I remember reading about DS for months in Crash! mag, so rushed out to buy when it came out. At first I thought it was excellent, great graphics and sounds. But as the hours went on it became clear the game was bugged to hell and boring. Fights remained stuck with your key members locked and unable to control, and I didn't have much control over the few men I did have wandering around avoiding enemy characters. Once you lose your Mystic you're stuffed which happened regularly.
@Andrewjk73 It's a good idea to protect your Mystic (e.g. with your Savage!) - even better to have another Mystic join your company, in case your original Mystic needs to be released! ;-)
@Andrewjk73 If you look after your Thane at the start (steer him away from getting cursed soon and then killed!) and make sure your own Mystic is protected (by Savage, Assassin or Reaper), I think some of Grisul's company join yours by their free will (may included a Mystic - can't remember if he automatically joined or if he was persuaded or bribed!)!
Used to love this game, spent hours on it. It was really a quality game once you got into it and knew what you were doing. Could always complete it in the end but it took a fair while.
Having now watched the video I have to say... it looks really bloody boring. Kind of like Sword Of Sodan, but without the charm of being so shit it's funny.
There should be about 10 commands, limited to just which ones the character can use, not trial & error. The multiple command list is pointless - characters should use all 3 at once, instead of just one at a time. It's also impossible to keep track of where enemy characters are etc.
A modern version with some user friendly interface could make this game a classic. Lom 3 on the PC had elements of this game but again, you never really did a great deal and could ignore most of what was going on.
Well, that game looks like it's been fully analysed. A well presented thesis which gains you first class honours. Probably a more honest description of the game than any of the mags managed.
If anyone made a modern version of this I think speccy users would be very wary of it!
I never actually played this game, but I do remember buying book of graph paper from WHSmiths and copying the sprites from the cover of Sinclair User (issue 54 for the nerds out there).
You didn't miss much! A bit like a barmaid. Nice to look at but you ain't gonna get anything out of it. Copying the sprites onto graph paper sounds like a lot more fun.
What an over-rated game this is. Flawed in so many ways. Most of the commands are redundant and it's difficult to realistically move all your fellas about with some kind of decent stratagem in mind. Before long everyone tends to hate you and all your men are stuck waiting to die. The entire game revolves around who has the most Mystics.
It could have been great this. It's strangely atmospheric, however. LOM3 on the PC was also like this - great potential but flawed to buggery.
At the time it was amazing with the large sprites. As you say the commands just seem to be ignored. I've played this 3 times in the last few days. First following your tips, then doing it from WoS tips and then just doing my own thing. The result - it didn't make any difference. Playing this for nearly an hour each time just to end up nowhere! Maybe it's best to kill your own Mystic right at the start to save you the pain of wasting your life away on a pile of shite like this!
I actually thought I'd had the game figured once - I managed to charm a Mystic to my side and another Thane and had all my assassins stalk the red dude's Mystics. Had the Thralls go after them too (hint the first Thrall who dies immediately can be made to follow the Reaper at the beginning - he'll kill a few before snuffing it). I killed 3 red Mystics and thought that was the last of them - but there was another. Soon all my men were cursed and killed. You just never feel in control.
I had another go at it this morning, fool that I am! Got a few good early kills in before it went pear-shaped and my mystic ended up cursed and, shortly after, poked in the chops.
Another thing that annoys me is the tune that plays whenever someone switches allegiance to another faction. There's no way of knowing if they are joining or leaving you at the time, plus it pauses the game. When I tried to record the game for a review, I literally had about a minute and a half where the tune played continuously and I just wanted to get on with it.
I also hate this game because it makes me want to cry when my Thane goes on the backfoot against a lowly Thrall and eats knife.
I didn't realise what the tune was all about but it is annoying! This could have been a classic game. It has all the features but they fail to gel together. Given that it has a save command leads me to believe that it's going to take several days to complete it. There is no feeling of achievement at the end of the game. It just feels like you've wasted your time!
What's with the Reaper (presumably holding the Dark Sceptre) always fighting the Thrall at the start of the a game. I never understood that.
Andrewjk73 8 months ago
It was a great game. Very atmospheric, but rather boring also ))
MrMelgib 9 months ago
I remember reading about DS for months in Crash! mag, so rushed out to buy when it came out. At first I thought it was excellent, great graphics and sounds. But as the hours went on it became clear the game was bugged to hell and boring. Fights remained stuck with your key members locked and unable to control, and I didn't have much control over the few men I did have wandering around avoiding enemy characters. Once you lose your Mystic you're stuffed which happened regularly.
Andrewjk73 1 year ago
@Andrewjk73 It's a good idea to protect your Mystic (e.g. with your Savage!) - even better to have another Mystic join your company, in case your original Mystic needs to be released! ;-)
VenusInTaurus 1 year ago
@VenusInTaurus I did recruit other Mystics although that wasnt easy to do, and even then they'd get stuck in combat, cursed or petrified.
Andrewjk73 8 months ago
@Andrewjk73 If you look after your Thane at the start (steer him away from getting cursed soon and then killed!) and make sure your own Mystic is protected (by Savage, Assassin or Reaper), I think some of Grisul's company join yours by their free will (may included a Mystic - can't remember if he automatically joined or if he was persuaded or bribed!)!
VenusInTaurus 8 months ago
At that period in time the game's graphics and sound were awesome!!
alkatifa04 1 year ago
i have just posted up a video of how to complete this game in under 60 seconds
tlachta 1 year ago
You should do the "stalk umbrags reaper" with that thrall. It was a nice way to keep track of the reaper with the sceptre
GenocideKommando1 1 year ago
Used to love this game, spent hours on it. It was really a quality game once you got into it and knew what you were doing. Could always complete it in the end but it took a fair while.
RainManNineNineNine 2 years ago
It was a fantastic game with good gfx and sound.
jinxxyy 3 years ago
No one can complain about the graphics they are with doubt excellent. The game's not very good to play though.
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
Having now watched the video I have to say... it looks really bloody boring. Kind of like Sword Of Sodan, but without the charm of being so shit it's funny.
mathowlett 3 years ago
It's okay to play but unrewarding. Too many commands for a start. It would take a lot of experimenting to get anywhere in this.
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
There should be about 10 commands, limited to just which ones the character can use, not trial & error. The multiple command list is pointless - characters should use all 3 at once, instead of just one at a time. It's also impossible to keep track of where enemy characters are etc.
A modern version with some user friendly interface could make this game a classic. Lom 3 on the PC had elements of this game but again, you never really did a great deal and could ignore most of what was going on.
collieuk 3 years ago
Well, that game looks like it's been fully analysed. A well presented thesis which gains you first class honours. Probably a more honest description of the game than any of the mags managed.
If anyone made a modern version of this I think speccy users would be very wary of it!
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
I never actually played this game, but I do remember buying book of graph paper from WHSmiths and copying the sprites from the cover of Sinclair User (issue 54 for the nerds out there).
mathowlett 3 years ago
You didn't miss much! A bit like a barmaid. Nice to look at but you ain't gonna get anything out of it. Copying the sprites onto graph paper sounds like a lot more fun.
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
What an over-rated game this is. Flawed in so many ways. Most of the commands are redundant and it's difficult to realistically move all your fellas about with some kind of decent stratagem in mind. Before long everyone tends to hate you and all your men are stuck waiting to die. The entire game revolves around who has the most Mystics.
It could have been great this. It's strangely atmospheric, however. LOM3 on the PC was also like this - great potential but flawed to buggery.
collieuk 3 years ago 4
At the time it was amazing with the large sprites. As you say the commands just seem to be ignored. I've played this 3 times in the last few days. First following your tips, then doing it from WoS tips and then just doing my own thing. The result - it didn't make any difference. Playing this for nearly an hour each time just to end up nowhere! Maybe it's best to kill your own Mystic right at the start to save you the pain of wasting your life away on a pile of shite like this!
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
I actually thought I'd had the game figured once - I managed to charm a Mystic to my side and another Thane and had all my assassins stalk the red dude's Mystics. Had the Thralls go after them too (hint the first Thrall who dies immediately can be made to follow the Reaper at the beginning - he'll kill a few before snuffing it). I killed 3 red Mystics and thought that was the last of them - but there was another. Soon all my men were cursed and killed. You just never feel in control.
collieuk 3 years ago
I had another go at it this morning, fool that I am! Got a few good early kills in before it went pear-shaped and my mystic ended up cursed and, shortly after, poked in the chops.
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago
Another thing that annoys me is the tune that plays whenever someone switches allegiance to another faction. There's no way of knowing if they are joining or leaving you at the time, plus it pauses the game. When I tried to record the game for a review, I literally had about a minute and a half where the tune played continuously and I just wanted to get on with it.
I also hate this game because it makes me want to cry when my Thane goes on the backfoot against a lowly Thrall and eats knife.
collieuk 3 years ago
I didn't realise what the tune was all about but it is annoying! This could have been a classic game. It has all the features but they fail to gel together. Given that it has a save command leads me to believe that it's going to take several days to complete it. There is no feeling of achievement at the end of the game. It just feels like you've wasted your time!
SPINNYFUCK 3 years ago