Can anyone identify an old computer game that may not exist?
March 6, 2010 8:59 AM Subscribe
Another game of guess that old computer game... I'm looking for a pre-1997 RPG.
I'm trying to remember the title of an old computer RPG I played years ago. The time frame was around 1995 (give or take a couple years), so I had a 386 (but I believe the game would run fine on a 286, possibly 8086 but I'm not sure about that). The game itself was a standard RPG overland and dungeon crawl.
What was most notable about it was it allowed for limb damage. Other than that I don't recall it having anything to recommend it...
Other details:
I'm pretty sure it wasn't an SSI game, definitely not based off D&D rulesets. And it wasn't a rogue-like.
For some reason I recall it having a yellow or orange screen. I don't know whether that's true or whether I'm just remembering wrong - although I did have a full color monitor so it wouldn't be due to having one of those weird old orange monitors.
I've looked through all of the RPGs at HotU and don't see it listed. So either it's not there or I'm just not recognizing it:
http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/genre.php?offset=0&id=7&sort=year&sg=0
I'm trying to remember the title of an old computer RPG I played years ago. The time frame was around 1995 (give or take a couple years), so I had a 386 (but I believe the game would run fine on a 286, possibly 8086 but I'm not sure about that). The game itself was a standard RPG overland and dungeon crawl.
What was most notable about it was it allowed for limb damage. Other than that I don't recall it having anything to recommend it...
Other details:
I'm pretty sure it wasn't an SSI game, definitely not based off D&D rulesets. And it wasn't a rogue-like.
For some reason I recall it having a yellow or orange screen. I don't know whether that's true or whether I'm just remembering wrong - although I did have a full color monitor so it wouldn't be due to having one of those weird old orange monitors.
I've looked through all of the RPGs at HotU and don't see it listed. So either it's not there or I'm just not recognizing it:
http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/genre.php?offset=0&id=7&sort=year&sg=0
What did the interface look like? Games from back then didn't have too many graphics, there must be some identifying feature you remember.
Are you sure it wasn't Phantasie 3? It's considerably earlier than 1995, and from SSI, but that's what early RPG + yellow orange screen + limb damage tells me. It did run fine on a 286, I must have wasted a good chunk of my childhood on it.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:30 AM on March 6, 2010
Are you sure it wasn't Phantasie 3? It's considerably earlier than 1995, and from SSI, but that's what early RPG + yellow orange screen + limb damage tells me. It did run fine on a 286, I must have wasted a good chunk of my childhood on it.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:30 AM on March 6, 2010
Any further details would be helpful. My first thought was Entomorph, but it's not as orange as I remember it. That was a sequel to World of Aden: Thunderscape, also not conspicuously orange. Anyway, I remember very little about Entomorph, it may not have limb damage. It had steampunkish elements.
posted by Kattullus at 9:41 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 9:41 AM on March 6, 2010
Wow, I was scraping my brain to remember Phantasie 3 so I could suggest it. I sure remember using a bow and arrow to remove someone's torso! Good times!
posted by aubilenon at 9:49 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by aubilenon at 9:49 AM on March 6, 2010
Ultima Underworld was pretty orange, but you'd probably have remembered the novelty 3D world, right?
posted by themel at 10:27 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by themel at 10:27 AM on March 6, 2010
Limb damage? Orange screen? Knights of Legend!
The time frame is a little earlier than you remember but I'm a hardcore RPG guy and when you say "early RPG" and "limb damage", Knights of Legend is what springs immediately to mind.
Did it have a race called (I think) something like Keldar? Who had semi-vestigial wings which allowed them to fly over very short distances? When you attacked, did you specify type of attack (thrust, swing, chop) and location (low, middle, high)? Did you specify the same for parrying? If so, it's Knights of Legend.
The combat system was very good for its time and I would buy an updated version sight unseen. It had flaws, but it was a great game for all that.
posted by Justinian at 11:03 AM on March 6, 2010
The time frame is a little earlier than you remember but I'm a hardcore RPG guy and when you say "early RPG" and "limb damage", Knights of Legend is what springs immediately to mind.
Did it have a race called (I think) something like Keldar? Who had semi-vestigial wings which allowed them to fly over very short distances? When you attacked, did you specify type of attack (thrust, swing, chop) and location (low, middle, high)? Did you specify the same for parrying? If so, it's Knights of Legend.
The combat system was very good for its time and I would buy an updated version sight unseen. It had flaws, but it was a great game for all that.
posted by Justinian at 11:03 AM on March 6, 2010
Response by poster: It definitely wasn't Fallout.
The interface had a main screen with the terrain, with the right 1/4 of the screen being for stats.
It was set in medieval times - can't remember if it involved magic or not.
posted by krisak at 11:09 AM on March 6, 2010
The interface had a main screen with the terrain, with the right 1/4 of the screen being for stats.
It was set in medieval times - can't remember if it involved magic or not.
posted by krisak at 11:09 AM on March 6, 2010
Response by poster: I don't think it was Phantasie 3 - there was only one player character.
It was either top down or isometric - no 1st person or 3D at all.
posted by krisak at 11:12 AM on March 6, 2010
It was either top down or isometric - no 1st person or 3D at all.
posted by krisak at 11:12 AM on March 6, 2010
Response by poster: It may be Knights of Legend, but the artwork in KoL seems brighter and better than what I'm remembering. Of course, my memory may be a bit poor.
posted by krisak at 11:13 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by krisak at 11:13 AM on March 6, 2010
Response by poster: I do remember it being a royal pain to actually get from the town to a dungeon due to constant monster attacks and continually getting my sword arm hurt. Which makes me think Justinian may be right about Knights of Legend.
posted by krisak at 11:16 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by krisak at 11:16 AM on March 6, 2010
Response by poster: Woops - I guess it's not KoL, since that allows for a four person party.
posted by krisak at 11:18 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by krisak at 11:18 AM on March 6, 2010
Oh, this one a one-player game? Hmmmm, that's interesting. Are you positive?
posted by Justinian at 2:43 PM on March 6, 2010
posted by Justinian at 2:43 PM on March 6, 2010
I think you're gonna have to help us out a little more. An orangey RPG sometime in the early to mid-90s with limb damage isn't much to go on. Is there anything else like "single PC, no party" that you remember? That is the sort of thing that would let us identify it. Just that one factoid eliminates most contenders.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 PM on March 6, 2010
posted by Justinian at 2:55 PM on March 6, 2010
It's not Ultima VI, is it? Between the brick, the reddish brown mud and the dungeons, it's somewhat orange. I don't remember any limb damage and you do have a party. Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams is likewise very orange and yellow, but there you have a party.
posted by Kattullus at 6:33 PM on March 6, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 6:33 PM on March 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Anything else you can give us, like a possible setting or basic plotline?
posted by InsanePenguin at 9:29 AM on March 6, 2010