End of the World (The)
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- Author(s): Tim Maurer
- Categories: D-Mod, Quest
- Downloads: 293
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Description
Dink was just taking a nap, when everything suddenly got dark. When it turns bright again, Dink is in a strange world. Now Dink have to find a way out.
| Released: | March 29th, 1999 |
|---|---|
| File Size: | 303.58 KB |
| Downloads: | 293 |
| Release Notes: | v1.3 |
| Play: | Play this D-Mod right now in your web browser! (More Info) |
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This D-Mod is Tim Maurer's earliest D-Mod still available on the Dink Network. As he himself admitted, his early D-Mods weren't that good. This is certainly the case with The End of the World.
Story:
So, the world is ending and Dink has to stop it from happening. I guess? The story is a bit of a mess. The locations you visit feel like a collection of several different areas that have little to with each other. The best way I can describe the story and gameplay of this D-Mod is that they feel like stiched together, combining a set of random ideas and areas. You might ask: but aren't there many good D-Mods that feel like this, yet the transition is seamless? Yes, there are. Stone of Balance is a good example. I have to admit, I liked that D-Mod less then many others, but it does this aspect well. The main difference between SoB and End of the World is that in SoB, you had a story that you could actually follow. You are given information about where you are, and why are you there. Also, you have a main quest and a clear goal. Unfortunately, End of the World fails in this aspect. There are also some interesting concepts that could have been much more refreshing from the typical D-Mods, had they been executed well (ex.: a microscopic world with bacteria, a town inhabited by signs).
Mapping:
The put it bluntly: the mapping is ugly. The different tiles used don't seem like they belong together, or at a proper place. No, I'm not talking about bad tiling, I'm talking about bad aesthetics. You can see examples of this in the screenshots. This actually has a good explanation: Tim had no design sense. As in, he was incapable of good map design. Not because of the lack of talent, but because he was born with disabilities that prevented it. It's kind of like asking a blind man to draw a portrait. As such, I can't really blame him for not making good maps. In a more positive sense, there also doesn't seem to be many hardness errors in the D-Mod.
Gameplay:
In the terms of gameplay, there's not much variety. Your tasks are either combat, or just talking to NPCs, mostly for fetch quests. There are also technical issues. You can get a bag of pig feed that you have to give to one of the characters. But the catch is: if you try to use it, it'll kill you. While the game warns about this, upon delivery the item doesn't get removed from your inventory, which could cause you to accidentally use it later, and die from it. Many of the NPCs use Dink's yellow colour in their dialogue, which I'd call a bug or oversight. Also, many times NPC dialogue doesn't freeze Dink, and gets skipped if you accidentally press the space or shift key. At one point, you need to talk to a woman to get strong enough to defeat some pillbugs. There are two problems with this: 1) you never get any indication you have to do this, 2) the talking occurs in the middle of combat! Some of these annoyances may be minor, but they can still affect the enjoyment of the D-Mod. Also, the final boss is the author himself. He doesn't have a proper walk animation, and his attacks are easily avoided because he's slow. But he has 1000 HP! Your weapons are kind of useless here: the fire bow barely damages him, and the Hellfire spell, while damages him much more (about 20-30 HP), needs to be recharged, and it still doesn't help much. To be honest, I never beat him. I have given up because I found the battle boring and tedious.
Overall:
This D-Mod was a clear improvement compared to Tim's earlier D-Mods. Years later, grown up, he'd do his most famous achievement, the COTPAD series of writings. He also developed some high quality D-Mods, far better then these childhood attempts. Would I recommend this D-Mod? No. You have far more better options for your time then this, including stuff from Tim himself. Play Malachi the Jerk, or Dinkgon Warrior. Hell, read Tim's writeup about his own D-Mods. You'll likely have a fun time.
Story:
So, the world is ending and Dink has to stop it from happening. I guess? The story is a bit of a mess. The locations you visit feel like a collection of several different areas that have little to with each other. The best way I can describe the story and gameplay of this D-Mod is that they feel like stiched together, combining a set of random ideas and areas. You might ask: but aren't there many good D-Mods that feel like this, yet the transition is seamless? Yes, there are. Stone of Balance is a good example. I have to admit, I liked that D-Mod less then many others, but it does this aspect well. The main difference between SoB and End of the World is that in SoB, you had a story that you could actually follow. You are given information about where you are, and why are you there. Also, you have a main quest and a clear goal. Unfortunately, End of the World fails in this aspect. There are also some interesting concepts that could have been much more refreshing from the typical D-Mods, had they been executed well (ex.: a microscopic world with bacteria, a town inhabited by signs).
Mapping:
The put it bluntly: the mapping is ugly. The different tiles used don't seem like they belong together, or at a proper place. No, I'm not talking about bad tiling, I'm talking about bad aesthetics. You can see examples of this in the screenshots. This actually has a good explanation: Tim had no design sense. As in, he was incapable of good map design. Not because of the lack of talent, but because he was born with disabilities that prevented it. It's kind of like asking a blind man to draw a portrait. As such, I can't really blame him for not making good maps. In a more positive sense, there also doesn't seem to be many hardness errors in the D-Mod.
Gameplay:
In the terms of gameplay, there's not much variety. Your tasks are either combat, or just talking to NPCs, mostly for fetch quests. There are also technical issues. You can get a bag of pig feed that you have to give to one of the characters. But the catch is: if you try to use it, it'll kill you. While the game warns about this, upon delivery the item doesn't get removed from your inventory, which could cause you to accidentally use it later, and die from it. Many of the NPCs use Dink's yellow colour in their dialogue, which I'd call a bug or oversight. Also, many times NPC dialogue doesn't freeze Dink, and gets skipped if you accidentally press the space or shift key. At one point, you need to talk to a woman to get strong enough to defeat some pillbugs. There are two problems with this: 1) you never get any indication you have to do this, 2) the talking occurs in the middle of combat! Some of these annoyances may be minor, but they can still affect the enjoyment of the D-Mod. Also, the final boss is the author himself. He doesn't have a proper walk animation, and his attacks are easily avoided because he's slow. But he has 1000 HP! Your weapons are kind of useless here: the fire bow barely damages him, and the Hellfire spell, while damages him much more (about 20-30 HP), needs to be recharged, and it still doesn't help much. To be honest, I never beat him. I have given up because I found the battle boring and tedious.
Overall:
This D-Mod was a clear improvement compared to Tim's earlier D-Mods. Years later, grown up, he'd do his most famous achievement, the COTPAD series of writings. He also developed some high quality D-Mods, far better then these childhood attempts. Would I recommend this D-Mod? No. You have far more better options for your time then this, including stuff from Tim himself. Play Malachi the Jerk, or Dinkgon Warrior. Hell, read Tim's writeup about his own D-Mods. You'll likely have a fun time.
