Dragon's Lair Gameplay issue

Alturis

So I was able to locate all the files I needed to get Dragon's Lair working thanks to the help of posts here and links here to other sources of information.

After configuring the input and getting the game to actually play I am experiencing odd behavior with how the game actually plays.

Every time I fail and die it seems to restart me from a random point in the progression timeline. I will start out sometimes at the pit of fire, then when I die will respawn riding the horse, then respawn jumping on the elevator of doom, then respawn in any number of other odd places seemingly at random.

Other than that the game seems to be working as expected. It may not even be that awful of an issue as you get to get a taste of everything before your game ends. But doesnt flow logically of course.

caver01

@alturis that is normal. It is how the gameplay works. It respawns you at another level so you don’t have to die failing at the same thing over and over.

You could try different rom versions. For example, I usually play the enhanced 2.1 version (dle21) which uses the same video laserdisc but the programming logic is updated and many of the moves are adjusted on each level to make them more intuitive. Timing is also changed, so in some ways it can be a little harder.

maxbeanz

This also happens in the Arcade version. It randomly alternates between a set number of scenes until you complete them, then it moves to the next set of scenes. I think you can change the Dip Switch settings to play the same scene until it is completed but that gets boring very quickly, you'll have to check PC Daphne for the Dip Switch settings commands.

http://www.daphne-emu.com/site3/FAQ_USA.php#

Alturis

Ah I didnt realize. I could have sworn I remembered it differently in the arcade.
Ok cool thanks guys.

caver01

@alturis Yes the game logic is setup in such a way as to randomly select scenes early in your quest, then other scenes become available, then some where the video is reversed and so are the required actions. Eventually, harder scenes come into play until you reach a certain point and the dragon's lair scene is played.

Take a look at this site for details. Different roms and dip switch combinations affect gameplay.

Riverstorm

I mainly use the 2.1 ROM as it always opens with the draw bridge scene which seems logical and some other nice enhancements. Yeah the original was all over the place on what scene was coming next and of course the reverse scenes. The arcade always cranked it up to hard settings so split second timing was required. It definitely seemed like they incorporated a finite set of scenes for each "section" of the game.

If you have access to the HD version it looks much sharper than the box set and runs great on the Pi 3.

Dragon's Lair ROMS

Dragon's Lair Enhancement ROMS

For people who know the original game very well, F2 is the gold standard. For 100% authentic gameplay, there is no substitute.

For people who want an 'improved' version of the original, DLE 1.1 is best. It adds the drawbridge scene, and eliminates many quirks and illogical moves and timing.
DLE 2.1 is the game as it should have been made to begin with. If you aren't very familiar with the original, this will provide the best play experience. OTOH, if you know the game well, and don't want to 're-learn' it, it will probably just frustrate you.