Re: CRAP Poll # (Infinity - 6): Bring It Back!

On Fri, 13 Jun 2025 21:00:13 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:

Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote at 21:47 this Monday (GMT):

On Sat, 07 Jun 2025 16:52:10 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>

>
It's been a while since we've done one of these Completely Random and
Pointless Polls... so let's do one now!
>
Here's the question:
>
In this age of sequels, reboots and remakes, what
forgotten intellectual property would you like to
see revived?
>

None. I'd like to see it in the public domain in 10 years, which is a
reasonable term for a digital copyright.
>
And trademark expiration of 25 years, less if a company just jealously
holds onto a TM and does nothing with it other than disappearing it.
>
Then I'd like to see community and commercial projects that build
derivative, new works on the public domain. You know, something original
built on its shoulders, which is *supposed* to be the public benefit of
copyright. Society was supposed to get something in return.
>
I don't care about IP lineage. I don't care about brands. I don't care
about franchise. I mostly don't like reboots, retreads, or retro-styled
games.
>
I especially don't want to see, say, Sonic The Hedgehog 36 or Sonic RPG.
>
That said, to be less glib, I'd like to see a new Magic Candle game.
Those were awesome. Magic Carpet too.

>
>
Blame Disney.
>
whats magic candle?

Wait, let me take this one!

"Magic Candle" is a franchise of top-down computer role-playing games
developed by Mindcraft* and published between the years 1989 and 1991.
It featured a top-down viewpoint and tile-based graphics similar to
the old "Ultima" games. It was renowned at the time for being more
realistic than many of its contempoaries; you could split your party,
give your PCs jobs to do to earn money while separated from the group.
You had to manage how hungry and tired your characters got; NPCs had
fixed schedules; weapons and equipment got damaged from use, and you
couldn't break into NPCs homes and steal everything willy-nilly. Plus,
the storylines --while still fairly typical epic fantasy-- tended to
be a bit more mature and thought out than the 'kill the foozle' plot
that was common to games like "Wizardry" or "Might and Magic".

There were three games in the series, all set in the same fantasy
world ("The Magic Candle: Volume 1", "Magic Candle 2: The Four and
Forty", and "Magic Candle 3"). However, many of Mindcraft's other
fantasy games (mostly strategy titles) were also set in the same
universe, including "Ambush at Sorinor","Siege", "Bloodstone: An Epic
Dwarven Tale" and "The Keys to Maramon". This gave the franchise an
epic feel and consistency that few other games could match.

While praised for their quality, Mindcraft's games tended to lag
behind in the visual and audio department. They were a fairly small
studio after all, with barely a dozen games to their name. As the 90s
rolled on, and games became bigger and more polished, their subtler,
less refined games couldn't attract the necessary audience. I have no
idea what became of them but their last published game was in 1993,
and in 1994 their CEO and founder joined Interplay, so either they got
shut-down or bought out.

Anyway, none of their library seems to be available on GOG or Steam;
if you're interested, the only way to play these games is either to
ransack EBay for old copies or sail the high seas (and pray the
viruses don't get you). Or play the game on the computer of some old
fogey who has a copy still installed on their hard-drive. ;-)