Proto:Magic Carpet (DOS)/September 1994 Demo
This is a sub-page of Proto:Magic Carpet (DOS).
Released with Issue 38 of PC Format magazine, dated November 1994. This is the earliest known build, with files dating from September 1994, though there's no actual version number visible in the executable (the build info in all other versions of the game is not present here). It identifies itself as an alpha when loaded. The demo notably features very different graphics.
The player gets 1,200 seconds (20 minutes) to play the demo in, and a counter at the bottom of the screen counts these down. Once zero is reached, the game exits back to the DOS prompt.
Contents
Misc. Changes
- Pressing F1 triggers a help screen that lists controls and advice to improve performance. This message is included in the executable for the CD version of the game but disabled from this point, and isn't visible in the later post-release demo.
- The demo only has the low res game assets, and cannot be toggled into high res mode.
- When the player dies, "R.I.P" appears on-screen. This feature persisted to the later alpha build, but is shown in a bigger font in the demo.
- Balance seems similar to the later alpha build, but enemy wizards seem to have less health and their attacks (especially with lightning) seem to do less damage. They are massively less dangerous than in the final game.
- If the player dies without building a castle, the game still continues (likely as it's only a demo).
- At this point the game uses a much cruder sound setup menu rather than the ancient book themed one of the final game. However, the executable references BOOK.PAL, so it's likely the later menu system did already exist, it just wasn't included here.
- Only the Fireball, Possession, Acceleration, Castle, Heal, and Lightning spells can be used. If a final game level is played with the executable with more spells, then only the basic five spells will be granted; any subsequent spell jars only grant the Lightning spell.
- Castle defenders appear as black dots like monsters at this point.
Graphical Changes
UI/Spells
The player's HUD is different, using a different background pattern and many different spell icons to the final. At this point there are only 20 spells on the map screen, something reflected by the contents of the graphic files.
| Spell Name | Demo | Final | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal |  |
 |
|
| Accelerate |  |
 |
|
| Beyond Sight |  |
 |
|
| Crater |  |
 |
|
| Earthquake |  |
 |
|
| Volcano |  |
 |
|
| Duel |  |
 |
The demo version makes explicit the original "rubber band" concept for this spell |
| Invisible |  |
 |
|
| Rebound |  |
 |
|
| Mana Magnet? |  |
 |
This icon looks closest to the final Mana Magnet spell, but actually took up the slot used by Teleport |
| Castle Magnet? |  |
This icon filled the slot used by the Mana Magnet spell in the final game. The BASF demo of Magic Carpet 2 featured text for a cut spell that would draw mana directly into the castle which may have been this same unused idea |
The spells Global Death, Rapid fireballs, Wall of Fire, Backwards Acceleration, and possibly Teleport do not seem to exist at this point of development. It's not clear if the final two spells in the table above are just very different designs for Teleport and Mana Magnet, or if these were actually completely different spells that were cut.
Fireballs
Use a different graphic.
Enemy Balloons
At this point in time each enemy's balloon has an elaborate unique design (e.g. the red wizard has an image of a cobra on theirs). In the final game they are all identical to the player's with no customisation. However, the map screen art for balloons in the final game still represents these cut early designs. There seem to only be graphics for the red and purple wizards in the demo, any final game maps loaded with more players has their balloons totally invisible in-game.
Enemy Flags
As with the balloons, at this stage each enemy has a special custom flag design that's at a much larger size than the final titchy resolution ones.
Teleports
Rather than the final game's portal/door design, here teleports are floating amorphous blobs.
Flags
The capture flags on top of buildings have a different design.
Spell Jars
Despite appearing as red on the map, these use the blue sprite that is reserved for special non-mana limited spells in the final game.
Standing Stones
These use a different earlier graphic.
Unused Text
The executable has a large amount of unseen text that is not present in the later executables.
At position A9FD8 there is a long list of place names (and, umm, varieties of curry). These are after various multiplayer strings, so it's not clear if these are some kind of multiplayer hostnames/player names or even level names.
Guildford Bisley Cairo Tripoli Farnham Knaphill Wrecclesham Aldershot London Skelmersdale Sheffield Tokyo Osaka Edo Baghdad Istanbul Dardanelles Syria Bathsheba Vindaloo Madras Phal Rogan Tikka San Francisco Los Angeles Nebraska Hambledon Croyden Worthing Reading Brighton LittleHampton LeatherHead Bracknel Cambridge Oxford Pittsburgh Dallas Miami Honolulu Jerusalem Gaza Giza Beruit Mogadishu Godalming Mongolia Timbuktu
At position A8568 are strings that are almost certainly from the editor:
Load Level Generate map Generate features Initialise Models Config menu
There are strings at AA1E0 that may also be from the editor, and possibly date back to the early mission-based iterations of the game:
MISSION CONFIG MISSION INTRO MISSION COMPLETE MISSION FAILED MISSION STATS
At AA280 is text for some kind of sprite/model viewer:
Keys : [ESC] Exit viewer, [UP] Next orientation, [LEFT] Next sprite, [RIGHT] Previous sprite, [+] Zoom in, [-] Zoom out
Cut Levels
While the demo only has a single level, it can be overwritten with loose level files off the original release of the game CD to play any level from the final game. Doing so only results in the handful of spells present in the demo being usable, and similarly only low-level monsters appear.
It does, however, allow the playing of the two levels cut from the final game that don't work in the later alpha build.
Level 18 - Kireemir
A seemingly actually not very interesting run of the mill level that is likely missing a lot of enemies. A run of the mill battle against several other wizards in a mostly flat level with some large craters with creature ambushes in them.
Level 40 - Arimir
A very interesting level that works on a similar concept to the notorious Level 33, only taken to its logical conclusion. No enemy wizards, but the player must negotiate a gigantic maze full of traps. As the player moves through the early corridors bees spawn behind, necessitating frantic evasive action.
