AD&D Ravenloft II: Stone Prophet
Sold Out		(DOS 6.2 Only) (Retail) (AD&DRL2PR)
Discontinued

This product is included in the AD&D Masterpiece Collection

Strategic Simulations

Game

Welcome to the Realm of the Stone Prophet

The desert of Har'Akir is ancient beyond belief. Not all of its past is marked by noble deeds and great kings. In ancient days, the evil pharaoh Anhktepot ruled a great and powerful nation. His downfall stemmed from his desire for immortality. Cursed by Ra, the sun god, Anhktepot's soul still remains in his mummified form and brings death to those it touches at night.

Stone Prophet, the second computer role-playing game based on the highly acclaimed AD&D 2nd Edition Ravenloft game world, begins when your characters become trapped in a wasteland haunted by unnatural creatures, fierce sand storms, and cursed villagers afflicted by a horrible rotting disease. Your party's only hope of escape is to follow the advice of a blind seer and seek out the Stone Prophet, a huge, hieroglyphic wall hidden deep within a mysterious obelisk. Some say the writings on the wall, when deciphered, may lead the party to freedom...or to death. One thing is certain, a great conflict has been foreseen, and the mummy lord is gathering his forces.

Requirements:

386/33 MHZ IBM DX PC, 4 Megabytes of RAM, MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0-6.22, an Uncompressed hard drive with at least 4 MB free, VGA graphics with a color VGA monitor, a 100% Microsoft (or Logitech) compatible mouse; a double-speed CD-ROM drive; 300 KB data transfer rate, 320 ms access time, continuous read, MSCDEX 2.1 or greater; Microsoft Mouse driver version 8.0 + or Logitech mouse driver version 6.0+; the Cyberman is supported but optional.

DOS games do not work on Windows XP, of course, and we do not offer technical support for DOS games running on Windows XP. However, if you really want to run games like this on your fast new Windows XP machine you should try using DOSBox. The DOSBox OpenSource DOS emulator is an excellent piece of work which we can highly recommend. It isn't possible for us to guarantee that it will work well for you, however, especially on newer graphic-intensive DOS games. On older DOS games, like Civilization, for example, it runs well on any machine capable of running Windows XP.

To start with, you will need to download the Win32 Installer using this link: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1

The README file included with DOSBox will tell you what you need to know. If you find it a bit too technical, just click on The Newbie's Pictoral Guide to DOSBox on the following page: http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewforum.php?f=39

We find that it is best to create a separate shortcut for each DOSBox game. That makes starting the game easier and also makes full screen mode easier to deal with.

Reviews:

Quandary Review by Rosemary Young

"There are plenty of riddles to ponder, clues to collect, secret walls to locate and buttons to press, not to mention trapdoors and teleporters and all kinds of objects that function as keys. Some of the dungeons in Har' Akir are filled with poisoned air and you'll need to work out how to survive them, in others you must dodge fire balls whilst searching for clues. There is a wall of hieroglyphics to translate and you will need to find many items to solve the puzzles and get past the barriers that block your way."

"As well as plenty of varied characters to engage in conversation, including a couple of creatures and a timid ghost, there are a number of characters who will be only too pleased to join your party -- some maybe are a little too pleased. A word of warning here, and especially for those of you who have a soft spot for little cuddly things. If you are kind-hearted and take pity on the 'lonely young troll' and ask him to join your party, then be prepared to put up with him for the remainder of your quest if you don't want to break his heart..."

"If you are like me and enjoy games with lots of exploring to do, lots of objects to collect, lots of secret rooms and buttons to uncover, sprinkled with a liberal amount of puzzles, and a liberal amount of weapon wielding and spell concocting, then you too will enjoy Ravenloft: Stone Prophet."

"Like Strahd's Possession, Ravenloft Stone Prophet is a very enjoyable Role-Playing game though there is a lot of open desert to traverse. It is not so difficult that you will spend days bashing your head against the dungeon walls, but there is enough depth in it to keep the RPG fan well and truly entertained. And I would recommend it for newer players as well as it will simply take the RPG novices amongst you a little longer to complete, and that can't be bad because you'll enjoy it for even longer."

CD-ROM Today, July 1995

"Ravenloft uses a point-and-click interface that veterans of the popular Eye of the Beholder series will quickly recognize. However, instead of being limited to strictly two-dimensional movement (north, south, east, west) ten feet at a time, the party's steps scroll as quickly or as slowly as needed in real time. Although this interface is clumsy at first, before long you will find yourself treading sand like a bedouin. For those who like the old method of movement, a step-movement option can be employed for more regimented control of one ten-foot square at a time.

"Dungeons and Dragons role-playing gurus will be happy with the play mechanics of this game. Characters are 'rolled' in a fashion similar to the classic dice and paper game. You can carry only a limited number of items, and must be aware of your party's water consumption and need for rest. Plus, you can't just run amok, you are subject to all the laws of the party members' races, classes, and alignments. In other words, it doesn't get much more realistic than this.

"As great as the gameplay of Stone Prophet is, unfortunately, the graphics are nothing to shout about. The monsters have a limited number of frames and animate poorly. I must admit, however, the ever-changing desert sky is certainly worth the price of admission. Sound quality is adequate, but not spectacular.

"One of the most debilitating aspects of Stone Prophet is its difficulty level. In some areas, you may find yourself surrounded by monsters who wipe out your entire party in the blink of an eye. Expect to spend a lot of time fighting some of the 'easier' creatures to gain experience to go up in levels, etc. Be prepared also to scour a huge desert that often looks exactly the same in all directions, as well as many underground passages loaded with magical items and powerful monsters. Thank Isis for the automap that helps you on your search!

"Die-hard role players will definitely want to get their hands on this game, especially if they have played through and are fans of other Strategic Simulation role-playing games. But if you're easily frustrated, this drama is no day at the beach."

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