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Game Design > Dungeons of Daggorath - for inspiration, fun, great gameplay

#46048 - greenllll - Sat Jun 18, 2005 10:22 pm

The Dungeons of Daggorath
http://frodpod.tripod.com/index-2.html

This game was released in 1982.
It was one of the first 3D FPS, and by far the best.
It's gameplay is unmatched.
Those who have played it over 20+ years ago became so devoted to it that many of them have replayed it on emulators just to beat it. Some have ported it to the x86 from the coco. It has a large fan-base because it is extremely fun to play.

Being created in 1982, it is also very simple to port. It uses black & white graphics and simple sound.

I'd like to ask the programmers here to download it's PC port and learn from it, get inspiration, and consider porting it to the GBA.
http://mspencer.net/daggorath/dodpcp.html x86 Port

There is already a forum devoted to Daggorath game development, but no one has taken on the task of porting it to GBA.
http://mspencer.net/forum/viewforum.php?forum=8&469

It's sourcecode is available from the author and the license is very liberal.

If you decide to play this game, you will not be able to play it w/out reading the instructions which are here:
http://members.tripod.com/coco_docs/id19.htm

to quickly get started, play the game & type
p r t
u r
p r sw
m
m
t r
m
a r = attack
...

This game originally fitted on 16k rom.

It should be a very small and easy port for the GBA. I'd do it myself if I could code worth a damn.

#46088 - poslundc - Sun Jun 19, 2005 7:53 pm

Maybe it's just me, but this reads more like a Help Wanted post trying to masquerade itself as a Game Design post...

Dan.

#46091 - Kyoufu Kawa - Sun Jun 19, 2005 8:18 pm

I think I understand. This dude needs no help, he just thinks that if any of us need something to do, we can try Daggorath.

#46322 - greenllll - Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:14 am

Did anyone play it & get a better idea of what great gameplay is about? Was it inspiring for anyone?

#46323 - sajiimori - Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:33 am

wink wink, nudge nudge?

#46372 - Quirky - Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:13 pm

I tried playing it - I even had to fix the Linux version (crashed on startup without this change: remove glClearColor viewer.cpp:382 , open gl is not initialised at this point and seg faults)

It's a bit tricky! I couldn't figure out what to do for ages, attacking seems totally random and the controls are not exactly intuitive.... a GBA port would be doable, but a bit of care would have to be taken on the UI front, I imagine it could play a bit like Dungeon Master or Eye of The Beholder.

#46379 - ScottLininger - Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:07 pm

I played D of D on my TRS-80 when I was a kid. It ROCKED. There was actually a post discussing the "heartbeat" element of the game a few months ago.

I'll have to download it and give the thing a try...

:)

Scott

#46397 - ScottLininger - Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:27 am

That was a massive journey down memory lane. :)

Thanks for posting the game. It wouldn't be hard to port, but the keyboard interface is pretty important to the "feel" of the game, at least to people like me who remember the original.

Ah... I'll have to share that with some friends.

-Scott

#52097 - greenllll - Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:11 pm

Using the keyboard to type in commands to make the user do things was an important element. I agree wit this. I believe they feel can be reproduced using menus and GBA buttons. Instead of "A L<ENTER>" for "Attack with the weapon in the Left hand" maybe <SELECT><A><RIGHT> would have a similar effect. Pressing <SELECT> could bring up a menu where the player can choose Attack as a command, which would be the first option, the default, then select it with the <A> button & then choose which hand by pressing either <RIGHT> or <LEFT> on the directional keypad. So instead of quickly typing in A L <ENTER>, the player will quickly press <SEL><A><RIGHT> repeatedly. The directional keypad might as well be the movement keys. There can be a a virtual keyboard menu for encanting the rings. I think it really is possible to do it while keeping the original feel of the game. I think this game would easily be the best home-brew GBA game ever made if it was made.

#52105 - tepples - Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:21 pm

I haven't played this game, but here are some obvious bindings for a first-person shooter where the player can use weapons in both hands:
  • Up - walk forward
  • Down - walk backward
  • L - walk to left
  • R - walk to right
  • Left - turn left
  • Right - turn right
  • B - left hand
  • A - right hand
  • Select+B - equip left hand
  • Select+A - equip right hand
  • Start - menu

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