Newsletter that became a book, covering 50 years of text games and interactive fiction, one game or year per post.
Commenters strongly recommend the series, call it worth reading for anyone interested in interactive fiction, and praise its Oregon Trail write-up and the book's Kickstarter success.
I'm really fascinated by that era of computer gaming, well that era of computers in general. I've been following this blog about text games since I first seen it on HN.
https://if50.substack.com/
The earlier entries talk about some of the same stuff mentioned in this article.
Reading about these things, I dunno, it reminds me of the wild west or something.
All these university students and programmers writing illicit games like outlaws, hiding their games under simple file names that became almost memes for the ones in the know at the school.
It's really cool and those people are the reason why video games and computers became a thing.
Everytime I learn more about the early history of computers or even video games it always makes me happy. I dunno, to see how far it's all come, to have grown up watching a lot of it evolve.
It's just always great to read about.
Every edition has been incredibly researched, and the stories so well told. I can't wait for the book.
Three personal favourites:
- Oregon Trail (1971) -- the first issue. Includes a great detail on the speed on typing "BANG" being used to tell the accuracy of the shot https://if50.substack.com/p/1971-the-oregon-trail
- Adventure (1976) -- the accidental invention of the computer game. Includes code https://if50.substack.com/p/1976-adventure
- Silverwolf (1992) -- mysterious anarcho-feminist group in a house in Ireland creates text adventures [update: I see this is another commenter's favourite too!] https://if50.substack.com/p/1992-silverwolf
Excellent write up on it: https://if50.substack.com/p/1971-the-oregon-trail
The short: It was around since 1971. It was basically an AAA game on a teleprinter. It was random enough that you couldn't "game" it by getting calculations right. It calculated the accuracy of your shot by your speed of typing. It rang the bell when you got a hit.
Basically, it had a lot of 'juice' for games of that era and was an easy hit (pun intended). Some teachers would have played it by the time they became teachers. There's probably some nostalgia and they'd have brought the sequel to schools.
https://if50.substack.com/p/1990-lambdamoo
Playing LambdaMOO in 1997. Reignited my childhood interest in programming. soon after discovering it I started learning HTML and Java, gradually developed a good freelance career as a web developer, transitioned to became a Flash game developer, and now specialise in web-based educational games (using Pixi and Phaser). It would not have happened without the Vic20 my parents gave me for Christmas as a child, and LambdaMOO.
For anybody who didn't read TFA: the original series is at https://if50.substack.com/
This is a great series, definitely worth the read if you are at all interested in interactive fiction. I need to pick up a copy of the book at some point.
I tend not to be good at (or have patience for) the puzzle-heavy stuff like Zork, but Hadean Lands (which released in 2014) was excellent. That was the last IF I engaged with... sad!
i randomly stumbled upon the connection as well while reading about the St. Bride's School. such a random connection between two completely different interests of mine that i joked the universe is a simulation with limited RAM and reuses assets
Cure Dolly has _some_ connection to this group which, to me, just adds even more mystique to an already fascinating story[1]
[1] https://if50.substack.com/p/1992-silverwolf