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Driller (game)
Encyclopedia
Driller is a 1987 computer game. It was written by British
developers Major Developments and published by Incentive Software
for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
and IBM PC
. The game was notable for its early 3D
game engine
, Freescape
.
Generations passed and the original survivors of the Exodus died, leaving new generations of Elders. With each new generation their power weakened, as did the law. The colony was once again in a fluid situation, and finally the Elders, with their last remnants of respect, formed an army to reverse that condition. Martial law was declared, and all criminal acts were dealt with swiftly with the death penalty.
As time went by, the death penalty became less frequent in its use, and banishment from the planet was used as an alternative. These criminals were nicknamed "Ketars", a title associated with pity, scorn, and later, anger. The Ketars formed a colony on Mitral, one of Evath's moons. This colony was exactly that which one would expect from a grouping of murderers, thieves and rapists - death and destruction reigned to begin with, but eventually a hierarchy formed, with the strongest and most wily of the population in leadership. Dissent and betrayal were punished swiftly and harshly. Paranoia was rife, and an intricate system of security devices were installed throughout Mitral.
The colonization of Evath brought with it "rubicon" crystals, which provided energy in abundance. Later in Evath's history, scientists had discovered that these crystals were formed by obtaining their energy from Evath's sun. With this knowledge they were able to manufacture these crystals artificially and mining ceased. The Ketars had little knowledge of mining or science, and continued to mine Mitral to exhaustion, until, one day, explosions and fires began to break out all over the colony.
A gas build-up had formed under the surface of Mitral. The Ketars attempted to release the gas in a controlled fashion, but their lack of knowledge and experience prevented them from doing so. Eventually, they were forced to evacuate the planet and populated an uninhabited continent on Evath, hoping to evade detection in the process. Before leaving, they set all of their security systems to attack anyone who approached.
However, they were detected, and the problems were known to the Evath intelligence services.
Lesleigh Skerrit aspired to work for the Driller Federation. His grandfather had been a member of the Federation, but he was falsely accused of murder and banished as a Ketar. Only later did the evidence contesting his guilt surface, but it was too late - the law did not allow someone banished as a Ketar to return to Evath. Lesleigh was not bitter and did not seek retribution. He wanted to study law to prevent this kind of mistake happening again.
Called in by his superior, Montigue Yarbro, he is offered a lifetime opportunity - to complete his training and gain a promotion to Elite within the Driller Federation in one fell swoop. His experience on Mitral bore him well - he was to go to Mitral and attempt to avert the coming catastrophe. Mitral, having been abandoned in its unstable state by the Ketars, was going to explode within four hours, and the explosion would take Evath with it. Skerrit's mission was to use the excavation probe "Last Hope" to place eighteen drilling rigs around Mitral to allow the gas to dissipate harmlessly into space and prevent this disaster. Things are not so simple though, with the security systems activated prior to the Ketars' departure.
, through eighteen regions (in the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron
) of the moon Mitral, and place a drilling rig in each of them to allow a minimum of 50% of the gas to escape. The position is established by a mixture of clues from the landscape (including an "X marks the spot" in the first zone) and trial and error. The security systems will attack Lesleigh upon sight, and he must disable or avoid them by any means possible. Only a few can be destroyed by shooting, the rest must be dispatched by mechanical means through switches or similar.
The eighteen regions are actually platforms above the true surface of Mitral; the excavation probe cannot fly or hover (although it can rise and lower itself slightly on hydraulics), and moving off a platform causes the player to fall onto the surface, where he is marooned. However, in one area the player can find a garage containing a hovering vehicle that can be used to explore and attack security systems, though not to place drilling rigs.
engine, which allowed the production of full three-dimensional environments using filled polygons in which the player could move around freely. It also gave the player the ability to look up and down, as well as rotate left and right, something which was rare amongst 3D games of the time . The same engine was used for Driller's sequel, Dark Side
, as well as Total Eclipse
, The Sphinx Jinx, Castle Master
and Castle Master II: The Crypt. In 1991, Domark
released 3D Construction Kit
which allowed games to be produced based on the Freescape engine with no programming knowledge. This was then followed by 3D Construction Kit II
.
awarded the game 97%, stating that "with a stunning use of 3D graphics, very challenging gameplay, and the fascination of exploring a FreeScape world, Driller is one of the best games CRASH has seen."
Your Sinclair
gave Driller 9/10 with reviewer Phil South stating "The game took a year to build, and it shows in the quality of the workmanship and the gameplay. I can tell that people are going to be sending in tips for this for months to come. Superb!"
Zzap!64
, a Commodore 64 gaming magazine, awarded the game 96%
Amstrad Action
reviewed the game in the January 1988 issue with an overall rating of 96% and earned the AA 'Mastergame' accolade. Is joint 3rd highest rated game in Amstrad Actions run.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
developers Major Developments and published by Incentive Software
Incentive Software
Incentive Software Ltd. was a British video game developer and publisher founded by Ian Andrew in 1983. Programmers included Sean Ellis, Stephen Northcott and Ian's brother Chris Andrew. Later games were based around the company's Freescape rendering engine...
for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
. The game was notable for its early 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, Freescape
Freescape
thumb|The Freescape logo.The Freescape engine was an early 3D game engine used in games such as 1987's Driller.-History:Developed in-house by Incentive Software, Freescape is considered to be one of the first proprietary 3D engines to be used in computer games, although the engine was not used...
.
Story
In the far future, the human race has abandoned Earth for the reaches of outer space, having ruined the planet in the relentless quest for resources and in endless conflict. In a desperate search to find a new home, they found Evath, a life-sustaining planet with two moons, Mitral and Tricuspid. They sent a ship, named "Exodus" to colonize this new planet with explorers, embryos and supplies. Generations passed, and the colony on Evath was formed. Without the rule of law, the oldest members of the Exodus' crew, the Elders, were forced to take control, form an army and bring the rule of law to Evath.Generations passed and the original survivors of the Exodus died, leaving new generations of Elders. With each new generation their power weakened, as did the law. The colony was once again in a fluid situation, and finally the Elders, with their last remnants of respect, formed an army to reverse that condition. Martial law was declared, and all criminal acts were dealt with swiftly with the death penalty.
As time went by, the death penalty became less frequent in its use, and banishment from the planet was used as an alternative. These criminals were nicknamed "Ketars", a title associated with pity, scorn, and later, anger. The Ketars formed a colony on Mitral, one of Evath's moons. This colony was exactly that which one would expect from a grouping of murderers, thieves and rapists - death and destruction reigned to begin with, but eventually a hierarchy formed, with the strongest and most wily of the population in leadership. Dissent and betrayal were punished swiftly and harshly. Paranoia was rife, and an intricate system of security devices were installed throughout Mitral.
The colonization of Evath brought with it "rubicon" crystals, which provided energy in abundance. Later in Evath's history, scientists had discovered that these crystals were formed by obtaining their energy from Evath's sun. With this knowledge they were able to manufacture these crystals artificially and mining ceased. The Ketars had little knowledge of mining or science, and continued to mine Mitral to exhaustion, until, one day, explosions and fires began to break out all over the colony.
A gas build-up had formed under the surface of Mitral. The Ketars attempted to release the gas in a controlled fashion, but their lack of knowledge and experience prevented them from doing so. Eventually, they were forced to evacuate the planet and populated an uninhabited continent on Evath, hoping to evade detection in the process. Before leaving, they set all of their security systems to attack anyone who approached.
However, they were detected, and the problems were known to the Evath intelligence services.
Lesleigh Skerrit aspired to work for the Driller Federation. His grandfather had been a member of the Federation, but he was falsely accused of murder and banished as a Ketar. Only later did the evidence contesting his guilt surface, but it was too late - the law did not allow someone banished as a Ketar to return to Evath. Lesleigh was not bitter and did not seek retribution. He wanted to study law to prevent this kind of mistake happening again.
Called in by his superior, Montigue Yarbro, he is offered a lifetime opportunity - to complete his training and gain a promotion to Elite within the Driller Federation in one fell swoop. His experience on Mitral bore him well - he was to go to Mitral and attempt to avert the coming catastrophe. Mitral, having been abandoned in its unstable state by the Ketars, was going to explode within four hours, and the explosion would take Evath with it. Skerrit's mission was to use the excavation probe "Last Hope" to place eighteen drilling rigs around Mitral to allow the gas to dissipate harmlessly into space and prevent this disaster. Things are not so simple though, with the security systems activated prior to the Ketars' departure.
Gameplay
The game requires the player to maneuver the excavation probe, through a first-person viewFirst person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
, through eighteen regions (in the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron
Rhombicuboctahedron
In geometry, the rhombicuboctahedron, or small rhombicuboctahedron, is an Archimedean solid with eight triangular and eighteen square faces. There are 24 identical vertices, with one triangle and three squares meeting at each. Note that six of the squares only share vertices with the triangles...
) of the moon Mitral, and place a drilling rig in each of them to allow a minimum of 50% of the gas to escape. The position is established by a mixture of clues from the landscape (including an "X marks the spot" in the first zone) and trial and error. The security systems will attack Lesleigh upon sight, and he must disable or avoid them by any means possible. Only a few can be destroyed by shooting, the rest must be dispatched by mechanical means through switches or similar.
The eighteen regions are actually platforms above the true surface of Mitral; the excavation probe cannot fly or hover (although it can rise and lower itself slightly on hydraulics), and moving off a platform causes the player to fall onto the surface, where he is marooned. However, in one area the player can find a garage containing a hovering vehicle that can be used to explore and attack security systems, though not to place drilling rigs.
Packaging
Driller was lavishly packaged compared to much game software available at the time. As well as having a large box, it also came with an instruction manual, a novella detailing the game's plot and background and a cardboard "map" of Mitral that could be folded into a 3D representation of the eighteen platforms around the moon, and used by the player to mark successful drilling locations.Engine
Driller was the first game to use the FreescapeFreescape
thumb|The Freescape logo.The Freescape engine was an early 3D game engine used in games such as 1987's Driller.-History:Developed in-house by Incentive Software, Freescape is considered to be one of the first proprietary 3D engines to be used in computer games, although the engine was not used...
engine, which allowed the production of full three-dimensional environments using filled polygons in which the player could move around freely. It also gave the player the ability to look up and down, as well as rotate left and right, something which was rare amongst 3D games of the time . The same engine was used for Driller's sequel, Dark Side
Dark Side (computer game)
Dark Side is a 1988 computer game for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, PC and ZX Spectrum computers. The game is a sequel to Driller, set in the Evath system but this time on Evath's second moon Tricuspid...
, as well as Total Eclipse
Total Eclipse (1988 video game)
Total Eclipse is a first person adventure game released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, PC and ZX Spectrum computers in 1988...
, The Sphinx Jinx, Castle Master
Castle Master
Castle Master is a 1990 computer game written by British developers Teque Software Development and published by Incentive Software. It was released for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC.-Gameplay:...
and Castle Master II: The Crypt. In 1991, Domark
Domark
Domark Software was a video games software house based in the United Kingdom. The name was derived from the given names of its founders, Dominic Wheatley and Mark Strachan...
released 3D Construction Kit
3D Construction Kit
3D Construction Kit , also known as 3D Virtual Studio, is a utility for creating 3D worlds in Freescape. Developed by Incentive Software and published by Domark, it was released in 1991 on multiple platforms. The game originally retailed for £24.99 in the United Kingdom...
which allowed games to be produced based on the Freescape engine with no programming knowledge. This was then followed by 3D Construction Kit II
3D Construction Kit II
3D Construction Kit II , also known as 3D Construction Kit 2.0, is a utility for creating 3D worlds in Freescape...
.
Impact
The game can be considered a precursor to the modern first-person shooter. Although examples of first-person shooters can be found dating back to the early 1980s, this was the first game on mainstream home computers that permitted free 360 degree movement within an open area with filled polygon 3D graphics. It was considered an exceptional feat, especially on the 8-bit Spectrum, C64 and CPC, as these computers were seen to be incapable of producing 3D graphics with this kind of detail, although the 8-bit versions produced frame rates of around 1-2frame/s that would be considered unacceptable today.Critical reaction
Praise for the game was unequivocal and unanimous. CRASHCRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
awarded the game 97%, stating that "with a stunning use of 3D graphics, very challenging gameplay, and the fascination of exploring a FreeScape world, Driller is one of the best games CRASH has seen."
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
gave Driller 9/10 with reviewer Phil South stating "The game took a year to build, and it shows in the quality of the workmanship and the gameplay. I can tell that people are going to be sending in tips for this for months to come. Superb!"
Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
, a Commodore 64 gaming magazine, awarded the game 96%
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console....
reviewed the game in the January 1988 issue with an overall rating of 96% and earned the AA 'Mastergame' accolade. Is joint 3rd highest rated game in Amstrad Actions run.