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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5027863" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 160: August 1990part 4/6The role of computers: Our reviewers run across another little problem that really needs rebutting. The old conflict of interest issue when they review games made by their employer. And of course, they strongly protest their innocence. We really think the games are that good, and so do you, unless they also fixed the awards, and what would be the point of that? I think we can probably trust them on this one. But still, it shows how much TSR is seen as a corporate entity by lots of the public by now, even if they still like and buy their products. I suppose that's only going to get worse. Conquests of Camelot is of course an arthurian adventure game. Combining point-and-click and various arcade minigames. Thankfully, although some bits are tricky, you can save anywhere, and create multiple backups. 3D graphics are progressing rapidly, and this brings a new emphasis on making sure you have the right computer specs to handle the game. Looks like that issue is going to become the persistent problem stupid copy protection schemes were last year. Draconian: Drakkhen is an incredibly tricky adventure, but also has a ton of depth. With a 40 page mini novel included to set up the game's plot, (which it really isn't a good idea to skip.) and monsters that are a real challenge right from the offset, requiring you to learn how to optimize your party to get anywhere, it's not for the casual gamer. Be prepared to work hard and be patient if you want to see all the cool stuff here. Phantasy Star II gets the same epic result as it's predecessor. It builds upon the same principles nicely, with plenty of new stuff joining the old favourites, with cool new equipment, and bigger and badder opposition to match. Sega, like apple, are still a healthy gaming platform at this time. Tired of fighting the same old dragons, Try fifth cycle. I don't remember this one, but somehow it smells of fantasy heartbreaker. Any more info will as ever be welcomed. The ecology of the gibbering mouther: Ha. Lesson no 1. You do not <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> with the sage. Especially when said narrator is an active adventurer who got their knowledge of various monsters the hard way. We've seen that lesson before, but it remains just as amusing here. We also get some nicely evocative descriptions of the titular blasphemy against nature and sanity. This time it's the fiction that's better than the footnotes, which are merely serviceable. However it's also pretty good as a selection of plot ideas to steal an incorporate into your own game. If you are ever short of an adventure hook, blackmail the players into doing the dirty work of the city officials, put a gelatinous cube at the bottom of a pit, and set up yet more other diabolical traps. Pretty nice reading here. Fiction:Thief on a string by Dean Edmonds. It's not just genies and demons that get trapped by wizards against their will, and forced to obey any commands they're given to the letter. Fortunately, humans are no slouches at rules lawyering either, and this kind of thing often ends badly for said wizard. So it goes here, in another entertaining little tale with nice edges of both humour and sadism. He manages to get me attached enough to the main character that the subsequent mind<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ing feels pretty nasty, which isn't that easy in a short story. The fiction section really is getting in good writers lately, as the rest of the magazine struggles. But then, they probably have a larger slush pile, since they only have to find one good story per issue, not a good dozen articles, and there are more general fiction writers out there than good rules designers. There are no generic Black Belts: Off to Top Secret land, for the first time in a while. A fairly familiar subject, though. Martial arts. How many articles have we had on them so far? I'm pretty sure at least one of the Top Secret ones has involved MA too. And this article offers a considerable power boost to their users, and the expense of some tedious pontification about training times. Special techniques, descriptions of a whole bunch of real world MA's, shouting to enhance your abilities, it's pretty obvious what target audience this article is aimed at. Guess they're still a substantial buyer demographic that needs catering too. I fail to be enthralled, on the other hand.</blockquote>

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