NeoZeedeater
09-05-2005, 11:28 AM
Open ended video game design has certainly gone more mainstream in recent years. One aspect of this design philosophy is personalized characters and decision making that affects the game world. This thread is devoted to the earlier games that laid the foundation for this type of game design.
Utopia(Mattel Electronics, 1981)
The Intellivision was often seen as having more mature and complex games than its more popular rival, the Atari 2600. Games like this were a major reason for that image. Don Daglow's Utopia is an ancestor to games like Civilization and SimCity; it let players choose how to run their society.
http://www.dantiques.com/sshots/21310.gif
Skool Daze(Microsphere, 1983)
While the game didn't give you the option to be good kid per se(the object is to retrieve the bad report about you and you'll have to skip class to do it), it did offer some moral freedom of choice in its environment. You could do optional mischief like slingshot a teacher and frame another kid for it. The husband and wife team that developed this Spectrum game were actually teachers themselves. Skool Daze was ported to the Commodore 64 and had a sequel called Back to Skool.
http://oraculo.portugalmail.pt/media/2/skooldaze_screenshot.gif
Alter Ego(Activision, 1983)
One of the earliest life sims. In this game you made choices at various stages of life development and it affected the creation of the character and future choices. It was released in two different packages: Alter Ego: Male and Alter Ego: Female on various 8-bit computers.
http://www.gamingdepot.com/files/games/Alter_Ego_(Male)/Alteregom.gif
Murder on the Zinderneuf(Freefall Associates/Electronic Arts, 1984)
This was a murder mystery adventure. It offered freedom in how you conducted your investigation. You could choose the type of detective you want to play as and the manner in which you asked people questions. The Atari 8-bit version seen here is the original; it was ported to other computers.
http://www.intellivision.ca/Reviews/murder2.png
The Seven Cities of Gold(Ozark/Electronic Arts, 1984)
This was a strategy/adventure game by M.U.L.E. creator Dan Bunten where you controlled Spanish explorers on an expedition. Upon exploring you had the choice to trade with natives or conquer them. It was first released on the Atari 8-bit and ported to various other computers.
http://www.storyhost.com/~dojomed2/specials/FromTheAshes/images/7Cities.jpg
Hot Wheels(Epyx, 1985)
This is definitely what I would considered a sandbox game as it was more a virtual toy that let you design the cars how you wanted and explore town how you wanted. I had a lot of fun with it as a kid. Epyx also released a Barbie game around the same which was also a virtual toy from what I gather.
http://www.c64.com/files/pics/small/h/hotwheels_c64com.gif
Ultima IV(Origin Systems, 1985)
All RPGs by nature offer some degree of personal choice although many limit it to mostly weapon customization and exploration. Ultima IV is often credited with introducing morality elements into the genre although it should be noted that Alternate Reality(mentioned below) dates from the same year. I haven't been able to determine which game was released first.
Ultima IV begins with a series of ethical questions which determine your character's make up. Throughout the game you are free to act how you want but if you do immoral things certain traits like Compassion will go down and NPCs will react less favourably to you.
http://membres.lycos.fr/mils/u4app.gif
Alternate Reality: The City(Datasoft, 1985)
Killing an innocent person in BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire will give you "dark side" points which affect character interactions in the game and also provide multiple ending choices. Alternate Reality, like Ultima IV, did this type of gameplay twenty years ago.
http://www.ataritimes.com/8-bit/images/altreality_p3.gif
Both games were multi-format and had sequel(s). Ultima IV originated on the Apple II and Alternate Reality on Atari 8-bit.
Law of the West(Accolade, 1985)
Alan Miller's Law of the West allowed players to play out an adventure through dialogue trees. What you chose to say affected the gameplay and whether you had to gunfight enemies. The game was available for several different computers. Interestingly, the only console port was the Famicom one left in Japan.
http://www.classicgaming.nl/images/lawofthewest/doctalk.gif
Little Computer People(Activision, 1985)
This is what I consider David Crane's third major gaming innovation, the first two being Pitfall! and Ghostbusters. LCP was like an '80s version of The Sims and the little dude reacted to how you treated him. The game was released for various computers.
http://www.zzap64.co.uk/zzap7/lcp03.gif
Square ported it to the Famicom Disk System under the name Apple Town Story: Little Computer People although they Japanified the look and changed the male character into a female.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/fds/01/9.htm
Habitat(Lucasfilm Games/Quantum Computer Services, 1986)
This was a very ambitious attempt at a massive multiplayer universe on the Commodore 64. This is an interesting article on it - http://www.fudco.com/chip/lessons.html
http://www.scara.com/~ole/images/habitat/habitat2.gif
Sid Meier's Pirates!(Microprose, 1987)
Pirates! offered all kinds of character freedom such as skill development and choosing to retire single or married.
http://web.externet.hu/sk/c64/games/p/pics/pirates.gif
Trust & Betrayal: The Legacy of Siboot(Mindscape, 1987)
This Mac game(a PC port exists but was never released commercially) by Chris Crawford was a simulation that focused character interactions with NPCs. It was meant to be a form of interactive storytelling and it let you choose facial expressions as a means of communication in addition to words.
http://www.grenier-du-mac.net/copiecran/s_z/Siboot.png
Hidden Agenda(TRANS Fiction Systems, 1988)
I haven't played this PC game but it's considered one of the best political simulations out there. You play as the president of a fictional South American country and have to make decisions on how to run the country. Technically it's freeware now but the author wishes you give him feedback on the game and donate to one of the organizations listed here. http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/proj/sw/games/hidden-agenda.html
http://www.abandonia.com/images/games/Hidden%20Agenda4.png
SSI also released a political sim around the same time called President Elect.
Sword of the Samurai(Microprose, 1989)
This PC game was a mix of action and strategy with branching dialogue choices.
http://24hour.system.to/jitb/mh/sots7.gif
Add any others you think belong and discuss this aspect of game design. I'm having trouble thinking of Japanese developed ones at the moment although there must be some.
Utopia(Mattel Electronics, 1981)
The Intellivision was often seen as having more mature and complex games than its more popular rival, the Atari 2600. Games like this were a major reason for that image. Don Daglow's Utopia is an ancestor to games like Civilization and SimCity; it let players choose how to run their society.
http://www.dantiques.com/sshots/21310.gif
Skool Daze(Microsphere, 1983)
While the game didn't give you the option to be good kid per se(the object is to retrieve the bad report about you and you'll have to skip class to do it), it did offer some moral freedom of choice in its environment. You could do optional mischief like slingshot a teacher and frame another kid for it. The husband and wife team that developed this Spectrum game were actually teachers themselves. Skool Daze was ported to the Commodore 64 and had a sequel called Back to Skool.
http://oraculo.portugalmail.pt/media/2/skooldaze_screenshot.gif
Alter Ego(Activision, 1983)
One of the earliest life sims. In this game you made choices at various stages of life development and it affected the creation of the character and future choices. It was released in two different packages: Alter Ego: Male and Alter Ego: Female on various 8-bit computers.
http://www.gamingdepot.com/files/games/Alter_Ego_(Male)/Alteregom.gif
Murder on the Zinderneuf(Freefall Associates/Electronic Arts, 1984)
This was a murder mystery adventure. It offered freedom in how you conducted your investigation. You could choose the type of detective you want to play as and the manner in which you asked people questions. The Atari 8-bit version seen here is the original; it was ported to other computers.
http://www.intellivision.ca/Reviews/murder2.png
The Seven Cities of Gold(Ozark/Electronic Arts, 1984)
This was a strategy/adventure game by M.U.L.E. creator Dan Bunten where you controlled Spanish explorers on an expedition. Upon exploring you had the choice to trade with natives or conquer them. It was first released on the Atari 8-bit and ported to various other computers.
http://www.storyhost.com/~dojomed2/specials/FromTheAshes/images/7Cities.jpg
Hot Wheels(Epyx, 1985)
This is definitely what I would considered a sandbox game as it was more a virtual toy that let you design the cars how you wanted and explore town how you wanted. I had a lot of fun with it as a kid. Epyx also released a Barbie game around the same which was also a virtual toy from what I gather.
http://www.c64.com/files/pics/small/h/hotwheels_c64com.gif
Ultima IV(Origin Systems, 1985)
All RPGs by nature offer some degree of personal choice although many limit it to mostly weapon customization and exploration. Ultima IV is often credited with introducing morality elements into the genre although it should be noted that Alternate Reality(mentioned below) dates from the same year. I haven't been able to determine which game was released first.
Ultima IV begins with a series of ethical questions which determine your character's make up. Throughout the game you are free to act how you want but if you do immoral things certain traits like Compassion will go down and NPCs will react less favourably to you.
http://membres.lycos.fr/mils/u4app.gif
Alternate Reality: The City(Datasoft, 1985)
Killing an innocent person in BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire will give you "dark side" points which affect character interactions in the game and also provide multiple ending choices. Alternate Reality, like Ultima IV, did this type of gameplay twenty years ago.
http://www.ataritimes.com/8-bit/images/altreality_p3.gif
Both games were multi-format and had sequel(s). Ultima IV originated on the Apple II and Alternate Reality on Atari 8-bit.
Law of the West(Accolade, 1985)
Alan Miller's Law of the West allowed players to play out an adventure through dialogue trees. What you chose to say affected the gameplay and whether you had to gunfight enemies. The game was available for several different computers. Interestingly, the only console port was the Famicom one left in Japan.
http://www.classicgaming.nl/images/lawofthewest/doctalk.gif
Little Computer People(Activision, 1985)
This is what I consider David Crane's third major gaming innovation, the first two being Pitfall! and Ghostbusters. LCP was like an '80s version of The Sims and the little dude reacted to how you treated him. The game was released for various computers.
http://www.zzap64.co.uk/zzap7/lcp03.gif
Square ported it to the Famicom Disk System under the name Apple Town Story: Little Computer People although they Japanified the look and changed the male character into a female.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/fds/01/9.htm
Habitat(Lucasfilm Games/Quantum Computer Services, 1986)
This was a very ambitious attempt at a massive multiplayer universe on the Commodore 64. This is an interesting article on it - http://www.fudco.com/chip/lessons.html
http://www.scara.com/~ole/images/habitat/habitat2.gif
Sid Meier's Pirates!(Microprose, 1987)
Pirates! offered all kinds of character freedom such as skill development and choosing to retire single or married.
http://web.externet.hu/sk/c64/games/p/pics/pirates.gif
Trust & Betrayal: The Legacy of Siboot(Mindscape, 1987)
This Mac game(a PC port exists but was never released commercially) by Chris Crawford was a simulation that focused character interactions with NPCs. It was meant to be a form of interactive storytelling and it let you choose facial expressions as a means of communication in addition to words.
http://www.grenier-du-mac.net/copiecran/s_z/Siboot.png
Hidden Agenda(TRANS Fiction Systems, 1988)
I haven't played this PC game but it's considered one of the best political simulations out there. You play as the president of a fictional South American country and have to make decisions on how to run the country. Technically it's freeware now but the author wishes you give him feedback on the game and donate to one of the organizations listed here. http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/proj/sw/games/hidden-agenda.html
http://www.abandonia.com/images/games/Hidden%20Agenda4.png
SSI also released a political sim around the same time called President Elect.
Sword of the Samurai(Microprose, 1989)
This PC game was a mix of action and strategy with branching dialogue choices.
http://24hour.system.to/jitb/mh/sots7.gif
Add any others you think belong and discuss this aspect of game design. I'm having trouble thinking of Japanese developed ones at the moment although there must be some.