Special Rules: Classic Computer Games Board

[randalls]

While one of the complaints about most D20-style games is that they feel like a modern complex computer RPGs where the GM and player have to do all the boring scut work that the computer would do in a computer RPG, it used to be different. Early computer RPGs attempted to duplicate the feel of the tabletop RPGs of the era (AD&D, Traveller, etc.) and were fun to play -- when you were not playing the real thing with your gaming group. Even retroroleplayers who dislike computer RPGs often have fond memories of a few of the SSI Gold Box AD&D computer RPGs, for example. They were primitive by today's standards, but they were easy to learn, easy to play, and often fun.

Games like interactive fiction (aka text adventures) like Zork and free roguelike games like Angband and Nethack were popular then as well. New text adventures and new Roguelike games (and updates to some of the old ones) are still being made today. Most are free.

Special Rules for this board:

1) While copies of many older computer RPGs can be found as "abandonware" on the web with very little searching, discussion of how to find such "free" games are not allowed (for obvious legal reasons). The only exception is for those older computer RPGs that have been officially released as freeware by their copyright owner (there are a few).

2) This forum is not the place to discuss D20-based computer games or multi-player online games.