«

[a1s]

for the past month (on and off, mostly on) I've been playing this game, and now I've even decide to read the manual (that was really helpfull too), and in the appendix they mention that there are plans for creating a sequel (well it was called a sequel, but it was meant o be more of an addon with the same engine but a different country) does anyone know if that ever came out?
if not (which I'm guessing is the case) was there ever a remake or a game with a similar permise?

[Borodin]

No. Darklands was a brilliant game, but it was developed at a time when Microprose's then-management wasn't into sequels. (It took several years before they decided to start work on an upgrade/remake to their alltime bestseller, Civilization.) In addition, the game went through a number of major patches; early copies had severe memory leaks, and that hampered sales.

A number of technologies developed before or in Darklands were introduced into subsequent titles. Randomized quests, terrain layouts, and object placement were all part of many later Microprose games, such as Magic: The Gathering and Civ 2. So was deteriorating arms/armor, and the pause-time system that permitted you to give each party member commands they explicitly carried out. (Unfortunately succeeded today by a system that allows you to give only one party member commands, while everybody else gets in the way of one another.)

The music of Darklands also showed up in games such as M:TG, and the composer subsequently became the founder of Firaxis Games.

Other elements, such as the remarkable character creation system, alchemy, and prayer, were never to my knowledge used again at such depth or with such originality. Darklands remains for me at least the #1 Microprose title awaiting a modern version (closely followed by Master of Magic), and I'm frankly surprised nobody has considered it. Perhaps the lack of necessary 3D graphics turns off large game companies who think 2D technology and menu systems are passe. But why Indie companies aren't looking at it, is beyond me. Unless they're unaware of the title.

[Lucullus]

Well maybe somebody should send an email suggesting that they look into it. I would love to have Darklands and master of magic out for XP with just a small update on graphics perhaps... the rest is still good

[Borodin]

Originally posted by Lucullus@Apr 19 2006, 10:49 PM
Well maybe somebody should send an email suggesting that they look into it. I would love to have Darklands and master of magic out for XP with just a small update on graphics perhaps... the rest is still good

Send an email to whom, though? Microprose went out of business nearly a decade ago. Really, if you think it's a great game, then try contacting a small Indie developer and suggest it to them, along with all the reasons laid out logically--in other words, why it would be heavily played and make good money.