BillyHW Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Greetings Classic Gamers! So I'm playing Sword of Fargoal for the C64 and was wondering if anybody else has played this before. I'm trying for a really deep dungeon dive, but the game is becoming almost impossible to play cause you can barely move. Also, my invisibility spell doesn't seem to work down here. The bad guys still follow me around. Anyone know why that is? Standing on the temple does make me invisible though. Has anyone else ever tried for a really deep dungeon dive? How far down did you get? Edited January 12, 2012 by BillyHW Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 It's been ages since I've played the 64 version, though it is a very difficult game. I recent beat the iPhone port on Legend(expert) mode. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2442904 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 It was included as a game with the C64 Joystick (Commodore 64 in a joystick). I've only been able to get through a few levels, it's very difficult to stay alive as you go deeper. You've probably made it deeper than I have. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443123 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Ooospies, I think the light spell cancels out invisibility. The game is a bit easier with the save states in the VICE emulator. Was it possible to save your game on the original system? Also it runs realllly slow deep down and the sound gets annoying. Yes, it gets very difficult deep in the dungeon (past the sword stage). Darn near impossible. Demons get very difficult to avoid, you can't even tell if they're demons, and they basically wipe out all your progress and experience, so that you can't kill anyone anymore. I think it would be really cool if the programmer put in some sort of secret wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy deep down in the dungeon, but I haven't found anything in my searches online. Is it possible to check the source code to see if there are any easter eggs down there? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443129 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) You know with just a few tweaks, this could have been a much better game. 1. That sound effect when the enemy moves gets really annoying late in the game. It has to go. It would help the game move faster too, which would be a big help. 2. It needs a better ending, maybe even a nice graphic with our hero smooching some princess. 3. Just needs two secrets: i. A secret enemy or two very deep in the dungeon (maybe even a four-tile boss dragon?). ii. A secret item or two, like a Diamond of Enchantment. Maybe beating the special character gives you a clue to solve to find the special item. 4. An alternate ending if you get the secret item, maybe the same graphic, but the princess strips to her underwear if you get her the diamond. 5. Would it kill to have just the tiniest backstory? 6. Demons need to be less powerful. I realize this was a 1982 game, but it does seem doable for the C64. Nothing crazy. Edited January 12, 2012 by BillyHW Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443142 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Boooo, I think fighting an enemy also cancels out invisibility. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443171 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Ooospies, I think the light spell cancels out invisibility. Yep, that it does. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443173 Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I understand the VIC-20 version that came before the C64 version is yet more limited, but I don't quite know in what ways. At least each map is much smaller at 22x23 characters instead of 40x25. Perhaps Jeff McCord and those who helped him had to cram in as much as they had time for in order to meet Epyx' deadline, so there wasn't much time to make it very much more advanced. One could have asked for a Fargoal II though, with some of your additions. Perhaps Epyx sold enough of the Apshai series so there never was a desire for an sequel, or that Jeff never had a chance to do it and thus nobody else would get to it as well? Just speculating here. I understand he is on the Internet with his own Fargoal site and all, so you might want to reach him and initiate a discussion. Sword of Fargoal is a cool game with a certain amount of followers, but I believe it is a small niche compared to e.g. the M.U.L.E. community. Indeed it is a completely different game, but roughly contemporary and at least on the C64 both were available and being ports from other systems (VIC-20 and Atari 800 respectively). Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443923 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I think it originated on the PET but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443958 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 I thought it was VIC-20 too. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2443972 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Fargoal Sword of Fargoal was created by author and programmer Jeff McCord and based on his original dungeon adventure, Gammaquest II, which was programmed in BASIC for the Commodore PET computer and written while he was still in high-school in Lexington, KY. Gammaquest IIcreated randomly generated dungeons which were revealed piece-by-piece as the character explored the map, and stayed "lit" behind the character as it moved, emulating the "mapping" of a dungeon level. The game graphics however, were limited to the character set of the computer.[2] McCord accepted an offer to publish the game from the software company Epyx Inc. in 1982 on the Commodore VIC-20. His original name for the new version was Sword of Fargaol, deriving the name from the Old English spelling of jail (gaol), but his producer at Epyx, Susan Lee-Merrow, convinced him to change it to its present form.[3] Based on a Pet game and updated for the Vic. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444043 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaGtGruff Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I understand the VIC-20 version that came before the C64 version is yet more limited, but I don't quite know in what ways. I had the VIC-20 version-- still have it, actually, but I haven't turned on my VIC in a few decades. I don't know how the two versions compared and contrasted with each other, as I've never played the C64 version, but I used to enjoy playing the VIC-20 version. I wonder if anyone's ever made a list of the differences? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444057 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkhan Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) Hmm, this was one of the first C64 games I played. I thought it was alot of fun (and I finished it, though it took many, many tries, and lots of swearing). It definitely falls short of being as fun as the other similar games: Gateway to Apshai, Temple of Apshai (Trilogy!).... but it's way better than Telengard. Edited January 15, 2012 by Arkhan Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444787 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Hmm, this was one of the first C64 games I played. I thought it was alot of fun (and I finished it, though it took many, many tries, and lots of swearing). It definitely falls short of being as fun as the other similar games: Gateway to Apshai, Temple of Apshai (Trilogy!).... but it's way better than Telengard. I'll have to try those. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444792 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkhan Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Temple of Apshai trilogy is in my top 5 games on the C64, period. Gateway to Apshai is similar, but a little more arcadey. They're pretty awesome. Epyx made them too, so if you like Fargoal, you can't possibly not like Apshai. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444794 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyHW Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Hey guys, do you know if it was possible to save your progress in SoF on the original C64 machine? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/192656-commodore-64-sword-of-fargoal/#findComment-2444824 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.