History of Computer Role Playing Games (1974-1983)

Matt Barton writes "I thought Slashdotters might be interested in my History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part I article on Armchair Arcade. It starts with the birth of the CRPG on mainframes and ends in 1983. I start by discussing tabletop D&D and number games like Strat-O-Matic, move into mainframe classics like dnd and Rogue, and then cover the first CRPGs for home computers. I wrote this article for CRPG fans who want to learn more about venerable old classics like Akalabeth, Temple of Apshai, Ultima, Wizardry, Tunnels of Doom, Dungeons of Daggorath, and Telengard. Please share your own stories!"

Comments

Re:Rogue used @ for the player, not *

[fishbowl]

The subject says "used" as though rogue is past-tense...

Lots of people still play rogue. I prefer Nethack, of course. By "prefer", I mean, I prefer its gameplay to any other computer game that I have tried *ever*.

Telengard

[Petrushka]

FTFA:

Telengard was directly inspired by the PLATO dnd game mentioned above, with minimal graphics and randomized dungeons.

This is inaccurate: Telengard's dungeon is not random, but procedurally generated (rather like the universe of Elite).

Out of interest, this map rather entertainingly shows someone's abortive attempt to map the dungeon (they got only a tiny fraction of the way through mapping the first level, tee hee).

Re:Trinkets

[Avatar8]

I know that every Ultima game from IV through IX came with a cloth map and a trinket. I'm proud to say I have them all.

Ultima III definitely came with a cloth map; a friend had it, didn't want it any longer and gave it to me.

I do not know if Ultima I or II came with a cloth map or trinket. I only have the cardboard remake maps of those two.

The original Ultima Online, Collector (Dragon) edition included a cloth map and a medallion.

All of the Infocom games came with some trinket related to the game.

Nowadays, getting a cloth map is a collector's edition.