Looking for the name of an ancient CRPG.

Wonko the sane

Watcher
Joined
January 21, 2013
Messages
15
Hello all. Yup, first post and already asking for help.

Anyway, I will relate most of the tale again. I stumbled across the RPGwatch website during another frantic (and fruitless) search for the name of a game whose memory is taunting and haunting me. I'm just going to copy whole sale the letter I sent to the webmaster of the site, since it has just about everything already written in it. Though I did correct the name of the disc.

I am unsure of all the details, but I will try to share. The game begins and you are either three or four students of a college/university. One night you all notice that the campus is over run with what appears to be giant bugs, and one of the professors is heading underground, to the tunnels below the university. The opening play (from your dorm room to the tunnels.) is a 2d map, and it switches to 3d FPS (as in elder scrolls dagger fall. That style.) when you get down there. You switch between characters with no noticeable change in the GUI, just a change of equipment, stats, and weapons. I don't remember there being magic in the game, but I do remember healing myself at a fountain as well as bottling water to take with me later. The enemies I ran into were mostly giant bugs, and I seem to recall that they all dropped… something. Different things, some of it seemed useful, others not. It was at some point in the mid 90's, and I got the game off a shareware disc called "200 great games". It might have been "200 great games for windows". I can recall it was blue with white text in a serif bold font, but not the full name.

This has literally be driving me crazy for the last decade. I have had zero luck getting even close. I don't know if a full version of the game was ever made, and I am running out of permutations to throw at google. Gorath suggested I ask here, as one of you wonderful, intelligent and lorefull folk is sure to know what I am referring to. Or this thread could document my final fall into insanity. Either way: fun time!

Thank you all for the assistance.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
15
Seems like it might be getting close, but not it.

I should have been more specific. The game STARTS in a modern setting, but once you get under the university it's more medievil. Swords and clubs and such. I don't remember there being any magic, and the game itself implied that the giant bugs roaming around were of something of a scientific nature.

I really don't have anymore details, and I sorely wish I did.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
15
Sounds almost like Archangel, but I doubt it. Do you play in a party or solo?
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,578
Location
Bergen
I've racked my brain about this and googled for a while, but I can't find it.

I did find the "200 Great Games for Windows" CD - and on the back cover you can see a number of titles (hover the mouse over the image), but nothing sounds too much like you're describing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sof...ws-3-1-CD-ROM-PC-1994-MicroStar-/320871832805

I'd like to claim I know pretty much every single commercial RPG from the 90s - so it makes sense that it's a shareware game.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
 
I only linked the ebay thingie for the picture of the back cover. I wouldn't suggest buying the CD - as I'm sure the game is available somewhere with little or no cost.
 
There were regular (if not even annual) releases of such collections - might be hard to find the right one (note that the two linked here are also different ones). I think I bought one or two of these back in the day, but unfortunately I have no recollection of the game described in the OP.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,508
It isn't in that 200 games for windows cd since it doesn't have any games like what you described. If my memory wasn't shoddy I might know what game you are talking about since I played pretty much every shareware rpg that came out.

PS. I was in your shoes up until about 8 months ago trying to find one of the first rpgs I ever played and couldn't remember the name of. I found out the name of it which is "Walls of Bratock" so as long as you keep looking you may find it even if it takes years like it did for me.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
1,596
Sounds almost like Archangel, but I doubt it. Do you play in a party or solo?

You're in a party of three or four, but use each character individually and one at a time. I remember this because there was two points which had me confused: the first was when the guy I was using was passed out but the game went on under my control (before I figured out there were multiple characters in play.) and the second being how my last guy is dragging around about 100 pounds of stuff AND his passed out party AND fighting.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
15
See, gorath was right. You guys are not only massively nice, but incredibly helpful. This is more than I've dug up solo in ages.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
15
You're in a party of three or four, but use each character individually and one at a time. I remember this because there was two points which had me confused: the first was when the guy I was using was passed out but the game went on under my control (before I figured out there were multiple characters in play.) and the second being how my last guy is dragging around about 100 pounds of stuff AND his passed out party AND fighting.

Snap! This description is stirring something in the back of my brain, but I can't seem to figure it out.

Oh and welcome to the forums!
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,578
Location
Bergen
Question was it really freee movement 3D (as in DF) or tile/step based movement. And what was the combat like? Might help narrowing it down a bit more.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,508
Albion fits most criterias, but it didn't start in a university/school as far as I know.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,578
Location
Bergen
I don't know what a brain caner is, or why you'd get it, but it's an impressive list, isn't it? ;)
I meant it blew my mind and yes, it sure is impressive.
I once had a plan to do the same thing that CRPG addict is doing, but that list shows what a stupid goal I had. I mean some of those games are so obscure and awkward it looks like they come from another dimension.

BTW, I also suggest contacting CRPG addict. If he doesn't know it, it's a safe bet that no one (who's still active in Internet nowadays) does.
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
210
Location
Iran
Back
Top Bottom