Dark Sun. Is it any good?

[SpaceKungFuMan]

It was an EXAMPLE list of DOS games. There are plenty of others. And claiming a game to be "the best on DOS" is a claim worth discussing. Especially when the game has a cult following (call me a member) but is not adored by intelligent people like other games from that era.

I don't think that the popularity of a game has anything to do with whether or not it's the "best" game for any given period. Oblivion is all the proof needed to make this point.

Even if most "intelligent" gamers like other games more, I would argue that nostalgia and the impact a game had on the future course of game design might cloud their judgment when it comes to judging the relative merits of a game. To be honest, I think Pool of Radiance is a good example of the latter. It's an excellent game, and was extremely important to the future development of CRPGs. But standing alone, I think DS is the superior game in nearly every way, from story telling to setting to graphics to combat. DS wasn't played as widely as other games from that era (maybe in part because the setting is unusual) but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who played it when it was new who doesn't regard it very highly.

 

[Andhaira]

Yeah, what exactly was the reson DS never got around as much??

though it did make enough to warrant a sequel (anda good, yet buggy one)

 

[Sir_Brennus]

It was an EXAMPLE list of DOS games. There are plenty of others. And claiming a game to be "the best on DOS" is a claim worth discussing. Especially when the game has a cult following (call me a member) but is not adored by intelligent people like other games from that era.

I don't think that the popularity of a game has anything to do with whether or not it's the "best" game for any given period. Oblivion is all the proof needed to make this point.

Even if most "intelligent" gamers like other games more, I would argue that nostalgia and the impact a game had on the future course of game design might cloud their judgment when it comes to judging the relative merits of a game. To be honest, I think Pool of Radiance is a good example of the latter. It's an excellent game, and was extremely important to the future development of CRPGs. But standing alone, I think DS is the superior game in nearly every way, from story telling to setting to graphics to combat. DS wasn't played as widely as other games from that era (maybe in part because the setting is unusual) but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who played it when it was new who doesn't regard it very highly.

Don't mix up popularity with cult following. That's something completly different. It does make a difference for me if on the one hand people call Betrayal at Krondor an excellent game or people design games for Unlimited Adventures 15 years after the release of the game and on the other hand buy the GotY version of Oblivion.

Number sales != cult following.

Yes, I know that PoR has less role playing elements than Dark Sun. All in all I like the package of both mentioneld Gold Box games (Buck Rogers and PoR) more than Dark Sun.

And I actually knew someone who had problems with Dark Sun. It was the guy that founded a CRPG website with me about 10 years ago. He experienced a lot of bugs with the game and was very frustrated by that.

I'll cite his from his mini-review

Gar nicht übel ist auch das in jeder Hinsicht bessere Kampfsystem. Es gibt aber auch einige herbe Schnitzer : Technisch ist Dark Sun nicht gerade ein Meisterwerk, es ruckelt an allen Ecken und Enden usw. Anstelle einer Automap kann man jederzeit das ganze Gebiet einsehen und auch in Gebäude linsen, da die Dächer anscheinend genauso wie angekündigten Zwischensequenzen wegrationalisiert wurden. Überrascht zu werden ist also eher unwahrscheinlich...

Translation: "The new combat system, that is better in every respect, is not bad at all. But there are some major flaws: Dark Sun is not a masterpiece in technical terms, it stutters everywhere and so on. Instead of an automap you can spy on the whole territory and also into buildings, because the roofs and the promised cutsscenes where removed. So it is very improbable to be suprised..."

http://www.mystics.de/games/181/

 

[Andhaira]

Hmm, I think he means Dar sun 2. DS1 did have roofs, if I recall...

 

[Zomg]

Dark Sun 2 was the ugliest game ever made prior to Entombed.

 

[skavenhorde]

Try this website http://dso.zidev.com/downloads.html

It's a fanmade project trying to get Darksun Online up. On this page they also have darksun 1 and 2 for download (legally) Anyways, check out the site they could use some help in getting the game up and running. Even though I'm not sure if they ever will.

 

[Saxon1974]

Started playing the dark sun game a while ago, seemed like a good game but for some reason I just don't find the meso-american desert setting very appealing, so didn't go back to playing it.

It is cool that there are also novels set in the same world that you can read to immerse yourself into the setting. I may go back to it eventually though.

 

[bezimek]

Wield 4 weapons at the same time? You sure it's not a jRPG?

No, it isn`t. This race called themself "Thri-Kreen".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thri-Kreen

 

[Hory]

God damn it, I recall I only used to equip them with "thri-keen weapons" like that Chakcha or some quarterstaff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thri-Kreen

Wow, "The thri-kreen race was first introduced to D&D in 1982 by Paul Reiche III" (of Star Control fame).

 

[Fat Dragon]

I just finished playing the game for about 2 hours. Not enough time to give a good impression on the game, but so far I've been enjoying it greatly. I'll give my impression of the game in a few days once I've got more time into it.

Really loving the game's setting. This and Planescape are probably the best DnD settings. Much more interesting than Forgotten Realms, imo.

 

[Jasede]

I adore the Underdark, but I still prefer Planescape and Dark Sun. However most "normal" players just won't have much fun in Dark Sun [it's harsh] and to play Planescape, you'll have to know a lot of stuff to appreciate it. At least I think so. FR is easy to learn and understand, and if you want something serious, the Underdark is a kick-ass sub-setting.

 

[Keldorn]

Thanks for the thread. I have Dark Sun 1&2 in my dosbox d-fend and VDM sound templates, and have never played them. I shall now slot them into my next 10 must play list.




One day I shall play *all* the games.

Until then, I shall merely *ponder* playing all the games.

 

[The Rambling Sage]

Wasn't the first Dark Sun game that one wich spent all it's time teasing me about the huge and epic battle against the evil guy's army that would end the story and that finally turned out to be my party and three random guys against some mobs in the middle of quite a lot of sand where nothing at all was happening while small windows saying "Hey, really - there is a huge battle raging all around! So many are dying! Go, rebel guy, go!" popped up every now and then, making me think i took the wrong turn at the last oasis?

I hope it is not.

 

[Andhaira]

Yeah thats it, but see due to the limitations of teknology they could not really pop you into the middle of a full fledged battle. (go play Rome total War if you want it).

however, the fight you were in was still epic. It wasn't against a random 'mob'; it was against some wicked, wicked creatures who could also cast the psionic equivalent of disintegrate.

Also, you had access to an item that gave you the limited wish spell!! (much better implemented than in the bg series)

 

[Hory]

Wasn't the first Dark Sun game that one wich spent all it's time teasing me about the huge and epic battle against the evil guy's army that would end the story and that finally turned out to be my party and three random guys against some mobs in the middle of quite a lot of sand where nothing at all was happening while small windows saying "Hey, really - there is a huge battle raging all around! So many are dying! Go, rebel guy, go!" popped up every now and then, making me think i took the wrong turn at the last oasis?

I hope it is not.

I thought it was pretty epic... they must have had three times your numbers, and they were strong units, not just filler. It was a very difficult battle, and at least in my case, it required a lot of thinking and tactics trying. Whether epic or not, it was one of the most memorable battles I've had in a game.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Dark Sun. Is it any good?

Genocide. Is it bad?

 

[afewhours]

Looks like I have to give this another shot. I remember playing DS1, but I was put off by the setting. It's just that I had a DM who used the Dark Sun setting and he insisted on throwing us straight into an epic campaign that made no sense to anyone.

It was a pity, as it was intriguing, but the annoyance I felt at the time affected my attempts to play the game. Oh well - things have moved on - time to give it another whirl...

 

[Andhaira]

DS1 has one of the best beginnings of any rpg evaH, save perhaps U7.

 

[Binary]

It's the best DOS RPG (excluding Fallout's DOS mode), and better than BG1, in my opinion.

Your're kiddin', right?

Welcome to the Codex Hivemind (tm)

The Darksun series is actually rather good. DS2 could have been a fantastic game if not for the bugs it had: it was the first RPG in history for which its publisher stopped fixing issues because it had "too many bugs" (even v1.1, the final version, has quite a few bugs - can't stand my El's Drinkers vanishing). The unexpected events in the game make up for this flaw.

DS1 is a solid RPG although it sometimes looks a bit "empty" (desert, desert, desert), but after the game is finished, the chars can be imported to DS2, items included, which is worth it. Also the final combat is IMHO the best I've ever played on any RPG.

 

[SpaceKungFuMan]

And I actually knew someone who had problems with Dark Sun. It was the guy that founded a CRPG website with me about 10 years ago. He experienced a lot of bugs with the game and was very frustrated by that.

Oh, I thought we weren't counting bugs because you put Daggerfall on your list. . .

 

[aweigh]

Arguing with Brennus? LOL.

Fallout is the best Windows RPG.

 

[aboyd]

Try this website http://dso.zidev.com/downloads.html

It's a fanmade project trying to get Darksun Online up. On this page they also have darksun 1 and 2 for download (legally) Anyways, check out the site they could use some help in getting the game up and running. Even though I'm not sure if they ever will.

Just wanted to post to say thanks for this. I've been sick for the past few days, and this has been a good way to spend some of my waking hours (which are few). The turn-based combat is missing a lot of the detail of other games, but I think that might be why I like it. It plays faster.

I think this may be about as far back as I can go, game-wise. I thought BG1 & Fallout were the oldest games I could still tolerate to play. Mainly, I cannot stand old first-person games that require you to map out your travels on pieces of graph paper. But since this has a mapping feature, and since it reminds me of NES or Super-NES graphics, I'm actually having a pretty good time. Thanks.

 

[Andhaira]

Which one are you playing?

Make a lets play thread dmn it!!

 

[Fat Dragon]

Just finished cleaning out Dagolar's Lair. I found it to be a pretty good distraction from the main quest; definitely one of the best side quests I've encountered so far. Anyways, it's New Year's Eve night over here, time to get drunk. I'll give my full impressions of the game in a couple days.

Which one are you playing?

Make a lets play thread dmn it!!

Shattered Lands. I'll probably download the sequel sometime in the near future. Somebody else can make a Let's Play thread for the game. I don't really have the time to do it.

 

[Andhaira]

Sweet, I enjoyed ds1 more than the sequel (though you can import your party as is and acheive the lofty heights of high level0.

Whats you party composition? I hope you have a mage and a druid at least, since the spells are kick ass sweet.