Fascinating early game creator
If you ever feel like you want a break from playing games and start creating them instead, then 3D Construction Kit is a fascinating excursion into old-school games design. There are many similar bits of software out there that are more modern than this, with greater flexibility and options, but if you understand a bit of BASIC and fancy tinkering with the system that was used to create Castle Master and Driller, then this is worth a look. For its age, this is quite a sophisticated piece of kit, and allows players to use a series of drop down menus to create and position objects, add in movement and animation and then place them in a series of rooms of your own design. Using fairly simple BASIC commands you can then incorporate puzzles and conditions, like opening doors with keys, and then throw in some enemies to really crank up the challenge. The kit also includes pre-defined sounds to add atmosphere, but users can also use their own creations to suit their particular needs. At any point during the creation process, users can enter their game to test it out and make sure it works in the way they imagined. Game creators are pretty commonplace these days, and allow even inexperienced designers the chance to create something reasonably nifty. While 3D Construction Kit is obviously limited due to its age, it remains an interesting curiosity for those keen to create something a bit retro. The interface is slick and intuitive and it won't be long before even complete noobs will have something to show for their efforts. The 3D is obviously also less than hi-tech but that is part of the charm here, and if you are in the right frame of mind, this will prove quite compelling, so if you have an idea for an RPG, why not give it a go?
