Dungeon Master Forum

So, what do you prefer and why? Would you like to see features of one in the other? Unfortunately I can programme about as well as I can speak Klingon which to say is quite poor (however I can make my Texas Ti-81 calculator integrate nasty equations, but this has no use in DM) so I wouldn't be able to change the tools etc. But I can and do enjoy editing and creating dungeons with the tools available. As we have all seen over the past few years the tools and editing have gone up a few gears from simply been able to change a few walls to the masterpiece of Conflux2. No doubt this is due to the authors deep understanding of the game engines and mechanics.

Anyway, I am working on creating a new dungeon with new mechanics, graphics, items etc in fact one where you would have to 'learn' again, Conflux2 style, rather than rely on your old tactics which never fail. (ie we all know that wasps die with a simple fireball and Chaos will retreat with a war cry etc). This would create a new experience rather than just changing the basic layout. While the tools do allow me to do all this, that is CSBEdit, DMExtract, NameEdit, TextMute etc, they do not all work together so I cannot achieve the desired result in one dungeon which is a shame. The new RTC comes close though: I have succesfully created new graphics, and a small dungeon with new objects which is great. I would like to be able to change the core mechanics though as CSBEdit allows....

No doubt RTC and CSBWin are very fine pieces of work, and I have always marginally preferred Paul Steven's conversion. RTC now though has moved just a shade closer when it comes to editing. Do you think that eventually people are going to turn to one rather than the other, or will they always be interest in both? Is it time for a unified game/editor so us designers can really be let loose?! Both are obviously been developed still (these guys should have been in the Christmas Honours list!) but now that Zyx has shown us what can be done, I think the creators might just turn the way of which gives them the easiest route. Not that a new dungeon is easy though!

I have so much planned, new monsters already drawn and swords and armour ready to go but: I can't get them all in one place!
As I said before I can't programme, but what I can do is make use of what is there and try and give something back to the DM community.

Paul

It is probably hard to vote for one of these programs and its respective editors since they are both advancing in different directions. RTC takes the classical route, is more intuitive and (since the editor is not yet in a state tested enough to completely rely on it) text-based and sets out for enhancing the original dungeon master with "fitting in style" features (Spellbook, dungeon automatically adjusting to team strength ...).

CSBwin for my taste is more powerful (although many of it's features have not been used/tested as well in new dungeons) and takes a route away from the classical possibilities, twisting functionalities in quite unexpected directions (monsters with bigger size than intended on one tile, DSA ...) I personally prefer the latter for I've seen what someone with dedication can do with (and to!) it while playtesting Conflux II and CSBuild has seen amazing developments (all the de-cloning functionalities for example, to name only one).

Regards, PitD

RTC is a new engine, that is basically reaching back to be as muchlike DM as possible
CSB4win was a convertion of DM/CSB that is now reachign out to be as expanded as possible.
It's a case of what you want, really, but i don't imagine they will ever be compatible because they are reachign for the middle ground of 'like DM but new too' in completely different ways - CSB4win dungeons probably have too many twists for converting to RTC, and RTC format is just far too different.
I think old dungeons will be successfully ported to both, in the end, but that is it.

I would actually say RTC has an edge being new, for example you can have unlimited ability to create new objects and large dungeon environments, plus its own background mechanics are simple and un-DM like to allow complex items to be developed. While George never liked the idea of allowing new spells, perhaps the ability to re-assign the runes and damage for each offensive spell could be easily added in a config file while compiling...
Paul has done alot, but he is always having to work around the limitations or bolt on to the existing engine, and some of the tricks for Conflux II were achieved with CSBEdit and knoledge of the graphics.dat I believe

The only thing that is sure is that a) preferences seem personal, and not because either is worse than the other, and that b) both authors are still happy enough to support and continue with their hobby - so i think as long as you commit and pick one, you will find any shortcomings you feel, might be worked around or accomodated

I must check out CSBwin