~On The Subject Of CDS...

By Lu Richardson


There can be no doubt that the advent of the CD-ROM has 
revolutionised the way we play games - but in ways we did not 
suspect.

For instance, the one immediate advantage of putting a computer game 
on a CD is that you can have lots of graphics, music and sound 
effects and end up with a pretty spectacular product.  Proof of this 
is the proliferation of driving and other sims and, above all, space 
shoot'em ups.  Practically all computer companies nearly broke their 
necks trying to get into the act.  If you are fond of action games, 
then congratulations, because you are well served.

For the rest of us, the news is not so good.  Arcade fans, for 
instance, must have found that some of their favourite games came in 
just one HD disk - think of The Lost Vikings, to mention but one.  
Brilliant programming and an excellent idea were all that was needed 
to keep players entertained for hours on end.  I guess, though, that 
an arcade game can only have so many levels before it gets 
repetitive and boring - so, not a very good candidate for a CD.

A large number of gamesters enjoy adventure games and, again, some of 
the best I have ever played came in four or five HD disks.  Why, 
even the Grandaddy of them all, Colossal Adventure, which had people 
glued to their computer screens up and down the country, came in 
just a handful of kbs.  Again, the problem is that a well constructed
adventure game has a finite plot, and that the number of puzzles you 
can cram into it is limited - before the whole thing becomes tiresome.
Indeed, some of the adventures I have seen on CD have tended to be 
stretched to the limit.  You find yourself in situations which have 
nothing to do with the plot and you know you are being made to work 
just to prolong the game.  The use of speech is a good way to fill 
up a CD, but it means long, drawn out conversations which leave you 
fuming with impatience.  The only way you can produce a long 
adventure fit for a CD is to make it fascinating and full of action, 
but I guess writers are still thinking in terms of HD disks.

The most disappointing thing of all is that the Dungeon & Dragons 
type of RPG, which could have really exploited the CD medium, is yet 
to make the scene.  Games like Wizardry VII and Eye of the Beholder 
III were just begging to be taken that step further.  Imagine, also, 
what Ultima Underworlds III would have looked like on a CD.  Why 
these games have not materialized, I can't imagine.  All I know is 
that adventure/RPG lovers have been left high and dry.  I, for one, 
am still waiting for the ultimate experience in RPGs.  How about you?


Copyright (c) 1995 Eurowave Leisure Ltd.