George...you seriously need to hook up with...

[isamu]

Alandale! Perhaps you guys are already working together or maybe you're really him in disguise, I don't know. But if not, I'd be curious to know what your thoughts are on his <b> BRILLIANT</b> creation known as...Dungeon Master Java. I mean, obviously he has drawn many influences from your past projects...namely DMute. But this guy has gone over the top with this new version, which breathes new life into the franchise, with updated graphics, options galore and an editor that's terribly user friendly. You have done so much for the DM community and I am extremely greatful for your efforts. But the question must be begged. How many people will opt to play RTC or any other version of Dungeon Master, when they can fire up DMJava, arguably the best version out there? Just my opinion of course.

[Big-J-Q]

I really prefer RTC rather than DMJava. DMJava doesn't suck and it presents us a completely new dungeon and an easy way of creating them, but...

The first reason I stopped playing it, was that it crashed on me. I played it far (I think), to a level where I fought against demons. Then my savegame bugged, and I would have had to start from the beginning once again.

Secondly, it doesn't have the same atmosphere than Dungeon Master and RTC. Instead I get to fight against silly-looking monsters (goblins!), and solve puzzles which are affected by the computer- and the gamespeed.

RTC is clearly a dungeon master -game which us the veterans have come to love. It's dungeon structure is actually more complex (read: better) than DMJs, and the opponents look deadly instead of rendered spheres and boxes.

But it is really all a matter of taste.

[Gambit37]

Yes, it's certainly a matter of taste.

However, I think it's also to do with how 'purist' we are regarding DM. There are many people who will play DMJ and love it simply because it's a Dungeon Master type of game. I personally found DMJ intensely annoying, slow, too hard and waaay too dark. And while it certainly has updated grapphics, I find the inconsistency of style to detrct from the gameplay.

It also uses the Dungeon Master mythos to place the game in context, but in my opinion it perverts it by introducing other things such as the Stormbringer.

I recognise DMJ for what it is - an excellent piece of Java Games programming, but I'll always prefer RTC.

[beowuuf]

There are so many differences between the main DM clones that you can't really compare, and it is nice that all are being appreciated by old and new fans of DM. To say that RTC, CSB4win and DM/DMute will become dead though is something I'd go 'huh' at.

DMJ has definitely got a following from it's exposure on slashdot and underdogs, plus it is a great game. But for some reason, it feels like a construction kit with a DM skin as default, rather than the next generation of DM (to me). The graphics aside, its the feel of gameplay...it doesn't strike me as natural as DM did, for whatever reason. As RTC is Geoerge's pet project, and he wanted a faithful DM clone, then this is more like playing the original, while knowing that it has incredible expansion possibilities but still retains underneath an engine I love.
There are things like full 24/32bit graphic support (as opposed to just *.gifs) in RTC and engine constraints in DMJ that just get me more fired up for RTC. But the atmosphere is definitely the biggest part.

It's not like this is a commercial market, there is no reason people won't download all the clones, play most, and work on the one they like best. All are supported and have support...people are still DMuting dungeons, for example (I think more have been worked on for DMute than DMJ sinbce it was released!)

But glad you are fired up about DMJ..does this mean there will be a new dungeon out in the near future? Incase you missed it on the DMJ board, theadder is going to release what sounds like a fantastic dungeon, something he wants to push the limits of the engine. Always good : )

[Zyx]

I prefer DM because of the atmosphere. DMJ is a great piece of work with hundreds of new possibilities, but I like it less because of the lack of homogeneity, of "immersiveness". And the fact that you can't put more than one wall object on a tile, as for the dungeon designing.

[beowuuf]

I'm with you...one object type per tile...*shudder* and atmosphere