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Oregon Trail - Developing A Classic

Posted by Zonk on from the zonk-has-died-of-dysentery dept.

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."

5 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn? by oni · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn? by Dachannien · · Score: 4, Funny

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

    2. Re:Oh, is that what I was supposed to learn? by Profcrab · · Score: 4, Funny

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

  2. Maybe the wrong effect? by ValuJet · · Score: 5, Funny
    "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!

  3. Oregon Trail UT Mod by generic-man · · Score: 4, Funny

    *space* BOOM! HEADSHOT!

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

    Dachannien was looking good until he died of cholera!

    --
    For more information, click here.