What to Do After You Hit Return or P.C.C.'s First Book of Computer Games
Encyclopedia
What to Do After You Hit Return or P.C.C.'s First Book of Computer Games is the first computer game book written by Bob Albrecht at People's Computer Company
in 1975. It was published by Hayden in 1977 and then by SAMS
in 1980 (ISBN 0810454769).
The book contains several educational programs in BASIC
, and encourages playing games in the classroom without using the computer, to teach children how the programming language
works. Each game is devoted a page or two to demonstrate how the game works, and the code is listed in the back of the book.
People's Computer Company
People's Computer Company was an organization, a newsletter and, later, a quasiperiodical called the "dragonsmoke." PCC was founded and produced by Bob Albrecht & George Firedrake in Menlo Park, California in the early 1970s.The first newsletter announced itself with the following...
in 1975. It was published by Hayden in 1977 and then by SAMS
SAMS Publishing
Sams Publishing is a subsidiary of Pearson Education dedicated to the publishing of technical training manuals.SAMS Publishing was founded in 1946 by Howard W. Sams, originally producing radio schematics and repair manuals. It was acquired by ITT in 1967. ITT sold its publishing division in 1985 to...
in 1980 (ISBN 0810454769).
The book contains several educational programs 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....
, and encourages playing games in the classroom without using the computer, to teach children how the programming language
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
works. Each game is devoted a page or two to demonstrate how the game works, and the code is listed in the back of the book.
Games
Some of the games in the book include:- Snark—the player must "net" the "snark", a point on a 10×10 Cartesian coordinate systemCartesian coordinate systemA Cartesian coordinate system specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances from the point to two fixed perpendicular directed lines, measured in the same unit of length...
. The game asks for and coordinates and the radius of the "net", a circle that would be plotted on the grid (if the grid were to appear in the game!). The computer replies if the snark is in, on the circumference of, or outside the "net". The object is to capture the snark by finding its exact coordinates with a net of 0 radius. - Number—the player guesses a number from 1 to 100, trying to identify the computer's target number.
- Letter
- Abase—the player chooses a base from 2 to 10 and guesses a number the computer has chosen in that base.
- Trap—the player chooses two numbers from 1 to 100, trying to identify the computer's target number. The computer responds if the target is below, between, or above the two chosen numbers.
- Stars—the player chooses a number from 1 to 100, trying to identify the computer's target number. The computer responds with 1 to 7 stars, with more stars indicating that the guess is closer to the target.
- Clocks—the player chooses a time from 00:01 to 12:00, trying to identify the computer's target time. The computer responds with a set of code words to indicate how far off the guess is.
- Bagel—the player chooses a three digit number, trying to identify the computer's target number. The computer responds with a set of code words to indicate if digits are in the correct place (fermi), correct digits are present but in the wrong place (pico), or no digits are correct (bagels).
- Quadgt—the player chooses a four digit number, trying to identify the computer's target number. The computer replies with how many digits are in the correct place and how many digits are correct but in the wrong place. After a certain number of guesses, the computer begins to tell the player some of the digits.
- Life—a version of Conway's Game of LifeConway's Game of LifeThe Game of Life, also known simply as Life, is a cellular automaton devised by the British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970....
- Lunar—a version of Lunar Lander
- Button—based on the children's game Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?Button, Button, Who's Got the Button is a traditional children's game that is normally played indoors on rainy days and can be played by a large number of children .-Basic concept:...
, the player guesses which one of seven friends in a circle holds a button. After an incorrect guess, the button-holder may keep the button or pass it to a neighbor. - Dr.Z—a therapist simulation, where the computer asks the player a series of questions. With the exception of the reply giving the computer the player's name, the questions are canned and are not affected by the player's responses.
- Star TraderStar TraderStar Trader was one of the original computer games of interstellar trading. Seemingly based on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series of novels, Star Trader presents a star map of the galaxy in which the players move about and make money from trading and establishing trading routes...
-An interstellar game of mercantile skill. It evolved into Trade WarsTrade WarsTrade Wars is the title, with some variations in spelling and capitalization, of a series of computer games dating back to the early days of personal computing. Based on influences from Star Trek, Star Wars, and early BBS strategy games, Trade Wars was an early example of the appeal of online games...
, which has been cited as an influence for Eve OnlineEVE OnlineEve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
and many other games of the space trader genre. - Hunt the WumpusHunt the WumpusHunt the Wumpus is an early computer game, based on a simple hide and seek format featuring a mysterious monster that lurks deep inside a network of rooms. It was originally a text-based game written in BASIC...
-Hunt the Wumpus in its world of caves, superbats and bottomless pits!