Disciples of Steel Download (1995 Role playing Game)

Create a party of eight characters from the usual D&D classes, and lead these characters on their quest for adventure.

The initial character development is fairly comprehensive, but the user interface for the game itself is a 2D top-down perspective with symbolic representations of everything. The game map is a simple grid with icons in various squares to denote the location of your characters, monsters, trees, etc. Combat takes place on a "zoomed-in" map of the same variety, and is turn-based.

Disciples of Steel is an RPG as you know them - character creation, gaining levels, buying/finding new equipment, solving different tasks for the people in the world, etc.

After watching the intro-movie you have no idea what the game is about - it has something to do with knights, but that is as far as it goes with the storytelling. This doesn't matter at all, because the intro is very well done for a '93 game, so you'll sit back with a feeling that this is going to be good.

When you start a new game you move on to the character creation screen where you (yes you guessed right) create up to 8 characters with the standard RPG-options: die roll on stats, race, class, picture, etc. When this is done and you have chosen a formation for your characters, select "break camp" - and you're on your way.

The game is divided into two parts:

The first is the adventure map where you move around, enter cities, dungeons, etc. When you're in cities you can buy armor, weapons and other various items and you can also buy water and food (which is important for the survival of your party members).

The second screen is the combat screen. They're almost identical, but the difference is (and you guessed right again): combat. This is done as in many other RPG games - turnbased, though you never end your turn - each character will in turn be given the option to attack, aim, fire, cast a spell, etc. The combat is not easy, so I'll recommend that you use the save-function often!

The graphics are at best average for '93 (maybe they used all their time on the short intro-movie and forgot about the in-game graphics) - this isn't a big problem as graphichs aren't the most important aspect of a RPG-game, but a little more effort is desired. The music resembles the above - the number of tunes is very limited, and you'll tire of them very quickly (except perhaps the "combat one" :))

The game resembles many other RPG-games on the site, and doesn't contribute with many new aspects to the RPG-genre. Compared to other games this one doesn't make the standards for graphics, and the music stays on the average level. The feel-good feeling after the intro departed rather fast - a shame, this could've been great. A very average (perhaps a little below) game in all aspects - but probably enjoyable for the RPG-fan who just can't get enough.

Important: Run the game by typing in crack, pressing enter and then typing in start

Although definitely one of the worst RPGs ever made, Disciples of Steel nevertheless deserves recognition for its designers' efforts to combine traditional RPG elements with tactical options commonly associated with strategy and wargames. Unfortunately, confusing interface and repetitive dungeon-crawl gameplay make for an unmemorable experience.

Disciples of Steel is, in most respects, a "classical" RPG. You create a party of six characters from the usual D&D classes, and you lead the party on their quest for adventure. The initial character development is fairly comprehensive, but the user interface for the game itself is a 2D top-down perspective, with symbolic representations of everything. The game map is a simple grid with icons in various squares to denote the location of your characters, monsters, trees, etc. Combat takes place on a "zoomed-in" map of the same variety, and is turn-based.

Despite an excellent character creation system and the novel combat module that strategy fans will find interesting, the game simply promises a lot more than it delivers. The user interface, filled with rows of icons that are hard to recognize, is so confusing (with quirky mouse support) that it's almost unplayable. Even if you can tolerate the interface, you don't have much to look forward to except the typical "kill the monster and take the treasure" scenario, over and over and over again. Banal plot and mundane monsters add insult to the injury. Disciples of Steel will appeal only to those with infinite patience-and that's very few of us. Stay away if you can.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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