Early Unix Computer Games - Computerphile

TL;DR

Early computer systems had limited gaming options due to slow printing speeds and lack of graphical capabilities.

Transcript

in the physics department we had some commodore pets and an apple ii i think and a few other things and you could play some reasonably decent games on that i remember space invaders on the commodore pet that we actually managed to hack and change around if you knew the right assembly when you moved across to the sort of mini computer which we had t... Read More

Key Insights

• 💻 Early computer systems like the Commodore PET and Apple II offered reasonably decent gaming experiences.
• 💽 Moving to mini-computers like PVP 1170 limited gaming options and relied more on command-line games.
• 👾 The introduction of VAX 750 running Berkeley 4.2 brought improvements with games like Rogue and its procedurally generated maps.
• 🎮 The curses library played a crucial role in creating terminal-independent games for different models.
• 👻 Procedurally generated maps allowed for infinite gameplay possibilities.
• 👾 Early computer games like Rogue were challenging, and completing them was a rare feat.
• 👾 Emulators and ports of early computer games have made them accessible on modern platforms.

Questions & Answers

Q: What were the limitations of early computer systems for gaming?

Early computer systems had slow printing speeds, limited graphical capabilities, and mostly featured command-line games.

Q: What was the significance of the curses library for gaming?

The curses library, developed by Ken Arnold, allowed game developers to create terminal-independent games and optimize them for different terminal models.

Q: How did procedurally generated maps change gaming?

Procedurally generated maps, as seen in games like Rogue and Elite, offered infinite gameplay possibilities by using algorithms to generate levels or star systems.

Q: Were early computer games like Rogue popular?

Rogue was popular among early computer users and had a loyal following, but very few people managed to complete the game due to its difficulty.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the early days of computing, the physics department had Commodore PETs and Apple II computers that could run games like Space Invaders.

• Moving to mini-computers like the PVP 1170, gaming options became limited to mostly command-line games, relying on slow printing speeds.

• The introduction of the VAX 750 running Berkeley 4.2 brought improvements with a new game called Rogue, an adventure game with procedurally generated maps.