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The History of Computer RPGs

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Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#31

Post by erikb »

csours wrote: post #8

So many memories here. So many of these games felt so real to me, from Moria to Exile: Escape from the Pit to Daggerfall I don't know if I've just internalized all of the possible RPG tropes or what, but nothing feels like that anymore.

> nothing feels like that anymore

This is an experience everybody has at some point. The reason is not that the world changed, but that you changed. Having more experience about life means being less excited. I guarantee, that nowaday's youth has the same excited experience about one RPG (e.g., maybe the current Zelda that was just released) that you had back in the day.

Welcome at the old guys table. :-)

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#32

Post by mcv »

lowlevel wrote: post #17

I also found this fascinating. I never really saw CRPG being used as an acronym however I have always and always will specify "computer based role playing game" where appropriate vs cerebral role playing games involving books, cards or thoughts/conversations. There are some errors in the text here and there but hopefully we can all nit pick it to death before the hard cover version goes to print.

> I never really saw CRPG being used as an acronym

I've always called them CRPGs, to distinguish them from "real" RPGs that involve actual roleplaying, imagination, improvisation and other elements that computers can't really handle. For a roleplayer, a CRPG is a bit of a crutch that can scratch the itch until you can get some friends around the table again.

Though perhaps that doesn't quite do CRPGs justice. There are some excellent ones exploring some really interesting subjects in a way you rarely get to do at the table.

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#33

Post by Keyframe »

erikb wrote: post #31
csours wrote: post #8

So many memories here. So many of these games felt so real to me, from Moria to Exile: Escape from the Pit to Daggerfall I don't know if I've just internalized all of the possible RPG tropes or what, but nothing feels like that anymore.

> nothing feels like that anymore This is an experience everybody has at some point. The reason is not that the world changed, but that you changed. Having more experience about life means being less excited. I guarantee, that nowaday's youth has the same excited experience about one RPG (e.g., maybe the current Zelda that was just released) that you had back in the day. Welcome at the old guys table. :-)

Fellow old guys, give new Zelda a spin. You won't regret it!

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#34

Post by nommm-nommm »

podiki wrote: post #7
khedoros1 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's meant Computer RPG to me (as opposed to pen+paper RPG).

Same here. I remember seeing it when I first heard D&D RPGs on the computer, the 'C' distinguishing it from pen & paper (PnP?).

>PnP

I say "tabletop RPGs."

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#35

Post by erikb »

mwfunk wrote: post #9
ThePadawan wrote: post #2

Up until now, I was under the impression that CRPG stood for "Classic RPG" (as opposed to J(apanese) RPG, Action RPG or MMORPG). Am I alone in this? If not, this seems a topic worth discussing.

The term was a lot more common in the '80s and '90s. Back then, certainly in the '80s, "RPG" meant tabletop RPGs. Hence, "CRPG" (computer RPG) was needed as a separate term. Also, in the '80s, computer RPGs were much more directly inspired by tabletop RPGs. Now video game RPGs are their own genre(s), mostly disconnected from the pen and paper games that inspired the first few generations of video games.

I grew up with Fallout 1/2 and Diablo 2. I guess late 90s. Computer RPGs were so common in my circles, that we actually needed a distinct word for tabletop RPGs (we called them "Pen&Paper"). RPG was always the word for computer RPGs. Only through recent new connections to the "Pen&Paper" world I heard people say "cRPG", around 2015-16.

So I guess it's more about where you are starting from than the time. Even nowadays people use the term "cRPG" and even nowadays people use the term "RPG" to mean different things.

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#36

Post by chrisan »

lowlevel wrote: post #17

I also found this fascinating. I never really saw CRPG being used as an acronym however I have always and always will specify "computer based role playing game" where appropriate vs cerebral role playing games involving books, cards or thoughts/conversations. There are some errors in the text here and there but hopefully we can all nit pick it to death before the hard cover version goes to print.

I have also never heard the term CRPG. Normally the distinction I hear is "tabletop RPG".

While RPGs started outside the computer world, they are in the small minority compared to popular culture's digital RPGs.

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#38

Post by _pmf_ »

csours wrote: post #8

So many memories here. So many of these games felt so real to me, from Moria to Exile: Escape from the Pit to Daggerfall I don't know if I've just internalized all of the possible RPG tropes or what, but nothing feels like that anymore.

> but nothing feels like that anymore

Witcher 3 was, for me, a throwback to the "old days". Nothing in the last decade came close (with the exception maybe being Red Dead Redemption); I wish I could pinpoint why the experience was so good for me, but I can't.

Re: The History of Computer RPGs

#39

Post by alexvoda »

makapuf wrote: post #16
ThePadawan wrote: post #2

Up until now, I was under the impression that CRPG stood for "Classic RPG" (as opposed to J(apanese) RPG, Action RPG or MMORPG). Am I alone in this? If not, this seems a topic worth discussing.

Shhh or in 37sec someone will tell you about rustRPG...

Bahh.... Kids these days.

In my time, real men and women played FortranRPG. Drop a set of punch cards on the floor and forget about Orcs and Kobolds, there wold be far greater and immediate danger. Meanwhile the nerds played LISPRPG and casuals played BASICRPG.

Get off my warded camping site.

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