Dungeon Master Atari ST 1987 FTL Original Version

Dungeon Master Original Version

FTL Games released the original version of Dungeon Master for the Atari ST on December 15 of 1987. Dungeon Master is technically notable for its icon-driven interface, mouse-driven control and rapid flip-screen updating of a 224x136 viewport. Dungeon Master is also notable for its high-quality graphics, atmospheric sound effects and resource management.

Dungeon Master is correctly referred to as a flip-screen cRPG or dungeon-crawler.

Dungeon Master updates pre-drawn static screens that players "flip through" by clicking directional icons. Sprite-scaled objects and actors appear in the dungeon; the actors move about and fight the player's four-person party in real-time. In addition, players can interact directly with the environment. For example, in order to solve puzzles and progress players pick up and put down objects, flick switches, insert keys into locks, stand on pressure plates, put items on pressure plates, drink from fountains, refill bottles at fountains, bash down doors and so on. The mouse-cursor seamlessly transitions from icon cluster to the active drawspace.

The player chooses four champions from a pool of 24 in the Hall of Heroes. Champions can be reincarnated or resurrected. Each champion is constituted by 11 stats. Champions can cast spells and attack in melee or from range. Champions learn by doing: by attacking and casting spells they eventually level up, which means their stats and specializations(s) increase.

Actions such as movements, attacks and spellcasting are executed in real-time, with each attack having a "cooldown" dependent on the action. Clicking the attack icon switches the icon to a menu consisting of attack-types based on the weapon wielded. Expending mana, spells are cast by clicking on symbols in the correct order. Healing potions and antidotes can be concocted by casting a spell onto an empty flask. Champions must also eat food and drink water to survive. Resting is used to recover health, mana and stamina.

As for resource management, in addition to eating food and drinking water, spells and torches can be used as light-sources; and there are intensities of light -- from brightly lit to all but pitch-black darkness.

Sound plays an important part in DM. In addition to stock-standard combat sound effects one can hear the clanking old metal gates as well as mummies shambling around in the darkness.

Dungeon Master was designed by Doug Bell, Mike Newton and Dennis Walker; its graphics were drawn and animated by Andy Jaros; its audio composed by Wayne Holder.

Dungeon Master requires an Atari 520 ST with 512kB RAM. Distributed on 1x 3.5" 360kB single-sided diskette, Dungeon Master was infamous for its long load-times due to its heavily-packed data-files. Dungeon Master displays in 16-color 320x200.

The 1988 Amiga version of Dungeon Master requires 1 meg of RAM. The Amiga version has faster load-times, a smoother framerate and features 512kB of extra audio samples.

Dungeon Master and its sequel, Chaos Strikes Back of 1989, were the best flip-screen cRPGs until the advent of Captive of 1990.

Dungeon Master IBM PC 1992

FTL Games and Software Heaven ported Dungeon Master to IBM PC MS-DOS 3.3 in 1992.

Yes, it came out five years after the original Atari ST version, but the IBM PC version of Dungeon Master is the fastest version to play (assuming a decent 386 CPU). In addition, IBM PC Dungeon Master includes intro music and an outro.

IBM PC Dungeon Master displays in 16-color EGA 320x200 or 16-color VGA 320x200. IBM PC Dungeon Master audio supports PC Speaker, FTL Sound Adapter, Tandy 1000 TL/TS Sound, Disney Sound Source, Sound Blaster and AdLib.

The IBM PC version of Dungeon Master was distributed on 1x 3.5" 1.44 MB HD diskette or 2x 5.25" 1.22MB HD floppy disks and installs to hard disk drive via Dungeon Master Installer with an install size of 1,205,591 bytes or 1 meg (16 files).

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Chronologically-listed flip-screen cRPG active drawspace size comparison (in horizontal and vertical pixels):

• Dungeon Master Atari ST 1987: 16-color 224x136
• Pool of Radiance IBM PC 1988: 16-color EGA 88x88
• Bloodwych Amiga 1989: 16-color 2x 128x76
• Chaos Strikes Back Atari ST 1989: 16-color 224x136
• Captive Amiga 1990: 32-color 146x144
• Legend of Faerghail Amiga 1990: 32-color 120x120
• Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday IBM PC 1990: 16-color EGA 88x88
• Crystals of Arborea IBM PC 1990: 16-color EGA 320x152
• Eye of the Beholder IBM PC 1991: 256-color VGA 176x120
• Fate Gates of Dawn Amiga 1991: 32-color 176x107
• Black Crypt Amiga 1992: 64-color 208x140
• Dark Queen of Krynn IBM PC 1992: 256-color VGA 88x88
• Ishar: Legend of the Fortress IBM PC 1992: 256-color VGA 256x126
• Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom IBM PC 1993: 256-color VGA 256x113
• Space Hulk IBM PC 1993: 1x 160x80 + 4x 76x40
• Liberation Captive 2 Amiga 1993-94: 256-color AGA 192x100
• Lands of Lore IBM PC 1993: 256-color VGA 176x120
• Hired Guns IBM PC 1993: 256-color VGA 4x 140x82
• Perihelion The Prophecy Amiga 1993: 32-color 176x120
• Ishar 3: Seven Gates of Infinity IBM PC 1994: 256-color VGA 256x113
• Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession IBM PC 1994: 256-color SVGA 512x256
• Dungeon Master 2: Legend of Skullkeep IBM PC 1995: 256-color VGA 224x136

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