Boldly going where angels (and other reviewers) fear to tread, the Balg this month experiences the Last Days of the Planet Doom as well as reading all about the secret art of adventure writing...
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News
Adventure PD!
A new adventure PD library is being set up by Debby Howard (adventure columnist for the United Amstrad User Group magazine CPC User). At the moment Debby is looking for adventures to add to her library so, if you have written an adventure which you would like to go PD, then send an SAE for more information to her at 10 Overton Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9SD. Making your first adventures Public Domain is an excellent way of getting a name made for yourself (as shown by Ken Bond). Debby has not yet opened the library, so please don't write to her asking for games!
WoW Software
As reported in last month's Balrog, Joan Pancott HPilg, has started her own software house called 'WoW Software'. The initial selection of adventures includes three new titles (Simply Magic, Crispin Crunchy and Time) and a whole pile of re-releases (including the Lost Phirious and Arnold trilogies). More details can be obtained by writing to Joan at 78 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9RS or phoning (0305) 784155 any day between 1 and 10pm.
Amstrad Success at Adventure Probe Awards
Adventure Probe magazine has just held its first convention and Amstrad users collected many of the awards on offer. Ken Bond scooped the 'Best text only 8-bit adventure of the year' for his game, The Island. Joan Pancott HPilg was awarded 'Most helpful adventurer of the year' and Lorna Patterson 'Best playtester of the year'. Scapeghost by Level 9 was awarded 'Best graphic adventure game' and Delta 4's Mindfighter was 'Biggest game let down of the year'. Apparently a good time was had by all at the convention and the editor, Mandy Rodrigues HBalg, is already planning the next one.
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Reviews
The Last Days of Doom
Topologika, PO Box 39, Stilton, Peterborough PE7 3RL. Tel (0733) 244682
£19.95 + 50p post, disc only.
Last Days of Doom is the third and final part of Topologika's Doom series of games (the other two being Countdown to Doom and Return to Doom - see the mini-reviews below). Written by Peter Killworth, (author of Philosopher's Quest - a classic game) Last Days is, in Peter's own words, 'cosmic in parts - after winning, you'll literally never be the same again!' - strong words to say about any adventure - is Last Days really that good?
Well, I'm not sure if it will change your life but Last Days is certainly a good game. This time the planet Doomawangara (Doom for short) is dying... and only you can save it. Doomquakes, eruptions and other nasty things are happening on the surface and goodness knows what's happening underground. To cap it all, a third artefact has turned up, not far from a ruined, walled city. The experts reckon Doom will blow up in a few days time and any sane person would stay away - but you feel you have to try and help. As usual you crash on the planet whilst trying to land - this is where the game starts with you in your ship with your crew of three (don't worry about them - they're all crushed to death about a minute later!) - the crashed cruiser is quickly slipping into a deep chasm and you'll have to escape fast or the chasm will turn into your tomb! What follows is a race against time to escape the ship and rescue your trusty robotic dog companion - yes, the lovable dog from Return to Doom is back, and is a good side-kick - a sort of Topologika version of Floyd. Rescuing the dog is difficult, and sets the tempo for the level of difficulty throughout the rest of game - this is not only one of Peter Killworth's best games
but also one of his hardest!
You needn't have played the previous two games to enjoy Last Days of Doom but it helps a lot! If you have already visited the planet Doom and experienced the various inhabitants before, then the atmosphere and enjoyment of Last Days is greatly increased. In fact knowledge of the previous games, though not essential for completion of Last Days, does help. If you have played Return and Countdown then you will be much more prepared for some of the puzzles you encounter.
Puzzles are what Last Days of Doom is all about - they vary from simple object manipulation to incredibly complicated time related posers. These puzzles cause a lot of frustration in the game; there are some objects that can only be used once, but due to a lack of an examine command or a helpful description you have no idea what they are! What follows is a lot of saving and restoring whilst you experiment with various spheres, rods and cylinders to try and discover what they all do. In fact you will find yourself dying a lot in this game as it is so difficult - with no ramsave or oops you'll have to rely on good old-fashioned saving to disc which, although fast, is still an annoyance.
As with all Topologika games, Last Days of Doom has a comprehensive on-line help system - structured in stages, you initially get a partial clue, then a more detailed one, and so on. You are more or less guaranteed to use the help function of Last Days with the difficulty level of the puzzles being so high in places!
The package also comes with a bonus game, Hezarin, on the B-side of the disc. Hezarin is a typical swords and sorcery style exploratory game - it's large and well written and it compliments the science fiction style of Last Days well.
Last Days is expensive - it's nearly double the price of the first two titles in the trilogy and £5 more expensive than Avon, but when you take into consideration the bonus game the price works out reasonable - even so, £20 is a lot of money for any adventure...
Originality and well written games are Topologika's strong point - where other companies have moved on to developing flashy parsers and amazing graphics, Topologika has stuck with its original format. Although these flashy parsers and amazing graphics do add to a game, they sometimes can hide an unoriginal, illogical and poorly written game. If you would like to play a good old-fashioned challenging adventure with loads of well-thought-out logical puzzles, then buy it - in fact I recommend buying the whole trilogy - you won't regret your decision and you'll be busy adventuring for a while!
Atmosphere 80%
Interaction 67%
Challenge 90%
Overall 82%
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Countdown to Doom (reviewed AA26)
£11.95, disc only
You are introduced to the mysterious planet of Doom after you crash-land upon the surface. The planet's atmosphere is slowly corroding your spaceship so you must repair it quickly or be doomed... whilst searching for the spare parts you'll also find various treasures. If you can escape, you'll be a very rich adventurer.
Overall 59%
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Return to Doom (reviewed AA35)
£11.95, disc only
You visit Doom again, this time in answer to an ambassadorial distress call. RTD has devilishly difficult puzzles and introduces you to your trusty robot dog who plays a large part in Last Days.
Overall 70%
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S P E C I A L O F F E R
Brian Kerslake of Topologika has put together a special offer for AA readers - buy any three Topologika games for only £27!
So you could buy the complete Doom trilogy for £27 (a saving of £17) or any other three Topologika games. The games available are -
Acheton (AA29 - 69%), Avon (AA51 - 87%), Monster of Murdac (AA11 - 75%), Countdown to Doom (AA26 - 59%), Return to Doom (AA35 - 70%), Last Days of Doom, Giant Killer, Kingdom of Hamil, Philosophers Quest (AA26 - 58%), Hezarin.
All you have to do is write out a cheque for £27 made payable to Topologika, send it to them at PO Box 39, Stilton, Peterborough PE7 3RL along with the three game titles you want. This special offer is only open to January 1st so hurry!
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Computer Adventures - The Secret Art
Author: Gil Williamson
Publisher: Amazon Systems, Merlewood, Lodge Hill Road, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3RD.
ISBN 1-872755-00-3
Price £7.95
'Computer Adventures - The Secret Art' is aimed at all who are interested in writing adventure games (and let's face it, who hasn't wished at one time that they could write a good adventure?) or people who are just interested in how a good adventures is written. As the author says, there is an art to writing a good adventure and this book is intended to teach you this art.
Gil has analysed the features of successful games, and presented them in the form of a Do-It-Yourself manual. The book reveals the secrets of how to plan, how to write and how to sell computer adventure games - guiding you through all aspects of writing adventure games - from conceptualisation and collection of ideas, through to programming, testing and marketing.
The book assumes that you have played adventure games before but it does not assume any programming knowledge - in fact the book is not machine specific - although PAW, Quill and GAC are mentioned in it.
With chapters on how to get ideas, developing and testing your game, game-writing systems and creating non-player characters the book seems to have nothing missing. It's well written - 128 pages of inspiration and reference material - if you're serious about writing an adventure then read it: your adventure will be easier to write and will be better. An indispensable asset for the serious adventure author.
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Balrog Post
Please Help !!
'I am interested in buying an adventure writer for my CPC464, but I do not have very much money to spend! Please advise a good, cheap package on tape only (64k only too!)'
Jonathon Burton, Hale.
The cheapest creator around (and still very good) is the Quill - available from Gilsoft at £3.99. Write to Gilsoft at 2 Park Crescent, Barry, South Glamorgan, CF6 8HD. GAC is also still available from Incentive Software - Zephyr One, Calleva Park, Aldermaston, Berkshire, RG7 4QW. Price is £22.95 on cassette and £27.95 disc - cheaper versions can be bought by looking at the adverts from mail order companies. If you decide to invest in a disc drive then you can always use the PAW (available from Gilsoft as well) - PAW is probably the best adventure creator on the CPC. If you have a ROM board then you should also consider ADLAN (reviewed AA60).
'I am interested in starting to learn to play adventure games, please can you suggest a starter for me. I have a disc machine.' writes S Drew of Weston-super-Mare.
A good game to start adventuring on is Gnome Ranger or Lancelot - both available from Level 9. The reason I recommend them is that the packaging is very comprehensive in introducing new players to the world of adventuring. Level 9 can be contacted at PO Box 39, Weston-super-Mare, Avon BS24 9UR or Tel: (0934) 814450. Fax: (0703) 331523. I would also recommend any Infocom game, but nowadays it is quite difficult to find any companies that still have stocks left.
Play testing
I noticed, in one of your recent issues of Amstrad Action, that one of your readers was asking for advice on getting his games playtested. If anyone would like their game tested I would only be too willing to help them. I have tested some of my friend's games and I've been playing adventure games for six years.
Glenn Gough, 16 St Aidans Road, West-Chadsmoor, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 2PC.
Thanks for your kind offer Glen, if anyone is interested in becoming a playtester or wants their game tested then get in touch with Joan Pancott HPilg - Joan is too busy to test the games herself but will be able to put you in touch with someone who can.
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Bard's Tale Club
Philip Bowden can kill Mangar but then finds that he cannot escape the tower - his party dies in the end of exhaustion - can anyone please tell him how to escape the top level?
Philip also enclosed some tips for people who have not yet completed the game '...the sewers have four levels, the catacombs have three, the castle has three, Kylearn's tower has one and Mangar's tower has five. You will also need three geometric shapes in order to enter the final section of the top floor of Mangar's Tower. There is one shape in the castle and one in each of the towers.
112 Misbourne Road, Hillingdon, Middlesex.
Philip Martin has sent in a Bards Tale armour list which should be some help in getting the most out of your characters equipment:-
Armour/Shield Value (gp) Reduces armour class by
Buckler 40 1
Tower Shield 100 2
Luckshield 800 2
Mithril Shield 400 3
Admt Shield 500 4
Diamond Shield 1500 5
Pure Shield 2000 5
Leather Armour 70 2
Chain-mail 150 3
Mithril Chain 500 4
Admt Chain 800 5
Diamond Chain ??? 6
Scale Armour 300 4
Mithril Scale 900 5
Admt Scale ??? 6
Diamond Scale ??? 7
Plate Armour 700 5
Mithril Plate 2000 6
Admt Plate ??? 7
Diamond Plate ??? 8
Helm 50 1
Mithril Helm 300 2
Admt Helm 400 3
Diamond Helm 1100 4
Spirithelm 50000 3
Gauntlets 40 1
Leather Gloves 80 1
Mithril Gloves 400 2
Admt Gloves 500 3
Diamond Gloves ??? 4
Elf Cloak 500 2
Shield Ring 700 2
Bracers [6] 600 4
Bracers [4] 1000 6
Bracers [2] 1400 8
Robes 40 1
Ali's carpet 800 2
Shield Staff 1000 2
Silver Triangle 1000 1
29 Masefield Avenue, B/Wood, Herts WP6 2HH.
'Please enrol me in your club. I have an 80th level party with 61 million in gold, 900 hit points, 700 spell points and maximum stats for all members. I have completed the game (thanks to Lawrence and Brian!) The answer to the magic mouth on level 2 of the castle is 'shields' and on level 3 it is 'skull tavern', the spectre snare is at 21 north, 10 east in Mangar 5
Adrian "Slayer" Forbes, 37 Victoria Road, Gourock, Scotland PA19 1DF. Tel: (0475) 33633 6pm-10pm any day.
Simon 'Aragorn' Netherwood has also completed the game of legends and is offering assistance to all who need it.
36 Toothill Bank, Rostrick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 3EZ. Tel: (0484) 714326.
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Clue Sniffing with the Balrog
This is the only true clue pot for people in sticky situations. Accept no imitations.
Note well these names:
Simon 'Aragorn' Netherwood, Huddersfield
Ross Instone and David Roff, Walsall
Nigel Arnott, Stretford
Trevor Fuller
Hazis Dolgizas
Simon Avery, Chudleigh
These adventurers have earned everlasting gratitude for sending in their tips for this month's Clue Pot. You too can help fellow adventurers out of their misery, as well as having the satisfaction of seeing your name in print and published around the world...
Base (especially for M J Palmer)
To get through the grill in the showers use soap after removing all clothes and go down.
Lift the grate with the crowbar.
The Big Sleaze
Whisper to the librarian about the maltese bullfinch.
Central Park: Get out of car, Nx2, W, get net, E, N, E, N, W, N, examine bridge, shoot whale, catch whale, examine whale, get bullfinch, S, E, S, W, Sx3, get in car, touch wires, drive to Central Manhatten, get out, S, SE, enter building, push button, enter elevator, push button 102, leave elevator.
Castle of the Skull Lord
Get the saw. Climb the tree. Get the bee hive. Go down. Chop the tree. Get the oar - you need this to row the boat. Give the bee hive to the bear to get the key - which you need to open the castle door. You need a bone to hit the dog with. When you are hanging on the rope drop the torch. In the castle get the cross and holy water then bless cross. Show cross to vampire now you can get the torch.
Corruption
If you can't get away from the Hospital then try this one:-
WAIT until Nurse Stephenson goes out of your ward. GET UP. TAKE ALL FROM BRIEFCASE AND EMPTY BED. S, W, WEAR BANDAGE. Go to the TV room and GET ALL FROM LOCKER (having opened it). GET STETHOSCOPE (from Boris) then PUT them ALL EXCEPT PAPERS (which you must PUT ON BED) INTO PILLOW CASE. Go outside the Operating Theatre. LIE ON BED.
It's not necessary to get out of the Ambulance but if you don't want your things to stay in the pillow case then GET UP and GET ALL FROM PILLOW CASE. WEAR CLOTHES. REMOVE BANDAGE AND PYJAMAS. OPEN DOOR and when the traffic has stopped Outside le Monaco simply type "S".
The main reason for going to Hospital is for the stethoscope with the help of which you can open David's safe found by REMOVing the TV. So WEAR the stethoscope. PUT it on safe TURN DIAL until it swings open.
Dracula (especially for Rene Johansen)
Part 2: Examine the seat in the carriage and open the compartment and get the blankets and wear them to survive the cold. Feel around in the bats mouth and press the button to gain entry into the castle.
In the coach look in the woman's eyes.
Subsunk (especially for Stephen Wilson)
Fill beaker with water from basin. Get the broom from the broom cupboard and rubber sucker from tool box. Attach sucker to broom and you now have a plunger for the sink. Plunge basin and the water stops. This also drains all the water from the area below the 2nd deck passage.
Very Big Cave Adventure (especially for Darren Gregory)
To get the bird, open the can (and do it again for the Python!)
Wolfman (especially for Rene Johansen)
The numbers by the lock are linked to letters of the alphabet and read INSERT KEY AND PUSH.
Keith O'Conor has the answer to James Burr's problem in Jinxter:- To carry the saddle across the cloud, put it in the sack (the one that the gardener leaves behind.)
That incredibly helpful ranger, Simon Netherwood, has come to the rescue of Stephen Farrelly in Kentilla and Tim Bell in Rigel's Revenge:-
Kentilla: You need to go Sx3, W from Timandra to find Zelda and then S,W to the castle.
Rigel's Revenge: After getting the bomb, mine detector, Rigelian uniform and gun, turn the dial on the detector and cross the mine field.
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Help!
Desperately stuck in an adventure? Then send in your question to the Balrog and it will be printed in the magazine. If you can, write to a Lord or Lady of Adventure but, if you can't find one with the game you want, then write to the Balg.
Stephen Borner is troubled with Ingrid's Back and Lord of the Rings - In part three of Ingrid's Back he has the painting, diamond, letter and filofax but he can't get into the office, safe or bedroom.
In the Lord of the Rings he does not know how to get out of the Old Forest.
M J Palmer is stuck in Shard of Inovar - How do you get the amulet of fire from the temple and get past the Naslava?
Paul Stones has a couple of problems in Tombstone - he would like to know how you get past the ghost on the first stairway and also how you get out of the well.
J Constable is desperate for help in 'The Mystery of Arkham Manor' - 'He has found all the objects on side one of the tape except how to get the cross in the church. Everytime he tries to get the cross the Vicar arrives and says 'leave that alone'. Also do you have to say anything to the Blacksmith to get him to talk?'
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Lords & Ladies
Five new Lords of Adventure join the Balrog's column this month, each one raring to answer your every problem - all you have to remember is to be polite and don't forget the SSAE!
Forest at World's End, Kobyashi Naru, Message from Andromeda, Quest for the Golden Egg-cup, Rigel's Revenge, Snowball & Venom.
Bill Bennett, 171 Stapleton Hall Road, London N4. Tel: (081) 340 3884.
Questprobe 3.
Rich Thomas, 85A St. Johns Road, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 3AL. Tel: (0543) 503045, Mon-Fri, 5-10pm.
Colour of Magic, Forest at World's End, Gnome Ranger, Heroes of Karn, Rebel Planet, Questprobe, Seabase Delta & Subsunk.
The Dragon Master, 12 Gretton Crescent, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 ODY.
Knightmare.
Ross Younger, 3 Cammo Parkway, Edinburgh, EH4 8EP.
Adult II, Base, Forest at World's End, Ghost House, Gremlins, Heroes of Karn, Hollywood Hijinx, Island, Message from Andromeda, Moonmist, Seabase Delta, Test & Wolfman.
Ben Isba, 11 South Road, Bowdon, Cheshire, WA14 2JZ