Dragonstomper 7-17-82 (Version 36)

This is a very interesting version of Dragonstomper (then called Excalibur).  Not only does is have several structures that were removed from the final version of the game (Doors, Mazes, Gates, etc.) but it also is missing all the items that you can normally pick up.  Well sort of.  While there are no item drops in this version (nor can you enter structures to find them), due to a bug in the code random items can appear as monsters!  That's right, you can fight scrolls, chests, potions, keys, coins, and signs!  These objects all have graphics associated with them so it's obvious that they were planned long before they actually implemented. 

Two of these objects, the Coin and the Sign, do not appear in later versions of the game (although they are still in the code for version 39) and have interesting features.  The graphics for these two objects are very interesting as the Coin has SL written on it for Stephen Landrum (perhaps the original version of the easter egg) and the Sign says 'Toll 745' which most likely was how much you needed to bribe the guard to get into the Oppressed Village before being lowered to 600 in the final game.  This sign most likely would have appeared next to the bridge with the guard.

Prototype Differences

The game is still called Excalibur

The game only consists of the countryside area (the first load).

The map is incomplete with large empty areas and areas with many structures in close proximity.

The map is much smaller

Structures which you cannot get to can appear beyond the boundaries of the map.  This mostly happens on the left side of the map.

The barrier preventing the player from moving too far off the screen is missing from the south.  This means the player can keep moving south and into an empty land with no objects.

The trees are facing the opposite direction

There are structures in the game which were removed from the final version such as Mazes, Gates, and Doors.  Doors will transport your character to a random location.

There are no Pits, Huts, or Temples in this version.

Your inventory show you are carrying game objects instead of items (swamp, grass, trap, bridge, tree, castle, church, maze, lake, door, gate).  Using any of these items has no effect.

There are no regular items in the game although they are in the game code.  Items include Key, Shield, Scroll, Chest, Potion, Coin, and Sign.

Items can appear as regular enemies.  This is the only way to see the item graphics in the game.

Your character starts out with random str and dex

You start out with no gold instead of 200

Structures other than churches cannot be entered and have no function

The donation amounts for the church are 100 or 10 gold rather than 200 or 15.

The bug which makes some objects (usually trees) appear larger than they should is much worse in this version and can effect all the object on the screen!

Resetting starts your character back at the original starting spot instead of where you currently are.

Some monsters are not present in this version (Golems, Monkeys, Slimes, and Snakes).

The Maniac monster is called Smiler

It is not possible to lose dexterity

The glowing hut with the ID papers is missing

Traps can be in any place, not just around castles.

The grass is yellowish instead of green

There is no box around the input window

The blue bar at the bottom of the screen is missing

The green of the background extends all the way to the bottom of the screen

The left side of the screen has not been blacked out to hide the HMOV bars

When you die the screen plays the funeral march tune twice instead of Taps.  The screen then changes colors randomly.

The 'We're in the Money' tune that plays when finding gold after killing an enemy is slower

When touching objects the text says 'A <object>' instead of just '<object>'

 

 

Yeah I wouldn't want to pay that either...	Interesting...
Note the SL on the coin	Take that Chest!
Too bad you can't take this	The shield was later re-purposed for the Easter Egg
Didn't I see this in Harry Potter?	The bridge exists but it doesn't go anywhere

 

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