DM revisited

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:56 am

hello

first i want to say: great to see that there are still many DM enthousiasts out there! i first played DM on the Amiga at the end of the 80´s. it was one of my favourites back then, and also during the early nineties. of course, this was already the decline of the glorious Amiga age. but every three years or so, i unpacked my Amiga again to see if everything was still working and to reminisce about the golden age. so i did again only recently, and guess what, it all still works! so i decided to enter the dungeon again.

i only recently found out about the whole emulation software, which is a great thing to use, since i never played Chaos strikes back and DM part II. but the first task is to finish DM at last, which i never managed to do yet, even though starting countless times (of course i was very young when i played it a lot ~16 years ago).

my first impression of going back down the dungeon: it still is one of my favs of all time. it is so much more "realistic" than all the other stuff on the rpg sector. the minimalistic, yet effective creature animations, the spell system, the "physics" of thrown items, the scary sounds of footsteps, the riddles...

hopefully i will find the time to play and finally finish DM. do you thing it is a good idea to resurrect 2 characters, and reincarnate the others? i can´t remember the advantages of each method. Boris Wizard of Baldor rules!

Trantor · Post by **Trantor** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:15 pm

Welcome to the forum Kebes! You are absolutely right about Boris, as you can tell from my avatar.

The differences between reincarnation and resurrection are as follow: Each character starts with some experience points and levels if you resurrect them. This means that a fighter like Stamm will be able to use more powerful attacks from the beginning, and wizards like Boris will be able to cast spells like Fireball. If you reincarnate a character, he/she loses all experience points, but his/her stats (Strength, Dexterity and so on) are slightly increased. Because you gain the levels you lost when you reincarnated, reincarnated characters tend to become a bit stronger in the end. You also have the feeling of more progress, since you will gain more levels. Furthermore, reincarnating allows you to give your characters new names.

So, if you resurrect characters, you will have an easier time in the beginning; if you reincarnate them, you will have more progress and stronger characters towards the end of the game. Since the game isn't that hard in the beginning, I suggest reincarnating them, but having 2 characters reincarnated and 2 resurrected could be an interesting compromise.

Good luck with the game, and let us know how you are doing!

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 7:21 pm

Reincarnated characters slows down gameplay to start with (you can only use lower attack options, you can't cast vital spells) but as long as you don't mind that (and the dungoen doens't pitch you too quickly into furious fights) then I would always suggest reincarnating because of the additional gain in stats and the relative ease of rebuilding levels

And welcome to the forums!

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:43 am

thanks, the memory is coming back. it has been a while...

currently i am experimenting with different options - i think the "2/2" option is a good one to get my playing skills back. it is already very hard. magenta worms and the stone piles are nasty. but Boris will show ´em!

well, not to discuss much more at the moment. i hope to find a balanced option to get things further than level 4.

Trantor · Post by **Trantor** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:37 am

Level 4 is indeed the "evil one". The worms present the steepest rise in difficulty in the whole dungeon IMHO. If you can get through that, you are probably ready for the rest of the game as well.

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:11 am

done!

no, not the game, only level 4. but since my characters are progressing well (the "2/2") option seems to turn out quite well), the worms are not really a problem any more - stronger fireballs, and they are worm rounds! btw, this is something that most of you already know, i am shure, but the food problem was always serious when i played in the past. now, when going back from level 5 up one level, the wormies seem to be back again, and also some screamers. seems to be a good option to refill the provisions.

anyway, here are my characters: Boris (resurected), Leif (reincarnated), Syra (reincarnated), Mophus (resurected). don´t have all the stats here at the moment, but all of them are developing very well (i am focusing on wizards).

now i am stuck in the "i hate cowards" rooms. i can´t get through the switching barrier, but i want to find out myself...

Trantor · Post by **Trantor** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:18 am

Noooooooo! You picked Mophus! Never EVER sleep, or he will freak out and stab the other characters while they are sleeping! Poor poor Boris...

Seriously, congratulations on beating level 4! The room where the screamers regenerate is indeed an excellent place to stock up food - but you can also use that room for training your characters. But it seems they are strong enough anyway. Good luck with the switching barrier, it took me a while to figure that out.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:01 pm

Lol, leave Mophus alone! Though, you know, not with any sharp implements....

Yeah, especially when you open the short cut back to level 5 then you have a nice feeding station there.

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:16 pm

Hi Kebes

Totally with you on this being the best game ever. For sheer atmosphere it cant be beaten.

2nd would be the original DOOM. Entering that final disco level gave me the biggest fright ever, even worse than my first encounter with the worms in DM.

3rd Unreal tournament.

BTW To be fair to the level 4 worms, you shouldn't really know about fireballs at that stage ! The scroll with spell for fireballs is not for a couple of levels yet if I remember correctly.

Good luck with the rest of the game.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:37 pm

Yup, worms I always associate with learning to melee not the fireball learnin'!
Fireball scroll is just before level 8

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:20 pm

of course it would be most accurate to always begin from the start, without looking into any adventurer´s handbook... maybe next time. try to blank mind, or wait another 15 years

.

considering learning how to melee with the worms - i know about the tactic to attack them from the side. maybe also next time...

found out about the switching teleporter. easy without all the food chests.

now something completely different: what´s really wrong with Mophus!?!

oh, and i forgot to mention that the encyclopedia is fantastic. great work!

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:26 pm

I actually meant the melee attack option - usually fighters tend to gain it by the end of the worm level when I play : )

Nothing's wrong with Mophus, it's just a runnign joke about how wide his grin is : ) *though don't accept his 'seasoned' food, no matter how innocently he offers it*

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:50 pm

Of course in RTC DM you can only use spells once you have located the necessary scroll. (non original version) Completed this game once and thought it a great idea. BUT ! have stuck to original version since, Its amazing how frustrating it can be to have to play the game honestly.

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:57 pm

BTW Mophus is grinning ever wider since hes been getting his leg over.
(See other topic)

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:40 am

Froud wrote:Of course in RTC DM you can only use spells once you have located the necessary scroll. (non original version) Completed this game once and thought it a great idea. BUT ! have stuck to original version since, Its amazing how frustrating it can be to have to play the game honestly.

But if you read the manual you could guess fireball and other spells...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:25 am

Yes, DM encouraged you to experiment... and FUL IR isn't the hardest to guess, especially since the manual really does hint largely at it

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 10:39 am

you made me think about honesty in playing DM - so i started over, with the strict self limitation of only using those spells already found. it isn´t that difficult, yet... but i have not much time at the moment to make much progress. the party is now Boris, Gando, Leif and - Mophus.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 11:00 am

You don't need to be that 'honest' though, as the stamina, magic torch and healing spell you would probably find by quick experimentation - creat ethe potion, figure out what it is by noticing the stats shoot up when you drink it, and for ful it gets lighter : ) You might not spot it on the HoC of course!

Some of the later potions and magic walls you would find by luck though.

Lessie - earth protecting the thief - hey, I leave footprints! Etc - logical maybe, maybe not : )

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:39 pm

Actually read the instructions ? Thoroughly you mean ? Not just launch straight in to the game and hope for the best.

A novel concept certainly, never occurred to me before. It might explain why I take so long to finish the damn games. And come to think of it why my IKEA furniture always looks different to whats in the catalogue.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:46 pm

It's furniture?! I thought they were a brand of 3D tetris game makers!

If I ever made a professional game, I'd put cheats and facinating useful facts in the manual, smug in the knowledge no one would ever see them

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:05 pm

I think thats what IKEA must do. So THATS why that "medium" size bookcase takes up 2 rooms and I still had enough parts left to build a garden shed. Read the bloody instructions in future !

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:40 pm

Did you not hear the music playing while you were tryign to assemble it?

Doo doobee doo
doobee doo
doobeee doo

doobee doo, bee doo doo doodoo doo

Kebes · Post by **Kebes** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:21 am

hey there,

couldn´t play much DM in recent weeks, but picked up again now. started again, to be more precise. now i am really close to finally finishing it (after all those years...). i already have the firestaff, and am at the level with Chaos and the fire elementals now. still haven´t the gem though , which is in the level below, as i assume, but i cannot open the iron door, it seems i need another key!?

(some funny anecdote: i already fought chaos with the plain firestaff, brandishing it and trying to fight with the most powerfull fireballs, until i read that this is pointless. it is funny to shoo him around, anyway...).

so, how can i get the gem now!?

cheers,
kebes

Trantor · Post by **Trantor** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 12:11 pm

You are correct about that iron door. The key for that one can be found in the cavern just before the door. Just look VERY carefully, and you'll find it eventually.

Post by **PaulH** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:28 pm

Yeah, think of what the England cricket team have just won...

Sera · Post by **Sera** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:57 pm

well ive completed DM and CSB, so what im doing is going through the dungeon again, with a powered up Sera ^_^

ee gad im good... :P

btw Kebes, welcome to the forums of the mad mophus grin worshipers, you can know me as Sera, the dragon of the forums *points at her avatar*

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:29 pm

I didn't know there was a 'dignity back' item : )

Hey sera, you done with conflux then?

Sera · Post by **Sera** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:50 pm

afraid so, i couldnt find anything that could kill me, so i went mental and burned conflux to the ground, least the council got given a proper burial :P

Post by **Zyx** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:56 pm

out of curiosity, did you use freeze effects for the council? (feature disabled for next version

)

I also found a fix against too much training.

Froud · Post by **Froud** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:07 pm

A FIX AGAINST TOO MUCH TRAINING !!!!!

NO NO NO NO NO

Please please please Un-invent it immediately.