Talk:History of computer role-playing games

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Contents 1 Creation 2 Suggestions and questions 2.1 Chronology and division of topics 3 New millenium

[edit] Creation

Created this page as a stub. Text taken from the Computer role-playing game article. Titles and companies that should be treated:

• Electronic Arts
  • The Bard's Tale
  • Wasteland
• Origin more in-depth
• Wizardry
• Eye of the Beholder series
• SSI

Mikademus 11:52, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Suggestions and questions

• Probably could use a lead paragraph, though I'm not totally sure how it should be.
• Should be the Chronology section from the main article be cut and pasted (or moved) here?

Proposed structure (loosely):

• Mainframe/early computing
• PCs, text RPGs like Rogue, to graphical (Ultima, Gold box stuff)
  • Early online services, like MUDs?
  • Something on console influences? Or is something like that already covered sufficiently in the main article?
• The '90s, VGA graphics, some influence on semi-RPG/non-RPG games like Quest for Glory?
• Semi-revival in the late '90s with Interplay/Black Isle (Fallout, Baldur's Gate, etc.)
  • Diablo, other late '90s hack n'slashers which became the dominant games?
  • Ultima Online and the rise of MMORPGs
• 2000s, Neverwinter Nights, Xbox, mainstream expansion of MMORPGs?

Any thoughts? --SevereTireDamage 07:24, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chronology and division of topics

We should group the headers choronologically as well as thematically. Something like (years and rubrics from the top of my mind, many years will very likely be wrong):

• "CRPG"
  • The development of the terms "rpg" and "crpg": What we today define as role-playing games is not what was originally considered. The original MUDs were very simple, and some people saw Zork, f.i., as a RPG. Should be mentioned, could be relevant for history.

• 1960-1975: The originas of CRPGs and mainframe MUDs
  • MUD
• 1975-1980: The graphical CRPG
  • Innovations
  • Rouge and Rogue-alikes
• 1980-1997: The single-player golden age
  • Innovations
    • Mouse interface
    • 2.5D / "fake 3D" immersion
    • True 3D (Ultima Underworlds)
  • Origin: Ultima
  • SSI: Forgotten Realms Saga, Dragonlance Saga
  • Eye of the Beholder
  • The SEGA/Famicom explosion
• 1997-2001: Refinement
  • Innovations
    • True 3D
      • Ultima IX
      • Gothic
  • Final Fantasy VII, VIII etc
• 2001-present: The multiuser revolution

Mikademus 08:39, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New millenium

I've added information about the games of Obsidian, Bethesda, Bioware and Troika to the new millenium part. I know it says little about the games themselves, but the black isle developers have been instrumental in these milestone games, and someone can expand with more information about the games themselves and their inventions and breaktroughs. Maybe some information about the fusing of pen-and-paper rulesets (like d20) to crpg's can be added. --Ifrit 11:58, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

I cleaned up this section a bit, mostly because I didn't see much connection between Bethesda and the other companies. They may deserve a mention earlier in the article chronologically, but I think that the sheer popularity of Morrowind really raised their influence, compared to the days of Daggerfall. Also, while I find Troika interesting, in the long run their effect remains to be seen, since none of their games were successes. More information about how these games compare to pen and paper RPGs would be interesting, but I don't know anyhing about those.--SevereTireDamage 06:09, 1 July 2006 (UTC)