Dunjonquest (series)
Encyclopedia
Dunjonquest is a series of single-player, single-character fantasy
computer role-playing games
from Automated Simulations (later known known as Epyx
). The Temple of Apshai
and related expansions, later repackaged as a "Trilogy", are the best known and most widely ported games of the series. The games were heavy on strategy
and pen & paper RPG
-style rules and statistics.
Some, but not all, games in this series could be considered roguelikes, but is important to note that the Dunjonquest maps were not random. Sorcerer of Siva might place the character in a random starting spot in higher difficulty settings. The best known games of the series should not be confused with roguelikes. Temple of Apshai and Hellfire Warrior games and related expansions for each placed significant importance on the uniqueness of each room the player entered through use of static printed room descriptions.
The Dunjonquest games were ported across a wide variety of late 1970s and early 1980s home computer
s.
, the player would note the room number on a the UI
, then check the corresponding room number listed in the "Chambers of the Dunjon" (the user's guide). The descriptions would present the details of the atmosphere and objects in the rooms including dust on the floor, particular smells in the air, and would provide hints to the player of what they might expect to find in the room they had just entered. This method of presenting the situation to a player was very much like the descriptions provided by a Dungeon Master
to players of the Dungeons and Dragons pen & paper traditional role-playing game.
Initially the printed room descriptions might have been used in part as a means of overcoming simple black on white graphics and limited memory for displaying text on screen, especially on some of the more limited computer systems of the day that the games were initially coded for. They also serve as an early form of copyright protection
.
The Commodore Amiga
version of the Temple of Apshai Trilogy used condensed versions of the room descriptions on screen, in the game itself.
All Dunjonquest titles were advertised as some form of "Real Time" RPGs, but were neither real-time nor turn-based by modern standards. Monsters would move and take turns on their own periodic timetable (movement or attack every 5 seconds, for example). If a character remained in a static position, eventually a wandering monster would overtake the character. This gave the Dunjonquest titles an urgency not found in turn-based RPG's of the time where all action would halt between turns, but allowed enough time for the player to think through actions between turns.
Dunjonquest titles were influenced by strategic pen and paper role-playing games and demanded a player declare in advance how many spaces the in-game character would move without knowing where monsters/enemies would choose to move on their turns. To move, the player would type in a number from 1-9, indicating the spaces the player desired to move. "R" and "L" were used to rotate the character left and right, with "A" used to attack. Several additional single key keyboard commands were used to control inventory, pick up items, etc.
Some of the games had unique keyboard commands, but common commands included:
used ambient music that employed the Commodore's SID Chip to create an eerie, oscillating sound that might have been some of the first ambient computer role-playing game music. Current SID chip emulation isn't sufficient at capturing the effect without breaks and pops, and as a result it sounds much better on original C64 hardware.
standard of the time which was a black cover backdrop and a white box rear cover with a screenshot and similarly formatted text.
and Star Warrior were titles in a science fiction
spin-off of the Dunjonquest series under the "Starquest" name. Rescue at Rigel used a modified version of the same engine as used with Temple of Apshai. It was the only Epyx Starquest/Dunjonquest title to be offered for the Commodore VIC-20 but not for the Commodore 64
.
Rescue at Rigel used a hybrid form of room descriptions along with timer-based play, bridging the gap between the two types of Dunjonquest games. Instead of unique descriptions for numbered rooms, the game had multiple rooms labeled "Sanctum", for example, and a detailed description of what typical Sanctums were was provided in the manual along with about a dozen other room types.
"Sudden Smith" was the fictional backstory character with a role in Rescue at Rigel similar to that of Brian Hammerhand.
was action-oriented rather than periodic turn-based and required a joystick
and quick reflexes to play. There were no room descriptions, and other than the name and fantasy setting there was little similarity between the Dunjonquest titles and Gateway to Apshai. Gateway to Apshai was meant as a prequel
to the Apshai series and had a background story printed in the accompanying player's guide.
It is unknown whether or not Epyx intended to re-release previous games using Gateway's action RPG engine or if this could have reinvigorated the largely BASIC
-programmed Dunjonquest games that by the mid-1980s were beginning to feel quite dated.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
computer role-playing games
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
from Automated Simulations (later known known as Epyx
Epyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
). The Temple of Apshai
Temple of Apshai
The Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
and related expansions, later repackaged as a "Trilogy", are the best known and most widely ported games of the series. The games were heavy on strategy
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
and pen & paper RPG
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...
-style rules and statistics.
Some, but not all, games in this series could be considered roguelikes, but is important to note that the Dunjonquest maps were not random. Sorcerer of Siva might place the character in a random starting spot in higher difficulty settings. The best known games of the series should not be confused with roguelikes. Temple of Apshai and Hellfire Warrior games and related expansions for each placed significant importance on the uniqueness of each room the player entered through use of static printed room descriptions.
The Dunjonquest games were ported across a wide variety of late 1970s and early 1980s home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s.
Games
- Dunjonquest: The Datestones of Ryn (1979)
- Dunjonquest: Morloc's Tower (1979)
- Dunjonquest: Sorcerer of Siva (1981)
- Dunjonquest: Temple of ApshaiTemple of ApshaiThe Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
(1979) - Dunjonquest: Upper Reaches of Apshai (1981) (add-on/expansion to Temple of Apshai)
- Dunjonquest: Curse of Ra (1982) (add-on/expansion to Temple of Apshai)
- Dunjonquest: Hellfire Warrior (1980)
- Dunjonquest: Danger in Drindisti (add-on/expansion for Hellfire Warrior)
- Dunjonquest: The Keys of Acheron (add-on/expansion for Hellfire Warrior)
- Temple of Apshai Trilogy (1985) (re-release including expansions with improved graphics and sound)
Room descriptions
Some Dunjonquest titles were notable for introducing the hybrid concept of having room descriptions presented in rather thick user's guides, requiring the player to read from a book to enhance the gameplay experience. For example, upon entering a room in Temple of ApshaiTemple of Apshai
The Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
, the player would note the room number on a the UI
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
, then check the corresponding room number listed in the "Chambers of the Dunjon" (the user's guide). The descriptions would present the details of the atmosphere and objects in the rooms including dust on the floor, particular smells in the air, and would provide hints to the player of what they might expect to find in the room they had just entered. This method of presenting the situation to a player was very much like the descriptions provided by a Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
to players of the Dungeons and Dragons pen & paper traditional role-playing game.
Initially the printed room descriptions might have been used in part as a means of overcoming simple black on white graphics and limited memory for displaying text on screen, especially on some of the more limited computer systems of the day that the games were initially coded for. They also serve as an early form of copyright protection
DRM
-Information technology:*Digital rights management, access control technologies that limit the usage of digital content and devices*Data Reference Model, one of the five reference models of the Federal Enterprise Architecture...
.
The Commodore Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
version of the Temple of Apshai Trilogy used condensed versions of the room descriptions on screen, in the game itself.
Gameplay and controls
There were two basic types of Dunjonquest games:- Datestones of Ryn, Morloc's Tower and Sorcerer of Siva are examples of the first type: those with a time limit and few, if any room descriptions. These games were similar to the Sword of FargoalSword of FargoalSword of Fargoal was a computer game written in 1982 by Jeff McCord. The November 1996 anniversary issue of Computer Gaming World listed Sword of Fargoal as #147 on the "Top 150 Best Video Games of All Time."-History:...
in that they had a set goal, (kill the wizard or find a secret exit on the fifth level, for example), more roaming monsters, and a more casual approach to completing the goal. A 20 minute time limit for some of these games made them much more fast-paced.
- The Temple of ApshaiTemple of ApshaiThe Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
, Hellfire Warrior and related expansions for both "trilogies" were of the second type: large, involved with detailed room descriptions and no time limit on play. These games had the addition of an "Innkeeper" where equipment could be sold and bought. Room descriptions provided vital clues to the locations of secret doors, treasures or hints at what monsters might be close by or hiding in the room. Gameplay in these Dunjonquest titles was unlikely to be concluded in a single sitting session, requiring saved games, and was more like that the traditional pen and paper role playing games on which they were based.
All Dunjonquest titles were advertised as some form of "Real Time" RPGs, but were neither real-time nor turn-based by modern standards. Monsters would move and take turns on their own periodic timetable (movement or attack every 5 seconds, for example). If a character remained in a static position, eventually a wandering monster would overtake the character. This gave the Dunjonquest titles an urgency not found in turn-based RPG's of the time where all action would halt between turns, but allowed enough time for the player to think through actions between turns.
Dunjonquest titles were influenced by strategic pen and paper role-playing games and demanded a player declare in advance how many spaces the in-game character would move without knowing where monsters/enemies would choose to move on their turns. To move, the player would type in a number from 1-9, indicating the spaces the player desired to move. "R" and "L" were used to rotate the character left and right, with "A" used to attack. Several additional single key keyboard commands were used to control inventory, pick up items, etc.
Some of the games had unique keyboard commands, but common commands included:
- 1 - 9 forward 1–9 feet (Moving at maximum speed would exhaust a character)
- 0 rest for 1 turn
- R turn right
- L turn left
- A attack monster
- F fire an arrow (does not impact fatigue)
- I inventory
- Y drink healing elixir
- O open door
- G pick up a treasure
- ! speak with monster (may allow you to pass unharmed)
Ambient sound
The original (not the re-released) Temple of Apshai for the Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
used ambient music that employed the Commodore's SID Chip to create an eerie, oscillating sound that might have been some of the first ambient computer role-playing game music. Current SID chip emulation isn't sufficient at capturing the effect without breaks and pops, and as a result it sounds much better on original C64 hardware.
Brian Hammerhand and William Nailfoot
Two fictional characters, Brian Hammerhand and William Nailfoot, regularly appear in short story sections of the manuals of Dunjonquest games. The stories are written in first-person and have a dramatic and semi-comedic tone.Box and manual art
Art by Karen Gerving gave some of the Dunjonquest titles a unique and unified look with what appear to be woodblock prints filled in with a spectrum of colors. All covers employed the EpyxEpyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
standard of the time which was a black cover backdrop and a white box rear cover with a screenshot and similarly formatted text.
Starquest
Rescue at RigelRescue at Rigel
Rescue at Rigel is a 1980 science fiction computer role-playing game written and published by Automated Simulations , and later branded as part of the Starquest series. The game was released for the Apple II, DOS, as a PC Booter, TRS-80, VIC-20, and Atari 8-bit...
and Star Warrior were titles in a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
spin-off of the Dunjonquest series under the "Starquest" name. Rescue at Rigel used a modified version of the same engine as used with Temple of Apshai. It was the only Epyx Starquest/Dunjonquest title to be offered for the Commodore VIC-20 but not for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
.
Rescue at Rigel used a hybrid form of room descriptions along with timer-based play, bridging the gap between the two types of Dunjonquest games. Instead of unique descriptions for numbered rooms, the game had multiple rooms labeled "Sanctum", for example, and a detailed description of what typical Sanctums were was provided in the manual along with about a dozen other room types.
"Sudden Smith" was the fictional backstory character with a role in Rescue at Rigel similar to that of Brian Hammerhand.
Gateway to Apshai
A spinoff of the Apshai series of Dunjonquest titles, Gateway to ApshaiGateway to Apshai
Gateway to Apshai is a computer game for the Commodore 64, ColecoVision, and Atari 400/800 home computers, developed by The Connelley Group and published by Epyx as a prequel to Temple of Apshai...
was action-oriented rather than periodic turn-based and required a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
and quick reflexes to play. There were no room descriptions, and other than the name and fantasy setting there was little similarity between the Dunjonquest titles and Gateway to Apshai. Gateway to Apshai was meant as a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the Apshai series and had a background story printed in the accompanying player's guide.
It is unknown whether or not Epyx intended to re-release previous games using Gateway's action RPG engine or if this could have reinvigorated the largely BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
-programmed Dunjonquest games that by the mid-1980s were beginning to feel quite dated.
External links
- Hellfire Warrior at Atari Mania
- Morloc's Tower at Atari Mania
- Temple of Apshai at GiantBomb
- Temple of Apshai sound, SID Sound file player for Temple of Apshai (original) at Gamebase 64
- Rescue at Rigel at the VIC-20 Denial Wiki