 9 that I usually run out of screamer slices. At this point the pain rats are near or just on the next level, so I'll dig into my reserves and eat apples (least efficient in weight to food after worm rounds and screamer slices) or drumsticks (I'll be able to get as many of the latter as I want on level 9).
Once I get to the Pain Rat level, it's time to restock my food and I'll make sure I have a chest full of drumsticks before leaving the level.
After that, I'll have a bias for eating food in this order: worm rounds, screamer slices, apples or drumsticks, and finally if none of the above are available I'll eat anything else from my reserves and start thinking about opening the Central Stairway to head back to level 9 and do some shopping for drumsticks.

Actually, my bias for food management is through the entire game, where I eat worm rounds before anything else, then screamer slices, then apples or drumsticks, then anything else. If I'm at "anything else", I'll consider heading back to level 4 or 9. Heck, if I'm at level 3 I'll considering heading to level 4 ASAP instead of finishing looting the level and kill the screamers at the bottom of the stairs, then going back to 3 for the swag.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by Ameena »

I never bother with Worm Rounds...they're pretty heavy and are the crappiest food in the game. I eat Screamer Slices first...actually, no, I think I eat cheese first because it's the heaviest, then Screamer Slices, and although I still pick up other food types (everyone carries one chest of food each) I'm still on the Screamer Slices by the time I reach the end of the game, and in fact don't even bother picking up the remains of the Dragon any more because I refuse to continue if either of my characters are in the yellow, weight-wise, and by that point I've usually been close to it for a while :D.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

The worm rounds are indeed the heaviest, crappiest food in the game. That is why I eat them first to get rid of them.
Also note that I said I literally threw the worm rounds from the final set of worms down the stairs rather than carrying them around.
Keep 4 rounds in the backpack while you do a section of level 5, then when you eat them go back when you've finished that section and collect four more (and probably need to eat some as well).

I agree about trying to keep out of the yellow, which is why I favor strong champions like Halk or Hississa who can carry a lot of weight over somebody like Gando or Tiggy.
I collect as many rounds as my party can carry during the worm level, and throw a bunch of them down the stairs at the end.
I don't usually bring worm rounds beyond the start of level 6, and when I do I do so by loading up my champions when I've completed the level (going into the yellow if necessary), then tossing them away in the riddle room so I can come back and eat them as needed.

I do tend to eat screamer slices until the pain rat level (or until they are gone) as I have a bunch stockpiled from earlier levels.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by Ameena »

I just leave the Worm Rounds all over the floor in Level Four wherever I killed the Purple Worms :D. The last few times I've played, I've held on to good foods like drumsticks and stuff at the bottom of my chests but am still going through the Screamer Slices by the time I finsh :D.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

I've had screamer slices in inventory as late as level 11, but I always run out before getting to level 12.
I'll admit I often do wind up leaving a bunch of Worm Rounds on level 4, it is only the ones at the end of the level that I bother to throw down to the next. Although I do feed my champions a worm round each from earlier in the level (I backtrack) before descending to level 5. No reason NOT to be at full food since those rounds are so plentiful but not worth discarding Screamer Slices for.
Although going back to level 4 via the shortcut and restocking on some screamer slices is something I might consider doing.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by Ameena »

I think I just play through the game fast enough these days that I just don't come anywhere close to running out of food (or water). And I tend to avoid any places that are horrible and that don't need doing, such as the eastern side of Level Twelve (where the Darc Armour, which I never use, is guarded by a whole load of horrible Spell Vines :P) and the entirety of Level Five :D.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

I don't recall HAVING to backtrack for food in a long time for the same reason other than I usually collect those worm rounds I tossed down from level 4 to 5. I sometimes stock up on drumsticks either when going from level 12 to level 7 OR from level 7 to 14. Usually the latter these days, but I don't recall running out in a while. Not in the last 25 years, and I can't believe I've owned this game for that long. Now I'm starting to feel old. I've had it for over 2/3 of my life.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by Ameena »

Well, I would've been about three when it first came out :D. The Atari we had it on is here in my room and we still have all the disks but the version of DM I've been playing most recently has been CSBWin :). I also have the Atari emulator program "STEEM" for all my other nostalgic Atari gaming needs :D.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by slickrcbd »

I'm older than you then, but not quite old enough to be your father.
My Apple IIGS is at my mother's house, as are the disks. I got the game when I was ten, but didn't get to actually play it until shortly after I turned eleven because I found that I didn't have enough RAM in my Apple IIGS and I asked for money for my birthday to upgrade the RAM in the computer, which was quite expensive back then. It probably cost more then than it does to add a few extra GB now without adjusting for inflation.
The last version I played was the version on my Windows 98SE/XP dual-boot computer. I haven't actually played in a few years.
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Re: Dungeon Hunger

Post by Ameena »

Well, my dad was born in 1951 so you're probably not quite that old just yet ;).

I haven't played for a few years either. Will have to have another go some day. Still have the PC disk for DM2 so can play that through DOSBox without needing to hunt down a downloadable version/fan-made clone. Which is nice :).
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