Dark Designs III: Retribution

[groke]

Does anyone know if there was a DOS release of this game/has a link to the Apple II version? Syndicomm are selling reprints of the Softdisk G-S floppies that the games were released on, but MobyGames doesn't think it exists and I can't find any info about it elsewhere.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Bee to the rescue!

First off, screw those fuckers selling it for five bucks. You can download Softdisk G-S #17 for free here: http://www.apple-iigs.info/software/softdiskgs.htm

(You can download the other volumes there too, by the way.)

Second, this isn't software for Apple II, but rather for Apple IIGS, and thus it won't run on AppleWin or other Apple II emulators. For the GS, I recommend the KEGS32 emulator.

Finally, it runs perfectly -- I've just tested it; here are some screenies:

Here's the disk mounted with KEGS32 (F4 to access the disk mount menu, just FYI.)

Then open the "DD3" folder:

Then run "dark3.gs.system".

Ooh shiny! By John Carmack!

Starting off in a garbade dump! Old school!

Happy New Year! :p

P.S. Thanks for letting me know about the game, by the way. I didn't even know it existed, and I thought I knew every Apple IIGS RPG in existence. (Which was silly of me, of course, since there must be lots of RPGs released on disks like those that no one knows about.)

P.P.S. And no, there is no DOS version from the looks of it.

 

[groke]

Thanks, Bee! I can't believe I went with the CGA DOS port for the first two, the IIGS version looks much nicer and has sound!! I was worried the last game might have vanished, there seems to be info about the first two pretty readily available.

 

[commie]

WHAT THE FUCK? They made a Dark Designs III? The original DD was the first RPG I ever played on my Turbo XT! My love of the RPG came from that game leading directly to the Gold box series then MM and so on! You are a fucking legend Crooked Bee and groke of course for bringing it all to attention!

JC is a legend...got me into FPS and RPG love.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Glad to be of help!

I can't believe I went with the CGA DOS port for the first two, the IIGS version looks much nicer and has sound!!

Yeah, Apple IIGS was something like a state of the art platform back then. Generally, graphics- and sound-wise, I believe only Amiga versions could compete with Apple IIGS versions those days. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

[Humppaleka]

OH MAN Bee, you made my day! Thanks for this, though I didn't even think I'd need this... Started it up and died in a broom closet to a Death Devil or whatever. Only then I got to the main menu. It seems I have a wonderful game ahead of me!

EDIT: ...

 

[Crooked Bee]

EDIT: ...

What?

 

[Humppaleka]

Nothing, just being stupid.

 

[dragonbait]

Bee to the rescue!

First off, screw those fuckers selling it for five bucks. You can download Softdisk G-S #17 for free here: http://www.apple-iigs.info/software/softdiskgs.htm

(You can download the other volumes there too, by the way.)

Thank you very much for the link to the softdisk G-S (#'s 1 through 161)

I've been very much interested in the Dark Design's games (1 through 6).

Games 1 and 2 are the most known of the series and are easy to come by as they were also released in DOS format in addition to the Apple II. Game 3 on Apple II, I have now gotten running successfully through the Kegs32 emulator and info from this post including link to all the Softdisk G-S numerous #releases

Dark Designs 3: Retribution is on Softdisk G-S #17.

I am now working my way one by one through Softdisk's numerous releases to find where the rest of the Dark Designs series reside.

According to MobyGames there is a total of 6 games.

Dark Designs I -Grelminar's Staff DOS + Apple II
Dark Designs II -Closing the Gate DOS + Apple II
Dark Designs III -Retribution! Apple II
Dark Designs IV -Passage to Oblivion Apple II
Dark Designs V -Search for Salvation Apple II
Dark Designs VI -Restoration Apple II

So far I have found these interesting things in the following Softdisk Releases......

#20 = contains something called Catacombs. It has an interesting image though I don't know what it is as I am just searching for the Dark Designs games currently. Perhaps and rpg or adventure game.

#23 = contains a Dark Designs fixer program (looks to be some sort of hack or character modifier for Dark Designs

#27 = contains something called Minstrel which allows both music to be played in addition to whatever Applle IIGS program you are currently using

#37 = contains "Son of Star Axe" + more Minstrel files


In the meantine, I am wondering if anyone here on these forums already knows the location of all the Dark Designs series 1 through 6 on the Softdisk G-S archives. If so, that would really be helpful. Thank you.

 

[Crooked Bee]

In the meantine, I am wondering if anyone here on these forums already knows the location of all the Dark Designs series 1 through 6 on the Softdisk G-S archives. If so, that would really be helpful. Thank you.

Bee to the rescue!

Dark Designs IV -Passage to Oblivion Apple II

Softdisk #146

Dark Designs V -Search for Salvation Apple II

Softdisk #151

Dark Designs VI -Restoration Apple II

Softdisk #157

Source: http://archive.is/nfEET

Do let us know if you happen to find any other obscure RPGs among all those Softdisks, btw.

 

[dragonbait]

Thanks. That helps allot. Still working my way through the disks and since there is such little info on these games online

I have also put together a page on Dark Designs VI: Restoration. Also included on Softdisk #157 is an instruction guide and hintbook for VI which may also be useful for the rest of the series as well. I have screencaptured the manual and hintbook and placed into the html article index table in separate parts for ease of use, along with some in game screen captures. Dark Designs VI seems to be have the most amount of info available from all of the series so I started with that one first. More to come.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, the Dark Designs editor is also on disk 134

along with an arcade style game Ether Quest

Ether Quest seems pretty neat for an Apple II game if you have a joystick hooked up to it.

Oh wow. There isn't any images of the Apple IIGS version of Dark Designs I online anywhere I could find. Mobygames has only the Apple ][ and the DOS version screenshots. http://www.mobygames.com/game/dark-designs-i-grelminars-staff/screenshots

The IIGS version of the game are far superior to both the DOS and Apple II ones.

Dark Designs on Apple IIGS is on Softdisk GS issue #9.

Check out these battle graphics. Sweet!

 

[dragonbait]

Bee to the rescue!

Dark Designs IV -Passage to Oblivion Apple II

Softdisk #146

Dark Designs V -Search for Salvation Apple II

Softdisk #151

Dark Designs VI -Restoration Apple II

Softdisk #157

Source: http://archive.is/nfEET

Do let us know if you happen to find any other obscure RPGs among all those Softdisks, btw.

Well, there were some interesting programs but not really so much in the way of obscure RPG's. Some arcade style games, and the Catacombs game that I had mentioned earlier is the apple IIGS version of a game that I had actually played on DOS back when I was a kid (albeit with very harsh looking CGA graphics at the time), but that game was a damn good game. Apple IIGS version looks much better though.

There were a few shoot em'up arcade style games but nothing that really caught my eye apart from Catacombs, and of course the Dark Designs series that I had been searching for.

Giving huge and definite almighty praise to that Apple IIGS site as the only other place I could find online is selling the entire Softdisk catalog of disks for $40 download or $60 for a CD! Damn! Sorry I only really had interest in the Dark Designs series. Not interested in buying the entire archives.

I've taken some screenshots and made some archives here, in case that Apple ][ site ever goes down.

Dark Designs I Apple IIGS (SoftDisk-GS-#9) & Apple ][ (SoftDisk #103)

Dark Designs II Apple IIGS (SoftDisk-GS-#12) & Apple ][ (SoftDisk #109)

Dark Designs III Apple IIGS (SoftDisk-GS-#17) & Apple ][ (SoftDisk #116)
NOTE: SoftDisk #116 which contains the Apple ][ version of Dark Designs III Retribution does not seem to be available for download from anywhere online. If anyone has softdisk #116, please PM me, thanks. Edit: Roddy295 has located the Apple ][ version of Retribution!

Dark Designs IV Apple ][ Passage to Oblivion (SoftDisk #146)

Dark Designs V Apple ][ Search for Salvation (SoftDisk #151)

Dark Designs VI Apple ][ Restoration (SoftDisk #157)

 

[dragonbait]

SoftDisk #134 contains the Dark Designs Editor for the first 3 Dark Designs Games (both Apple IIGS + Apple [ versions] of the following games)
I: Grelminar's Staff
II: Closing the Gate
III: Retribution

The Character Editor for the 3 games are at this Dark Designs Character Editor Link

You can change your characters combat icons to more evil looking icons, along with character stat modifications and allot of other modifications. See the manual at the above link for futher instructions.

 

[Roddy295]

Softdisk 116 with Dark Designs III for the AppleIIe can be found here:
http://macgui.com/downloads/?mode=c...ethod=file_id&sort_order=DESC&pp=20&start=200
You need to download all four disks (they are for the AppleIIe NOT GS). Do not use download accelerators or the files will be corrupted.

To play DD3 you need to boot "Disk A" first and swap to "Disk C" when asked.

This site also includes all the Softdisks in AIIe DSK multi-disk format as opposed to the other link on this page that has all-in-one 2mg versions for the GS.
I have tested them with AppleWin.
The collection is complete up to disk 166.

If you register on the site, it will let you queue up 50 downloads at a time so you can easily get them all

Enjoy

 

[dragonbait]

Softdisk 116 with Dark Designs III for the AppleIIe can be found here:
http://macgui.com/downloads/?mode=c...ethod=file_id&sort_order=DESC&pp=20&start=200
You need to download all four disks (they are for the AppleIIe NOT GS). Do not use download accelerators or the files will be corrupted.

To play DD3 you need to boot "Disk A" first and swap to "Disk C" when asked.

This site also includes all the Softdisks in AIIe DSK multi-disk format as opposed to the other link on this page that has all-in-one 2mg versions for the GS.
I have tested them with AppleWin.
The collection is complete up to disk 166.

If you register on the site, it will let you queue up 50 downloads at a time so you can easily get them all

Enjoy

Awesome! Thanks! I downloaded all 4 files and combined them into 1 zip file which is now on the Dark Designs III: Retribution page in case anyone else is insterested. It works in AppleWin. The mouse control seems to have a mind of its own but is playable via keyboard control.

Here are some screenshots of the Apple ][ version of Dark Designs III: Retribution!

The start of the game

A battle with Ogres