Legend of the Red Dragon II [1991]
Day #06
GOALS FOR TODAY:
(1) Level up to 6.
(2) Obtain new armor.
(3) Explore 4 screens that I haven’t been to yet.
Once you get to level 2 or 3 and upgrade your weapon and armor, the leveling process becomes much, much easier. I started today at level 4 and after only half an hour, leveled up to 6 and upgraded to the highest level armor available in Greentree. I am only 386 XP away from being able to take on the training monster to level up to 7, but given the hitpoint disparity of the most recent creature — I fear that I might require additional gear upgrades in preparation for that fight.
The main road to PortTown and the beach and other map areas to the East are relatively tame for a level 5 with a crystal shard and platemail armor. The beach to the west, on the other hand, is brutal. I’ve also come across some world quests that are quite not-friendly-for-children, so keep in mind that this game has written depictions of violence, sexual acts, and the combination of the two in one specific scenario (you need to save a woman from two guards who are taking advantage of her). It’s a brutal world with light-hearted humor strewn about, which creates a bit of dissonance.
I achieved my goals and on the daily happenings that appear upon login, I see numerous reports including the Red Dragon being banished from a town, a successful delivery being made to another town, and other mechanics and events being mentioned that have me quite intrigued. It seems I have only scratched the surface of what this game has to offer and I’m down to one day remaining of what I initially blocked off for each game of this series (up to 1 week per game). Perhaps I’ll set aside a day or two to continue my adventures here, or if nothing else — I’ll play a long session tomorrow to get to the additional content.
It’s a shame that I’ve avoided this game for so many years. I’m finding myself enjoying it just as much as the original LORD. It’s a shame that LORD 3 in a more modern engine and CRPG attributes was never made. Perhaps that’s a project I’ll take on one of these days…
Check back tomorrow to find out more about my LORD 2 and other MUD and early MMORPG adventures.
