Main      Site Guide    

The Making of

Murkon's Refuge

Original Images

In the original game of Murkon's Refuge, the graphics are all ASCII. The bird's eye and first person 3D views of the dungeon are rendered in ASCII, and the monster images are drawn in ASCII as well. (The current game, of course, uses actual images to construct the dungeon views and scanned pencil sketches for the monsters.) Here is a sample dungeon view from the original game:


+------------------+-----------------------+     \               /    North
| N,E,S,W:   8     | F,L,R,B:              |     |              /|    #########
|           456    |           arrows      |     |             / |     #v ?   #
|            2     |                       |     |            /  |    /####/###
+------------------+-----------------------+     |           /   |        # #
| (V)iew, (S)pell, (O)rder, (U)se, (T)urbo |     |____ _____/    |    ### X / #
+------------------------------------------+     |    | ___ |    |        #####
                                                 |    ||   ||    |    #/#/# / #
                                                 |____||   ||    |      #o# #2#
                                                 |          \    |    ##### ###
                                                 |           \   |
                                                 |            \  |
                                                 |             \ |    East
                                                 |              \|    Level: 3
                                                 /               \    (13,4)
                                                                      Levitation
                                                                      Turbo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1   Scoundrel              Human      2-Knight     27/ 27    7- 3    0   Normal
2   Pooflick               Rock Elf   0-Sorcerer    5/  8    4- 2    1   Normal
3   Strawberry             Troll      0-Sorcerer   10/ 10    3- 0    3   Normal

As you can see, the view is quite similar to that of the web-based game. Only a couple of points warrant comment. In the bird's-eye view of the labyrinth at the far right, the 'X' is of course you. The 'o' is a pool of water, the 'v' is a set of stairs leading down, and both the '?' and the '2' are monsters. The original game has a small feature that the web version does not. You can get a sense about the strength of the monster parties out there by looking at how the monsters are represented on the screen. If it's a number, that number indicates what level the monsters are normally found on. In this case, the '2' indicates a group of monsters that are normally found on level 2 but in this case are found on level 3. A question mark indicates that the usual level of the monsters is unknown.

The 'Turbo' indicator above refers to a speed setting. During combat, each move is displayed on the screen for a set length of time, and then the next move shows up in its place. There are three speed settings, 'Slow,' 'Normal,' and 'Turbo' which change how quickly combat messages are displayed.

The following are the ASCII images for the treasure chest and monsters:

       ____________________
      /                    \
     /                      \
    /________________________\
   |o  ________    ________  o|
   |  /        \  /        \  |
   | |          ||          | |
   | |         /..\         | |
   | |         \__/         | |
   | |                      | |
   |o \____________________/ o|
   |__________________________|

                 _--_
        __      /    |
       /  \    /     |
      |    \__/     /  __
      |_  _  /      | /  \
        \/  /        \___ \
       _/               __/
      /       _____    /
      \______/     \__/

             __--__
            /_--_-__
           _/ -\ --\\
          / /---\ -\-\_
         //-/ \  `/  \
          //  .   . | \\
           |        |
           |    v   |
           /\      / \
          /  \  - /   \
         /    \__/     |
        |              |

            ___          __
           /|||\        /  |
          ( o o \      /  /
           \ V   )    /\ /
            \ - /__  /\ \
         _---'  `  ~/ /\ \
       /~           \/`~  \
      /   /\ +    + /~~--__\
    _/   /  |       |
  (~-  _/   |       |
   ~~-~     |       |
            /\_____/|
           |~\    _-~\
           |  \  /    )
           |   \/     |
           |    |     |

      |
      |      __
      |     /||\
      |    ( .. )
      |   __\  /___
     _|_ /         \
     (|\/     _-~~-_\
      ~\  /  / _--_ \)
        \/| | //~~\\ |
          | | \\__// |
          |  \_~--~_/
          |    ~--~|

   __                       __
   \ ~~~---___________---~~~ /
    \_                     _/
      \__     /\ /\     __/
         ~-_  \/ \/  _-~
          __\  ) (  /__
       _-~   \/   \/   ~-_
      /      /_---_\     /\
     /       |     |    / /\
    |         \___/    / /  |
    |    |         __-~ /   |
    |    |_-------~ __-|    |
    |    |____-----~   |    |
    |    |             |    |

                \ _ -_
            _- ~ - - /
          /    --____- \
        \ ( /           /)_
       -/ /      _    _   /
      \  (     /__\ /__\   -
     -/ (                 ) -
     ~ /          -_ -     (
      ~_ \       /  - )  \/
        )_ /             -_
           \  /      \_/ ~
            / _   |_ \
                | ~

           ___/    `,.
      \  ,    ` < '
       \_   \           /
                @  @  \
         /   \          \
          .,  '    >
        ',   /          '.
      /  /   \  __    '
       /  /    /__>  \ \
      / /   /        \\
  /      /      / \     \  \
    / /  / /  /     \  \
       /   /   /   \  \  \
   /  /  /  /    |   \  \ \  \
 /     /  /   | |  |   \  \
       /   /      |  |    \

                      ,~~~~-_
                     /       \
                    / .     ..\
                   /.    \     )
                   |   . (\_\_/
                   | .    \  )
             ______ \    . |
      __--~~~   .  ~-).     \
   _-~   . ___--__--~     .  |
  /  .     .~--~ .  .       ./
 (.    .       .       .   _-
  \___      .      . ___--~.\
      ~~~---___---~~~.  .   /
     ,--~~~~.   . ______--~~
      ~~~------~~~

        _-~~~--__
       / '       \_
       |  _  _     \
       |  \) \)   ) )
       ,\   U      ( '
       , \   __     \
          )  \_)     \'
      , '/        \   \
        | /    |   \   \_    __
 _ --,',-_~'-,. ,-'~-, ,-- ~ ,,
   '  ~    ~   '  '   '  ~     '~

                   _
                /~~ \_-_
              _/  _ _   \
             /  /~ ~ \  |
            (  |() () |  \
             ) |      (   \
            (   \_   /    |
             \    | |    / )
             _)   |/    |   \
           _/  )       /     )
          /   /       /     (
         |               |   \
         |        \      /   |
         |   /     \          \
        /           |      \   \

         __            __
    /\  /  \  _-==-_  /  \  /\
  _/  \/    \/      \/    \/  \_
 /_/       ((  o  o  ))       \_\
   /  /     _\  \/  /_     \  \
  /__/  /  /  \/||\/  \  \  \__\
     | /| /            \ |\ |
     |/ |/              \| \|

            .  ,  .  ,
            |  |  |  |
          __|__|__|__|__
         |   _-_   _-_  |
         |    o     o   |
         |       >      |
         |     ____     |
         |    <____>    |
         |______________|

          ,///////,
         //////////,
       /////  . .'//
      '////_   ,  ///
      ///// \__~_///'
     ////__/    \__ __
     ' +~  ~~-  -~ +  \
      /             \  \
     /   .,+~~~+.,+~~~+.
        ,///|||\\|/||\\)
       / \\\|||//|\||//
      /   \||||/||||/|
          /|||||||||||
         /||||||||||||
        /|||||||||||||

      __|\
  ___/.   \
 <___      \_
  `----_     ~~~-----~~~--_
        \                  ~~-___
         |                \~----~
          ) ___----____    )
         / /| |       /\  /
        | |  \ \     / /\ \
        (_|   \_)   (_)  \_)

              _____
             /     \
            (  O O  )
             |  v  |
              \_-_/
           ____|_|____
    \|/   /____|_|____\   \|/
     \\  //____|_|____\\  //
      \\// ____|_|____ \\//
       \/   __ |_| __   \/
               |_|
               |_|
            ___|_|___
           /   \_/   \
          ( |\  |  /| )

             ._____.
            ,-||=||-,
             \==|==/
           ___) - (__
     __--~~  /     \ ~~---_____
 __-~      _(    (  )_         ~-
        _-~ /     \ \ ~-_
    __-~   (       ) )   ~-_
  -~     __/ (       \      ~_
      _-~ (      (    )_      \
  __-~    /\      \   \ ~-_    \
        _/  )  (   \   \   \
       /   (  _-\   \   \   ~-__
      (_--~~\/   \_/ \___)

           __--||||--__
          /  __   __   \
          |    \_/     |
           \__   _  __/
   __------___>    <___------__
  /           ------           \
 | (                          ) |
 |     )                  (     |
 |       --_____--_____--       |
 |     |                  |     |
 |_____|                  |_____|
 ////=\|                  |/=\\\\
 \\\\ /|         |        |\ ////
       |--______________--|
       |--______________--|
       |                  |

    \     .|        |.     /
    |\    | \______/ |    /|
    | \    \/      \/    / |
    |  |   | ()  () |   |  |
  _ |   \__ |_----_| __/   | ___
 /_\|  _/  / /\  /\ \  \_  |/ _-\
 /- \ /   |\ \/  \/ /|   \ /  _\\
 /\  ~-    \`------'/    -~  / \
   \        (_|  |_)        /
    \         |/\|         /
     ~|                  |~
      |                  |
   ___ \                / ___
  /   \ |              | /   \
 |  ,  \|              |/  ,  |

              ______
         /~\/~      ~\/~\
         \    \/  \/    /
   _-~-_  \    .  .    /  _-~-_
  /_//  \ (     ()     ) /  \\_\
   / \   \/\   (__)   /\/   / \
      |     ~-______-~     |
       \_                _/
        /                \
       |                  |
       |                  |
       |                  |
       |         .        |
        \                /
        /                \

                ||||
     ,___      ||||||    ___,
     |   \    |- - |||  /   |
  ____\   \  __\^ /_||||   /____
 <         \/      ||||         >
  \      /        ||| ||\      /
   \         -__--__-         /
    >     /\          /\     <
   /     /  \        /  \     \
  /          |      |          \
 /____      /|  |   |\      ____\
     /     / |      | \     \
    /     /  |  |   |  \     \
   /__--~~   |  |   |   ~~--__\
             |  |\   \
            /  /  \_  \

            //
           //
          //  /|||||\
        \\/  //  O  \\
        \/\   |  v  |
       //\ \__/\___/\__
      //  \    (   )   \
     //    \    \ /     |
            |    ~   |\  \
            |        | |  \
            /--_____-\  \\/
            \--_____-/
            \        \
             \    \   \
             /    /|   |
            /    / |   |

   _                        _
   >\          ___         /<
   > \    ,---/   \       / <
   >  \_  |/==,   )     _/  <
   >  _ ~--___|  |___--~ _  <
   >  _---__        __---_  <
   >  _     (      )     _  <
   >  _--~ __      __ ~--_  <
   >  _--~~  \    /  ~~--_  <
   >___---~~~\    /~~~---___<
             /\__/\
            |      |
            |      |

                   _-~~--__
          __ _   /~_-~~~--_~-_/\
       _/~  ~\~ //~        ~\_-~\
      (__     \-/  /  /       __/
        <_-\/          / _/~~~
           / ,            \___
          / /|~~---__     /~~\\
     _--~~_/\ \_    /~\ \~    \\
     ~--~~   \_/   / /~\ \_
                   \_/  \_/

       |   |     |
        \ \ \     )
         \ |\ \                _
          | __------__     _-~~
        _-~~   ____   ~~-_/ ~~-_
       /      /####\      \     \
     _(      (##()##)      )
   /~  \      \####/      /
  |     ~-__   ~~~~   __-~
          //~~------~~\ \
          \\           ) |
           ))         (  \\
          /              / )
                          (
                           \

             ____
            /||||\
           <  ,,  >
            \    /____
        _---_)  ()    ~~--_
       /        /          \
      /   /    (            >
     /   (      \_          \
     \    ~-_    _\         <
      \_     ~  ~  |        /
        ~|--__  __/        /
         |        \        \
         |         \_       \
         |           ~--____/

               _-~~-_
    _____     ( .  . )
   / . . \     \    /      ___
  (       )    |\/\/|    _/   \
   \ o o /     | \/ |   /( . . )
   /\___/|     |    |  /  \___/
  (   |  |     |    | |    \|/
   \      \_   |    | |    /|
    \    \  ~-~ '    \|   /
     )               /   |
    (                   ` \
     \       \             \_
      )       \    |         ~--_
     /

      _--~~/          \~~--_
   _-~  _-~__--------__~-_  ~-_
  /    /_-~  .   .     ~-_\    \
 (        .     .     .         )
  \    _---__        __---_    /
   )     ____~      ~____     (
  /       ~--~      ~--~       \
  \           _----_           /
   \   \     (_O  O_)     /   /
    \   \_     ~~~~     _/   /
   _-\   \~~----------~~/   /-_
 /~   \   \__\      /__/   /   ~\
       \_     \ |  /     _/
         ~~----|  |----~~
               |/\|

      __---___    ______
     /\ \  .  ~~~~    ; ~~\
    (.`\       /    `     .|
     )  \  - .    `   `  \  \
     \ ` )    ._____   ____--)
     |, ,\--~~~     ~~~    . .)
     |. `/   .   '`     ,     )
     / / \  `        o       `(
     ) \. )   .   /     ,   o |
     \   (     o              |
     \ , /   ,      ..,`  '   (
      | ,( `       '        ~ /
       \ |     \.        _   .\
       |.|  .       o      .  (
        \/___----____---~~~--~

           .|        |.
           | \______/ |
            \/ \  / \/
      /\    | @@  @@ |    /\
     //\\  __|      |__  //\\
 \  ///\\\____\ /\ /____///\\\  /
 \\////\\______|/\|_______/\\\\//
  \///  ________\/________  \\\/
        _______|--|_______
         ____  |--|  ____
               |--|
        _____  |--|  _____
       ///-\\\ |--| ///-\\\
      ////-\\\\|--|////-\\\\
     /////-\\\\\--/////-\\\\\
    ////     \\\||///     \\\\

     \
      \       ____
       \,    //||\\
      /\\/   |- -  |
    _/ \/\   | V   )
   /   /   ___\~  /___
  |   /---~   ~~~~~   ~\
  \_                    |
    ~----~~|   |    |   |
           | _(~~--_|   |
           |  \__/      |
           |   | ~~--__/
           |-__|___--|
           /   |      \
          /           |
         /     /~|    |

         _-~~~~~-_
        |~-_____-~|
        |         |
        |       / |
        |      / /|
   __   |     / / |    ---
        |_     / _|__      ___
     ---  ~-----~    ----
   --__       ___--       __
        __            --

Back to The Making of Murkon's Refuge.