Drakopf is one of the medieval
classics by Steve Rescoe. It's 2 maps, the first
being a small canyon on the way to a castle,
the second being the castle Drakopf itself.
The first map is quite small with only 14 monsters,
but makes a very good introduction to the main
map. It really adds to the atmosphere. The second
map, though, is where the fun really begins.
The Castle is in a very distinct blue metal
/ small white stone theme, with original visual
features including makeshift 'medieval walls'
which were later to become a part of Steve's
trademark Village style in Village Of Dread
and Shadow Over Innsmouth. The layout of the
castle is excellent, with inbuildings, courtyards,
walkways, and more. There are several well defined
areas; the Castle Courtyard, the Main Chamber
(housing one of the two impressive Dragon heads),
the sewers beneath, the upstairs, and finally,
the lava-filled final chamber. You will make
your way from one area to the next in an exploratory
way; the map is quite non-linear. Some areas
just have supplies and you do not even have
to visit them.
The map isn't easy (I died
three times), but it is fair. There is some
very effective monster placement, such as scrags
sniping through small windows, Ogres on battlements,
and rottweilers around corners. I ran out of
shells, but that's just not due to any unfair
supplies, just to me overusing the double shotgun
and underusing the nailgun (nailguns, if you
find the secret). You do not get the Rocket
Launcher or Lightning gun in this map, which
is fine with me.
While it may look slightly
dated compared to recent maps, this map is truly
great. Another classic map from Steve Rescoe.
