Medieval Adventure is an interactive text adventure which was introduced to users through CLOAD. It introduces a unique twist in that the game can be played by two players. Player #1 and Player #2 each submit a name and then begin the game in different areas of a castle. The goal is to solve puzzles and collect as many different treasures as you can and then each player deposits their treasures in different locations. Each player takes turns and you can take as many actions as you deem necessary. Once you elect however to move to a new location of the map then play control reverts back to the other player.
I found Medieval Adventure to be an extremely satisfying experience. True, it is another treasure hunt, however the game ran incredibly smooth, I had no problems with the parser, and while the puzzles are all inventory based, I found many of the castle locations and items to be unique and original.
I was surprised to discover that the game was written and developed by Hugh Lampert. Lampert was responsible for another CLOAD game called CIA Adventure which I had covered earlier. I remember being extremely impressed with Lampert’s CIA Adventure which sported an interesting plot and tight, cohesive map locations.
I am equally impressed with Lampert’s second offering. It is another very strong entry and another very impressive CLOAD title. In my opinion Medieval Adventure is a stronger entry than many of the published text adventures that I’ve played. I can also appreciate that Lampert tried to do something different here by presenting a text adventure in which two players compete against each other for points. Whether you like the idea or not you have to give the man kudos for attempting to break the mold.
I wasn’t quite sure how to handle Player #1 and Player #2 so I affectionately labelled each player Chester and Jason respectfully (snicker).
I found that after experimenting for a few turns I could command one player to WAIT which immediately relinquished game control to the other player. I found the game environment and puzzles to be interesting enough that I wanted to give full control to one character and so essentially play “solo”. I had Player #2, Jason, WAIT on each of his turns and then set out to explore and collect with Chester who was Player #1.
In Medieval Adventure you will encounter a pit of alligators, a sorcerer in his workroom, an evil witch, and a large hornet’s nest as adversaries or obstacles that you have to deal with. All of the puzzles are inventory based and so a couple of the puzzles may involve some experimenting on your part. I felt that not only were the adversaries presented in an original manner but that the inventory items you collected were a breath of fresh air. I though many of the inventory items were extremely original. Loose clay and a mold with which to make a key (needed to get by a locked steel door in the game), a bar of nitric acid, a horn filled with gunpowder, an ancient blunderbuss, a very sharp dagger and a jar of magic cream are many of the examples of items that you found which would help with the game’s puzzles.
Like CIA Adventure, I found this game’s map locations to be cohesive and make logical sense. I loved the use of the drawbridge, the steel door, and the large statue to introduce new map locations. I felt that Lampert’s map structure for both games exhibited an intuitiveness and maturity that some developers only gain through experience and time.
The game also featured a ferocious dragon which kept appearing randomly to harass each of the players. The dragon could be attacked and driven away as long as you possessed one of the following items: an iron sword, a well forged battle axe, or an ancient blunderbuss (you’ll need to possess the ram’s horn filled with gunpowder in order for the blunderbuss to be affective). If you have one of those items then the wounded dragon will then slink off into the darkness to lick it’s wounds. There was no way that I found to permanently kill the dragon.
You deposit each of the treasures that you collect into the alcove that’s been assigned to each player. There is the possibility of 210 points and at the end of the game each player could then compare scores to see who scored more. Remember I wanted to experience the game locations and puzzles in a “solo” manner so I always had Player #2 WAIT.
It appears that the only two adventures that Hugh Lampert wrote were CIA Adventure and Medieval Adventure, both of them offered through the CLOAD subscription service. I can find no evidence of Hugh Lampert having worked on any other game other than these two and I find that to be a real shame. I very much enjoyed both of his offerings and found both of them to be “diamonds in the rough” so to speak. If you love interactive fiction and you have not yet introduced yourself to Hugh Lampert’s offerings I suggest that you do so.