Mines of Titan
Encyclopedia
Mines of Titan is a single-player role-playing video game, developed by Westwood Associates (later Westwood Studios
), and released by Infocom
in 1989
for PC
, MS-DOS
and Apple II
.
game Mars Saga
. Mines of Titan is lengthier, with some new storylines, a few more creatures and a few details like colors are different. And of course the game's location is moved from Mars
to Titan
. Still the cities and maps looks the same.
, the largest moon
of the gas giant
Saturn, at the edge of frontier space.
You are charismatic 22-year-old astronaut
Tom Jetland, who has crashed on Titan after bullet
-sized rocks from the Rings of Saturn
pierced your ship's hull, and were forced to eject your payload and now have no means of transport off the world. In order to raise money, Jetland (or whatever you choose to name him; Tom Jetland is merely the default name for the protagonist
) must search for, recruit, create and control a party of characters ready for exploration and combat. You develop yourself and your characters by improving their natural attributes and by adding and training in over twenty new skills which will aid in both your central quest and various side missions.
Success depends upon competence in battle with various creatures and human foes alike; exploration of underground colonies and mining settlements; using your characters' skills to their best advantage; utilising a wide array of weaponry and aid acquired from merchants; and most importantly tracking down the clues to solve the mysteries of Titan. For only by uncovering a vast conspiracy and learning the fate of the disappeared Proscenium
Colony will you be able to raise enough credits to pay for safe passage off Titan.
often released their games with merchandise referred to as feelies. Mines of Titan originally came on floppy disc format which was provided in a secret agent
-style packaging, which also contained a thirty-seven page manual and various paraphernalia
, such as a "command reference card"; supposedly secret classified military and scientific documents; weapons schematics; illustrations of alien lifeform
s; and hidden maps, all connected with the game. The more expensive game packages had small figurines. These box sets are now extremely rare.
#154 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios was a computer and video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive in...
), and released by Infocom
Infocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
in 1989
1989 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
for PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
and Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
.
Remake
Mines of Titan is a remake, or update, of the Commodore 64Commodore 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...
game Mars Saga
Mars Saga
Mars Saga is a computer role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in 1988 for the Commodore 64/Commodore 128, Apple II and DOS.-Plot:...
. Mines of Titan is lengthier, with some new storylines, a few more creatures and a few details like colors are different. And of course the game's location is moved from Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
to Titan
Titan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
. Still the cities and maps looks the same.
Plot
This is a role playing adventure, set in the year 2261, long after mankind has colonized the inner Solar System. The game takes place entirely on a barely terraformed TitanTitan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
, the largest moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
of the gas giant
Gas giant
A gas giant is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter. There are four gas giants in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
Saturn, at the edge of frontier space.
You are charismatic 22-year-old astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Tom Jetland, who has crashed on Titan after bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
-sized rocks from the Rings of Saturn
Rings of Saturn
The rings of Saturn are the most extensive planetary ring system of any planet in the Solar System. They consist of countless small particles, ranging in size from micrometres to metres, that form clumps that in turn orbit about Saturn...
pierced your ship's hull, and were forced to eject your payload and now have no means of transport off the world. In order to raise money, Jetland (or whatever you choose to name him; Tom Jetland is merely the default name for the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
) must search for, recruit, create and control a party of characters ready for exploration and combat. You develop yourself and your characters by improving their natural attributes and by adding and training in over twenty new skills which will aid in both your central quest and various side missions.
Success depends upon competence in battle with various creatures and human foes alike; exploration of underground colonies and mining settlements; using your characters' skills to their best advantage; utilising a wide array of weaponry and aid acquired from merchants; and most importantly tracking down the clues to solve the mysteries of Titan. For only by uncovering a vast conspiracy and learning the fate of the disappeared Proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
Colony will you be able to raise enough credits to pay for safe passage off Titan.
Feelies
InfocomInfocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
often released their games with merchandise referred to as feelies. Mines of Titan originally came on floppy disc format which was provided in a secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
-style packaging, which also contained a thirty-seven page manual and various paraphernalia
Paraphernalia (disambiguation)
Paraphernalia was the separate property of a married woman, such as clothing and jewelry.Paraphernalia may also refer to:*Drug paraphernalia, any equipment, product, or material that is used to consume or distribute drugs for recreational usage...
, such as a "command reference card"; supposedly secret classified military and scientific documents; weapons schematics; illustrations of alien lifeform
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
s; and hidden maps, all connected with the game. The more expensive game packages had small figurines. These box sets are now extremely rare.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1990 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#154 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
External links
- Mines of Titan at GameSpot
- Mines of Titan at AllGame