DOS Games Discussion

Anyone remember?

Well, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord was released for the Apple II in 1981... and there was this quasi-RPG adventure game that was predominat through the 1970s... along with a roguelikish (but with static levels) "graphical" RPG in 1979. It depends on your definition of RPG, really. (IMO, Dungeons of Despair (1980) was probably the first "true" CRPG if you mean the D&D style 3D dungeon crawler with 6 characters, 10 classes, shops, etc... you know the type)

Can you clarify the question a little bit? Technically DOS was used by almost every computer, not just IBM PCs and there were more varieties of DOS than just MS-DOS. With the exception of Macintosh computers, games weren't really made for anything besides DOS (until Windows came about).

The first real video game (console) RPG was most likely Dragon Warrior for NES, Legend of Zelda (NES) and Adventure (Atari 2600) came out before it but I don't think those are real RPGs.

Adventure (1978) was based on Colossal Cave Adventure (1976) which was the quasi-RPG adventure game I was talking about. (Thanks!)

Legend of Zelda and Dragon Warrior weren't made until ~1986, and you can't deny that some of the games made before that (The Bards Tale, 1985, and the Wizardry series, 1981-83) were most definately RPGs. Hell, Wizardry pretty much set the standard for CRPGs throughout the 1980s! What would you say is lacking in it to make it a real CRPG?

But those are DOS games.

Dopefish wrote:But those are DOS games.

???

Both Wizardry and The Bard's Tale were written for and released on the Apple II... what makes you think they're DOS?

OOO bards tale..

Quickly gets a copy and gets it ready for his powerbook 190 ..

first RPG non-dos game was in the commodore 64 range but i cant remember it.

It was a type command game

Dogbreath wrote:

Dopefish wrote:But those are DOS games.

???

Both Wizardry and The Bard's Tale were written for and released on the Apple II... what makes you think they're DOS?

Apple II used DOS. It wasn't like MS-DOS, but it's technically DOS.

The first console RPG was The Legend of Zelda for NES. I think.

Dopefish wrote:

Dogbreath wrote:

Dopefish wrote:But those are DOS games.

???

Both Wizardry and The Bard's Tale were written for and released on the Apple II... what makes you think they're DOS?

Apple II used DOS. It wasn't like MS-DOS, but it's technically DOS.

I think he means MS DOS... but in any case, The Bard's Tale was also released for Macintosh (not DOS) and NES, and both were released on the Commodore 64. (Though you may consider that DOS as well, I dunno)

Topic = "What was the first RPG non-dos game"

I think we can read, Wally. (Any point to your message?)

His point is the OP didn't mean MS-DOS.

Let me clearify.
MS-DOS games

Then it would technically be Akalabeth (Ultima 0) for Apple II.
It's barely an RPG. All that happens is you visit the castle and Lord British tells you to kill a type of monster, then you go into a dungeon, coming up periodically to buy things from the town (which is all you can do in town).

Dungeons of Despair was released slightly before Akalabeth in 1980, IIRC. (Though the release dates of both are disputed, currently) It was also the first "truestyle" D&D Dungeon Crawl, with 6 members and spells and experience levels... etc. I never really thought of Akalabeth as being an RPG (okay, it sucked so bad I didn't get far enough into it to tell), but if you count it you should probably also count Colossal Cave Adventure. (Unless there's something I'm missing)

Allright, but what was the first rpg for windows? I know, bottom of dos, bla, bla...

Sorry it took so, so long for you to get the correct answer, but the very first CRPG that still exists was programmed in 1975 and had no actual title but was called by its original filename: pedit5.

Though it still exists, it was for years believed to have been lost forever, having been deleted by professors believing that computers were too Scientific and important to be used to play games and that games were too contrary to education. But fortunately this cyber equivalent of an ancient and priceless scroll was recovered and renamed orthanc1.

I discovered this game for myself some months ago and I like to play it from time-to-time.

You can read all about this historical gem here. There is also a link to where the game is and how you can maybe play it for yourself also hehehe

BTW, I found this thread using Google, and just had to offer the correct answer since no one had still yet.

I was using Google to find out about a supposed extremely early Wizardry scenario called Dungeon of Despair (or perhaps Dungeons of Despair?) that allegedly predates Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and was made in 1980. I don't know for what platform(s).

So does anyone know anything about this? ??? (My Google search continues....)

There was a "dungeons of despair" game for the early Atari 400, but I doubt that's the one you're asking about.

Ah, thanks for the info.

Nonetheless, I think (from further Google searching)--though not 100% sure yet--that there is no actual Wizardry scenario/game called Dungeons of Despair because the name is actually the original name of the first Wizardry game. But it was changed to Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord because TSR, the makers of Dungeons & Dragons threatened legal suit against Sir-Tech for making their own game that could be called "D&D" (or similar enough) hehehe