Oregon Trail - Developing A Classic

Via Press the Buttons, an interview on the site Deadly Hippos with Philip Bouchard, designer for the original "Oregon Trail". The classic game of food, hunting, and cholera was a staple for many folks around my age growing up, and the piece makes for interesting reading. From the article: "Unfortunately, in real life it was all too easy to kill a buffalo with a rifle. In later decades hunters would kill vast numbers of buffalos and take only the tongues. So I wanted kids to feel a sense of shame for killing too much and then wasting the kill. That was one of the reasons for allowing the player to carry back no more than 200 pounds of meat. I wanted the kids to develop a sense of conservation while playing the game - to say "We should not shoot more meat than we can carry". Our field testing showed that this lesson was indeed effective."

Comments

Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn?

[oni]

I wanted the kids to develop a sense of conservation while playing the game - to say "We should not shoot more meat than we can carry". Our field testing showed that this lesson was indeed effective.

uh, I think the feild testing was in error. Because I killed the heck out those animals and never felt the slightest guilt about it. Hunting kicked ass. I don't think I ever even made it to Oregon. My purpose was just to spend all my money on bullets and go hunting.

Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn?

[Dachannien]

You used 87 bullets and shot 4350 pounds of meat, but you could only carry 200 pounds back to the wagon.

Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn?

[Dixie_Flatline]

Hah. Not only that, but I'd put everyone on starvation rations and kill them off until I was the only one left! Then I'd gorge myself on my vast stores of buffalo.

Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn?

[Profcrab]

There was an Oregon? Whoa. I think the game needed to give you an option to just setup shop and sell meat and skins.

Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn?

[Meagermanx]

Memories of my sister exclaiming "No, don't shoot the buffalo! The indians will get mad at you!" ensue.

Secrets!

[focitrixilous P]

What he doesn't say in the interview is the secret of Hiram the Blacksmith

Got to buy a wagon and supplies...

Got to get some strong horses...

Got to get them shoed...

Hiram the Blacksmith asks if you would like a cocktail while you wait.

Hijinks ensue! Read Achewood to find out!

Maybe the wrong effect?

[ValuJet]

"We should not shoot more meat than we can carry". Our field testing showed that this lesson was indeed effective."

Since they couldn't carry so much meat it probably taught the kids to eat everything they could while they could. Now our nation is wracked with startling rates of fatties.

Thanks for making our nation fat Oregon Trail!

Re:100 lbs

[macshome]

Dear god yes. I still have the Mac version at home somewhere. We played it to death in college, and soon figured out the formula for high scores.

Play as the teacher, leave extra early, rations on meager, and drive everyone as hard as you could without ending up dead. Skills with hunting were the key, as long as you could stop and hunt well you only needed to buy a few bullets.

I loved when my friends befell terrible fates. "Gerald has broken an arm!", "Chris was bitten by a snake!". A snake? We are in a wagon! Where'd the damn snake come from?

Re:Fording the river

[MBraynard]

Should have used a Chevy.

Re:Takes me back...

[usrusr]

don't _ever_ underestimate the speed at which gato runs on a modern system. set a circling course and minor imperfections in the calculation of the circle will take you everywhere on the map within seconds.

(yes i know about the possibility to use an emulator instead)

ps: cga rocks

Oregon Trail UT Mod

[generic-man]

*space* BOOM! HEADSHOT!

Dachannien is on a killing spree! ... then later ...

Dachannien was looking good until he died of cholera!