An old RPG. With Minotaurs!

[Dmaner]

Hello, I've looking for this game for years and no one has been able to help me.

8-10 years ago, I had a collection of shareware games that came bundled together in a cd. The compilation was made by a local company here that went broke a long time ago.

Anyway, I remember one of those games in particular, it was a sort of RPG, where you had to travel through labyrinths. I remember that each level of the dungeon was placed on a grid, of for example 20x20, where each square had a room and one or more exits, north, south, east or west. I also remember that you could get out of the dungeon and travel, using a map overview, to several towns where you could buy stuff. I remember one of those towns was a ghost town. I also remember the game had several different races to choose from, but I only remember Minotaurs.

The version I had was a short demo, since the game was shareware.

I'm sorry about the lack of details, but if anyone has any idea, I would be very grateful.

Thanks!

[Dmaner]

This one has been driving me crazy for years.

Some 8-10 years ago I had a compilation of shareware games that came all together on a cd. That compilation was made by a small local company which has disappeared a long time ago. I remember one game in particular, an RPG/Adventure type of game, where you would choose a name, a race, and a couple of other things, and then appeared in a dungeon. I remember the dungeon had many levels, and that each level was a grid of, for example, 20x20, where each square was a room with exits north south east or west. I also remember that you could come out of the dungeon and travel, using a map overview, to different towns where you could buy stuff. I remember Minotaurs were one of the races, and also that one of the monsters you could encounter was a mimic that looked like a chest.

The game I played was a short demo.

Since the game came in a shareware package, I have no idea when it was published. I'm sure that it has to be pre-2000. The graphics were all very simple.

If it rings a bell to anyone, please tell me!

Thanks.

[DarthHelmet86]

Merged the two threads together since it's about the same game, and both have been posted today.

As for the game I have no idea what it could be...but it sounds interesting.

[dosraider]

..........................................
If it rings a bell to anyone, please tell me!

Thanks.
To be honnest, it rings a lot of bells, a complete carillon of them bells.
Meaning: your description covers approx 75-90% of the RPGs I ever played.
If you can't give some specific details for the game you're looking for it's gonna be a hard one to find.

[Smiling Spectre]

Well, I am doubt about 90% of RPGs. :) Not all RPGs have "room differentiation", and not all RPGs have chest mimics. :) And definitely not all of them starts in dungeon and have many towns. :) Actually, roguelikes would be prime suspected, but I cannot remember any RL with squared locations, except one, text-based, here on AB, but it is haven't cities. :(

[wardencz]

He said that there is possibility to play as a minotaur, that might give a clue to some1.
In my case I have no idea.

[wardencz]

Now, I found a page about minotaur race being in AD&D first edition, furthermore, they are mentioned as Minotaurs of Krynn so I would assume that it might have been one of the games of the AD&D saga from Krynn.
Just a thought.
EDIT:
Champions of Krynn (http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/619/Champions+of+Krynn.html)
The dark queen of Krynn (http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/621/Dark+Queen+of+Krynn%2C+The.html)
Death knights of Krynn (http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/620/Death+Knights+of+Krynn.html)

[marko river]

You should write something about graphics, the view etc.

Considering the 20x20 levels in dungeons, it surely reminds of rouge-likes. Check these rogue-clones (http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/rogue-variants) and comment graphics, presentation, anything that may come to mind.

[Smiling Spectre]

Anyway, I remember one of those games in particular, it was a sort of RPG, where you had to travel through labyrinths. I remember that each level of the dungeon was placed on a grid, of for example 20x20, where each square had a room and one or more exits, north, south, east or west. I also remember that you could get out of the dungeon and travel, using a map overview, to several towns where you could buy stuff. I remember one of those towns was a ghost town. I also remember the game had several different races to choose from, but I only remember Minotaurs.
It hits me yesterday: could it be one of Might and Magic (http://www.mobygames.com/game/might-and-magic-world-of-xeen/screenshots)? It have square dungeons, minotaurs (but I forgot, whether they could be playable or not) and definitely ghost city!

Another suspect is Mordor (http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/mordor-the-depths-of-dejenol/screenshots) but it definitely haven't any cities except the first.

[Paco]

It hits me yesterday: could it be one of Might and Magic (http://www.mobygames.com/game/might-and-magic-world-of-xeen/screenshots)? It have square dungeons, minotaurs (but I forgot, whether they could be playable or not) and definitely ghost city!

There is Humans, Dwarfs, Elven, Gnoms, Orks, but no Minotaurs at last in the first 5 Parts of the Series. Dont remember if there is playable Minotaurs in the latter Parts of the Series (MM 6-9).

[Dmaner]

I think it may be a bit more modern than those games, since I remember playing it on Windows 98. About the graphics, I remember that you didn't actually "walk" through the dungeon, seeing the walls and monsters, but you had an overhead view of it, and a small compass which you used to move around. I also remember the towns you could visit where red dots on a map of the land...

[Lulu_Jane]

You said it was a local company, maybe you could tell us where "here" is? :)

[Dmaner]

Well, "here" is Buenos Aires, Argentina. The compilation's name was "250 Juegos Shareware", a green, black and yellow cd. But I don't think that is much of a clue. :)

EDIT: About the release date, another clue: the cd also brought the shareware versions of two games: Tyrian v1.0 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_(video_game)) and Sapiens (http://www.myriad-online.com/en/products/sapiens.htm).

[_r.u.s.s.]

was it more like a diablo clone? or a more classic and strategic rpg

like, if it was fast something action paced with rpg elements, something more "rpg", like baldur's gate maybe

[Dmaner]

Nono, it wasn't at all like the diabñlo games. You didn't get a party (at least not in the shareware version) and you didn't get an animated character that you could move... you just "encountered" enemies and reacted by choosing what to do, by selecting on a menu (not real time, is what I mean).

[Smiling Spectre]

Oh, it becomes interesting.

How it is looks then? I mean - what have you on screen? Static first person, like in, say, Bard's Tale? Or maybe overhead view with one static character, like Ultima? How battles going - Bard's Tale-like? "1. Attack, 2. Cast Spell, 3. Retreat" and so on?

[Dmaner]

The details are sketchy, but I remember that the view while exploring a dungeon was from the top (you could see the rooms of the maze you had explored all at once, the rest were dark). That game, Bard's Tale, looks quite similar to what I remember, at least the enemy encounters, so I guess it had that static first person you mention. The battles I don't remember much, but they definitely weren't real time and you at least had "Attack" and "Retreat" options. I believe it had much better graphics, since that one looks like a very old game, but it sure rings a bell. Do you know of any similar games released as shareware?

When exploring the dungeon, I think you moved by clicking on a NSEW compass. Travel between towns was done with a map. I remember that in the map there was a frontier you couldn't cross in the shareware version.

Also, I don't remember having a party at all, but maybe that was only because I played the shareware version.

Thanks for the interest!

[Herduk]

I got an old CD with a bunch of old shareware games and one of them is similar to your description, but graphics is the old ASCII rogue-like style.

If i got a minute or two in the week, i'll post the name

[Herduk]

Ok, i found the name: Wizard Lair, but as i told, it's an ascii rogue-like style game

[Dmaner]

Heh, it's a nice game. But I remember mine had some graphics at least :) Thanks for trying!