Help me remember an old DOS RPG game. (Ultima-like?)

[superstalin]

Help me remember an old DOS RPG game. (Ultima-like?)

This is something I've been struggling for a few years(!). I remember I used to play an RPG game around 1999-2000. I believe it ran on DOS.

Gameplay:
I'm not exactly sure, but I *THINK* the gameplay was rogue-like. I'm not 100% sure here! I would move with the arrow keys, and just "move" into the direction of enemies until they were killed. It had a gold system that I could buy things with(?). The game had NO party system, and NO 3D-Dungeon mode. The starting map is very green, with a castle and trees near you. I think it also had Ultima-style menu screen, where you press the buttons to select them: (S)tart, (C)reate, etc. But then again, maybe not...

Graphics:
Pretty DOS-y. Top down 2D. I remember green, and the text "GOLD" being there somewhere. The "avatar" you play as is what I remember most vivedly. It looks similar to the Avatar in Ultima 1, 2 and 3. The sword graphic on the avatar is rather long, almost like a sabre. It was also carrying a shield. The avatar graphic was static, I think. Another thing I remember vividly is that the avatar was long, unlike the avatars in Ultima.

It looks very similar to the Ultima Avatar... But the character is longer (Vertically) and the sword is much longer and curvier.


The game wasn't one exe file, it had a bunch of files. Also, the entire game fit onto a floppy. I remember doing this.


Some of you may think that it's a remake (or an original) of Ultima. You may be right, but I tried Ultima 1-4, and they are very similar, but were not it. The game I played had no party system (you were solo).

So, can anyone help me out with this? This has been driving me mad for the past few years.


Please help me remember!

 

[SerratedBiz]

The Magic Candle, maybe?

 

[Jasede]

Nah, you had a party in that...

Was it a commercial game or some wacky freeware?

(RE Magic Candle - look at this, worth a shot at least.)

 

[superstalin]

Nah, you had a party in that...

Was it a commercial game or some wacky freeware?

(RE Magic Candle - look at this, worth a shot at least.)

No, that's not it. The graphics had a lot more colors than that. Everything in the game window object was "bigger" too, I think.

 

[Jasede]

What kind of graphics? 320x240 quality, with 256 colors?

 

[poocolator]

I'm going to blow a gasket trying to solve this one...

 

[superstalin]

What kind of graphics? 320x240 quality, with 256 colors?

I'm not sure of the exact res, but I think either that or 640... And I'm sure it had 256 colors. I remember bright colors...

This is driving me mad.

edit: well, I'm pretty sure it's 320x240... OR something along those lines

 

[SerratedBiz]

So, it's 1999ish and with 256 colors, good graphics?

By the avatar pic you posted I thought it was older.

 

[superstalin]

So, it's 1999ish and with 256 colors, good graphics?

By the avatar pic you posted I thought it was older.

It's older than 1999. I played it IN 1999, so it can't be a game made after 2001 at the latest :wink:

 

[Azrael the cat]

Not the Exile series is it? Don't have screenshots handy, but the original version of that was pretty similar to your description - was remade later with better graphics.

 

[poocolator]

Half the fun is in trying to remember which of the many, sweet, old games played it actually is.

 

[superstalin]

Just checked out Exile, not it. Exile's graphics are... Too flashy, and the resolution is too high.

 

[Andhaira]

Legends of Steel is the game you mean. It was released in 1993.

 

[Jasede]

Google isn't giving my any result for Legends of Steel and 1993; but in some blog a guy is making a game with that name, dated 2006. Legends of Steel DOS gives no result either; what goes?

 

[asper]

Perhaps Vampyr - The Talisman of Invocation ?

Good game, btw.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Google isn't giving my any result for Legends of Steel and 1993; but in some blog a guy is making a game with that name, dated 2006. Legends of Steel DOS gives no result either; what goes?

I think Andhaira means Disciples of Steel which is probably not the game the op is looking for.

 

[Andhaira]

Whoops, yes. I meant disciples of steel. And to be honest that fits what he was looking for to a tee.

 

[mondblut]

There is a lot of shareware clones of early Ultima made in early-mid 90s. Compuserve and AOL were filled with them.

Could be Azalta. Or Walls of Bratock. Or Warwizard. Or Exselsior. Or...

 

[Ammar]

It's a german game, but Die Dunkle Dimension might fit.

http://www.die-dunkle-dimension.de/i-ddd00.htm

 

[getter77]

Maybe Ragnarok/Valhalla?

 

[mondblut]

Whoops, yes. I meant disciples of steel. And to be honest that fits what he was looking for to a tee.

Except that Disciples of Steel did have a party of 8, did have first-person view in dungeons, and was at least 4-5 floppies worth of size.

A grand game it was.

 

[Darth Slaughter]

Should try looking on these lists:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology ... 70_to_1989

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology ... 90_to_1999

or maybe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology ... ideo_games

Well. there are a lot of names on tjose lists. Maybe just reading them... if your game is in there, it might be helpful to your memory.

 

[superstalin]

Thanks for the help guys, but nothing so far...

I remembered a few more things;

It's directly top down 2D. Not a dungeon crawler!

I think the avatar (You) had animations... Very simple one at that. Just walking animations.

The avatar you play as is a lot "taller" than the ones in typical games... It also had a very long sword.

I also remember the game having a really colourful splash screen/menu.

I don't think the worldmap view changed into a combat screen once you touched an enemy. Everything was done in the worldmap screen.


Also, the game may have been a freeware release, and may not exactly be commercial


Is there a site with a lot of screenshot dumps? Maybe going through those will help...

Madness



edit: Oh, another thing, I think your character held the sword on his RIGHT hand... So on the left side when you're looking.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I'm not exactly sure, but I *THINK* the gameplay was rogue-like.

Thanks for the help guys, but nothing so far...

Is there a site with a lot of screenshot dumps? Maybe going through those will help...

Maybe the roguelike graveyard can help: http://www.graveyard.roguelikedevelopment.org/

Ivan and Ragnarok come to mind.

I think the avatar (You) had animations... Very simple one at that. Just walking animations.

Uncommon. Questron and related games would fit that, but their avaters don't have swords.

 

[superstalin]

Actually, I think the combat was the only rogue-like part about it. I remember you could buy weapons in towns. Again, I'm not 100% sure on this one. But I remember using a cheating program to get me a lot of gold and buying something...