Dungeon Master Forum

Hi all,

How big is DM? If you don't know the game from Adam then how long does it generally take for the average guy to get through it?

I remember playing it briefly when it first came out, I was about 3 or 4 years old so forgive me for being rather unsuccessful in tackling it!

Cheers!

Dungeon Master is 14 levels, including the Hall of Champions level (first level). I'm not sure how long it usually takes people to get through the game, though...I haven't played the original game very much lately, just watched my friend play it...I've been playing custom dungeons and making my own dungeon...

Last time I played it, about a month ago, it took me just under four hours to complete. But I know it so well, and admittedly I did refer to the map a few times... I think it took me over seven hours to complete with a four-person party on my first run-through since downloading RTC. I can't remember how long it took me to complete it back on the Atari but I think we spent months over it, however many combined hours that may be. But I was probably about six at the time...
Anyway, you can see some people's times at the Global Hall of Fame - http://ragingmole.com/RTC/scores.html

Excellent, cheers for the reply guys. I really want to get back into it because it's been a VERY long time! Is the Java remake worth a look at or should I get the original? I have dosbox...

keep dosbox but only for other games.
get CSBwin for real original DM.
get RTC for a different (but cool) version.

Hmm, true experts like Antman can do it in about 10 minutes. It's only a guess, but I think a complete beginner not using accomplished maps and walkthroughs would probably take some 24 hours to play through for the first time.

DM Java is probably the most different to DM of the clones, it is definitely challenging with some of the engine quirks - you should play them all and see which you like! DM Java comes what a brand new dungeon that is very challenging but fun if you get into it - you should certainly play the original DM and CSB first if you haven't played in a while

if you dont look at any maps or search the internet on how to solve all the puzzles in the game, i reckon it would take quite a few weeks, if not months to complete (if your not familar with the game)!?

i remember playing it when it 1st came out on my ST, given there was no internet or ways of cheating, it took me and my friends a long time.

some puzzles were so hard, we often stopped playing and came back weeks later.

Same here - it took me months to complete it the first time.

My first play through I only got down to the knight level before catastrophically running out of food / water and deciding to restart.

yeah i remember doing that too!!!

because it took so long to work out the puzzles and stuff, we kept having to restart, because as you say food was in short supply, esp if you take a long time

I would say that the average playing time is about 15-20 hours for a first-timer. The game isn't too hard, but lots of time will be spent on trying out various stuff that may or may not work. Also, finding really EVERYTHING the game has to offer is a much more challenging task! It took me over 15 years before I finally found all pairs of the Boots of Speed...

DM record is 31 mins and 45 secs...

And of course, if you have no maps or anything, you'd have no way of knowing about the Screamer Room and the Rat Room - that the mobs reset so you can keep returning to them for food.

I remember playing DM for the first time on my friend's IIgs. He and I spent months making maps and comparing notes. It's nice to be able to play it again through RTC.

Cheers guys. I first played it on the ST in 1989/90. I remember getting up to 'The Matrix', I think that was what the level was called. It was so confusing we gave up! I also remember a creature attacking us that looked like a tree and you could eat bits of it when you killed it. I've always intended to go back to it because it reminds me of my youth!!!

The tree-like creature would be a Screamer. And "The Matrix" is one section of Level 3, which has five other such sections in which you must get the gold keys to which let you through the doors to the stairs leading to the next level.

A screamer eh? I'm actually playing it now and have just got up to the first screamer... my torch is running out already!!!

off-topic:

when my girlfriend saw a screamer for the first time she shouted out "oh, a broccoli!"

Some more off-topic-ness: Great to see several new members here. Please keep falling in love with the game and return here to this great community! And laztozia: You should have gotten a hint for a light spell that will help you when your torch runs out. And giving the wizards some practice is never a bad thing.

thom wrote:when my girlfriend saw a screamer for the first time she shouted out "oh, a broccoli!"

LOL!

Me and my mates played the Amiga re-release version in the early nineties when we were in our teens. We played it for weeks and weeks and we worked together by discussing the puzzles during school the next day. lol. Those were the days. I think it was a few months before we all completed it.

You don't realise that the game is really tough when you are progressing through it for the first time with no maps or clues (or internet). I think some peoples guesses at 24 hours is a little optimistic to say the least.

The image of 'broccoli' stayed with me for almost 20 years! Maybe it's the reason I wanted to re-discover the game to start with...! Mmmm. Broccoli. I think I know what you mean regarding the light spell, I'll have to work on my mana!

I'm surprised actually by how many early20s fans DM has, we were all so young when it came out. It hasn't lost it's appeal. Awesome game.

laztozia wrote:I was about 3 or 4 years old so forgive me for being rather unsuccessful in tackling it! Cheers!

I can't get my head around being that young and playing DM. I was about 16 when I first played it. I don't think it's possible for a 4 year old to really appreciate the majesty of DM, you must have been very precocious!

I was born in December '84 so I'd've been about three when it first came out. I dunno if we actually got the game as soon as it came out, however. I'd probably have to ask my dad and see if he can remember...which he probably can't.
Regarding your torch(es) btw, I would suggest just not bothering with them at all - if you want light, make it yourself with magic (the scroll is at the top of the first set of stairs, which lead down to Level 2) and get some Wizzy levels .

Hi Gambit, I was born in Sep '83, and the game of course came out in '87, however, I didn't actually play it until around '89/90, so I was 6 going on 7!!! Don't know how I managed to work it out as 3 or 4!

Well magic seems to be the way forward for me, I'll have to explore the concept a little more when I get to work tomorrow!

I've also just downloaded the DM Java for future reference, but there is no executable in the folder. I have absolutely no idea how to launch it through Java, help!

For that exact DM feel you remember, get the CSBwin version. It feels so good because it IS exact and true to the original. RTC and Java a very good, and surpass the original in other ways, but never the less, they are not a perfect match.

PaulH wrote:It feels so good because it IS exact and true to the original.

Unless you had an Amiga...

I'm sure my hand was flesh coloured when I played it originally : )

Java doesn't use an executable - if you go to the DM Java forums, I believe there is a recent post at the top of the bugs section or something that detasils exactly how to create a short cut to run the game

Cheers guys, where do I get the CSBwin version from? Thanks! I played it on the ST, but I also had an Amiga, never owned it on that though. I think it's time I bought an ST & an Amiga, I have loads of floppy disks with stories & stuff that I wrote years ago. Is there any Amiga emulation software that recognises Amiga disks?

I've found it guys, ST version here we come!!!

laztozia wrote:Is there any Amiga emulation software that recognises Amiga disks?

Aahhh... welcome to the wonderful world of Emulation. These sites should probably be your first stop:

http://www.winuae.net/
http://www.abime.net/

Note that you can't [nearly] read Amiga disks on a PC, but there are ways of getting the information from your Amiga onto a PC using networking or PC formatted disks and a thing called CrossDos. Searching ABIME should get you started.

I played DM on Amiga too -- far superior to the ST version. Really wish Paul Stevens had converted *that* version -- magic map anyone?