Dungeon (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Dungeon was one of the earliest computer role-playing games, running on PDP-10
mainframe computer
s manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation
.
, then a student at Claremont University Center (since renamed Claremont Graduate University
). The game was an unlicensed implementation of the new role-playing game
Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D) and described the movements of a multi-player party through a monster-inhabited dungeon
. Players chose what actions to take in combat and where to move each character in the party, which made the game very slow to play by today's standards. Characters earned experience point
s and gained skills as their "level" grew, as in D&D, and most of the basic tenets of D&D were reflected.
Although the game was nominally played entirely in text, it was also the first game to employ line of sight
graphics displays. Its use of computer graphics
consisted of top-down dungeon maps that showed the portions of the playfield the party had seen, allowing for light or darkness, the different "infravision" abilities of elves
, dwarves
, etc.
This advancement was possible because many university computer terminals had switched by the mid-1970s to CRT
screens, which could be refreshed with text in a few seconds instead of a minute or more. Earlier games printed game status for the player on teletype
machines or a line printer
, at speeds ranging from 10 to 30 characters per second with a rat-a-tat-tat sound as a metal ball or belt with characters was pressed against paper through an inked ribbon by a hammer.
While Dungeon was widely available via DECUS
, it was picked up by fewer universities and systems in the mid-1970s than Daglow's earlier Star Trek
computer game had been in 1971, primarily because it took a then-significant 36K of system RAM
versus 32K for Star Trek. Many schools viewed games as gimmicks to interest students in computers, but wanted only small, fast-play examples to minimize games' actual use to reserve time for math and science research and student use. As a result, the early-1970s' maximum size of 32K that many schools set as a limit on games had been downgraded on some campuses to as little as 16K.
Years later, DECUS distributed another game named Dungeon, a hacked prototype version of the text adventure game Zork that would later become the model for early MUD
s.
A third game called Dungeon was released on PLATO
in 1975, by John Daleeke, Gary Fritz, Jan Good, Bill Gammel, and Mark Nakada.
PDP-10
The PDP-10 was a mainframe computer family manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation from the late 1960s on; the name stands for "Programmed Data Processor model 10". The first model was delivered in 1966...
mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
s manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
.
History
Dungeon was written in either 1975 or 1976 by Don DaglowDon Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
, then a student at Claremont University Center (since renamed Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
). The game was an unlicensed implementation of the new role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D) and described the movements of a multi-player party through a monster-inhabited dungeon
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
. Players chose what actions to take in combat and where to move each character in the party, which made the game very slow to play by today's standards. Characters earned experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s and gained skills as their "level" grew, as in D&D, and most of the basic tenets of D&D were reflected.
Although the game was nominally played entirely in text, it was also the first game to employ line of sight
Line of sight (gaming)
Line of sight, sometimes written line-of-sight or abbreviated to LoS, is a term used in wargames and some role-playing games . It refers to visibility on the playing field. Many abilities can only be used against an enemy within line of sight.In some games, miniature figures are used to determine...
graphics displays. Its use of computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
consisted of top-down dungeon maps that showed the portions of the playfield the party had seen, allowing for light or darkness, the different "infravision" abilities of elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
, dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, etc.
This advancement was possible because many university computer terminals had switched by the mid-1970s to CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
screens, which could be refreshed with text in a few seconds instead of a minute or more. Earlier games printed game status for the player on teletype
Teleprinter
A teleprinter is a electromechanical typewriter that can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over a variety of communication channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the...
machines or a line printer
Line printer
The line printer is a form of high speed impact printer in which one line of type is printed at a time. They are mostly associated with the early days of computing, but the technology is still in use...
, at speeds ranging from 10 to 30 characters per second with a rat-a-tat-tat sound as a metal ball or belt with characters was pressed against paper through an inked ribbon by a hammer.
While Dungeon was widely available via DECUS
DECUS
The Digital Equipment Computer Users' Society was an independent computer user group related to Digital Equipment Corporation.The Connect User Group Community, formed from the consolidation in May, 2008 of DECUS, Encompass, HP-Interex, and ITUG is Hewlett-Packard’s largest user community...
, it was picked up by fewer universities and systems in the mid-1970s than Daglow's earlier Star Trek
Star Trek (script game)
Star Trek was a text-based mainframe computer game written by Don Daglow on a PDP-10 timesharing computer at Pomona College in 1972, and upgraded periodically through 1974, including contributions by Jonathan Osser...
computer game had been in 1971, primarily because it took a then-significant 36K of system RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
versus 32K for Star Trek. Many schools viewed games as gimmicks to interest students in computers, but wanted only small, fast-play examples to minimize games' actual use to reserve time for math and science research and student use. As a result, the early-1970s' maximum size of 32K that many schools set as a limit on games had been downgraded on some campuses to as little as 16K.
Years later, DECUS distributed another game named Dungeon, a hacked prototype version of the text adventure game Zork that would later become the model for early MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s.
A third game called Dungeon was released on PLATO
PLATO
PLATO was the first generalized computer assisted instruction system, and, by the late 1970s, comprised several thousand terminals worldwide on nearly a dozen different networked mainframe computers...
in 1975, by John Daleeke, Gary Fritz, Jan Good, Bill Gammel, and Mark Nakada.