Dungeon Master (video game)
| Dungeon Master | |
|---|---|
Atari ST cover art
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| Developer(s) |
FTL Games Victor Interactive Software (X68000) |
| Publisher(s) |
FTL Games Victor Interactive Software (X68000) |
| Designer(s) | Doug Bell, Dennis Walker, Michael Newton, Andy Jaros, Wayne Holder |
| Composer(s) | Tsukasa Tawada, Hikoshi Hashimoto |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple IIGS,Atari ST, MS-DOS (x86), SNES, TurboGrafx-CD, Sharp X68000, PC-9801, FM Towns |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single Player |
Dungeon Master is a role-playing video game, developed and published by FTL Games for the Atari ST in 1987.
Dungeon Master reportedly sold 40,000 copies in its year of release alone, and went on to become the ST's best-selling game of all time.
In contrast to the traditional turn-based approach that was, in 1987, most common, Dungeon Master added real-time combat elements (akin to Active Time Battle). Other factors in immersiveness were the use of sound effects to indicate when a creature was nearby, and (primitive) dynamic lighting. Abstract Dungeons and Dragons style experience points and levels were eschewed in favor of a system where the characters' skills were improved directly via using them. Dungeon Master was not the first game to introduce these features. Dungeons of Daggorath for the TRS-80 Color Computer first employed them in 1982. Dungeon Master was, however, responsible for popularizing these elements. Other features of Dungeon Master included allowing players to directly manipulate objects and the environment by clicking the mouse in the enlarged first-person view. It also introduced some novel control methods including the spell casting system, which involved learning sequences of runes which represented the form and function of a spell's effect. For example, a fireball spell was created by mixing the fire symbol with the wing symbol. This kind of attention to detail and focus on the user interface was typical of the game and helped create an often captivating sense of craft and ingenuity.
While many previous games such as Alternate Reality: The Dungeon, The Bard's Tale, Ultima and Wizardry offered Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing, Dungeon Master established several new standards for role-playing video games and video games in general.
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