Dark Sun Games - Beginners Guide @Indigo Gaming

Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager have been examined by Indigo Gaming who provides a beginners guide to them.

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Dark Sun takes place in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world that plays out like Mad Max meets Dungeons & Dragons, where water, flora, fauna and hard metals are precious and scarce. A sort of "medieval Fallout" with magic and psionic powers, Dark Sun is a memorable tabletop game setting that inspired two classic DOS RPGs that still hold up today, for those with the patience to see it through.

Developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc. as their first great departure from the Gold Box RPGs that made them successful, Dark Sun lives in the memories of its fans, and hopefully this video will convince more players to give it a try.

This video aims to also serve as a beginner's guide to help you through the tribulations of Athas, in your grim quest to save the world…or what's left of it!

More information.

Amazing documentary, thanks for posting this.

Nice, need to watch that later.

Wished there were new games in that world.

Also still looking for a physical copy of Dark Sun Online. But one which is affordable

Two of the greatest games of all time, bar none. I'm likely due a replay of both within the next year or three!

It looks like a very interesting setting, and the whole natural disaster post-climate change thing seems very relevant in this day and age. I hope we’ll get more Dark Sun games, and they don’t need to have a triple A+ diamond club budget, a retro isometric game, like Pillars or Pathfinder, would suffice.

I know there's been an effort for a while now to create a Dark Sun setting in NWN. I agree it could be a good setting for a dystopian cRPG some time in the future. Not sure it's going to happen though because it doesn't have a large following.

Count me as another that would be totally over the moon if someone brought back this wonderful series in some form!

Shattered Lands was a masterpiece

Thanks for posting this news, Silver!

I like Indigo Gaming videos. I'm subscribed to his YT channel and I can recommend it!

I like the setting, but I couldn't get into the Dark Sun games. Shattered Lands was already pretty dated by the time I tried playing it. I hope they get remastered someday although I know that isn't likely.

I'm halfway through the video, and realized had no idea about this setting. I heard mentions of it, but never delved into what it had to offer. And it sounds pretty great. Fantasy mad-max sounds pretty cool. I even got some Evil Islands energy, the desert part of that campaign.

Such a shame no games were made in that setting, aside from the old games. And I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to try those old ones. I keep saying I'm saving them for when I retire, but chances are as time passes they become harder and harder to get into.

There was one developer called TSI Games who was the successor to the gold-box game developer Strategic Simulations. Unfortunately they failed to fund their kickstarter and went silent a few years later. The failed game was called Seven Dragon Saga.

Link - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects…tions-interact

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
There was one developer called TSI Games who was the successor to the gold-box game developer Strategic Simulations. Unfortunately they failed to fund their kickstarter and went silent a few years later. The failed game was called Seven Dragon Saga.

Link - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects…tions-interact

I remember this KS. It looked good! Did anyone get the game to be further developed?

Originally Posted by henriquejr
I remember this KS. It looked good! Did anyone get the game to be further developed?

After 2016 the developer went silent. They haven't updated their webpage, Facebook, or any other platform in years. I'd say the developer is dead but you never know.

Link - http://www.tsi-games.com/in-the-news/

I checked TSI Games facebook page. The most recent activity from TSI is a response to this question asked in November 2018: “Sad that 7DS seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. Motivation-based rewards for character personalities would have been fascinating.”

TSI responded with “It’s slow going but not forgotten.”

Their response on FB to similar questions over the past couple of years has always been that the game is not canceled but progress has been very slow and they have no news to share.

Thanks, CouchPotato

We can always hope that the game is not dead and that it'll see the light of the day.

Aye, a total shame about Seven Dragon Saga. I keep hoping we'll hear something good, yet the chances of that are pretty slim right now.

I don't remember that kickstarter, but the name sounds familiar.

It's a shame it fell so far short of reaching their goal, but 450K seems like a lot to ask for considering they didn't have any prior games.

Dave Shelley from TSI was a designer on Buck Rogers Countdown from Doomsday, one of my favourite SSI games. He even designed the ECG infested Maestrom Rider maps, which were particular devious for a party fresh out of Chicagorg. Featuring multiple countdowns, a virus that turns your own party members against yourself and a powerful boss battle - spread across 10 levels. All this for your first real mission!!

Dark Sun is a great cRPG with tons of interesting maps and optional maps. The difficulty of the end fight is impacted by how many villages you save. It's a great design that provides both motivation to explore and a real outcome from each success - not just some phat loot or XP as in most games. I would rate it a high 8/10.

Sadly Wake of the Ravager is an inferior game in most regards. The maps are not as well designed and missions are less interesting. It also removes a bunch of hard earned loot if you transfer your characters. If I was generous I would score it a 7/10 but the bugs take it down to a 6/10.