Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds

Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds
Developer: Bullfrog Productions Publisher: Electronic Arts Platform: DOS Released in EU: September 1995 This game has unused areas. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has a prototype article This game has a notes page

Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds is an interesting reimagining of the original Magic Carpet into a more objective-led game with an actual storyline that tracks a lot closer to the original concept for Magic Carpet than that game ended up doing, for better or worse. It also reuses a significant amount of cut content from the original, with a lot of unused graphics and concepts finally seeing daylight here.

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Notes

Level Select

As with the first game, it's possible to start on any level by using the -level argument at the command line, e.g. NETHERW -level x, with x being a number between 0 and 127.

Levels 0-39 are the singleplayer levels (including secret levels), and 50-60 are multiplayer levels. However, there are significantly more levels available to play, as described below.

Command Line Arguments

showversion

Starting the game with the argument -showversion prints the following to the DOS prompt:

Magic Carpet 2 (Netherworlds)

***********************************************************
*   TESTERS: WRITE DOWN THE ABOVE VERSION DATE AND TIME.  *
*   Press RETURN to continue...                           *
************************************************************

(Source: Michael Howard)

showversion2

There is also a second argument, -showversion2. Running the game with this causes the game title to be printed to the DOS prompt, and then the game itself exits. Based on the -showversion command and how the early demos behave, it seems originally the game printed the build information to the DOS prompt on running, and these commands were used to give testers and other interested parties time to write them down. However, in the final game the build information is not shown anymore, making them useless. -showversion2 seems to be a particularly late addition to the game as it is not present in the second demo that was created close to launch.

Debug

The -debug argument doesn't seem to work in the final game. However, the fan decompilation project Magic Carpet 2 HD re-enables this functionality and allows it to be seen:

Build Comments

As with the original Magic Carpet and several other Bullfrog games of the time, a standard build log entry is visible at position 000E6E08.

 Product name     Magic Carpet 2 (Netherworlds)
 Version number   Beta
 Version date     Sep 06 1995 03:42:13
 Programmer       Bullfrog, Alan Wright
 Supplied to      PUBLIC

Unused Levels

To do: Rough notes, will redo once better understood.

The gamefeatures 30 singleplayer levels, and 10 multiplayer levels. However, checking the LEVELS.DAT and .TAB files reveals a whopping 200 levels are in fact shipped with the game. It seems, as with sister Bullfrog title Syndicate Wars, that every level in the title's development directory was lumped in, whether accessible in the game or not. Oddly, levels after 99 are also not even compressed, defeating the point of Bullfrog compressing those levels that are in use, as they greatly increase the LEVELS.DAT file size.

The game can only access 128 levels using the -level argument, so ones after this number cannot be played. It's currently not possible to repack the LEVELS.DAT/TAB files with the leftover levels like could be done with the original Magic Carpet, as both Magic Carpet 2 and the Hidden Worlds expansion pack for the original game check the CRC for the LEVELS.DAT and TAB files and won't load an adulterated copy. However, the fan-made decompilation project Magic Carpet 2 HD can play these levels if they are extracted to individual files using another fan-made tool.

The levels themselves also document the game in development. Most final levels have early versions included within, some of which play vastly differently. So too there are many totally cut levels, several of which have clearly had a lot of work put into them. There are also a lot of levels later on in the list that are in fact in the original Magic Carpet level format (although with MC2 enemies which obviously won't appear in the original), not the new MC2 format, and can be played in the original game, showing the progression of the engine through development.

One thing that becomes clear with the levels is that a lot more cave levels were created and went unused. The reason for this seems to be that these levels were built around defeating enemy wizards, which are conspicuously absent from cave levels in the final. Playing the cut cave levels demonstrates that the wizard AI really cannot handle the cave landscape, behaving in strange ways from simply getting stuck in the terrain, to actually flying through the level's walls, to their pathfinding totally failing and simply not moving at all.

Number	Level Type	Notes
0-24		Final singleplayer levels
27	Night	Tough unfinished cut level with the player starting in a brutal ambush of zombies, manticores, and spiders next to a series of tornado traps.
30-34		Final secret levels
38	Night	A very different version of the first BASF demo level. The player starts at a low level and has to slaughter goats, but quickly gains the basic spells, up to lightning and crater. Oddly, the level ends with a series of teleports to follow that end with the player trapped in a box in the sea, but based on the next level it seems this version was not finished.
39	Night	Slightly later version of 38. Entering the box in the lake (which is also now bigger) reveals a leviathan that must be killed to trigger an escape teleport and complete the level's final objective. These two versions show a challenging "vertical slice" of the game, with the player progressing a significant way through the spells tree and taking on a tough enemy. The final version of this level found in the demo is massively simplified and never goes beyond the lowest rungs of the spell/enemy tree.
40	Day	Version of level 3.
41	Day	Seems to be an unused desert level. Lots of gnarled terrain and a large town, but no enemies.
42		No level
43		No level
44		No level
45		No level
46	Night	Interesting unfinished night level. An avenue of statues leads to a switch that enables a teleporter. This then leads to a sealed arena battle against spiders and zombies. The final goal is to destroy an impressive looking castle. Lots of Moon Dwellers lurk in the mountains.
47		No level
48	Night	Version of level 14.
49		No level
50 - 59		Final multiplayer Levels
60	Night	Seemingly very complete alt version of multiplayer level 5. Terrain seems very slightly different.
61	Day	Unused level consisting of several thin islands in a large sea. The islands are absolutely smothered in dragons and manticores. Level starts completed with the objective to head to the exit.
62	Night	Cut level that's a callback to level 33 of the original game, with the player trapped in very small areas with lots of enemies.
63	Day	Cut level with the common theme of small volcanic islands in a large ocean. Four wizards attack. Probably a multiplayer level.
64	Day	Another version of multiplayer level 9.
65	Day	Odd level with a single small island in an ocean filled to the brim with hundreds of archers.
66	Cave	Cave level based around spiralling tunnels and larger lava-filled areas.
67	Cave	An ingenious level that's kind of like a map of the body, with lava as blood. There is a central "heart" chamber connected by lots of arterial passageways that are packed with enemies, making them lethal to venture into. The Cymmerians inside produce a constant stream of bugs that pour out of the arteries into the main area, attacking the player's castles. The end effect, looking at the map, is like a medical diagram of white blood cells attacking an infection.
68	Day	A totally empty level with just a flat green field
69	Day	An early, totally empty version of level 20
70	Night	An early, totally empty version of level 22
71	Day	An early, totally empty version of level 23
72	Night	A totally empty unknown night level
73	Cave	Cut cave level that plays somewhat like level 4, but clearly aimed for a lot later into the game. Player must destroy Cymmerians.
74	Cave	Early/alt version of level 16, need to see what is different - the room to the right of the start position is square here, whereas it's a spiral in the final.
75		No Level
76		No Level
77	Cave	This seems to be an early version of level 15, with somewhat different terrain. The square room that can be teleported into in the final version only contains a single experience scroll - here it has dozens.
78		No Level
79	Day	A cozy walled village with lots of buildings and separate pens for goats. No enemies yet, but there are later more populated versions of this level included.
80	Night	A very early version of level 18. This is a totally different actual map, and all that happens is fireflies and cymmerians swarm at a point, while the CD audio tracks for the level narration play through in a loop.
81	Night	An unfinished cut level. Lots of Devils, a Hydra, and a central lake full of Leviathans. Flying to a point in the lake completes the objective and unlocks the exit.
82	Cave	Empty cut level. Quite detailed cave level, but with no enemies in it.
83	Day	Mostly empty test level, consisting of rolling grassland and a single tree. Approaching the tree spawns a number of archers who spread out across the map.
84	Day	A very early version of the first level. Here it's a daylight level, with no enemies or the town present. A series of waypoints must be navigated to finish the level.
85	Cave	Another version of the cut level 66, not sure difference
86	Day	Early version of Multiplayer level 2
87	Cave	Early version of the fifth BASF demo level. The square rooms have not been dirtied up yet.
88	Day	Early version of level 2
89	Night	Version of level 10
90	Day	Alt version of level 23 with a lot more buildings
91	Night	Short unused level, seems to be a test for the start of the game on an unused map. Player must collect the basic early spells and then exit
92		No level
93	Day	Cut day level. An island full of Manticores and some kind of sealed city behind walls
94	Cave	Early version of level 12. Seems close to final
95	Cave	Early version of level 12. The square rooms in the middle are much blockier and cruder compared to the final and 94
96	Night	Cut night level. Possibly an early multiplayer level. An empty island with only 3 other wizards on
97	Cave	Early version of level 6. Start position is different
98	Night	A version of the first level in mid development. This is quite close to final, but is missing lots of touches, the CD audio triggers are not in, and the spikes that emerge from the ground around the area with the spells in aren't there yet
99	Day	Alternate version of multiplayer 10. You start without fireballs or castle, and have to speed past a massive crowd of bees to get the castle spell!
100	Day	Another early, densely built up version of level 23
101	Day	Cut day level. Craggy land structures that are mostly empty save some trees that release an ambush of archers when crossed. Level begins with a series of scripted explosions around the player for some reason
102	Day	Totally empty highlands day level
103	Day	Empty map of a small island in a large ocean
104	Day	Early version of secret level 5
105	Cave	Version of Multiplayer level 6
106	Cave	Very early instance of an empty tiny cave level with a few small lava pools. Oddly an enemy wizard is setup who attacks
107	Cave	Version of secret level 3. Seems close to final
108	Night	Secret level 2
109	Day	A later version of 103. There is now a mana-filled maze in the middle of the ocean in the shape of a duck with a sole leviathan prowling around it.
110	Night	Version of level 19
111	Cave	Yet another version of 12
112	Night	Early version of Multiplayer level 5/BASF Demo level 3. Not sure of differences
113	Cave	Another version of 67
114	Cave	Cut cave level. A series of lava pools joined by long winding tunnels, looking like some sort of view of bacteria under a microscope
115	Cave	Cut cave level. Craggy, irregular looking cave with little in it, save lot of cymmerians. Also has 4 wizards, who have castles outside the walls
116		Crashes the game
117	Cave	Another version of 66
118	Day	Slightly later version of 79. There is now an arena/ambush at the start where spiders flood in
119	Day	Slightly later version of 79. There is now an arena/ambush at the start where spiders flood in
120	Day	Cut day level. Gimmicky ocean level with a bridge leading to a teleport that leads to other teleports in small boxes that eventually lead to a walled-in island with a skeleton ambush
121	Day	Odd early/alternative version of level 5. Rather than fighting other wizards, all there is are buildings to destroy
122	Night	Cut night level. This is actually an early version of multiplayer level 7. At this point it seems more likely to have been a single player level, with the player starting in front of a row of mana balls leading to an ornate castle. There is a single hydra on the map and no other enemies
123	Cave	Another early version of level 15
124	Day	Cut day maze type level. Similar design to multiplayer level 1, but clearly not the same seed etc.
125	Cave	a version of Secret level 4
126	Night	A version of level 7. Already seems close to final
127	Cave	Cave level. A grid of perfect square rooms with raised plateaus within linked with small corridors. The player starts off unarmed and must brave a central area full of spells to get equipped, which leads to a trap being sprung of endless dragons and devils spilling forth
128	Night	The playable level from the Bullfrog Christmas Demo CD
129	Day	Early version of Multiplayer level 7. The island with a Hydra on in the final has loads of devils on here. Rest of the level is mostly empty except for some villagers and their buildings
130	Day	Version of Multiplayer level 1. Not sure what is different
131	Cave	Crude boxy cave level that is clearly very early in development. A journey through corridors to a kind of furnace room results in an ambush
132	Cave	Another version of 127
133	Day	Obvious test level that has most building types, and a hill with every spell on
134	Night	Another test level - very interesting formation flying from a group of Wyverns followed by Cymmerians and fireflies. The coast of the map is also covered in experience spells
135	Cave	Crude cave level. Player starts in a large box room with spiders in. Outside are a few pipe-like tunnels that are not connected
136	Day	Another building test level. Has initials written in Barrel Objects, either an "N" or "ZI"
137	Cave	Boxier early version of Level 4
138		Crashes the game
139	Night	Clever unfinished level. A single house resides inside impenetrable walls. Touching a statue opens the wall and spawns some mana balls that lead the way to the house. Capturing it triggers the empty area to spawn lots more houses and fireflies
140	Day	Yet another version of multiplayer level 2. This time it's almost empty with only a few spiders. They are objectives, which suggest it was a single player level at this point
141	Night	Early version of the first level. At this point the archers are not in the main square with the spell jars, but arranged at random places across the map.
142	Cave	Yet another early version of level 4
143	Cave	This is actually the normally unplayable cave level from the Christmas Demo CD.
144	Cave	Another version of 143, unclear what's different
145	Day	Yet another version of multiplayer level 2. Now there are enemy wizards as well as spiders
146	Cave	Yet another early version of level 4
147	Cave	Another sprawling cut cave level
148	Night	Early version of level 10. More buildings must be destroyed, and the building used for the temple in the final version is the special huge building used for Vissiluth in this version
149	Day	Very early version of multplayed level 10. At this point there are only a few buildings (in totally different positions to the final) and the wizard Nyphur on the map.
150	Day	Seemingly an early version of level 2. Very different terrain, but the same cross shaped set of buildings to move to. Next objective is to destroy a worm and a moon dweller, which seems a bit difficult for such an early level
151	Day	Unfinished level featuring several towns formed around the inside of huge craters. There's little to the level other than flying to two points.
152	Day	Seems to be a test for creature alliances. A group of dragons fight a group of manticores inside an arena filled with goats
153	Day	A level that's barely been started. An empty landscape with jutting out into a sea
154	Day	Peculiar level with a village on a small island. Archers start assembled around a pit with goats and bees in, and shoot them all. Some dragons then spawn, and roam the island with the archers
155	Cave	Early version of cut cave level. There's a looping tunnel in which a trap is sprung if the player ventures inside
156	Day	Second level of the BASF demo. Not sure if different
157	Cave	More advanced version of 155. First objective is now to kill skeletons in the tunnels
158	Night	Unfinished level with a huge city sealed behind walls.
159	Night	Early, simplified version of the BASF demo. No goats to kill yet, there are just fireflies flying around
160		MC1 Level
161	Day	Desert level. The player has to endure a series of lucky escapes, from attacks from a Wyvern on level start to swarms of bees and spiders to get the basic spells from the level and fight other wizards. This is actually the cut sixth level of the BASF demo
162	Day	Another early version of level 2. Only the first objective can be completed
163	Day	Yet another early version of multiplayer level 2/BASF Demo level 4. In this iteration the "web" starts empty, but heading to the objective marker inside triggers spiders to spawn
164	Cave	Empty cave level clearly only just started. Several square rooms linked by tunnels.
165	Night	Early version of Multiplayer level 5/BASF Demo level 3. Not sure of differences
166	Day	Yet another early version of multiplayer level 2/BASF Demo level 4. The spiders are there, but no objectives and the level starts completed
167		Crashes the game
168	Day	Early version of Multiplayer level 5/BASF Demo level 3. This is somewhat interesting as it's day level at this point in time. Otherwise it's empty except for a herd of goats
169	Day	Simple cut wizard battle level. Only enemies are herds of goats
170		MC1 Level
171	Day	Interesting level starting with two lines of marching skeletons ensnaring the player. A castle bears various spells. Attempting to claim some spells and mana in a field results in walls of spikes raising up and legions of devils attacking
172	Night	A level in similar basic shape to level 7, with a large river splitting the level in two
173	Day	Another early version of Multiplayer level 10
174	Day	Another maze level, this time in a wintry setting, and with lots of teleporters to discover. Seems early in development. These sorts of levels seem to have been deliberately kept out of the final game
175	Day	Another early version of Multiplayer level 10. This one doesn't have any buildings or the volcanoes rising from the sea yet, seems very early
176		MC1 Level
177		MC1 Level - Crashes MC1
178		MC1 Level - Crashes MC1
179		MC1 Level
180	Day	Desert level. A town built alongside a big lake and a terrifying ambush where a tiny visible switch unleashes about 20 worms and two wyverns inches in front of the player. Similar to 199
181		MC1 Level
182		MC1 Level
183		MC1 Level
184		MC1 Level
185	Day	Player starts trapped inside a small arena with dragons and sentinels. The dragons seem to be allied and will kill the sentinels. Side rooms can be opened to cause more enemies to spill in to fight
186		MC1 Level
187		MC1 Level
188		MC1 Level
189		Crashes the game
190		MC1 Level
191		MC1 Level
192		MC1 Level
193		MC1 Level
194	Day	Simple gimmick level. The player starts in a long walled tunnel with an exit only at one end. Bees surround and attack. Accelerate must be used to escape, and as they are passed by, the walls turn into volcanoes. After this the level seems completely empty.
195		MC1 Level
196		MC1 Level
197	Day	The same basic principle as 158 (huge walled city), but with a different map and at day
198	Day	A kind of distant cousin to multiplayer level 1. A small island in the sea surrounded by a square path and four large areas, one of which has a castle on. A few worms are present as objective targets
199	Day	Simplistic level with a village built around a large lake. Objectives are to kill an individual zombie and dragon.

Placeholder Level

If a level with bad data is loaded (e.g. 42, 43, 75, 76, etc) the game auto-generates an empty ocean level with all the wizards on rather than crash. All that happens is the wizards fly across the empty sea in a kind of conga line indefinitely.

Development Text

Early Enemy Names

A list of enemies can be found at 000E6530 in the main executable. This includes early names for some enemies as follows:

Enemy	Early Name
Moon Dweller	Mana Eater
Troglodyte	Dark Demon
Leviathan	Deep One