Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight
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| Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight | |
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| Developer(s) | Mindscape |
| Publisher(s) | Mindscape |
| Designer(s) | Rob Anderson |
| Release date(s) | 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Action, RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | None |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, DOS |
| Media | Floppy disk |
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight, is a computer game developed and published by Mindscape in 1991. It was released on the Amiga and one year later converted to the PC. The title is a play on A Hard Day's Night.
Moonstone incorporates several elements, from strategy to fighting and RPG.
Although relatively hollow (not allowing saving or providing backstory or franchise), it has a large cult following and is widely regarded as one of the best games available on the format, and certainly the most gory with some exceptional death scenes ahead of their time, clearly inspired from the Black Knight fighting scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The game is very much sought after, a good condition set with all the original contents including the map is extremely rare.
[edit] Story and setting
The player takes on the role of a chosen knight who is sent by the druids to return the mystical moonstone at Stonehenge. The game can be played from 1 to 4 players at once, with no difference between solo and multiplayer as no matter how many players play, the others will be the computer rivals (NPCs).
Wandering through the map, divided into 4 major regions, you can visit enchanted places, towns where you can buy equipment or try your luck in gambling:
- Misty Moors: The NW region of the Blue Knight (Sir Godber). Monsters found there are the Axe and Spear-bearing Troggs as well as their War Beasts. There is also the city of Highwood with the High Temple where the player can buy and sell magical items.
- Wetlands: The SE region of the Red Knight (Sir Edward). Monsters are the Trolls and the Mudmen. There is also the city of Waterdeep with Mythral the Mystic who can advance the player's abilities in exchange of gold (or randomly reduce them).
- Great Forest: The SW region of the Green Knight (Sir Jeffrey). Monsters are the Troggs and the Ratmen. It features the Stonehenge where the player can gain a life by donating a magical item.
- Northern Wastelands: The NE region of the Orange Knight (Sir Richard). Monsters include Troggs and Baloks. It also features the Tower of Math the Wizard who can randomly reward the player or transform him into a frog if he asks repeatedly.
Mostly visited places on the map will be dolmens which represent the places where certain enemy beasts reside. Each spot has a number of beasts, defeat of which allows the player to steal treasures, which vary depending on game's random placement. The objective is to find the lair that holds one of the four keys (see below). It's also possible for two players (PC or NPC) to run into each other and, once defeating the other, the one who prevails can steal the other player's money and equipment.
After some days, a flying dragon will appear. Meeting with an early player will almost certainly result in losing a life (if you are not a skilled moonstoner). Except that you can run under the dragon and stab it in the neck repeatedly rendering it unable to move, if this is not accomplished however its superior strength and constitution will prevail (as well as it breathing fire).
Visiting a lair will also result in gaining one experience point. These then can be distributed in one of the 3 abilities: Strength, Constitution and Endurance, each having a top of 5. How many XP are needed to advance depends to the number of playing characters (Single player game needs 3 XP to advance one point etc). This, combined with some powerful weapons that are fought or bought, can boost the player up. However the monsters will come in pairs or threes against the knight who assaults their lair.
As told earlier, the objective on looking in lairs it the key that can be found in each of the four regions. The player who wins or steals (from another knight who has found one) all four keys, will have access to the Valley of the Gods on the center of the map, where the knight will fight against the Guardian in order to win a moonstone. The moonstone corresponds randomly to a lunar phase, and grants the knight more power during that phase.
The moonstone must be returned to Stonehenge for the game to be completed. However other players can still attack and steal from the player with the Moonstone.
