~uestBusters™ ~ t The Adventurers' Journal Vol. VII,# 8 August, 1990 $2.50 No Wizardry VI? No Leisure Suit Larry IV? Everyone wants to know geta T-sh~an~~luebook. for Sierra rumors Eric Todd . when the sequel to the~ ~a~or- example, lil addi(Sb.on ~al~~u- not outlandish Mitchell Knight ite series will be out-if 1t s tographed box. pect . H · i, even happening. About a . tio~s are available only vta enough VOn e1nen.en potential Wizardry VI, for lil- mall order from ORIGIN.) The phone lines at Sierra Poner moves stance, Sir-tech ~ys, 'W,e have been strangled lately by don't even know if there s SS/ goes SF callers trying to confirm a ru- to SS/! any such animal." , SSI is using the AD & D mor that the company is shift- yes, that man of many EA has no plans for Bard s engine in Buck Rogers: ing from computer games to names has made the move to Tale IV or Wasteland II, bu_t Countdown to Doomsday. It's doing CD-ROM games only. "The Coast," as it's called in says_ Fquntain ofDreams will set for October for MS DOS , Not true. (Not even a good ru- the industry. Times of Lore be s1m1lar 1'? Wasteland. C?r with C-64 and Amiga to fol- mor, since at last count only author Todd Mitchell Porter you can,wait for Inte~lay s 1 two people in the entire coun- (yes, Todd, we fmally got it Mean Time,which will also ow. try have CD-ROM for their right!) left ORIGIN to be- use a similar system (EA has • computers and one of them is come a senior game devel- the right to ~e name Waste- Con versions in the shop!) Sierra's John oper at SSL Interceptor will land, for which Interplay de- Might & Magic II arrived_ Williams says they're branch- be his first game, then he's veloped the system . ~ Drago'! for Amiga and Mac. ~here _in ing out but will continue fo- starting on Renegade Le- Wars II (referred tom cer_tam Time is Carmen Sandzego? is cusing on computer games, gion, based on a FASA role- circles as Bard's Tale V) is coming for Amiga this month, especially for MSDOS (even playing game and due out planned for early next year. as is Prince ofPersia. Dark CGA and monochrome sup- next year. Sierra plans to ~nleash Heart of Uukrul already ar- port) and Amiga (new, en- King' s Quest V this fall. rived for MSDOS (only hanced one-meg games are on Space Quest IV mar be ready $24.95)Knight of Diamonrjs the way). But Apple conver- Accolade hints by Christmas. Hero s Quest II is due for Mac this fall, as is sions are not happening. is in the works, but no release Bard's Tale III for MSDOS. Anticipating calls from date has been set. Another The MSDOS Dungeon Master people stuck in Search/or . Camelot is planned but not is set for Christmas. EA's Excuses, etc. the King and Altered Desti­ ny, Accolade set up tw? 24- yet underway. Jim Walls may British import, Helms of This issue probably arrived do another Police Quest and Shadow (Amiga and ST), is hour hint lines (but notice a week late, a tragedy caused it's a 900 number, not an will follow up with another being ported to MSDOS for by a confluence I CEMAN, but not right now. the fall. of uncommon 800 number: 900-990- events, including the last stag­ HINT). They've also got a Sierra says no more Leisure Bad Blood will run through es of editing Quest for Clues Suit Larrys are scheduled, but the streets for C-64 u~rs this bulletin board: 408-296- III, switching all in-house 8800 (300, 1200, 2400 baud; "you never know." fall. So will Ultima VI. The writing and editing from the ORIGIN says aMoebius Amiga version (512K, ~e 8-N-l). And clue books are Mac to an MSDOS clone going for $12.95. sequel is possible.Ultima VII resolution) is set for spnng of (more frustrating than playing is "scheduled" for fall of 1991 '91. But no way will we see 'Zork blindfolded), and our ed­ (so look for it by spring of an Apple Ultima VI. '92!). ORIGIN, in addition to itor's honeymoon. It is likely the September issue will also doing "story sequels," i~,d?­ Inventory be a week behind schedule, ing "technology sequels lik~ SF2 & U6 bugs Savage Empire (see CES arti­ but by October we'll be back 'IJragon S tri~ ...... 2 EA says Starflight 2 won't on tracks. cle this· issue) and a Joles play on certain MSDOS Chaos Strikf,s 'Bac~ ...... 3 Ve~e-type tale, both using clones, but didn't name them. CES Qjust 'Jl&port ...... 5 enhanced versions of the Ulti­ Acwally, you can get ~alf~ay Over the ma VI system. Bad Blood, through it before runnmg mto Conquests of Camefot ... 7 which took the same approach fatal bugs. A revised version bounding main 'Escape from :HefL ...... 8 as Times of Lore but en-. is imminent-be sure that's At CES, Broderbund Sorcerian ...... 10 hanced it for MSDOS, will be what you get if using a clone. showed off Galleons of Glory, followed by a super hero-type Ultima VI went through three a "resource-management ad­ 'Wa[KJliru: 9fountf of game using that system_'s lat­ versions, but ORIGIN says venture" about the secret voy­ Sfuufow ...... 12 est version. ORIGIN will there's no reason to request an age of Magellan. You sail have special editions of most upgrade unless you're having from Brazil ti> fmd a trade 'X!ys to ye 'l(j.ngcfoms .. 13 future releases. With Savage problems (many bugs were route around Africa to the Or­ SwapSfwp & 'Duffy.. .15 Empire, for example, you'll system-specific). ient. MSDOS, any day. Mruk felt the role-playing aspect of the Dragon Strike game could have been enhanced by giv­ Letters ing the player the ability to create his to the Takhisis and the dragons of darkness own character. Of course, SSl's idea is Editor have nothing to fear from me. (On the that you are the dragon- rider, not some other hand, Mark, who gave me extensive character that you just role-play. I can see Dear QuestBusters: notes about the look and feel of the game, how some gamers would prefer it one Thanks for the article questioning the ne­ apparently had little trouble in clearing way, and some the other. cessity of death in adventure gaming. the sky of the evil lizards.) There are 22 missions to fly, which After struggling through the innumerable I don't like flight simulators very lead to considerable advancement for battles in Bard's Tale I and//, I find it much, but I could grow to like this one on your character. They start with relatively relaxing to tum to Ultima V, where a more responsive machine, like a 386 or an Amiga. SSI and Westwood Associates fighting is not the main object of the did a terrific job in bringing the winged game. Keep up the good work. Maybe combat of Krynn, TSR's most famous game writers will see the light Dungeons and Dragons fantasy world, to Irene McCracken a computer screen. DragonStrike has it all-color, sound, man-dragon communi­ Dear QuestBusters: cation and smooth flight (actually it After noticing the poll and the new man­ lurches a bit from frame to frame on my aging editor in the May issue, I got the Tandy, but I understand it is smoother on willies-big changes on the way. Please, faster machines). EGA and Tandy graph­ no changes! Not in coverage (though an ics are very good; VGA are excellent. occasional ST review would be nice), no You really seem to be riding on a dragon changes in staff, and no changes in hu­ DragonStrike contains a wealth of de­ Weird, Weird, Weird! mor (unless it's an increase). I've seen tail, including dragon biographies, ob­ easy ones, like dispatching a couple of changes ruin (and kill, in some cases) jects to be acquired (magic things that small white scout dragons, and move to a Compute, Family Computing, ST Log work automatically), related missions grand finale against nearly invulnerable and other magazines. (The Fray, Rout, and Blood of the Moun­ Death Dragons and hordes of small flying Carl Lund tain are all tied together), other, non­ Draconians. You'll need magical weap­ dragon, foes to fight (castles and ships), ons as well as supernal reflexes and su­ Aside from raising the sub price to $150 and music that's keyed in to the action. perb judgment if you hope to free Krynn a year, we have no big changes in store. Combat is detailed. Though your main from the innumerable forces of evil. (Except that starting next month, we will weapon is the dragonlance and the deadly Copy protection in contained in the review only games for the Timex­ breath of game's 28-page manual. To begin play Sinclair, and start publishing the entire ..T_y_p_e_:_R_o-le---p-la-y-in_g_ ~~:r· you must find a symbol on a page comer, journal in Portugese-but that.'s just mi­ Flight Simulator Bronze then look up a certain word by paragraph nor fine-tuning.) The poll was just an ex­ and page number. The well-written and Systems: MSDOS Dragon, cuse for a contest so we could give away illustrated manual will also brief you on (512K; mouse & joy- you can some free subs to well-deserving adven­ the missions, the types of foes you will turers. And we trust you don't mind our stick optional; CGA, also lash face, and the kinds of advancement you EGA, VGA, MCGA, out with bringing a top-notch ST reviwer aboard may attain for superior performance. A this month. Tandy-16; Ad-Lib) sword, very short piece of fiction by TSR author Planned conver- ~~! frd James M. Ward helps get you in the prop­ sions: Amiga (soon) the foes er mood, and the dragon biography cards ______.. get close. are suitable for framing. Conclusions: I haven't played Lucas­ Combat is also complex-and will film's Battle ofBritain, but fantasy fans take time to master. Eight keys are in­ who also like to fly will find SSI has pro­ volved in aiming your dragonlance and Editor: Shay Addams duced the best new flight simulator of the your dragon's fiery breath. Flying and Managing Editor: Dora McCormick year. What would really make this prod­ News Editor: Nuyu shooting require the whole numeric key­ uct great, though, would be the ability to Contributing Editors: Stephen King, Ken pad. The Fl-F4 keys control which way link computers via network and fly drag­ St. Andre, Al Giovetti, Steven Payne, you're looking, so you can see the dragon ons head to head and wing to wing Russ Ceccola, Bruce E. Wiley, Brian coming in behind you, even if you can't against other dragon warriors. [Editor: Or Smith, Bob Guerra, William E. Carte, get out of its way. (Hasn't anyone ever better still, against Nazi bombers in Charles Don Hall, Mike Bagnall, Matt taught these dragons of Krynn how to do Battle of Britain.] Maybe in the sequel. Hillman, A. Bruce Lotts an outside loop or a barrel roll?). It could be argued that DragonStrike is Skill Level: Difficult QuestBusters is published monthly by that most elusive of all computer game Protection: Offline; manual required The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Annual genres, a role-playing game that uses subs, $18. Canada, $24, Int'l, $32, Inter­ Price: $49.95 real-time arcade skills perfectly in a real­ galactic, 324 ziirgz. Textual contents Company: SSI/EA time environment Both dragon and rider Copyright Shay Addams, 1990, All have at least one attribute (hit points), Rights Reserved. Copying without ex­ which may vary depending on how well By Ken St. Andre and press permission is prohibited and pun­ you do in combat, or how much healing ishable by choking to death on your own ointment you have left. Mark Foshee vomit Chaos Strikes Back: Best Quest of ye Month Combining arcade action with role­ Spectacular! teen objects of any size. On the body can playing effectively enough to satisfy en­ The plot is an old one, but the presen­ be worn boots, mail stockings, breast thusiasts in both camps, Dungeon Master tation is spectacular. I have always pre­ plate and other clothing. Each character redefined the role-playing game. Many ferred the first-person, heads-up display has an eye for reading and examining ob­ gamers call it the greatest computer RPG to any other because, when done correct­ jects, and a mouth for eating and drink­ of all time, and I think this one-of-a-kind ly, it yields the most true-to-life gaming ing. game is clearly the best. experience. Chaos has that feel. Weight is a factor. If a character In Chaos Strikes Back, the original The screen presentation is exactly the doesn't have enough undamaged Strength game system is continued in a quest same as in Dungeon and Stamina to car- packed with the finest in heads-up­ Master, split into sever­ ry his load, he be­ display, real-time role-playing. The al panels. A heads-up comes exhausted award-winning artwork was carried over, display of the dungeon, and hungry and and there are ten levels of beautiful treasures and inhabi­ moves slower. graphics, bone-chilling action and the tants takes up two­ Stronger characters same kinds of puzzles that we love to thirds of the display, can carry chests to hate. with a message panel increase their carry­ Graphics and animation are very de­ below. Above the dis­ ing capacity. tailed, lending a realistic "you are there" play, bar graphs reflect Bar graphs feel. Encounter squares and menu options your characters' Health, change color to are replaced by click-on buttons and actu­ Stamina and Mana show how much al pictures of the monsters as you ap­ (magic) levels. food and water are proach them, or they approach you, from To the right are the The Chaos Picture Editor left. Run low, and a distance. To run, you merely tum your keys for movement, you might starve to character around and move away from weapon-handling, and Spellcasting. The death or die of thirst. Many types of food the monster. right-hand display has three basic views: are available, including edible monsters Items and spells actually fly through Spellcasting (an enlarged book of spells), that you either hack up, or broil and pre­ the air and can be dodged. And objects inventory (hands, chest, shield and back­ pare into transportable edible items such stay put when you drop them on the floor pack), and a display showing which way as Shreeker Slices and Worm Rounds. or place them on shelves, another realistic characters face in combat. touch. You can run to the other side of a The mouse delivers the precision and Chaos Strikes Back vs door'andldose it on the pursuing monster, speed required for making selections dur­ Dungeon Master so doors can be very defensive tools. ing a real-time encounter. It's also impor­ When you damage a monster, it runs Chaos is smaller than Dungeon Mas­ tant for doors with buttons to push, items ter, with only ten levels instead of four­ from you, to pick up and put down, and small action and you can teen. The size of twelve levels in DM is Type: Fantasy controls that must be clicked on with the 31 x 31, while the smallest level is 17 x pursue it to mouse-controlled hand-"hand" manipu­ Role-playing finish it off. 18, and Chaos levels vary from 22 x 28 to lation makes all this more realistic. 30 x 30. Systems: ST I prefer a keyboard-based interface (512K) Chaos Puzzles are similar in both games. with optional mouse or joystick control, There are physical puzzles involving wall Planned conver- Returns but the mouse-based interface was not a switches, floor pressure plates, invisible sions: Amiga (fall), In Dun- detriment to my play. (The only active doors (or insubstantial walls), pits, tele­ MSDOS (1991) geonMaster keys are the insert, clr-home and arrow porters, spell generators, locked doors cursor keys.) ------you led a with keys, and teleporters with gem slots. quest to reu- But the puzzles in Chaos are more dif­ nite the White Wizard with his other half, 3-D Perspective ficult. In addition to using the correct the Lord of Chaos, to form the Grey Lord Separate character inventory and sta­ keys in one case, you must also press (your master and mentor). In the sequel, tistics screen can be activated to show multiple buttons on different levels. Keys the aging Grey lord has been severely food, treasure, clothing, armor and weap­ disappear when used in some locks; in beaten and Lord Chaos is once again sep­ ons, which is worn or carried in a semi­ others, they don't, so you can use them arated from the Grey Lord. Lord Order, paper doll fashion on a silhouette of the again. the other half of the Grey Lord's being, character. The characters have two hands, Many pits and switches can be activat­ still resides within him. a pouch for holding small objects, a quiv­ ed only by monsters, not extra party Before Lord Chaos was fused (at the er for holding thrown weapons, arrows or equipment or rubble. (You must maneu­ conclusion of DM), he built a secret dun­ rocks for slings, and a second hand weap­ ver the monster onto the switch to acti­ geon under the valley of Viborg and on such as a sword. vate it.) Monsters are more powerful, created a Forge of Fulya to produce four The backpack can hold up to seven- more intelligent and less predictable, large chunks of corbum. The corbum's making the old DM box-step less effi­ power shakes the foundations of the Grey By Al Giovetti cient and more dangerous. Lord's castle and will eventually kill him. A veteran adventurerer, Al has playtested The locations of artifacts and items are Hidden in a pillar surrounded by a sea of randomized when the game is loaded, death pits, each piece can be accessed games for Muse Software, SS/ and Sir­ tech and has written for Current Notes making some almost impossible to find, only by completing four dangerous maz­ even with hints. Some walls are also es based upon the four ways: Warrior, and other magazines. A CPA in Mary­ land, he owns Computer Wizards and part shuffled, making it difficult to follow di­ Ninja, Wizard and Priest. The only way rections and maps made by other players to destroy the corbum is to find the Ful ofJappa Computer there, and goes Ya Pit and throw it in. questing regularly on ST, MSDOS and Apple computers. Teleport to next page

QuestBusters 3 Chaos Strikes Back Teleported from previous page Let's quest again ... like we (but I've heard of people who completed reviewer! Last year's June CES in Chicago was my it without mapping at all). There were a lot of adventure games at first Staying outside the city, I had a June CES -more than at the other two two-hour commute to get to the show at shows I attended. Even more surprising Characters McCormick Place, and ended up hating was that all those I saw in action were, at One of the greatest aspects of the game Chicago for its traffic. What made the worst, good games. Most were impres­ system is that it lets you train all four show even more difficult was the nwnber sive and feature-laden. The majority of characters in all four types of skills: War­ of software companies in hotel suites rior, Ninja, Wizard and Priest. They can across town. If I wasn't on a shuttle bus, them were designed for MSOOS with an Amiga version to follow, or vice versa advance in levels in four character classes then I was in the back seat of a cab. Other machine versions were iffy, with (Fighter, Ninja, Priest and Wizard) that This year's show was a lot easier, be­ the most prominent ones being Macin­ have various advantages in the quest. cause only Broderbund and Data East tosh and C64/128. Fewer and fewer The Ninja has a unique ability to throw were 'off the floor.' With all the great par­ games are being developed for the ST most anything found in the dungeons, ties and company representatives on­ and Apple Il/llGS computers. from treasure to food. (It would be neat to hand, I didn't want to leave Chicago this In any case, the 16-bit computers are pick up a small monster and throw it at a year. Staying downtown helped a lot­ the big machines for adventures, with larger one, but alas, you can't do so.) plus, I got cable TV with all of those dir­ CD-ROM on the way for MSDOS and Each level has six grades of proficiency, ty movies late at night and a mint on my Amiga Don't think I skipped over Bro­ from Neophyte to Master. The Master pillow every day. Ah ... the life of a game level has six sub-levels--"lo, um, on, ee, derbund [see front page], Data East and pal and mon"-which are, incidentally, Mediagenic/Activision. Data East had the first or power syllable of all spells for the other until all four pieces of corbum nothing new to show. I trust you've all Priests and Wizards. are destroyed. There are several distinct seen Drakkhen and Chamber of the Sci­ One great difference between Chaos locations, from the Entrance Room to the MutantPriestess (both reviewed recently and RPGs from the old days is that levels Diabolical Demon Director Room and the in QB). An MSDOS Drakkhen is on the can be gained by practice, so a character Ful Ya Pit way. Mediag~nic had no computer games doesn't have to kill monsters to progress One of the most important qualities in at all at the show, though remaining affil­ to higher levels. He can simply cast spells the enjoyment of an RPG is riding the iate Interplay had three important titles. or throw things, for instance. This takes cutting edge of excitement, somewhere Now, as the King of Cartoons says every some of the hack and slash edge off the between life and death. The suspense of game and resolves one of my pet peeves: "will I survive?" has to be ever present has provided a means of establishing a practice has its place in real life, so why on the adventurer's mind. Dungeon Mas­ greater bond with our alter egos. not in role-playing games? ter keeps you on that cutting edge-in battle after battle, 'round comer after cor­ Reservations Sophisticated Magic ner, you will find yourself poised for ac­ tion that switches from running away to It doesn't support a hard disk, which is a Spells are composed by reciting spell major flaw. At least you can now use two syllables or words in the proper order, wading into the fray with spells blazing. Combat is fast and furious, and the floppy drives rather than one as in DM. which is done by selecting symbols from And there's still no way-to communicate the corresponding panel. Potions require monsters are awesome, another step for­ ward in computer gaming. There are only with intelligent beings like Men and the character to have an empty flask in Dragons. Alternatives to the "hack and his hands, and lhe' must drink the potion. 25 different types, but they're all tough and beautiful. Standing toe-to-toe and slash" and "kill or be killed" plot line A spell is formed with two to four syl­ should be found. Several games, such as lables or words from the four different slugging it out with monsters can be fatal. Hit and run tactics are often the only Ultima VI and Bloodwych, offer more levels of six spell syllables or words. substantial stories as well as adequate Each syllable has a cost in "mana" points, thing that works. Some situations require careful and thoughtful planning, and ways of talking with non-player charac­ and each character can attain up to 36 ters. Unfortunately, they lack some of such points. Mana is restored by resting, things that worked in D M won't neces­ sarily work here (see Keys, this issue). this system's great innovations. sleeping, or the mere passage of time. Assuming that everyone who bought Lack of mana can be overcome with Chaos would already own Dungeon Mas­ magical items found later in the quest The Utility Disk ter, FTL omitted the excellent detailed All classes can use magic. Any spell This disk includes a separate two-level 26-page manual. You get 23 pages, nine can be given six increasingly powerful maze so players without characters from of which are devoted to the Utility disk. levels of power, but the caster's power D M can select fresh party members. And only one page offers instructions on determines its effect. Spellcasting re­ (Many people say the characters here are how to actually play the game. wards the caster with experience points far too weak to survive in Chaos, which Conclusions: An addictive game, and a variety of other benefits, such as forced them to importDM characters that Chaos will tear out 40-60 hours of your mana acquisition and higher levels of were masters in at least one discipline.) It life. You'll be totally immersed in the Priest and Wizard proficiency. also has the Hint Oracle, which provides quest, which will draw you out of the hints ranging from the sufficiently vague home or office. But you'll enjoy it more The World of Chaos Strikes Back to the very detailed. if you play Dungeon Master, so try it Everything takes place in Lord Chaos' Almost a game in itself, the Portrait first dungeon fortress, where four major paths Painter lets you edit your characters' pic­ or ways correspond to the four arts: Ku tures and names. My children spent hours Skill Level: Advanced (Fighter), Ros (Ninja), Dain (Priest) and creating their own picture gallery of char­ Protection: Disk Neta (Wizard). These levels are not ini­ acters. FTL has given us a small window Price: $49.95 tially interconnected, and you must run into the life of the computer artist, and by Company: FTL the gauntlet from one end of the maze to allowing us to customize our characters,

4 QuestBusters did last summer ... let' s CES again,• like ...

Saturday morning on Pee-Wee's Play­ EA are Powermonger and Centurion. I Unreal and B. A. T. Both have that dis­ house, "Let the cartoons begin!" expect both to be hits. Powermonger is tinctive European feel that we reviewers designed for the Amiga by Bullfrog, who like to see so much because it adds diver­ Accolade brought us Populous. Instead of a god, sity to our jobs. Both are graphic adven­ These guys had two impressive titles you play the leader of a tribe on an un­ tures with simple interfaces. using a newly developed system. Altered charted world. You must negotiate and Unreal gives you a copper dragon as a Destiny (available by late summer) and fight with neighboring Captains over land pal on your quest to find and destroy four Les Manley in: Search for the King (al­ and people, with the ultimate goal of be­ crystals that are powering an evil Chang­ ready out). Both are for MSDOS and coming a · power­ ing Sword. In B. A. T. compatibles only. If you complain loud monger. The view you must defeat the evil enough-as you should, because these is similar to Popu­ Vrangor before he two look like hits-maybe Accolade will lous, but the game knocks off the Earth­ port them over. world is dynamic, lings stranded on the The new engine was developed by with events hap­ planet Selenia. Both game authors Michael Berlyn, Steve pening all the time. games rely on cliched Cartwright and manager of software tools Centurion is fi­ plots, they look good development Bob Smith. It is similar to nally available for and play well. Sierra's system of text and graphics, but the MSDOS and Finally, SSI has a with a supposedly larger vocabulary and boasts the work of couple of new games. better parser. I was impressed with the Defender of the (Two games seem to fit bit-mapped graphics and fluid animation Crown designer these booths well.) Se- throughout. Digitized images pepper the Kellyn Beck and mu­ Silver Blades from SSI cret of the Silver Blades games, and you can put objects inside sician Jim Sachs. is out now for MSDOS other objects and manipulate them in a You start as a young and C64/128. It takes the greater variety of ways. officer and must build up your reputation best version of the A D & D system Altered Destiny was created by Mi­ and armies until you reach the highest (from Champions of Krynn) and adds chael Berlyn, veteran Infocom author (In­ plateau of command in ancient Rome. No more features such as higher levels and fidel, Suspended and Cutthroats) and de­ puzzles or quests are involved, but you new spells and monsters. It appears to signer of Tass Times in Tone Town and must make lots of strategic decisions, in continue the tradition of the A D & D Cyborg. The game puts you in the role of addition to participating in chariot races, gold box games and takes place once P.J. Barrett, who is on a date with his sea battles and land battles. The game again in the Forgotten Realms. girlfriend While watching TV, you're looks good and offers a lot of different DragonStrike is the dragon combat both sucked through the screen and into ways to advance in rank. I saw it on an simulator for the MSDOS (Amiga and another world, where you must find a guy MSDOS with VGA graphics. An Amiga C64/128 in the fall). Sounds like an aw­ named Helmar. Helmar has been corrupt­ version is also planned. fully silly premise, but it is pretty inter­ ed by this jewel, so you've got to separate I didn't get to see them up and running, esting, with crisp colors and fluid anima­ him from the jewel to save the alternate but CinemaWare will be putting out 3 in tion. Plus, they threw in a lot of different universe, then make it back through the Three (designed by Fool'sErrand'sauthor enemies and a story around the whole tube to finish the date. Cliff Johnson) for the Macintosh, a game game. The game is very serious, with lots of that takes place within a computer, and challenges. There are all kinds of weird Star Saga: One & Two for the Apple II, Interplay creatures in this other world The view IIGS and MSOOS computers, games that Interplay had three games of interest to sometimes changes to first-person, ani­ combine science fiction adventures and all adventure gamers. Future Wars, al­ mation and music are all over the place, board games from Wizardry's creator An­ ready out for the Amiga and on the way and the box art takes top honors for the drew Greenberg. These Greenberg games for MSDOS, is somewhat linear but still show! were originally published by MasterPlay a good buy. (I got a copy after the show Search for the King is Cartwright's but are now distributed by CinemaWare. and played it nonstop for a couple of new game. Cartwright is a veteran of the New World Computing's big release hours.) No\t an adventure per se, Battle Atari 2600 Activision cartridges and this year is Tunnels & Trolls for MSDOS Chess II: Chinese Chess may appeal to most recently designed Fast Break for this fall, with maybe Amiga and Mac lat­ some adventurers because of its hack and .Accolade. His game is a lot less serious er. The game, which will be familiar to slash nature. Once again it's a traditional than Altered Destiny, putting you in the all those used to D & D-type games, game board on which animated charac­ role of Les Manley, Accolade's answer to looks remarkably easy to use. Your char­ ters act out battleS-:in this case, a Chinese Larry Laffer. Working at a radio station acter is either a Warrior, Wizard or checkers-type game. The graphics are de­ sponsoring a contest to find Elvis, goes Rogue and there are plenty of items, tailed and the sounds effective. from The King's mansion all the way to monsters and spells to keep you busy. Fi­ Interplay's most significant showing heaven looking for clues. It looks like a nally, the legendary game has made it to was Lord of the Rings, Vol. I. They claim lot of fun and appears very easy to con­ home computers here. this is the definitive Tolkien game, and I trol, as does Berlyn's new adventure. I UBI Soft had two new adventures don't intend to disagree. It features full­ look forward to playing these two. showing on Amigas at the EA booth. You screen scrolling, open-ended mini-quests, may remember Iron Lord, their easy-to­ all the races from Tolkien's works, a very Electronic Arts & Affiliates play adventure. Now, they've brought us large universe, icons to control the game, Electronic Arts had only two games of two graphics-heavy games to follow up: and offline paragraphs to develop the sto­ their own to show, but their affiliates add­ ry. I was really impr~sed with the top- ed a few more to the pile. The two from By Russ Ceccola Next page, por favor

QuestBusters 5 CES Summer '90 ORIGIN movements. They are very fluid. and you Teleported from previous page Lord British and crew were previewing can change your view by adjusting an on­ two games at CES: Wingleader and Sav­ scree~ eyeball. ~e game is largely ex­ age Empire. Wing leader (MSDOS) is a plorauon, but with a better plo~ this sys­ down and close-up views and, as a Tolki­ tem could really be something. en fan, can't wait to explore Middle Earth space combat game without much adven­ on my own. turing, but looks and sounds outstanding. Sav~ge Empire is ORIGIN's flTst game Virgin Mastertronic I ntracorp and Lucasfilm set m a world reached by using the Moon Three games from these guys were Stones from the Ultima saga. There will worth mentioning. Quasar is a space These companies had the funniest ad­ be other games that take place in the strategy/resource management game that ventures to show, other than Search/or "Worlds of Ultima" series, to be released has you mining and developing asteroids the King. Intracorp's Bill and Ted's Ex­ between the numbered Ultima games. In before an enemy can beat you to them. cellent Adv!!nture is outstanding on an Savage Empire you're Normally, a game of MSOOS with VGA. The plot is similar to transported to a world in this sort goes in one the movie's story line and lets you fool which dinosaurs and ear and out the other. ~ound with the ~hone booths through jungle enncesses rule, What makes Quasar bme and move Bill and Ted around in a much like the pulp fic­ stand out is how de­ Sierra-like environment. The game will tion novels written be­ tailed yet easy to use be packaged with Intracorp's new duo fore I was born. The the system is, and computer (MSOOS and Nintendo­ game looks very similar how well thought­ compatible) and should be out by fall. to Ultima VI and con­ out the game itself Lucasfilm's The Secret of Monkey Is­ tains three mini-quests, was. I was playing it l~d aims to be a fun pirate game that a larger text window, on an Amiga in min­ gives you. the goal of becoming a full­ NPCs that have a bigger utes, but had to stop fledged plTate. Monkey Island is the site role in the game, and an to move on to the next of the game's finale, an island that gets its excellent soundtrack. game. This one will name from monkey-worshipping canni­ Les Manley In: be a sleeper hit. bals. In addition to the standard Lucas­ Sierra and Dynamix The crew from film game sidecview, the game features Sierra didn't show any Search for the Parser Magnetic Scrolls is overhead views of the island. The new c?mpleted games, but what they pre­ back with Wonder­ version of the SCUMM system places in­ land, a text advenlllfe that takes place ventory on the right of the screen and viewed looked promising. Space Quest ~und ~ce's adventures. Packing the verbs on the left. Characters get smaller IV and King's Quest V for the MSDOS (their flTst 256-color VGA graphics) ultimate mterface for such games, it's when they move away, which adds depth what an Infocom text game would be if to the pictures. looked very nice, with scrolling added for they ~till made them. You can play it like There is a lot of humor, and when talk­ the flTst time to a Space Quest. The graphics for both include scanned air­ a typical text adventure, or entirely with ing with characters, you can choose from the mouse. a Iru:ge variety of different things to say. brush drawings, as does the CD-ROM . All o~jects have related icons; you Designed by Maniac Mansion author Ron version of Mixed-Up Mother Goose. In a~di~on to these snippets of games, click twice on one to see its description. Gilbert, who also did Indy, Monkey Is­ An on-screen map lets you traverse loca­ land takes adventuring further than ever Kzng s Quest I and Oil's Well have been converted over to MSDOS VGA and the tions more easily. Piclllfes for each loca­ by combining pirating with the SCUMM tion have elements that can be selected sysiem. Watch out for that ghost ship! improvement is noticeable. ' S~erra's n~w affiliate, Dynamix, had with a mouse, and all common verbs and (Lucas~lm thr~w OJ?-e whale of a party all objects can be chosen with menus. too' with duelmg plTates, a treasure chest two Impr~sive adventures. Heart of Chi­ na and Rise of the Dragon are serious Wonderland looked so good (Macintosh and corpses, ·and Errol Flynn videos on a flfst, with MSOOS and Amiga to be iden­ giant screen. They do pirates right! ) games that involve a lot of advances in graphics and greatly changing game tical), that I want to design a game for the system. Microprose/Medalist worlds: Heart~! China puts you in charge ~f findmg a pnncess and includes digi­ Two of this company's new titles tized acto_rs o~ top of scanned paintings, Best of the Quests should appeal to adventurers: Covert lots of ammauon and great music. Rise of Finally, Spirit of Excalibur takes an in­ Action and The Punisher (my favorite the Dragon puts you in the role of a secret terface similar to War in Middle Earth com~c book hero). Covert Action places agent assigned to get rid of a new drug and adds one hell of a lot of adventuring you~ the role of a spy, with more to do that, ~dministered via a patch, ;mu- elements as you play the role of King Ar­ m this role than even The Third Courier tates its users. The game is very grim thur trying to keep Camelot stable. There which was really an exploration game. ' (that's okay with me), and locations are lots of mini-quests, overhead side­ Covert Action is more of a simulation of change whenever you return to them (dif­ .and close-up views, hundreds of ioca­ a spy's life, and an excellent one. You can ferent characters, objects, etc.). I saw both tions, lots of NPCs and the feel of Olde unscramble code, investigate criminals, games in VGA glory, and they looked as Englande. I don't think you'll get easily travel around the world, and take on a impressive as Dynamix's earlier games. bored with this one. number of different missions. It was And there you have it folks. As far as shown on an MSDOS but should be the best games of the show, it's tough to available for C64/128 and Amiga. · Taito Taito isn't a big name as far as adven­ decide because they all looked pretty . The Punisher, from Paragon, puts you good. But if I had to pick, I would choose m the role of the Marvel Comics hero tures go, but Castle Master, demoed on an Amiga, featured the best solid 3-D graph­ the following: Wonderland, Rise of the fighting druggies and other criminals in a Dragon, Search/or the King, Altered c~uple of ~ini-_quests before you meet up ics I've seei:i. You move through a castle to_ fin~ a pnnc~s at the top. The unique Destiny, Lord of the Rings, The Secret of with the Kingpm. Three views and the Monkey Island and Centurion. use of your battle van make this more thing is how qmckly and easily you can than an arcade game and adds strategy. move. The graphics don't lag behind your

6 QuestBusters Conquests of Cam.elot The Search for the Grail Lancelot, Arthur, Indiana Jones Last Cru­ of your castle fills the screen as soon as It's not enough to solve all the puzzles sade - countless adventures have been you start the game. You click on the that lead to the Grail, though, for as in based on and inspired by the legends of room you want to enter, rather than walk Ultima IV, you must also act in accor­ King Arthur. One reason is that the from room to room as in previous Sierra dance with a set of values (though they're Knights of the Round Table and that ar­ games. After chatting with Merlin, the not as precisely defined here ) along the chetypal wizard Merlin make Arthur's Queen and a few guards (and filling your way. By doing so, you'll earn the neces­ saga an eternally appealing tale that is purse with gold, silver and copper coins sary points in Spirituality and Wisdom to natural grist for the adventure designer's from the Treasury), you strike out for prove yourself worthy of the cup - the mill. Another is that software companies parts unknOWJ1- and Grail cannot be pos­ don't have to pay royalties to Sir Thomas won't be allowed to re­ sessed by one who Malory, whose 1485 Morte d' Arthur pro­ turn until you've is impure, according vided the basis for most such games. grabbed the Grail. to the legend. It is But none of the previous adventures Labeled "Britannia quite possible to based on the Arthur legend have so richly Australis" (Latin for reach the end game captured and conveyed the atmosphere of South Britain), another and be barred from those bygone days as did Cristy Marx aerial view map is un­ doing so. when she wrote this story, and Peter Led­ furled when you exit the You get separate ger, who designed the illustrations. Long­ castle. It's dotted with scores for Skill, time devotees of the Grail myth, they did dots (ok, they're really Soul and Wisdom. far more research into the subject than little squares) represent­ In Merlin's Chambers Marx, by the way, most authors of related adventures. ing towns and other areas says there is appar- that.are depicted with ently a problem with The Many Myths of the Grail Sierra's conventional 3-D graphics. To the Skill points in the first release. The Of the many Grail quests, this is the reach another town on the map, you click top score is 362 points, not 368. only one that incorporates earlier legends on its dot, which is a lot more efficient The graphics and animation are consis­ involving a cup or chalice. Marx weaves than walking across a dozen or so tent with what we've come to expect in mythological elements from the Ro­ screens, no matter how well-illustrated from Sierra and occasionally surpass the mans, Greeks and prehistoric cultures, they might be (I can only walk around, standard in some cases, particularly the and her work proves as enlightening as it behind and through so many bushes and animated scenes of the Grail and other vi­ is entertaining. trees before I'm overcome with a rabid sions. And little touches lend Camelot a Starting in the role of King Arthur, desire to run amok with a Weed-Eater). sense of individuality. The most obvious you realize This map enabled the designers to are the borders of each full-screen pic­ Type: Animated your spread their story over a vast area, from ture, whose comers may be occupied by Queen's Britain down to Jerusalem, without forc­ Celtic crosses in one scene, skulls in an­ Adventure/RPG love for Sir ing you to walk through innumerable lo­ other, and so on. The variety of text win­ Systems: MSDOS Launcelot cations (since it's not a King's Quest, you dow styles also keeps the presentation (512K required, has troubled can't very well teleport around). Even so, fresh and interesting. 640K on PCjr, ·8 your spirit it's a sprawling environment that covers Copy protection is offline, so you can mhz or better and so much ten 5.25" disks and four 3.5-inchers. make all the copies you want, but will hard disk recom­ that a blight have a tough time solving the game with­ mended, mouse/ has fallen Jousting and Riddling out information from the accompanying joystick optional; upon the Rescuing your Knights calls for exten­ manuals. The ornate documentation also land. sive puzzle-solving and minimal arcade gives useful background on the legends CGA, EGA, MCGA, A vision skills. The Black Knight has captured of Arthur and the Grail, as well as a use­ VGA, Hercules; Ro­ of the Holy Gawaine and won't release him until you ful bibliography for adventure.rs so in­ land MT-32, Ad Lib, Grail (the agree to an animated jousting tourna­ trigued that they want to know more. Game Blaster, IBM cup from ment You see the foe racing at you and Camelot' s elaborate graphics, rippling and other music syn­ which must wield a shield and lance by punch­ animation and allusive prose are support­ thesizers) Christ drank ing keys. Fortunately, Sierra allows you ed by a stirring musical score played on Planned converi­ at the Last to set the difficulty level of this and other zithers, lutes, flutes and other instruments Supper) ap­ arcade games (from easy to hard). of the era. (I was listening via a Roland, ons: ST, Amiga pears over Riddle fans should save the game just the best for Sierra games.) Sound effects (both 512K); Mac the Round before arriving at the five Stones. Though range from the clinking of coins in the Table one you have to answer five riddles, these are Treasury, to the creaking portcullis as it day, signi­ randomly selected from a stockpile, and was raised on my way out of the castle. fying that the only way to remove the you can restore the game and try to solve They contribute much to the experience, curse is to find the Grail itself. When them all. The riddles, as well as the rest and I can hardly wait for Surround Sound Launcelot, Galahad and Gawaine fail to of the prose, are cleverly written and to filter across to computer games (re­ return from this quest, you set out on well-phrased, and a correct answer is re­ member, you heard it hear first-of your charger to rescue them and save warded with novel sound effects as well course, I just thought of the idea, but if I Camelot by finding the Grail. as points. can think of it, at least a few designers From the outset, welcome innovations have also done so and someone is proba- present themselves. An aerial view map By Shay Addams Continued on next page

QuestBusters 7 Escape fro111 Hell: de111ented, but fun

I just saved a game with my party locked his girlfriend Alison and his program­ City at the Edge of Eternity revealed sev­ inside a room to which they have no key. ming partner Alan have been zapped into eral leads. Lawyer Milton advised me to Of course, they do have some Faery Dust the game, so he must enter Hell and res­ look up his friend Flicka, a Hell's Cap­ that will teleport them to a random loca­ cue them. tain in Lucifer's Landing. The suggestion tion-'hopefully into the adjoining hall, But long ago I learned that originality to find Ach-Chu, a "famous martial art­ not inside a stone wall where they'll be doesn't count as much as the "Fun ist" in Limbo, paid off faster, for he crushed to death. But so what if they do? Factor"-I'll take a stereotyped hack 'n' promptly joined the party and proved That's the way it slash over an origi­ himself a powerful ally. There I also met goes when you 're nal but boring con­ Aaron Burr and Benedict Arnold, who having fun in an ad­ cept any day of the naturally betrayed me the first chance he venture game. millennium-so I got (Hell is just full of fun guys like After all, what stepped into Hell these.) with Blue Cross, with my usual lack life insurance, seat of preconceptions. Ghenghis Khan meets Hamlet belts and IRAs, I I wasn't sur- Ghenghis Khan had already joined my play it safe enough prised to witness group-true to his nature, he didn't wait in the real world. the fiendish land- to be asked. Demanding to join, Khan el- Half the fun in scape of fire and bowed his way right into the group. After questing is taking a The Hellscape Beckons brimstone, or to having so much trouble getting NPCs to wild chance now and find it populated with join in other quests, I enjoyed this scene. then. (Of course, I do lost souls, demons and You're only allowed two members in have a back-up copy of my latest saved rambling, shambling monsters. The aerial addition to your own character, and de- game to fall back on; call \me reckless, but view map presented few places to visit, ciding whether or not to accept new ones not stupid.) towns such as the City at the Edge of is tricky. Save the game first, for you Eternity, Limbo and Lucifer's Landing. won't know much about the new NPC's The Spirit Lives On Indoor scenes, like the main map, were combat potential until he's joined. And The key reason I was having such a nicely illustrated with tile graphics that be sure the character he replaces isn't good time in Hell was that I felt inspired fall short of an Ultima VI but suffice for holding any valuable items, such as the to act adventurously every step of the their purpose. Indoors and out, you spend plans for Aaron Burr's new pistol, or way, for Escape from Hell is instilled your time bumping into people, then talk- they're gone forever (so is anything you with the true spirit of adventure, an ele­ ing to them, attacking them or trying to drop). ment missing from many games today. get away. Sometimes a non-player char- Inventory management proves among Initially I was unimpressed with the acter will have more to say if you give the game's more challenging aspects. graphics, the combat system and indeed, him a desired object. But ____...._ ____ You're limited to a dozen or the overall game. The premise, at least, there's no type-in parser, so so objects, which I frequent- promised something new. Richard, an ad­ conversation is limited. Type: Fantasy ly shuffled among team venture game designer working on a role­ During encounters, a first- Role-playing members to get them into playing game set in Hell, awakes to find person view of the NPC or System: MSDOS the right hands. And since monster lurks on the left side (512K required, there's no place to sell of the screen, with text on 640K for Tandy and things (naturally there's no Conquests of Camelot the right. Combat reports ap- MCGA; Hercules, money in Hell), I had to Continued fromprevious page pear below. CGA, EGA, MCGA stop and dump most of my Tandy _color, no newly acquired items after bly working on it right now). Stench Beasts 16 each battle. Conclusions: Riddle fans will especial­ third-party sound Treasure chests, once ly enjoy this game, as will anyone even and Bare Breasts Looking sharp and color­ board support) looted, remain empty. So slightly interested in King Arthur, knights Planned Conver- even though the "restart of olde, or fantasy in general. The arcade ful in VGA, the illustrations of Stench Beasts, Hell Cap­ from beginning" option lets games are less frustrating than other Sier­ sions: none tains, a Temptress who you start over at the gates of ra adventures, so don't let them scare you Hell where the game began, away. If you've only got enough gold for turned out to be Helen of Troy, and historical figures from Plato to you must reinstall the game (or at least one adventure based on the Grail legend, Hitler exhibit imaginative style and di­ copy the map files from the original pro­ make it this one. And if you've already verting spot animation. They also flash gram into your play disk) in order to re­ got it, be sure to write Cristy Marx c/o the occasional bare breast and thigh, store the treasures. It is, however, a use­ Sierra-she's eager to hear exactly what ful way to extricate yourself from a tight you liked and didn't like about her first enough to justify a PG-13 rating (Pretty Good stuff if you're thirteen). Sound ef­ spot in Hell, such as locking your party in adventure game. fects are limited to beeps and clicks, with a room when you don't have the key. no support for Roland or other sound As _I explored the terrain of the small Skill level: Intermediate main map, I realized there was more to Protection: Offline; manual required boards. A modicum of meandering about the Hell than I'd seen on my first outing. Price: $59.95 When you touch of one of the nine yel­ Company: Sierra, Inc. low pitchforks scattered around the land, By Shay Addams

8 QuestBusters the terrain of the Hellscape is trans­ other party members, dropped and other­ Gameplay is brisk on a hard disk, and formecl. Mountains and crags and flaming wise manipulated, and all actions are eas­ the program may be copied to floppies pools shift about in the blink of an eye, ily executed from a screen that simultane­ and mini-floppies too. The copy protec­ opening new passages to nearby places, ously displays your options and tion asks you to answer a question by typ­ closing off others. inventory. You can even trade equipped ing in a word or two from the manual's items without unequipping them. Key­ descriptions of several monsters, which is The Shifting Faces of Hell board commands cover all actions, and far better than games that request the More importantly, the laws of nature the numeric keypad is convenient for "fourth word in the fiftl,l sentence on page also change, affecting the types of weap­ movement in any of eight directions. 23." The concise manual also contains a ons you can use. In some Hellscapes, map of Hell's initial outdoor setting. high-tech weapons like Nail Guns won't Dead Monsters Tell No Tales Conclusions: Though hack 'n' slash is work, forcing you to rely Combat is integral to success, Escape is not a stereo­ on your skills with a also a breeze typical RPG. It lampoons the stereotypes Dueling Sword. And dif­ to conduct with which we're all so familiar, giving a ferent monsters roam the from the key­ fresh twist to that long-since stale piece main map in various board. You're of dough, Dungeons & Dragons. Instead Hellscapes--­ told the atti­ of questing with the usual good guys in Neanderthals, for exam­ tude (hostile your gang, you'll be joined by the likes ple, who aren't around at or friendly of Ghenghis Khan and John Wilkes l the outset. The shifting and range Booth. . faces of Hell and their ef­ (short, medi­ This was a relief after spending weeks fects on your combat op­ um or long) in Britannia with Iolo and Dupre (nice tions make Escape a of all nearby guys, of course, but not party animals by more subtle challenge than Tiie Graphics from Hell NPCs. After choos- any standard). Apparently the authors, it looks in the early stages. ing an action, you Richard Seabourne and Alan Murphy, are All passive skills are combat-related: just hit a key to name your target, then do jaded adventurers who have quested a Dueling, Martial Arts and Rocket the same for your next party member. maze too far and wanted to make sure Launcher are in effect at all times. Swim­ Healing takes time, since it's a matter of their game wasn'tjust another clone. ming, Chemistry and Steal and other Ac­ leaning on the space bar unless you have They succeeded, so well that this one tive skills must be used in pertinent situa­ the right potions. was almost picked as Best Quest of the tions, as in Wasteland. Wandering When you save the game, all the mon­ Month. And the main reason it came so characters will teach new skills and train sters you've killed return to life the next close is that Escape from Hell is more you in existing ones; the Library in Lim­ time you restore it (which can be done than just fun-it is compelling. Before bo is also an educational experience (just without exiting the program). So you've each session, I decided on a specific mis­ watch out for those Limbo Bimbos). The got to pay attention to when and where sion to accomplish for the evening. Even same guy who offered me a parachute you save. though it sometimes took hours to attain also provided the corresponding skill, a my goal, the game always lured me to go convenient arrangement Puzzles and Clues further, to see what was around the next After picking up a couple of party You can't type in words, so most puz­ bend and in the next room. It's not the members, you should head for the Hell's zles are object-oriented. In order to get best-looking, certainly not the best­ Guard Training Camp to boost combat Hamlet to join the teain, you have to jog sounding, game of the year-but Escape skills and snare some long-range weap­ his memory by giving him Yorick's Skull from Hell is one of the best questing I've ons. ('There are ten attributes for each par­ (alas, I had it not, but soon rounded it up seen from EA in months. (And Richard ty member, but yours-Richard-is pre­ from Shakespeare). Once Hamlet's on the Lewis tells us this "adventure from hell" rolled, so you don't get to create your team, Horatio will volunteer. This makes is his favorite RPG of all time.) own.) a strong party for the early game. The progression is a little linear: to see Skill Level: Intermediate Wacky Weapons Flicka at Lucifer's Landing, you have to Protection: Offdisk (manual required) Shotgun-wielding bikers, chainsaw­ earn the rank of Hell's Captain at the Price: $49.95 ll toting Loggers, Indians and Beachers­ Training Camp. Otherwise, you can't get Company: Electronic Arts the warped sense of humor of Wasteland inside. But to safely enter the Camp, I. is back. And the wacky assortment of you've got to have a Demonic Shield Knights of Britannia weaponry-from UZis to Devil Cross­ from a nearby cave. Some alternative so­ People who ordered their copies of The bows to the ever useful Basket O' lutions are available: I couldn't pick the Official Book of Ultima and wondered Forks-offers a plentiful arsenal that lock on one door, so I teleported inside. why author Shay Addams autographed it would satisfy even lifelong subscribers to One clue was concealed in a novel fash­ as a member of the Knights of Britannia Guns & Ammo. ion, with the lawn cut in the shape to the are probably wondering what this means Bizarre hardware such as Mirrored letters "RLS." and how can they join. For their "contri­ Shades (sunglasses) will protect from the Saving Alan and Alison won't be as butions to the industry," seven people demons' psychic attacks, and some weap­ simple as solving some puzzles and bop­ were chosen by ORIGIN Systems as ons provide minimal defense factors that ping a few Major Demons on the head. founding members of this group, and all enhance your armor, be it a Flak Jacket or Satan handed Alan over to Al Capone, who attended CES in Chicago received a Super Sombrero. Nuances such as and then there's Hitler to contend with­ plaques from Lord British. The other edi­ these, and their significance, become evi­ and don't be surprised if you're asked to torial types in the gang are Keith Farrell dent only after you play the game awhile. slay Satan on the third level of Hell be­ of Compute and Johnny Wilson and Rus­ Objects may be given, used, traded to fore making your getaway. sell Sipe from Computer Gaming World.

QuestBusters 9 Sorcerian: Dragonslayer V

Sorceriqn is a deceptive game. I took a ently obvious, so figuring out how to use spread around. Just remember when you fifteen-minute look when it first popped them adds an extra dimension to the puz­ are doing this, that old heros seldom get out of my mailbox. This was enough to zle factor. the chance to retire! tell me that it was "just another game." Probably the single biggest contributor There was absolutely nothing special to that "nothing special" feeling is the Never The Twain about it I was due for a boring week. limited number of controls involved. Different types of training are availa- I am likely a bit more sensitive to this Ninety percent of your interaction will be ble to increase these attributes. Each time problem than most of you on the other through the arrow you train at Weapons, side of this page, because I play a lot of keys. your strength goes up; games. One of the main reasons I became Naturally, the left Skill to escape traps in­ a reviewer was because it helps to hold and right arrows creases Dexterity, etc. back the tide of my game Jones and keeps make your party There are also spe­ me from going into video terminal with­ progress left or right cial skills. Knowledge drawal. The down arrow of Items, Monsters, I try to be as objective as possible, but causes you to climb Traps and Herbs can I need at least a little bit of cooperation down on those rare facilitate your way from the game itself, something to spark occasions when it is through the dungeons. my interest When I passed my first im­ necessary. Almost Only one character in pression of this particular little ditty everything else Great Fireballs o' Fire! your party needs to along to the QB editor, he expressed seems to be handl~d train in these special some concern that I was, perhaps, being with the up arrow. You can climb with it skills, and he or she must be the lead overly kind to the game. make bounding leaps with it, enter door character if you plan on using them. ways with it and grab items-all with the The down side of training is that it And Then ... up arrow. takes time. Each of the twelve quests in I spent the next three days playing Sor­ There are a few other keyboard op­ Sorcerian adds exactly one year to the life cerian and not growing any fonder of it. I tions. Fl through F7 are used for help, of each party member who went on it­ was just about to call it quits and start toggling the sound, and saving/restoring even if you walk right out after a minute writing when I noticed a little more depth games. E is for viewing Equipment, I or so. If one of your group is training, he than I had first perceived. I decided it was lists your Inventory, M gives you info on can't go with you on a quest. Most train­ worth the current monster type. You get the ing takes two years. Type: Fantasy Role­ one more idea. Most of these other commands (sav­ playing and Action day of ing/restoring excepted) were of very lim­ Visiting Pentawa System: MSDOS (AT­ playing, ited use. Before you actually go out on a quest, compatible & 512K because it there are several interesting places right required; EGA, VGA; would be Character Building in Pentawa. The Weapons Shop, for in­ criminal As with most role-playing games, Sor­ stance, is the sole provider of weapons Tandy requires to pan a cerian starts by allowing you to create and armor, whether it be the sword of a enhanced video board; game and assemble an assorted group of peo­ Fighter or the robe of a Wizard. Be ad­ Ad Lib, Roland, Sound with an ple. Using the Create Character com­ vised, however, that the Weapons Shop Blaster, PC sound incomplete mand, you can define one of four classes: owner sells only basic weapons and ar­ boards) review. Fighter, Wizard, Dwarf or Elf. mor. You'll need to find better equip­ Planned Well, a After selecting the one you want, a de­ ment There is also a Mage in town, ' Conversions: None day be- cision must be made on the character's who'll put enchantments on the objects ------came sex. Each character portrait is based on you recover from your quests, which usu­ two. Two became three. I began to realize the combination of these two attributes, ally takes at least three years to do. it was more than simple duty-I was ac­ along with age. If you retrieve the item too soon, the tually beginning to enjoy the game! Several bonus points can be assigned enchantment will not be complete. Do it to your physical abilities. You start out too late, and the Enchantress will have Shoot Em' Up, with Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Vi­ sold it to some other wandering wayfarer. Ride Em' Out, RawFish! tality, Magic, Parrying and Karma. Most You can see how time management In Japan, this type of game is known are self-explanatory. Karma affects your quickly becomes a major part of the as an RPG. Certainly, there is some role­ communication skills and learning abili­ game! playing involved. Quite a bit, actually, ty, as well as healing and resurrection. The Herbalist will mix magical potions but it really qualifies as more of an action Age is also an integral aspect of the for you, the Elder will help identify ar­ adventure in this land, for it's strong on game, and each time you add a year to cane items, the Monk at the temple can action and weak on strategy and tactics. the age of the new character you are heal and resurrect you if you have prayed The puzzles mostly involve finding creating, you'll get extra bonus points to regularly between rounds and always special items. Only a few of these items remembered to tithe to the temple. are actually used in the context of the game, and some of their uses are not pat- By Stephen King

10 QuestBusters You will be promoted and paid a sala­ Herbal Magic is simplest. There are none of the adventures take all that long ry from the throne room. The King might five basic herbs that can be combined in to complete. When the music does start to even be willing to pay a bonus for a few varying mixtures to make 31 different bother you, a simple keystroke toggles it of those special items you recover, such types of potions. One might make you off and on. The actual sound effects as his Scepter. Then there is the training fly, while another could cause senility (a (magical bolts, clashing swords etc.) are field, where your skills are increased. valuable asset if ever I saw one). provided courtesy of the internal PC All the other types of magic are im­ speaker, with results on a par that you'd Possession Of A Profession parted by enchanting an item with the expect to hear. When you choose from the wide varie­ properties of one out of seven Celestial ty of professions, you 're strictly limited Orbs. The sun, for example, is the magic The Verdict? by the character class and sex. Some re­ of life and creation. Just holding an ob- This is a tough one to call. I did even­ ceive more salary per year, ject that is be­ tually begin to enjoy Sorcerian. But it while others maintain a bet­ stowed with took so long before I did, I'm afraid most ter Karma level. solar properties people will have stopped playing and Your profession is usually increases a shelved it by then. And even though I notimportantatall,butsome character's came to appreciate it more, there are quests can't even be fmished strength and some basic flaws that I need to mention. unless you have at least one vitality. For one thing, there is no way to hand person in your party who is a Mercury, items from one party member to another. dues-paying member of a god of speed, This can be merely a nuisance, or of cru­ specific guild. controls the cial importance, for example, with herbs. For example, in one game wind. He be- And while we're talking about I had to have a nurse or doctor In Ye Towne stows Intelli- herbs ... training a character in the art of to help the sick townsfolk, or ~nce and Magi­ mixing them is supposed to allow him or I'd never have gotten started. Later in the cal Offense. The moon reflects and her to make potions unaided. Not so! You same game, a fortune teller was required. increases the magic of .the other six, are still forced to go to the Herbalist. The while providing resistance to magical only difference is that if you have enough Ze Game Boss, Ze Game ... spells cast against you. ingredients, two potions will be mixed in­ Once you've made all these choices, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn also stead of one. you can organize your party and select a combine with these three to make as There was no way to carry enough of quest. There are three major scenarios, powerful and diverse a magic system as I these spells, either. Each member can each with five completely different sub­ have seen. Strategy becomes a very im­ hold only two, and you cannot go back to adventures. portant part of enchanting items, since town for more, since this would reset the Each adventure usually includes one one force of magic will sometimes cancel game to its original status. main objective (recover the stolen Scep­ out another. For that matter, there is no way to car­ ter, save the kidnapped Princess, purify ry many of the magical items found in the the poisoned water, etc.) and a lesser one Hardware Wars! dungeons. This makes it quite hard to de­ (kill the giant Dragon, Spider, etc.). Then Because it's a Sierra game, I expected cide which ones to keep and which to there are several minor puzzles, such as Sorcerian to have 16-color support for give up. You are usually forced to make open door A with jewel B, or pull this VGA, EGA and Tandy graphic modes. I this decision long before you have lever to drain the lake of acid. was correct on the first two counts, but enough information to be ready. You will usually come back from each Tandy owners must have an enhanced You could not even see the effects and quest with a group of items you've video card if they hope to play this one. benefits of much of the magic. The "In­ picked up along the way. Some might be Graphic quality ranges from so-so to vincible" spell for example, which cer­ useful, some not Many things that sound excellent. Many of the backgrounds are tainly didn't seem to make anyone invin­ nifty aren't You can usually tell by the quite nice, with nuances that give an al­ cible. amount of gold offered when you try to most three-dimensional appearance. Finally, you can only save a single cur­ sell an item. Some of the others are very uninspiring. rent game per adventure. If you didn't Items that will come in handy can be The characters themselves are too small, bring a critical item or have a person of distributed amongst your party members and too little attention was given to de­ the proper profession with you, you sim­ for use in later installments. Many are tail. ply have to leave and come back a year magical. Sometimes a quick word from None of the weaker video modes are older. the Enchantress or Elder can turn a seem­ supported. For that matter, an AT-class Conclusions: I have to put the final tal­ ingly inert object into a powerful weapon machine with an 8 MHz processor, 512K ly on this one on the down side. It looks ordefense. and hard drive is about the minimum ac­ as though a lot of attention was given to ceptable configuration. too many disconnected details and not A Mixed up Magic System All sound standards are supported, enough to any one thing. Speaking of magic, Sorcerian has one from the lowly stock PC to the majestic of the most complicated magic systems Roland MT-32. Constant background Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate I've ever stumbled across! There are vol­ music is provided in a light, catchy theme Copy protection: none umes of Herbal Magic, Healing Magic, song for the main game, and a different Price: $59.95 Offensive, Defensive and Transforma­ one for each adventure. Company: Sierra tion, just to name a few. The music is varied, so it will be quite a while before it becomes annoying, and

QuestBusters 11 Walkthrough: The Hound of Shadow

General Comments Wait till six. Examine Miranda. Seance. till three PM. N. Enter train (when it ar­ When the solution says "go to museum," Hound. No. Cbuipsz. rives). Wait (three times). Leave train. S for example, type those words. It doesn't (four times). W.W. Examine rooftop. E. matter which character you use. The Day Six E. S. W. Break thermometer. Make ipn­ dates vary with different ones, so this so­ Go to attic. Examine marks. Examine vod vmvt. Write to Miranda. Drop ipn­ lution labels them generically. footprints. Examine handprint. Examine vodvmvt. Meditate. symbols. Copy symbols. D. Go to reading Day One room. N. N. (Find desk.) Sit. Get Alternate Ending One Examine John. Inventory. Wait. Examine Csjefxfmm. Get up. Request Go home. Go to attic. Use gate. W. maid. Examine guests. Examine middle­ Csjefxfmm. Read Csjefxfmm (go to Search room. Use gate. No. Cbuipsz. aged dowager. Examine female compan­ Alternate Ending One, below, or continue Examine headstone. Examine symbols. ion. Examine bookish man. Examine with this section). Go to bookstore. Enter W. Examine roof. E. Use gate. E. Use banker. Examine man with blazer. Exam­ store. Get Kpvsobm. Read Kpvsobm. gate. Go to bookstore. Enter store. Get ine Karmi. Examine Yasmin. Examine Ask about Mfoh. Go to reading room. N. Kpvsobm. Read Kpvsobm. Ask about girl with dress. Examine arty man. Wait N. Find desk. Sit Get Csjefxfmm. Read Mfoh. Go to reading room. N. N. Re­ (till you hear scream from Karmi). Exam­ Csjefxfmm. How did you stop quest Csjefxfmm. Read Csjefxfmm. ine Karmi. Examine Saunders. Help Xpsmtnbo? Make ipnvodvmvt. Ask How did you stop Xpsmtnbo? Make Saunders. Examine bookish man. Talk to about Stanopoulus. Ask about Paracelsus. ipnvodvmvt. Go home. Go to lounge. bookish man. Leave. Wait. E. Go to Go to museum. N. N. N. Get Paracelsus. Write Paul Mason. Wait till you get his lounge. Get Tatler. Read Tatler. Go to Read Paracelsus. Get up. Leave reading letter two days later. Go to attic. Use . nightclub. Wear pyjamas. Sleep. room. gate. W. Use gate. E. S. W. Ask about Mason. Persuade (till she gives you the Day Two Day Seven address). E. S. S. Knock. What is wrong? Get up. Go to museum. Wait until nine. Wait. (Type in time.) Go home. N. Get Haiti. Dangerous. Temptation. Persuade. N. N. W. Fill out application form. E. N. clay. Go to kitchen. Get water. Get pot. N (four times). Get clay. E. Examine Help. Go home. Go to lounge. Write ap­ Get water. Get sulphur. Get salt. Get sign. E. Get salt. Get sulphur. Rent room. plication for museum. N. D. W. D. W. blood. Get hair. Get fingernails. Go to Look under bed. Get chamberpot. Get W. Wait till twelve. Wait (seven times). bathroom. Get mercury (go to Alternate water. N. Get mercury. Get blood. Get (Back outside your flat.) Time. Go to Ending Two, or continue). Do not go to hair.Getfingemails.Makeipn­ theatre. Time. Wait till eight. Go to night­ sleep! vodvmvt. Wait. Drop ipnvodvmvt. club. Sleep. Meditate. Day Eight Day Three Wait till two PM. Go to underground. D. Alternate Ending Two Get up. Go to museum. Wait till nine. N. Buy ticket D. Wait (for train). Enter Go to lounge. Break thermometer. Make Go to bookstore. Enter store. Ask about train. Wait (four times). Leave train. U. ipnvodvmvt. Write Miranda. Drop ipn­ Talbot. Ask for address. Leave card. Go U. U. Read board. W. Buy ticket E. Wait vodvmvt. Meditate. to reading room. N. N. Readjoefy. Read Hecate. Read Ipvoe. Read Ipvoet of Booxzo. Read Cbshvftu. Get Cham­ Back Issues ber's. Read qbhf uxp-uxp-ojof (type as a number). Get Hone's. Read The brochure sent to recent subscribers Feb 90: Don't Go Alone, Demon's Cvohbz. was sadly outdated, so here are the con­ Tomb, Dragon Wars, Champions of tents of recent issues. Back issues are still Krynn, Joan of Arc, It Came from the Day Four $2.50 @ to USA, APO, Canada & Mexi­ Desert, Bride of the Robot. Walkthru: Get up. Drop pyjamas. W. Wait. Yes. co. Overseas: add $1.50 for lst issue, 50i Space Rogue for each additional one. Time. Go to bookstore. Enter store. Ask Mar 90: Starflight 2, Breach 2, David about Talbot. Read note. Go to 34B Oct 89: Ancient Land of Y s, Total Wolf, Starflight 1 Amiga/Mac, CES Par­ Dean. Open door. Enter flat. U.S. W. Get Eclipse, Dark Side, Universe 3, Death ty Report Walkthru: Indy's Last Crusade up. Read Times. Wait Yes. Examine en­ Bringer, GEnie's Imagine*Nation, Apr 90: Centauri Alliance, Colonel's velope. Read note. Examine seal. Wait Gauntlet2.Walkthru:Corruption (three times). Bequest, Hound of Shadow, Dark Heart Nov 89: Indiana Jones Last Crusade ofUukrul, Iron Lord, Puzzle Gallery. Day Five (adventure), Space Rogue, Wibarm, Fire Walkthru: Mines of Qyntarr Enter store. Show envelope. Ask about King, The Kristal, Murder Club. Walk­ May 90: Drakkhen, It Came from the psychic. Time. Go to Karmi. Help Pel­ thru: Space Rogue Desert 2, Prince of Persia, DRAGON ham. Wait. Wait. Read letter. Go to read­ Dec 89: Hero's Quest, Keefthe Thief, Force, Day of Viper. Walkthrus: Came ing room. N. W. Give letter to clerk. (If Windwalker, Manhunter San Francisco, from Desert 1, Leisure Suit Larry 3. you don't have the letter, go home and Axe of Rage, Sword of Aragon, Best Ad­ you'll get it) E. N. (Find an empty desk Jun 90: Ultima 6, Loom, Code-name: venturing Computers. Walkthru: Hillsfar by going west, then north.) Sit. Read ICEMAN, Transylvania 3, X-Men: Mad­ about Cbuipsz. Get biographical dic­ Jan 90: Leisure Suit Larary 3, Dragons ness in Murderworld. Walkthru: Hero's tionary. Get Hpume. Get von Elsburg. of Flame, Indy's Last Crusade (action), Quest Get Reza. Read about Ufqft. Go home. Mean Streets, Mines of Titan, Third Jui 90: Circuit's Edge, Psi-Mutant Courier, Knights of Legend, Psychic Priestess, Keys to Maramon, Future War, War, Savage, Rambo 3: Walkthru: Gold Les Manley Searc for the Kin. Walkthru: By Paul Shaffer Rush Universe 3

12 QuestBusters Ultima VI vised is the bag, because you can put any­ Magical items found after Wind Spirit re­ Battles are no longer so random, so return thing in it. Move a cannon into the bag leased. Curse of Medusa: go to far right to sites where they occur to increase ex­ and carry it with you. When you need to to enter caves below. Get mirror, then perience. A great way do so is at Sutek's do massive damage, take it out and use climb rope to see Anna-before fighting Hold in Blackthorn Castle, and at the Ant it-it's good for 30 damage points per hit. Medusa Missing Magician: obtain Morn­ Mound. Elevate yourself only at the You can put anything in it, as long as ing Star, Energy Rod and Chain Mail. Shrine of Spirituality, which raises all your character is strong enough to carry Dennis Ewell three attributes. And this Shrine hasn't it Put a Troll in it, for example, then been captured in the early part of the leave the bag on the ground and walk · Circuit's Edge game. Reach it by entering a Moon Gate away till you can't see it anymore. When After first visiting Papa, go to the Police at midnight. You don't need to piece to­ you return, you'll find the Troll has disap­ Station and ask Haijar about Kenji and gether the map to find the Silver Tablet peared and left all his equipment and qbtt. Enter the Morgue, see effects (an as suggested by the Pirate, a time­ treasure behind. action), look wallet, look ticket. Find consuming task. Instead. free all eight There's a way to get around the game's Friendly's Pawn Shop, talk to Friendly, Shrines and gather the Moon Stones, then rule against replicating weapons and ar­ show ticket, give $20. You can view the head for the bottom level of Hythloth. mor. Find or buy some expensive magic Holodisk at the Adult Video Store; then Captain John will tell you how to con­ items (Glass Sword, Magic Armor), then ask Laila about a kbqboftf Chip. verse with the Gargoyles. To exit the Animate it. Now that it's alive, you can While barhopping, talk to Street Dealers dungeon and reach the Gargoyles' world, Clone it! (It won't work on every item, till you meet one selling a Detective's take the exit that is west and then north of though.) Badge, which allows you to access the his house. You'll meet Beh Lem at noon LesMinaker Police Computer. Another Dealer has a (wait for him). Ask him to join, then fol­ Lockpick VI. When the Hooker asks for low his instructions to meet his father. To join the Thieve's G.uild. you need a your room number, give it to her . When After doing so, use the Moon Stone to belt from a Thief. Budo in Bucanneer's you get to her room, look three times. Af­ travel to the Altar, then head south­ Den will initiate you. You have to be able ter talking to the Jeweler about Japanese, southwest to speak with the Inquisitor. to cast Pickpocket to get the belt. Phoenix go to the Tattoo Parlor and ask about Ser­ Accept the Amulet and head due east to is found two levels under the cellar be­ pents, Marco and Manny. To find Man­ talk with Naxatilor. Follow his instruc­ neath LB's castle. She's armed with two ny, ask these people about him: Guido tions on how to save the Gargoyles. The Glass Swords. When you get the belt, (AAA; look at matchbook), Heidi (Silver Vortex Cube is in the Hall of Knowledge continue down through the caves and Palm), Texas Eyes shopkeeper, owner of (42S, 26E) but must be repaired by the eventually you can climb up and come casino, Fanya (try Red Light). Enter Ad­ Gargoyle Lensmaker northeast of Naxa­ out of the cave at Bucanneer's Den. After Dur House, look, use Phantom Chip skill. tilor's house. Budo welcomes you, talk to Homer about Look, get and look at note. Enter desig­ David Thompson the Silver Tablet. You can use Pickpocket nated warehouse. Look. Use Sashers. to get his piece. The gypsy Blaine also Look mg. Follow directions in both ring By using the cheat menu (say Spam has a piece, and Pickpocket again comes halves for computer password three times to Iolo, then say Humbug), in handy. One piece is lost in the Dun­ (hsbwjuz). Show the ring half to Guido you can acquire any item in the game. geon Wrong. Sandy gives you a piece in for payment and a job. These numbers correspond to some of the exchange for a Dragon Egg. James Simpson most useful: (8) Magic Helm, (14) Black Other caves are found at 62S, 22W (Hef­ Shield, (16) Magic Shield, (23) Magic timus' Cave) on the same isle as Jhelom. Chaos Strikes Back Armor, (26) Gargoyle Belt, (28) Swamp There's a cave in the swamps east of The Dungeon Master Pwple Worm Box Boots, (42) Crossbow, (46) Two-handed Cove. Step is occasionally useful here. In that Sword, (47) Halberd, (48) Glass Sword, Bob Shumacher game, the third level required that you (50) Triple Crossbow, (54) Magic Bow, find a 2 x 2 space to combat many mon­ (56) Crossbow Bolts, (57) Empty Spell Sorcerian sters, especially the Pwple Worms. You Book, (59) The Codex, (60) Book of All scenarios: sell common equipment at maneuver yourself so that the monsters Prophecy, (61) Book of Circles, (62) Vor­ the end of each quest for lots of gold, then never face you directly and, therefore, tex Cube, (63) Lock Pick, (65) Black replace it in town. Stolen Scepter: use can't hit you or throw spells at you. But Pearl, (66) Blood Moss, (67) Garlic, (68), Long Sword for Fighter, Blue Sphere for you can keep slugging away until the Ginseng, (69) Mandrake Root, (70) magic types. Activate hidden door in monsters turn to face you. When the Nightshade, (71) Spidersilk, (72) Sulfur­ room with two levels and railing by monsters turn to face you, you sidestep ous Ash, (73) Moon Stone, (74) Anhk, touching torch. Lucifer's Floodgate: out of the way and tum immediately to (75) Amulet of the Snake, (77) Gem, (79) Fighter can keep all five Magic Swords. slug the monsters as they advance into Lightning Wand, (80) Fire Wand, (81) Touch lamps to find instructions, etc. the space you just vacated. The monsters Storm Cloak, (83) Flask of Oil, (85) Start action by using Gabriel Sword will not be facing you as they enter the Moon Gate, (87) Orb of Moons, (88) found above lake. Visit room with rods space you just vacated, which gives you a Gold Crowns, (90) Torch, (91) Sleep until rod moves. Cursed Oasis: Visit Kia­ chance to get in a few more licks before Spell, (92) Silver Serpent Venom, (93) la and girl to activate sequences. Garden they turn to face you-and the process Sextant, (95) Grapes. More Some food of the Gods: Easy gold and experience starts all over again. FTL made the mon­ and some other items are found in the here. Be sure to visit Adana's and Shop­ sters somewhat resistant to this tactic by numbers past 100. keeper's after the quest Ice Cavern: ob­ causing them to occasionally not step into AhingHuan tain Magic Robe, Shield and Armor. the box you just vacated, but to somehow Characters can get frozen. Get lever near end up on an adjacent square facing you. One of the most powerful weapons de- skeleton, use to change letters in signs. Monsters also turn and strike faster in

QuestBusters 13 Chaos. If this tactic fails and you 're vast­ a Mattermit Pass with one charge. (If you Glastonbury. When the heart turns pur­ ly outnumbered, just grab the artifact and waste it, drop it and reenter this level, ple, go back till it turns gold again. Walk escape-and try to avoid being cornered. then get another one.) Get to the Platform across the ice as long as the heart is gold. Al Giovetti (to the south) where you can use it. The Ice Maiden: give ifbsu. Release Launce­ blue button goes to Keppa Var, yellow to lot. Use manual to solve Ice Maiden's MegaTraveller 1 Kasdron, red to Epsilon Indi. In Keppa test. In Gaza. go with the boy. Ask Al­ Select Magellan as leader when buying or Var, use password castle-fist to enter Sirat about Six Goddesses. Remember selling. Combat Rifleman allows use of Daynab Base. On level three, get the symbols. Stand and leave. Hire guide and Gauss Rifles. Deliver the Assassin's tags Plenocarbon in the north and take it to the follow him to water, but don't drink it. to Imperial Security on Allel. Ships ac­ radiation on level two. Take one step in, Draw sword. If you see him again, kill celerate only on diagonals. Deliver a Dust which turns it into Plenadium. Give this him. Right. Up. Climb down and drink. Spice to the Alien on Quam for an Elec­ to the man on the fourth level (in the Climb back up. Jerusalem is north. tronic Net you can take to the fisherman west) and he'll recharge the Mattermit Adam Fischbach on an island on Iroth. Deliver the Soil Pass with five charges, enough to get Sampler found near the ruins of Ilanthri back to Keppa Var. Might & Magic II to the farmer on Arrica Deliver an Eme­ Robert Breezely The special .meals at different towns can rald to the woman on Lluan for a Groatle help or hinder you. Eat Soup d'Ghoul Fur, then take it to the woman on Ilanthir. Keys to Maramon with Garlic Toast to avoid a battle at C2, Deliver a Coynes to an Alien on Menorb Read rare books on Keys and Towers to 2-6. To get the Hirelings Thund R. and for a Battle Dress. Many items may be get copper and bronze keys. All four keys Aerial, order Deep-fried Troll Liver in sold: Starrghrite (Efate Museum), Dia­ are needed before fighting Fermigons on Vulcania Munching on Red Hot Wolf monds (Efate or Yres Museum), Reptile first level. Steel key required to go deeper Nipple Chips will get you the Nature's Hides (Stut Bar), Coynes (Stur Museum), in dungeon. On second level, kill Ogres Gate Spell at C3, 1-9. Enjoy the Horror Dust Spice (Kru Mine in Pixie Bar), Gold to get silver key. Read rare boOk on Baz­ d'ouveres to get past Cl, 2-10. Meet the Pendant (Alell Bar or Woman on Bou­ ards to get Kalb' s Mace. On level four Grim Reaper at Cl, 1-8 by having a Dev­ gane), Ruby Necklace (Uakye Museum), you need the Mace, which is filled with il's Food Brownie. Defeat him to get the Amethist (Louzy Bar or Pixie Space Bazardson level four. Read rare book on Fingers of Death spell. Expect an attact at Home), Hieroglyphics (llanthir Museum), Pearls to get Pearl Armor on fifth level. It El, 2-3 after having Cream of Kobold Bronze Statues (Bougane Bar), Emeralds helps in defense against Tigrets. Read soup. After dining on Poree of Gnome, (Pocoon Bar), Sapphires (Alien on Chi­ rare book on Dragons to get Star Axe on avoid A2, 14-10. ras), Enamel Bowls (Pixie Bar), Rubies level nine. Dragons are on level ten. Fight Irene McCracken (Streech Bar), Pottery (Streech Museum). to get gold key. On level eleven, fight for James Simpson Pearl Key. Read rare book to get Brights­ Knights of Legend word needed to defeat Wizard Alivirex. To trade gold, have the character with the Centauri Alliance Dennis Ewell gold buy an item, then trade it to the char­ A good party consists of two Human acter who needs gold-this guy can now Fighters, one Donsai Fighter, one Praktor Everything runs on seven-day cycles. sell it for the same amount. To get lots of Metamorph, two Arcturian or Valkyryn Every seven days, go City Hall for $100. gold, trade all items to two or three char­ Psionics and one V alkryryn Tech. Use all Iron and Brass Keys are carried by night acters (one won't have enough pockets to males for more Life Points. Give two monsters on days 3, 10, 17, 24, etc.; for hold everything). Enter the same Inn Fighters Sidearm, one Fighter Thrown or Iron, 2, 9, 16, 23 and so on. On these where the entire party was last saved; Melee. Start the Tech out with Bio but days, monsters emerge from Iron or Brass save only the characters with the items. develop other skills too. Buy Combat Ar­ Towers after dark. Kill them till you get Have those without items exit the Inn, mor to begin with. On Omicron, find the keys. The best combat technique: hit, run, then quit the game. When you restart, the five Fractyr Fingers. At Trader Drake's, heal. Keep fixing your weapon; carry a traded items will have been duplicated. buy Berserker Frames and Riot Helmets back-up in case it breaks. Use Nift to im­ One of your first quests should be to re­ for your Fighters once they reach level prove Armor. turn the Crown to Biblik the Sage in three. Before going to Andrini, buy Laser Fred J. Philipp Htron. Follow the Tegal River to find the Lances and a Disruptor Bomb. Finally, encounter. Biblik will give you a coat get the best Mech you can afford (a Bal­ Mines of Titan that lets a character fly like a Kelder. rog is good). On Andrini, take the stairs There's no point in wasting time explor­ Buddy May down to level two in the SE comer. In the ing the first two mines, which offer noth­ SW comer of level two, find a room with ing of value. Arc Guns are really only four doors and fight seven Manhunters (a good as a secondary weapon, since your grenade is useful). Get the zfmmpx character will get creamed trying to get 'l(?ys to tlie 1(f,ys c be h f. Write psbdmf in the NW comer. close to the foe. Grenade Launchers Each month one contributor to Keys Go down to level three in the NE comer aren't that effective, but can be deadly if (you need the cbehf). three or more characters use have them in get the game of his or her choice. Matt Hager conjunction. If you try to train in some­ The winner is randomly selected. thing but are told you can't advance in it Please send clues and tips to recent On V eladon II' s moon you can fully join yet, you'll lose an experience level, so adventures--those not covered in pre­ the Fist. Near the middle of the second save the game before training. vious issues, walkthroughs or Quest level, there's a room one square in size Robert Breezley for Clues. [All clues become exclu­ that emanates energy. Transfer all five sive property of QuestBusters.] This pieces to one character and have him put Conquests of Camelot month's winner is Buddy May. them on the table (anything else will be Ot Moor: Go here after Glastonbury. destroyed). The complete Fist will be East. North. Say "Mpwf is my tifme." To decode clues, formed. On the third level, in the skinny Follow rose petals across the ice. If you rooms next to your entry spot, you'll get don't have the rose, "vtf ifbsu" from count one letter back.

14 QuestBusters Cres, Scarborough, Ont Canada MlE 1K5

Many bestselling games, mostly 3.5". Sell or Waiting for Duffy trade. Steve Lake, 90 McKay St, Beverly MA Duffy' s looking for Excalibur, 01915 so contact these people if you can help. Trade/sell ($20@).: Hollywood Hijinx, Ar­ Trade or sell your old adventures with a thur, Hillsfar, Roadwar Europa. Want Ultima Chaos Strikes Back: need help beginning Dain level. Tom Page, 96 Haddon PI, Upper free ad. (Adventures only, no pirated 4 & 6. Toby Jackson, 17043 Fiesta Way, Sali­ • nas CA 93907 Montclair NJ 07043 software, limit of JO games per ad. Please state system. 5.25", $10@: Pirates, Star Trek Rebel Uni­ Bard 1: need maps for Kylarean's Tower. verse. $15: War in Middle Earth. $20@: Bard 2: need answer to riddle before Dar­ APPLE Colonel's Bequest, Azure Bonds. Rich Gon­ goth's Tower snare; stuck in Destiny Stone nello, 702 Bloomfield Ave, Nutley NJ 07110 snare, need riddle answers. Adriano Palombi­ Ultima 2 or 3, $15. The Pawn, $8. Bard 1 $6; zio, 158 Surrey Dr, Wethersfield, CT 06109 Bard 2 or Wasteland (both w/cluebook), $15. Sell only, 3.5": Gold Rush, Leisure Suit 3, Wishbringer or Planetfall, $5. King's Quest l, Manhunter NY & SF, Colonel's Bequest, Conquests of Camelot: how to pass five $10. The Quest, $2. Send SASE for list of King's Quest 3 & 4, Space Quest 1 & 2. Write stones of Glastonbury? When can you go to more. Tim Prokott, 849 SE 23rd Ave, Minne­ Jeff Bernard, 14526 Juniper St, San Leandro Southampton? Are Tor, Southampton and Ot apolis MN 55414 CA94579 the only places to go? How to pass Hag with­ out giving her the purse? Can help with most Sell only: Pool of Rad, Azure Bonds, $25 for Trade/sell: Dragon Wars, Mean Streets, Sierras. Derek Figg, 1704 Firewood Ct, Hern­ both. Ultima 3 & 4, $20 for both. Bard 1-2-3, Knights of Legend, Hero's Quest, more. Want don VA22070 all for $20. $20 @: M & M 1, Moebius, Dragon Strike, Crime Wave, Conquests of King's Quest 4. Christopher Carter, 21 St. Camelot Andrew Pollak, 2002 Regis Dr, Da­ Dungeon Master: need maps, clues all lev­ James Pl. 16-B, Brooklyn NY 11205 vis CA 95616 els. BattleTech: where is cave entrance for supply cache? Todd Corbett, 4404 Hassell $10 @: Seastalker, Legacy of Ancients, M & Sell only, 5.25": $25 @-Pool' of Rad w/ Corbett Rd, Burlington NC 27217 M, Deathlord, Pool of Rad w/cluebook. $15 cluebook, Ultima 5 w/cluebook, Starflight w/ @:Knights of Legend, Dragon Wars. Chris cluebook. $20@: War in Middle Earth. M & Tangled Tales: where's Pot of Gold? How Carlucci, 15927 Viewfield Rd, Monte Sereno M 2, BattleTech, King's Quest 3, Ancient to get past Devourer? Into Wizard's Enclave? CA95030 Land of Y s, Future Magic, more. Jeff Peedin, Dungeon Master: What's spell for Ful Bomb? 504 Powell St, Smithfield NC 27577 Where's Armor of Lyte? Need major help on $10 @: M & M 2, Wizardry 1 and 2 (both for battle with Chaos. Cristopher Dox, 975 Laurel $10), Ultima 4, Moebius, Wasteland, 2400 5.25", trade/sell, ($15 @): Police Quest 1 & Ave, St Paul MN 55104 AD. $15 @: Windwalker, Bard's Tale GS w/ 2, Space Quest 2 & 3, Leisure Suit 1, 2 & 3, cluebook, Shadowgate GS, Tower of Myra­ Manhunter NY, Colonel's Bequest, Pool of Beyond Zork: how to get gem from idol? glen GS. Dan Young, POB 69, Still River MA Rad. David Hooker, 337 Cristani St, Roselle Past the trees? Journey: what to say to ~irl 01467 NJ07203 near waterfall?. Zork 2: can you stop Crrcu­ lar Room? How to reach top of well. kill drag­ Sell/trade: Azure Bonds, $15. $10@: Gaunt­ Trade: Sorcerian, Conquests of Camelot, on, serpent? Open safe in bank, get key from let, Archon. Want AutoDuel; will trade for 2 lndy's Last Crusade (adventure), Prophecy, unicorn, get to Hidden Room from Circular of above. Brad Andresen, 5742 Princeton PI, Space Quest 3, Leisure Suit 3, more. Want Room, to Lava Room from Ice Room? Brad Ypsilanti MI 48197 Hero's Quest, Colonel's Bequest, Ultima 6, Nolan, 8 Longmeadow Rd, Lincoln Rl 02865 Loom, more. Steve Clarke, 3673 Wyola Dr, Mac: Want Time & Magick, The Witness, Newtown Square PA 19073 The Last Ninja: how to get past Samurai Suspect, Sherlock & Riddle of Crown Jewels, Armor on level 4? Dungeon Master: after Zork Zero, Border Zone. Prefer to buy. Write Want 3.5" Bad Blood, Maniac Mansion, Un­ fighting Screamer, how to get past next door? lst. L. Urness, 1454 N 1600 E, Logan UT invited, Zork Zero, Journey, Puzzle Gallery, How to get Fire Staff and Power Gem? Jason 84321 Time to Die. Claudette Rugg, 148 Aliilani PI, Ferrick, 700 N 2nd St, Apollo PA 15613 Kihei HI 96753 Trade/sell: Legacy of Ancients or Wasteland, Death in Caribbean: what phrases for kill $5. Ultima 3, $10. Want Dragon Wars, any A Sell only, both formats: Hero's Quest, $25. the bull, escape from zombie, lift the mist. D & D, Bard 3, M & M 2, Dungeon Master Bard 2, $20. $15 @: Space Quest 3, Police How to move pyramid, what to do with swing GS, Ultima 6. Adriano Palambizio, 158 Sur­ Quest 1, Alien Fires, Manhunter NY, Leisure seat? J Schmitz, POB 6484 Bakersfield CA rey Dr, Wethersfield CT 06109 Suit 3. Robert Kraus, 3038 N Christiana Ave, 93306 Chicago IL 60618 COMMODORE Dragon War: where is Stone Hound, how to Sell: Pirates, Legancy of Ancients, Azure 3.5", sell only, $20@: Codename Iceman, get Frog Boots, where is Dragon Plate & Bonds, Champions of Krynn, Times of Lore. King's Quest 4, Police Quest 1, Manhunter 1 Vampire Lord? How to restore walls of Yel­ $15 @. Lance Celli, 22010 Haan Ave, River­ & 2, Joan of Arc. Jason Burkholder, 425 S 9th low Mud Toad city, get to Irkalla's Island, on dale CA 92508 St, Akron PA 17501 island in Mystic Wood? Bard I: what's Mad One's name? Carlos Cross, 1400 Banana Rd Amiga: will buy or trade for Sword of So­ Sell/trade: Leisure Suit 2, Prophecy, Police Lot 126, Lakeland FL 33809 dan, It Came from the Desert, BanleTech, oth­ Quest 2. Want Starflight 1-2, Questron 2, M ers. Andy Webster, 2012 Cedar St, Jackson­ & M, Bard 3, Future Magic, or send list.R. A. Ultima 2: where's Quicksword to kill Mi­ ville IL 62650 Stauffey, 3962 Briarwood, Fresno CA 93705 nax? Bob Kloak, 6311 North B, Springfield OR97478 Amiga: Many new & all-time favorites for ST sale. Send for list. R. L. Ruth. 11330 SW 70th Sell/trade: Populous, Ultima 4, Uninvited, Krynn: is there anything of value in Sanction Terrace, Miami FL 33173 more. Tom Page, 96 Haddon PI, Upper Mont­ besides the eggs? Glenn Berryman, POB 348 clair NJ 07043 McVeytownPA 17051 MSDOS & Quest-alikes Trade only. 5.25": Ultima 4, Champions of Sell only, Corruption and Fish. $12@, both Dungeonquest: how to exit room with Nerd Krynn, Demon's Winter. 3.5": Demon Stalk­ for $22. Write lst. Richard Goodkind, 4444 in it. Steven Swiatek, 266 Ashley St, Buffalo ers. Want M & M 1or2, Dragon Wars, Rail­ W Pine #413, St Louis MO 63108 NY 14212 road Empire. Les Minaker, 5 Leverhume

QuestBusters 15 MSDOS Quests Apple Outings Passport to Escape from Hell $38 Space Quest ID GS $45 Adventure DragonStrike $35 Champions of Krynn 64K $40 Circuit's Edge (512K) $45 C64 Seek & Slays Books & Map Kits Les Manley (640K) $50 Breakers $30 Quest for Clues I or II $24.99 Ultima VI (640K $65 Times of Lore $30 Official Book of Ultima $12.99 Loom (512K) $50 King's Quest Companion $14.95 Conquests of Camelot (512K) $45 Assorted Systems (has solutions to games I-IV) Code-name ICEMAN (512K) $45 Future Wars: QB Map Kit (includes US/APO Sorcerian $45 Amiga & MSOOS (512K) $40 shipping, Canadians send $3 US for Bad Blood MSOOS, 640K VGA, Keys to Maramon C64 $30 shipping; no overseas sales) MSOOS (512K) $40 Kit A: (text/graphic games) $8 512K EGA, Tandy, 384K CGA $50 Centauri Alliance Apple( 64K), $35 Kit B: (mitt-playing games) $8 Mean Streets (512K) .$40 (Each has 100 sheets of mapping paper.) C64$30 Starflight 2 (512K) $45 With eacb gam'e you get a free Starflight: C64 $35 packet or· mapping paper-and 3 Wizardry S (256K $40 Mac, Amiga (512K) $40 issues added to your sub (2 for lst X-Men: Madness in Murderworld C.lass and Canadian subs, 1 for Amiga Missions overseas). With Quest for Clues (512K except*, which need a meg) C64, $30; MSDOS, $35 you get the same; other books King's Quest IV * $45 Transylvania 3: MSDOS (512K)and entitle you to two extra issues for IIGS $32 regular ~ubs, one for lst Class, Police Quest II* $45 Canada and overseas.) Champions of Krynn: Amiga* and Leisuire Suit ID $45 MS DOS $45 To US addresses, add $3 shipping/etc. for Psi-Mutant Priestess $40 Hero's Quest: Amiga* $45 each book & game; to Canada, APO, $6; overseas, $12. No credit cards or bill Drakkhen $40 MSDOS (512K) $50 mes. AZ, residents add 5% sales tax. Swords of Twilight $40 Universe 3 (512K) Amiga & Please send street address, not POB.

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