Archmaster and Save format Question

This is an archive of posts from the Unofficial Dungeon Master website, run by Daniel Durgan. It was the first DM web site and disappeared from the web in 2000. This archive is for reference only.
Forum rules
Please read the Forum rules and policies before posting.
Locked
+Tresco

Archmaster and Save format Question

Post by +Tresco »

Is it possible to build a team up so that each member is an Archmaster in every skill? If possible how long would it take? (I guess re-incarnation is better for this?)
Secondly, I would like to use my DM team (After playing on PC) to start a game of CSB (under amiga emulation). I found that when I transferred my PC format DM save to a .ADF using ADFOpus, the file format is different, and can't be loaded. Not surprising really as the Amiga is big endian, plus I think the filesize is different anyway. Does anybody know the format of the savegames on each machine, or have any info on this so I could write a conversion utility. Or, is there a utility that already exists to convert dmgame.dat to different machine formats? Cheers, Tresco
User avatar
Gambit37
Should eat more pies
Posts: 13715
Joined: Wed May 31, 2000 1:57 pm
Location: Location, Location
Contact:

Post by Gambit37 »

Hi there.
When I played DM on my Amiga many years ago, I got two team members to Archmaster Wizard, and two to Archmaster Fighters... and that took months of wandering about killing screamers and worms. Bit pointless too, as it made the team too powerful to play CSB - I finished it in a few days as nothing posed a real threat to the team.
There's no utilities written specifically for coverting files. The best you could do is to use DMUTE. You'd need to create a new CSB save game using the emulated CSB, extract it from the ADF and load it into DMUTE. You could then use DMUTEs character editor to change the stats of your team to match the stats of your PC DM team (no cheating!) and also to load new portraits. Then re-insert the save game file into your ADF and there you go... sort of.
+DoomGod

Post by +DoomGod »

The experience needed to advance a level doubles at each step, so it takes you as much time to pass from 6th master to archmaster (say) as from neophyte to 6th master in any class.
The time you need to gain a SPECIFIC level does NOT depend on wether you resurrect or reincarnate your character (but when you reincarnate, it starts at zero level, so it gains its first level faster).
When I played to DM, I needed 3 hours of punching against green slimes (they are found at level4, there is a generator near the exit) to go from 2nd master to 3rd master ninja level. Multiply this by 4 for the four characters, then by 2 to reach 2nd master level, then by 2x2x2x2 to reach archmaster, and well, you've got it, it takes 16 days of punching to reach archmaster ninja level for all your characters (!!!). I gave up before finishing it.
For the fighter level, I am not sure, but I think it took me 6 (or 12 ??? I don't remember) hours of jabbing water elementals with a vorpal blade (the fastest and safest way to gain experience, IMHO) to pass from 5th master to 6th master fighter level. Therefore, for everyone to reach archmaster fighter level, it takes 6 x 2 x 4 x 2 hours = 4 days (or possibly 8). So yes, it is possible, but VERY long and boring. Better use DMUTE !
BTW, at 3rd master ninja and 6th master fighter level, I had 999 health and around 850 Stamina, starting with Daroou and Hissssa. Gothmog and Wuuf were slightly below (850/700). Anyway, it was a killer team. With CSB character, you reach higher characteristics faster, since your characters start with better attributes.
During all this time my character regained mana, which enabled me to cast spells, and everyone had reached 2nd to 4th master priest and wizard level. Of course if you don't fight monsters and sleep to regain mana faster, you gain levels faster. I did not try to see which was the most efficient spell to gain level.
Another important point to note is that the speed with which you gain experience CAN vary with the level (the level of the dungeon, not your experience level). This is obvious in CSB, in the prison. At the top level (where the mirrors are), you gain XP more slowly than at the lower level (where the mummies and rock piles are). To see this, count the number of wizard or priest spells you need to gain a specific level. If I remember well, there is a factor 4 between the two levels. Also, in the CSB main dungeon, you gain levels faster than in the prison top level and in DM.
Anyone knows how to change this in DMUTE ?
+Tresco

Post by +Tresco »

Hi, Thanks very much for the info, I learnt a lot. Just played a quick game of DM with an archmaster character after hacking the stats, does sort of spoil the fun when you can kill a screamer by throwing a skirt at it! Cheers,
Locked