[ReadOnlyCat]

Originally Posted by Overdoc

Ok, I digged out my old maps for Dungeon Master and Black Crypt yesterday, after about 15 years for DM, and 10 years for Black Crypt....
DM maps go up to level 8, so that seems to be where we gave up for some reason. I cannot remember exactly why ?! Maybe we just gave up because of lack of time to meet and play, or something alike ?!

I think I stopped around that level too the first time I played it even though I was enjoying the game thoroughly. The multiple stairs and necessary come backs can be tiring if you don't have a map (which I didn't at the time).
A few years later, I took the time to grab a map (in Tilt magazine) and played the game again from start to finish, using the map only for areas where I had actually been to so as to not spoil future discoveries and I had a blast (again).

Also, the audio is fantastic and full stereo so play it with headphones and at night so that the only sounds you can hear are sure to be coming from the dungeon.

Originally Posted by Overdoc

At least I remember those red worms in some later level, which were tedious because they re-spawned (something I hate in all games)
However, I also remember that we killed them again to gain some food and experience ?

Note that the respawn is 100% coherent with the quest in DM! Lord Chaos has created the dungeon as a defense mechanism against your party, the monsters are spawning because he placed respawn points activated by your actions.

The purple worms for instance will respawn only if you pass over a particular case. That is also - as you noted - very useful to get food.

Originally Posted by Overdoc

The rune system was not a blocking issue, but a bit uncomfortable. I would have preferred to have the speels in a list, where I can just select it during the real time combat. It simply take too much time to assemble a spell, when you are busy with clicking on the warriors's weapon hands during a fight, imho.

Then that would not be a spell anymore but just another one-click weapon.
That is the whole point of the spell system: you learn and formulate the spells, which are a completely different thing than the handheld weapons. They can be much more powerful, they can do many very different things using a single system (attacks, potions, protection, visibility, etc.) but they come with a price.
It is one of DM's greatest feats to have made the spells themselves a game in the game.

Think of them in the same way as you think of talking: sometimes you mix up words, you mispronounce, etc. But the difficulty of language is balanced by the power it gives (communication, invention, story telling, humor, etc.).
Same for the DM spells: slower, harder but more powerful and flexible than any physical weapon overall.

It really pays to learn their meaning rather than just remember the numbers.

Originally Posted by Overdoc

But thanks for all the input again to all of you. I might want to try DM again, or maybe also start again with DM II ?

I know I took immense pleasure re-starting DM from scratch at every few years intervals (last time was emulated on UAE about 7 years ago). You forget enough things that it gives you the pleasure of "discovering" them again, and for the ones you remembered there is the nice feeling of nostalgia as well as easier play.
Also, with age I think you end up having better strategies so the game is overall more fun to conquer and play.

Originally Posted by matthey

A compass or map is very helpful when you get to spinners which I believe first occur when you get to rats with some invisible walls. It's not too difficult after noticing what is going on. As I recall, there is a gold key in one of the sewer drains which may be helpful but not necessary on the long, and at first difficult, worm level.

Spinners are already present in the "choose your door, choose your fate" level.
I recall about that gold key, I found it on my first play and never dared to use it on regular "gold key" doors for fear it was made only for a special door.

Originally Posted by matthey

A good mouse makes all the difference in the world. Tank mice don't cut it. A pregnant mouse or PC optical mouse with adapter is good.

This message should be made to blink and beep so that nobody can miss it!

I have been playing on my physical A500 lately and the tank mouse is just pure torture compared to my optical modern mouse. Very often, the mouse cursor does not move and I have to lift the mouse and retry, the buttons do not register once every four clicks which is one time too much in a game by definition, and the cable is so rigid it actually hinders displacement of the mouse.

The tank mouse gets me so upset now that I have decided my next Amiga related purchase will be a USB-adapter. I simply won't play any mouse game until I receive it in the mail.