This Month's Review: Land Of Devastation (LOD) 5.00
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Opening Comments:
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   Well, here's my second submission to DoorWorld, and to date, not one death 
threat. Not bad, wouldn't you say? :) For those of you still wondering who I 
am, well, I guess you'll have to get a copy of November's DoorWorld articles 
and read my first submission. I'm afraid it would be improper to explain 
myself again and waste those precious bytes on all the machines that receive 
copies of DoorWorld, and already know who I am. (Funny though, I seem to be 
wasting bytes right now.. Oh well! <G>) For those SysOps and users out there 
though, don't forget to check out the ad for BRE/FE League 116 in DoorWorld's 
advertising section! Who knows? This league could lead you to fame and 
fortune! Look at me! :) Anyways.. enough babbling! DoorWorld might fire me 
if I don't get on with my article! <G>

   This month, I chose to review LAND OF DEVASTATION (otherwise known as LOD) 
Version 5.00. Now, as I'm writing this in mid-November, there might be a 
later version out, for reasons that I'll explain later. LOD is a solid 
adventure-type game. The plot is simple enough: Big H-Bombs go off on Earth; 
you've got to save it. Piece of cake, right? Well, your right until you start
meeting monsters and finding out you can't afford the necessary equipment, 
but hey!, that's what life's all about, right? 

For the record,  I used the basic LOD program files, coupled with the music, 
and my own custom dataset. I'll explain the latter later on..

SysOp's Point Of View:
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LOD is a fine piece of work; in depth too! The game itself comes in 10 
separate files, averaging about 450k each. Of these 10, only 1 is required to 
run the game, however, you might want to consider getting another one that 
contains the docs so you how to run it! The game is divided up into the 
following files, all starting with "LOD<Version#>" and ending with ".ZIP"
(ie. LOD500A.ZIP): A - The game's docs and other text files. B - The main 
LOD program files. C - Half of LOD's SVGA graphics. D - The other half of 
LOD's SVGA graphics. E - LOD's customization kit. F - LOD's MOD style music. 
G - SVGA graphic designer/editor/implementer - draw your own SVGA Graphics 
for LOD with this baby! L - The "lite" program executibles, for those that 
don't want to use music, are short on memory, etc. O - The OS/2 program 
files. P - The Dos Protected Mode executibles. Each of these files adds 
something to LOD, with only A and B being required to run the program. With 
this great setup, every SysOp can configure LOD to what he likes best!
     
     Even from the above, you can tell that LOD takes pride in its 
flexibility. Thing is, it doesn't stop there! For each and every SysOp that 
just *HAS* to muddle with everything, you'll love LOD. With the addition of 
the "E" archive, anyone and everyone can create their own custom dataset. A 
dataset is the combined monsters, maps, weapons, devices, etc. that give LOD
its distinctive flavour. In fact, Scott Baker (author) has left this feature 
so open, that literally, you could re-write the whole thing and just have the 
basic LOD engine running YOUR game! Of course, anyone that uses "your" game 
still has to register it with Scott, but, we're all good Samaritans here, 
willing to do a little work for charity, right? :)
     
     I, myself, created such a dataset, although, not as in depth as I've 
talked about. All I did, was add a few new weapons, armour, etc., plus a few 
new monsters to give LOD a fresh look. I messed with the map too! This just 
goes to show, again, how flexible LOD is - allowing you to customize how much 
you want, when you want.
     
     Installation is fairly basic too. It mainly consists of Unzipping the 
archive(s) into their own directory, and editing a text file which is fairly 
informative in regards to the settings. Most settings are already provided 
for you, so if you run the "run of the mill" system, then it shouldn't take 
too long. Then, just hook it up to your BBS, and look and see if there are 
any parameters you need to include (shouldn't be very many, if any at all). 
It should work after that, and then it's up to you if you want to create your 
own dataset, borrow someone else's, or just use the default one. Now, just 
sit back and enjoy seeing your users battle for their lives!
     
     By now you're probably thinking LOD is a perfect game - maybe even 
created by an angel. Well, that's my positive attitude kicking in again! 
However, there are a few things I noticed about LOD that need to be worked 
on. Firstly, UPGRADING!!! If you're not using anything fancy, you'll be able 
to just write over the old version and reset if necessary. However, the 
problem arrives with the custom datasets. There is no upgrade program to 
update a customised dataset, so therefore, you have to either re-write it, or 
stick with the one you have. If you stick with the one you have, it MAY work, 
however, you'll be missing out on many new features that the new version has. 
Re-writing it is a definite hassle too! Depending on how in depth the changes 
to the dataset were, this may be a minor or major problem. Make sure you've 
got patience when upgrading - that's the bottom line!
     
     LOD 5.00 was a major release. Thus, there are quite a few bugs. I 
noticed quite a few within the first 5 min. (not all within the game itself 
- some in the user editor, etc.)  Now, seeing as now I'm writing in mid-
November, there might be a newer version of LOD out now. (See next paragraph) 
With all these bugs, it becomes debatable whether it's worth the upgrade. My 
opinion on the matter is this: LOD 5.00 has improved enough that it offsets 
the imbalance of the bugs. Many things could use improvement, some 
superficially, while others more in depth. Stick with 4.21 if your a 
conservative SysOp who doesn't like to be bothered about bugs or upgrade 
hassles, but upgrade to 5.00 if you don't mind a few bugs, and enjoy the new 
things to fiddle and play with. 
    
    I got wind of a 5.01 release, however I was unable to get it in time as 
to incorporate it into this article. By the time you read this, it should be 
fairly wide-spread, so you'll have to check the bug-fix version out yourself.

     Lets see.. the other stuff now! Well, the reg. cost of LOD is $20. That 
gives you access to more powerful weapons, and gets rid of nasty pauses in 
the game. There is a full featured User-Editor in the game, and LOD handles 
maintenance by itself. That's all for now. I'll have to let you SysOps 
discover the rest for yourselves, as your users are waiting for my comments 
in the next section! 

Player's Point Of View:
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Ah yes.. the curious, but patient user. Well, reading things over, some of 
you might have gotten the impression that LOD is a spruced up LORD or 
USURPER. *DEAD WRONG!* LOD is of the same genre, however, you actually 
control yourself. None of this "Search, Attack, Kill, Search, Attack..." 
stuff. LOD does include searching and killing, however, on top of that, there
are quests to preform, objectives to reach, bosses to kill, and much, much 
more. 
    
    In LOD you find yourself on a map. The main map is 125x125 grid, so 
you've got a bit of searching to do! As of 5.00, "sub-maps" were added. 
These average out to be about 25x25 grids, so they're not TOO difficult. On 
the map, you will see different terrain types. Learn these fast, as they may 
just help you out of a sticky situation, or help you find a place you've been
searching for for weeks. 
   
   You start the game off in Sacre Base. Unfortunately, you can't specify 
colour right from the start, so things will be dull for a moment. Seek out 
the "TQ" (Troop Quarters). There, press "A", and then "3" to force ANSI 
graphics on. That will get you colour (makes the game ALOT better!).
    
    Now that that petty detail is out of the way, explore the rest of 
Sacre Base. DON'T go into the wastelands yet though!! If you're a first-time 
player, visit the Tavern ("TV") and talk to people there for valuable info. 
Type in anything that shows up in red, and they'll continue blabbing on
about whatever. Veteran players should get a grip on their new home base too. 
Things have changed quite a bit since the release of 5.00! Don't forget to 
check out the other places too, and finally, stop by the shops to pick up 
some stuff. I recommend starting out with a short-ranged weapon, and some 
armour. Most games you start out with $2,000, so spend it wisely, whatever
you do! After you've bought your equipment, enter the wastelands and equip 
your possessions! .

        Roam around a bit looking for monsters. Stay off the roads ("||") as 
to increase the chance of meeting up with something. With 5.00, Sacre Base 
got kind of boxed in, so you'll have to move out little ways. Don't go TOO 
far though, as you'll meet monsters that'll whip your butt in no time flat. 
Also, keep oriented! Make sure you know where Sacre Base is at all times!
Keeping and eye on the roads is a helpful tool, as they lead you right to it. 
Kill monsters, pick up their stuff, and level up. My own personal opinion 
for levelling up is to spend it mostly on agility, and a few points on 
dexterity and health. Strength is a waste of time, in my opinion. It only
slightly increases your damage, and what's the point if you can't hit the 
monster in the first place, and can't last long against it since you can't 
dodge and absorb hits? Don't trade your points in for cash either, unless 
you *ABSOLUTELY* need some! You'll get more for your buck by getting an
attribute. Another thing to note - I don't recommend using energy weapons 
until your into zone 2 (30-59 spaces away from Sacre Base). You'll find 
plenty of ammo for your weapons there, but they're not very affordable when 
fighting zone 1 creatures. 
   
   Forts are the dream homes of the wastelands. The value of having a fort in 
a game depends greatly on the situation. Long, hard, challenging game? Better 
get one. Few players? Quick race to the finish? You're better off buying a 
good weapon or some other goodies. Either way though, fortresses can come in 
handy. They allow you to store $25 Million of your cold hard cash, not to 
mention all those goodies you picked up on the wastelands. You can by a 
transporter for it to quicken trips around the map, and maybe even make a 
few bucks along the way. Of course, if you've got extra money in the first 
place, as the saying goes: When in Rome..
    
    Location is another important factor. There's really no point in buying a 
nice cottage in the middle of the wastelands, only to have some hotshot take 
it over the next day. Therefore, base your location on the amount of 
resources you have, and what you're willing to invest in it. If you just want 
a cozy place to sleep at night, put it waaaaaaaaaaaaay off in the boonies 
where no one will ever find it. Sure, this will make it harder to get to, 
but what's more important? Getting there late, or not getting there at all 
(someone taking it over)?? The more money you have ready to invest, the 
closer you can put it to the main routes. If you think you're the Bill Gates 
of LOD, then, by all means, plop it right on a road next to Freedom City or 
another hot spot. I personally love doing that as, with certain purchases, 
can control movement all around the area, not to mention tolls and 
teleportation fees! Of course, by doing this, your "Bill Gates" reputation 
might suddenly turn into a "Barney" one, in which everyone wants to beat the 
crap out of you. But hey.. that's life! :)
    LOD is equipped to handle a remote graphics terminal program called 
GTERM. GTERM is availible whereever LOD itself can be found. What GTERM does 
is enables, you, the user, to have all the goodies that the SysOp gets. By 
using this program, you will receive SVGA graphics, music, and mouse control 
over the LOD game. I should note also that I've never used this program, as I 
think they're more trouble then they're worth, so discover GTERM for 
yourself!
    
    The rest of the game I'll let you figure out for yourselves. You wouldn't 
want me to give it ALL away now, would you? <G> Some things to keep in mind 
though: Don't just stick to the roads. The roads will get you where you're 
going, but only to about 20-25% of the locations in the game. Invest in the 
EEEE and other specialty stores, as well as equipment you take of monsters. 
They're generally better then the regular city materials. Get a laptop! These 
things can become indispensable later on, as they do all sorts of things to 
keep you going. From rationing your food to saving your butt from death, 
their $5,000 cost is a great deal! (Excludes cost of programs.) Warpers. 
Warpers are good! Warpers save your buttocks when it gets crispy! Find!
Use! LIVE! Anyways, back to using English now.. I haven't dealt with the 
newly implemented shields as of yet, but my gut instinct tells me that 
they're worth every penny. You don't really have a need for two weapons 
anyways.. After all, no one's stupid enough to go into battle with no ammo 
for their weapon, Right? ... Right??? 
    
    All I've been talking about here is, of course, based on the original 
dataset. If you find yourself not playing with the original, chances are 
parts/all of my speech will not apply. It's up to you to figure out your own 
strategy. Team up with other players to help you along. Squeeze bits of info
out of them, but try not to relinquish your secrets. And of course, don't let 
the bed bugs bite if you're ever sleep out in the wastelands.. (You may be a 
tad sore in the morning! <G>)

Scores:
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(All scores based on 10 - 10 being the best.)

DOCUMENTATION: 8

The documentation is generally good, covering most aspects including errors. 
However, the documentation falls short when explaining in detail how to 
create different datasets, and there's no mention of how to upgrade the 
game.

INTERFACE: 8

Well laid out and straight forward. Score falls due to lack of opening 
colour, as well as the odd quirk here and there.

FUN FACTOR: 10

Great game, and doesn't rely solely on whether or not you have human 
competition to deal with. This is the type of game that you could play solo 
if you wanted too, and it would still be fun. The SVGA graphics and music 
also add to the enjoyment of the product.

UNIQUENESS: 10

As far as I know, this was the first game of it's kind. To my knowledge, 
it was among the first to incorporate remote graphic terminal programs to 
enable the user to see better graphics. It is also the only game which 
supports SVGA graphics and music other then PC Speaker beeps. The ability to 
have customized games each time around gives uniqueness a strong mark of 10.


LONGTERM PLAYABILITY: 8

This game is big enough to keep you coming back for more. There's enough to 
do, and enough variation in tasks not to turn you off with the feeling of, 
"Not this again!" With the potential of a different game each time around, 
this game can keep you entwined for months.

OVERALL SCORE: 8.8

Strong show in all aspects. Bugs and quirks hurt the score, but LOD surpasses 
every other game in flexibility. Would be nice to see more of these in depth, 
complicated game that require half a brain to play. It's a shame most door 
authors now are moving toward simplistic, "pound the enter key until the cows 
come home" games where there's no thought involved. Keep up the good
work, Scott!

Closing Remarks:
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Big game; big score. It's nice to see Scott Baker put all that effort into a 
product, not to mention leaving it wide open for petty writers like myself to 
tinker with the inner workings of it. This is yet another one of those 
classic games that has the potential to live forever. Of course, if the
motivation and will disappear, LOD will gradually slip below the surface. I 
doubt this will happen though, and chances are LOD will be one of the first 
full RIP games, once RIP graphics become standardized. For $20, this game's a 
steal. $30 would be even a great price! (Don't get any wild ideas though, 
Scott!). Keep an eye on LOD.. You never know, it might just be worth buying 
up stocks one day!

Stay tuned! Next month, I review: Legend Of The Red Dragon (LORD)
Don't miss it!

Miscellaneous:
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This door was tested by the writer using the following:
Maximus V.3.00 (BBS)                  DORINFO1.DEF (Dropfile)
X00 V.1.53a (Fossil)                  Front Door V.2.12 (Front End)
486DX4/100Mhz                         8Megs RAM 
Qemm V.7.52 (Memory Manager)          Windows 95     

Comments? Suggestions? Want to compliment the author on an astonishing
article, or complain about a piece of crap he wrote? Here's how to contact
him:

InterNet Address: LBUNBURY@OTTAWA.NET
FidoNet Address: 1:163/114
Trans-Canada Net (TCN) Address: 201:935/104
Myles' Games Extraviganza (BBS): (613) 825-9016

And don't forget to join up with BRE League 116! Check out the add for 
BRE/FE League 116 in DoorWorld's advertising section for an in depth ad! Of 
course, if you're a SysOp, just write me and I'll sign you up, or FREQ "116" 
from my BBS for more information! If you're a user, why not bother some 
local SysOps and convince them to join? All BBSs are welcome, just let me 
know you want to join! 

Until next month, this is Myles Bunbury, saying TTYL!
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