Sword of Fargoal was a computer game written in 1982 by Jeff McCord. The November 1996 anniversary issue of Computer Gaming World

Computer Gaming World

Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...

 listed Sword of Fargoal as #147 on the "Top 150 Best Video Games of All Time."

History

Sword of Fargoal was created by author and programmer Jeff McCord and based on his original dungeon adventure, Gammaquest II, which was programmed in 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....

 for the Commodore PET

Commodore PET

The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...

 computer and written while he was still in high-school in Lexington, KY. Gammaquest II created randomly generated dungeons which were revealed piece-by-piece as the character explored the map, and stayed "lit" behind the character as it moved, emulating the "mapping" of a dungeon level. The game graphics however, were limited to the character set of the computer.

McCord accepted an offer to publish the game from the software company Epyx Inc.

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...

 in 1982 on the Commodore VIC-20. His original name for the new version was Sword of Fargaol, deriving the name from the Old English spelling of jail

Jail

A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...

 (gaol), but his producer at Epyx, Susan Lee-Merrow, convinced him to change it to its present form.

The following year, with the release of 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...

, McCord was asked to release a version of Sword of Fargoal for that machine as well. Jeff was unable to implement the conversion as it was written in BASIC and the sprite-based graphics

Sprite (computer graphics)

In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...

 required Machine Language programming. Jeff's friend, Scott Corsaire (then Carter) and Steve Lepisto wrote all the machine language code that was needed so that game would perform fast enough for the C-64 version of the game (including the main redrawing of the dungeon levels, clearing of the screen in a spiral pattern effect, monster AI, collision detects, and joystick controls).

Sword of Fargoal is a roguelike

Roguelike

The roguelike is a sub-genre of role-playing video games, characterized by randomization for replayability, permanent death, and turn-based movement. Most roguelikes feature ASCII graphics, with newer ones increasingly offering tile-based graphics. Games are typically dungeon crawls, with many...

 game, with the player controlling an adventurous warrior attempting to reclaim the "Sword of Fargoal" from the depths of a monster-infested, treasure-stocked, randomly generated dungeon. The Sword is placed randomly somewhere between the fifteenth and twentieth dungeon level. This so-called "Sword Level" also had the unique characteristic of being a randomly generated, twisty maze of single tile-width passages, rather than a conventional dungeon level like the others. This helped make reaching the "Sword Level" an exciting event in the game-play; once the player sees this maze design, he or she knows the Sword is nearby.

Sword of Fargoal is noteworthy for being one of the first microcomputer

Microcomputer

A microcomputer is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. They are physically small compared to mainframe and minicomputers...

 games to introduce elements later used by so-called Roguelike games, such as dungeons which are randomly generated for each session of play, and gave a nod to earlier games such as Colossal Cave Adventure

Colossal Cave Adventure

Colossal Cave Adventure gave its name to the computer adventure game genre . It was originally designed by Will Crowther, a programmer and caving enthusiast who based the layout on part of the Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky...

 which was played without graphics on mainframe

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...

 computers of the day using TTY

TTY

TTY may stand for:* Teleprinter or Teletypewriter or Teletype Printer, a typewriter paired with an electronic communication channel, used for telecommunications or as a computer terminal....

 terminals.

Sword of Fargoal has remained somewhat notorious within C-64 fandom as being extremely difficult to win. Due to the random design of the "Sword Level," it is possible that the player may enter it with no way of actually reaching the Sword room, and he or she must exit and return to that level for another chance. Further, once the Sword was claimed by the player he or she had exactly 2,000 seconds (33 minutes and 20 seconds) to escape the dungeon by going back through each level, or the Sword would be destroyed by a curse. Of course, since all levels are newly generated when the player returns to them, they must be fully explored to find the correct staircases leading upward, of which there is usually only one per level on this return trip. Complicating matters further was the fact that if the Sword was lost for any reason (such as being stolen by a wandering foe), the player must return to the level he or she originally found the Sword to re claim it, and the clock did not stop or reset when this occurred.

The game was originally released on computer cassette tape

Compact Cassette

The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...

 and 5¼" floppy disk

Floppy disk

A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...

 formats. An open source

Open source

The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

 remake exists in both PC

Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

 and Macintosh

Macintosh

The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...

 versions. An iPhone

IPhone

The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...

 version was also released in December 2009.

Game play

In the game, the player controls a warrior who explores numerous dungeon levels in search of the legendary "Sword of Fargoal" artifact. The levels become progressively harder to survive as the player descends deeper and deeper into the dungeon. Each dungeon is covered in complete darkness that illuminates as the dungeon rooms and corridors are explored. When the Sword successfully found, a clock countdown begins where the player must successfully escape the dungeon before the time expires, or the Sword is lost.

The warrior gains character levels, (similar to the classic 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...

 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...

), by gaining experience points which increases the character's fighting ability and hit points, (called Hits), as they progress through the dungeon. There are several items in the dungeon that help the character which can be found in treasure chests or on slain adversaries.

Combat in the game is controlled by the computer and the player has no control over how well or how bad their warrior fights. A warrior can flee an attack at anytime, unless they fall victim to a sneak attack (which is when a monster engages in combat before the warrior has a chance to move). The only escape from a sneak attack is by using a Teleport spell.

The warrior can move freely about the dungeon, whereas monsters take intermittently timed steps. Their movement increases in speed the deeper the dungeon goes until they move just as fast as the warrior.

Staircases

Each dungeon has a number of staircases that go up or down. Because each map is randomly generated, a level the player returns to will not be the same as when they left it. Stairs also provide an entry for wandering monsters that, over time, replace slain ones on a level.

Bags of gold

Characters can find bags of gold scattered around the dungeon. The bags can be taken by enemies if they step over them. Gold can also be stolen from the character by humanoid enemies. If those thieves are killed, the gold is returned to the warrior. A warrior can only carry 100 pieces of gold and Magic sacks must be located that allow the warrior to carry more. If there is too much gold for the warrior to carry, they hide it (indicated on the map by an "X"), so that enemies cannot steal it.

Temples

Each dungeon level contains a temple. Every time the warrior steps on a temple, their gold is sacrificed to their deity which earns additional experience. When enough gold is sacrificed, the warrior receives a "blessing" and regains full hit points which is useful in a pinch. If a warrior remains standing on a temple, it acts as a sanctuary where they become invisible to enemies around them and heal hit points at twice their normal rate.

Chests

Chests in the game are both a bane and a boon to the player. Some contain something useful, or contain a deadly trap. Some chests explode, causing damage, and others release crumbling ceiling or pit traps. A player doesn't know however, if a chest contains a trap or a useful item, and must take a chance of encountering either. Chests can be picked up by enemies if they step over them. Chests contain the following:

• Amulet of Health - This rare item acts like a permanently active regeneration spell, allowing fast recovery of hit points.
• Amulet of Light - This rare item acts like a continuously active Light spell, allowing more of the dungeon around the character to be seen.
• Beacons - Beacons are magical crystals that can benefit the warrior greatly. When placed on the ground, they create a permanent invisibility effect that hides the warrior from monsters should he step into and stand over the beacon. Secondly, they can teleport the warrior to the dungeon's temple.
• Ceiling Trap - A trapped chest can cause a ceiling collapse. A Teleport spell can be used to avoid the damage.
• Enchanted Weapons - Increase the damage of the warrior's weapon.
• Explosions - Some chests are trapped and explode to cause damage. The player can avoid this damage with an active Shield spell.
• Healing Potions - Increase the character's hit points. If the player's hit points are reduced to zero while possessing a potion, it is automatically used to save the player's life.
• Magic Sacks - A magic sack increases the amount of gold the warrior can carry by 100 gold pieces. Multiple sacks stack and allow the character to carry a lot of gold.
• Maps - Some chests have a map of a particular level. When the warrior reaches that level, the entire dungeon is exposed.
• Pits - If a chest opens a pit, the character falls and takes damage. They can avoid this damage with an active Drift spell. Open pits can be climbed which allows the character to bypass levels of the dungeon. The depths of a pit varies. If properly "baited", a warrior can lure an enemy monster into a pit where they fall. Humanoid adversaries are smarter however, and actively avoid pits.
• Spells - Some chest contains spells useful to the character.
• Teleports - Randomly sends the character somewhere in the dungeon. Often, the character loses his dungeon "map" and has to retrace their steps in the dungeon.

Spells

There are six spells that can be found in the dungeon:

• Drift - This spell allows the warrior to ignore damage taken during the fall from a pit trap. It expires after the fall and must be recast to protect against another pit trap.
• Invisibility - This spell makes the character invisible to enemy creatures. They will not approach the character when this spell is active. This spell remains in effect throughout the time spent on a single dungeon level. It expires when the character proceeds to the next level.
• Light - This spell expands the amount of darkness that is cleared as the character explores the dungeon. It is useful in avoiding sneak attacks by monsters. This spell remains in effect throughout the time spent on a single dungeon level. It expires when the character proceeds to the next level.
• Regeneration - This spell speeds up the amount of hit points the character has as they heal on their own. It remains active throughout the time spent on a dungeon level and expires when the character enters another level of the dungeon.
• Shield - This spells allows the warrior to ignore the damage during a monster attack, or damage caused by an exploding chest. The spell expires after the foe is slain, or the chest explodes and must be recast to use it again against another attack or explosion. In the iPhone version the Shield spell remains in effect until the first step taken after completing a shielded fight. in other words, a given cast will last through several fights as long as the player remains stationary.
• Teleport - This spell sends the character to a random part of the dungeon level. It's particularly useful during combat with a powerful monster that may kill the character or when the warrior is in the midst of a ceiling trap.

Monsters

There are several enemies in the dungeon. In general "human" type enemies are more dangerous than creatures. Some new monsters appear in the iPhone version of the game, and "Human" type enemies also carry (and use) treasure, such as potions:

• Assassin - Assassins are particularly dangerous as they are invisible until the warrior happens upon one and they can make sneak attacks. Sometimes they appear and disappear on the map depending on their location from the warrior.
• Barbarian
• Bat - a new monster that appears only in the iPhone version: respawns indefinitely from ceiling holes.
• Centipede - a new monster that appears only in the iPhone version: moves two squares per turn, bite can poison, will respawn indefinitely from ceiling holes.
• Dark Warrior - Usually very difficult to kill. (In the iPhone version: can steal from your pack and then teleport away)
• Dimension Spider - These spiders can teleport around the dungeon and pass through walls to attack the warrior. They were most likely inspired by the "Phase Spider" from Dungeons and Dragons.
• Dire Wolf - In the iPhone version they move two squares per turn.
• Dwarven Guard
• Elven Ranger - in the iPhone version they fire a missile attack (damage)
• Fyre Drake - in the iPhone version they have a breath weapon (damage)
• Hobgoblin
• Mage - a different kind of opponent than the original Mage that appears in the iPhone version only; has a missile attack (damage) and can summon skeletons.
• Mercenary
• Monk - in the iPhone version they can steal from your pack and then teleport away.
• Ogre - in the iPhone version they have a single charge missile attack.
• Rogue - can steal from your gold
• Shadow Dragon - in the iPhone version, it has a breath weapon (darkness and damage).
• Skeleton - new monster that only appears in the iPhone version of the game.
• Swordsman
• Troll
• Warlord - Also very difficult to kill.
• Werebear
• Wyvern in the iPhone version they have a breath weapon (poison).

Mages and Demons - special characters that appear looking like any of the other adversaries. These monsters usually lurk in the lower dungeon levels, generally after the 9th-10th level. Mages can steal the warrior's spells, while Demons can steal experience levels. When this occurs, the monster will then flee the warrior, often teleporting around the dungeon level. If the warrior can catch up to the particular monster that did the stealing, he can fight it and if successful, will get his spells or experience points restored. However, the mage or demon may disappear down a stairway, which makes it almost impossible to recover what was stolen. Sometimes a clue that helps spot a demon or mage is when you see a monster that isn't usually seen in the level you're in, in which case it's best that you not confront it.

Monster Descriptors - Often the game will describe whether the monster you encounter is strong or weak. Adjectives such as "weak" and "experienced" are used to denote the monster's strength.

Game Settings

The latest version of the game ported to modern computers allows the player to adjust the settings and difficulty of the game. The player can choose such things as graphics themes, and monster behavior. The player can also trade increased skill in combat over hit points, or vice versa.