Dungeon Master Forum

spellbook:

Spoiler

look in the graveyard

fountain:

Spoiler

get a IR key (there is one in each guild)

water:

Spoiler

if you are thirsty buy some beer

RAF, use the spoiler thread for these questions

I have finally to find the fountain

REVIEW:

This will be added to on replaying and finding more secrets. As it stands I finished in 14hr 40 mins, 32000 steps and completed 30% of 36 secrets.

Gameplay: 9
The progression of the story, the new graphics, the size, the exploring and of course the great usage of the engine and mechanics all adds up to superb gameplay. There is always something to do or find!

Originality: 9
While you can never be 100% original given the nature of the game, there are many new concepts here.

Difficulty: 8
Definitely for an experienced player, but was designed in such away that a novice would eventually get into it after difficult start. Some parts I found a bit vague and not so logical, but overall the challenge was good.

Puzzles: 9
Some very creative new puzzles here, not just the physical type but story related too. The usage of mechanics allowed a different angle with teleporter and pit puzzles, and offered a fresh outlook on our favourite types.

Size: 10
Very large! Made maximum use of the available items, so much so revisions were needed to stop the engine crashing!

Replayability: 9
Lots of things still to find so interest will remain high - though probably will not start from anew, but instead use the last save to go through the dungeon ad complete the tasks.

Craft: 10
Has done to RTC what Zyx did to CSBWin - has bent all the rules to conjure up a rich and diverse game. A new world would be a better description of what has been achieved here.

Game Ending: 6
I thought Chaos was far too easy, and was confused about taking the prize to the correct place. The last sequence was good, and led nicely into the sequel, but wasn't really sure what I had learned. However the change in graphics after the death of Chaos was superb.

Atmosphere: 10
The new wallsets created some very atmposheric moments, in particular the night-time graphics, the high caves and densely packed furnishings outdoors. Good use of text and scrolls enhanced the feel, you really did feel immersed in the game.

Fights: 7
Some interesting duals are were to be had, the two wizards in the mirror section being the highlight. Not that many monsters overall, but the game does focus more upon the story and riddle solving that brute force.

Best part:
The symmetry rooms were a novel, and well executed idea. Pit area was hard, but again, superbly done. Secret areas make for a great reason to keep playing.

Worst part:
Has been a few niggles, but with something this size, not suprising! Possible dead ends in places. Weapons sometimes would miss many times, but that is more the engine I guess.

OVERALL: 9.5
Has risen the bar for all dungeon makers. Quite simply the best RTC game there is, and probably ever will be.

Paul, thank you for your review and for the mark .
Two things about the ending and the fights, the weak parts of the game in your opinion (I agree with you). You must consider this game and its sequel as a bigger game cut in two pieces. The real ending will be in next Junius' dungeon: The Nine Worlds. Lord Chaos is easy after finding out the way to kill him. There isn't a real battle but a puzzle. The monster difficulty was calibrated during my tests where I didnn't use to train my characters a lot. And in general I don't like the games where the monster are too strong. This game is more based on the riddles and the exploration, as you said.
And one question. You said:

Some parts I found a bit vague and not so logical

Could you explain better this point and indicate where are these parts? It would be useful for improve the game and make some changes.
Thank you.

Edit: a comment about your frase

but wasn't really sure what I had learned

In this part you find out your real identity, in the sequel the whole story: the real reason of your captivity, the identity of

Spoiler

Nadir

and an unexpected and shocking truth.

Ah, I did mean to say that while the lead into the sequal was good, it naturally would dilute the actual ending of this game.

I'll have a think about the vaguer parts, but off the top of my head parts of the Clock area were hard, especially finding the sword (and especially as there was a rapier there too!)

PaulH wrote:OVERALL: 9.5
Has risen the bar for all dungeon makers. Quite simply the best RTC game there is, and probably ever will be.

I thought this might be the case. I stalled on v2.0, will try out v3 at some point as it seems a massive improvement too! Is there any point the rest of us continuing to build RTC dungeons? I know it's not a competition, but ToC has raised the bar so high that it seems like other new dungeons are now automatically "also rans".

??? And because Conflux exists and represents so many years of continuous work no one should do CSBwin dungeons!

I know it's a joke, but just incase any designers do get discouraged (like Trantor, etc) the creative process produces too many good ideas to just let one stand. Any good implementation of an idea also has to compromise on or ignore other paths.

I look forward to a dungeon of this size and scope coming out of nowhere and wowing people because it should be the inspiration for other people to go back to abandoned dungeons and keep plowing on with them. Or new designers getting back into it and making dungeons. It should keep RTC going as a viable engine, hopefully not signilling its death as a platform because everyone gives up!

He he, as you say, I wasn't being serious Just expressing frustration at myself for being a great "starter" but a terrible "finisher": far too many projects litter my HD!

after tower of champion have wonders how have could do better, that discourages the other creators of Dungeon it want to give up when it sees the realism of TOC, because it know very well that their Dungeon spruce not heavy has to dimension TOC .

Adamski, I'm using v2.0 but didn't complete all the guilds yet or get into the tower -- should I start again with v3.1 or continue with v2.0?

Small combat heavy, small puzzle heavy, a different story...there are so many ways to do dungeons. Why is this suddenly the end of days???

We still have films, books, tv shows long after the ground breaking one was done...and then another...and then another...along with variou grades of cool instances in the meantimes.

I think it has been a great thing for RTC, and a great thing for George. This is not taking anything away from other dungeons and builders, but is something we can admire and aspire to. It certainly makes me want to design a new adventure!

If we look at the thread in the general section on new games vs old, there is still a place for older style mechanics and graphics.

Gambit, I am the same, projects all over the place!

Sorry it's taken so long, I just got around to uploading this and a few other Zed dungeons to the DM.com webspace as alternate links, and also provided links to them in the list of dungeons page

Gambit37 wrote:Is there any point the rest of us continuing to build RTC dungeons?

No there isn't, now that DSB has a GUI editor.

I'll go lock the RTC forum and delete all the RTC dungeons then

<vader>Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!</vader>

*sign* 'Do not want' is soooooo last decade now

Sorry! How about "Geronimoooo!" ???

Why does spring have to be so far away?

I think that there are a lot of ways to create a better game, for example using new and more realistic graphics (for example like in Forest of Doom or Maze of Zagor), creating a more interesting story, a real challenge in the fightings, new puzzles ecc... There isn't the best game because a following game could be better. If it weren't so we would stop making dungeons. Moreover Paul's review is only an opinion, for other players my game could be frustrating, too difficult, too easy, without atmosphere, boring ecc...
Gambit: do not use the 2.x, it has too many stability problems. At the first page there is an update: version 3.2!

Edit:
I've forgotten... Happy New Year to Everyone

@Adamski: The text on the first post for v3.x says you added more hints. Are these hints in the game itelf, or are you using the Hint Oracle feature? The Oracle didn't work with any of my save games from v2, it says "No hints available."

I didn't use the Oracle, these hints are scrolls whit clues. If you try the 3.x tell me if the game seems faster than the 2.x.

OK, great, thankyou very much

First page, sad news about the version 3.2. I think the players want to kill me for this .

I can't find the download link. I want to try 3.3

Patience! Adamski obviously is checking for other problems, oh and might have had to sleep at some point too!

I think you are fiddling with the game too much! 3.0 is stable enough.

beowuuf wrote:...but just incase any designers do get discouraged (like Trantor, etc)...

...and Beo is yet another person who officially knows me better than I do.

Eventually, I'll play this dungeon as well and do a review, but right now, my time is extremely limited, and if I manage to use some of it on DM, it's done on my own dungeon. Which will suck. Big time.

You'll use any excuse not to do your dungeon, I know! ;p

PaulH wrote: OVERALL: 9.5

Sound good, personally am add that is most inspiring dungeon because its finished big project and this motivate me to build something more ambitious that one week dungeon.

I can't find the download link. I want to try 3.3

What is current / last version? I have 3.0