FTL Games - The Roots of CRPGs

RPGWatch · Mon, 10th Jan '11, 10:30pm

Bitmob has the next entry in their Forgotten Ruins: The Roots of Computer Role-playing Games - FTL Games, who made Dungeon Master:

FTL Games doesn't have the kind of catalog that any of the other developers on this list do, but their first computer role-playing game would leave an undeniable mark. I didn't actually get to play this one until very recently (thanks only to the work of fans), but it's easy to see how it had predated efforts made by titles, such as Westwood's Eye of the Beholder, to bring a living, real-time dungeon to life. Interplay's Stonekeep -- years later -- may have had cutting-edge graphics and live video, but the basic gameplay can already be seen in something as early as FTL's Dungeon Master.

Dungeon Master was released in '87 and quickly took the CRPG community by surprise. Not only did it boast strong visuals for the time, it was also a real-time dungeon crawler (although, whether it was truly the first is debatable when compared to the more obscure Dungeons of Daggorath in '82 or Alternate Reality: The City from Datasoft in '85).

Mon, 10th Jan '11, 10:30pm	#1
RPGWatch SPS Account Holder Watching... Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 3,268 Like: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	FTL Games - The Roots of CRPGs Bitmob has the next entry in their Forgotten Ruins: The Roots of Computer Role-playing Games - FTL Games, who made Dungeon Master: FTL Games doesn't have the kind of catalog that any of the other developers on this list do, but their first computer role-playing game would leave an undeniable mark. I didn't actually get to play this one until very recently (thanks only to the work of fans), but it's easy to see how it had predated efforts made by titles, such as Westwood's Eye of the Beholder, to bring a living, real-time dungeon to life. Interplay's Stonekeep -- years later -- may have had cutting-edge graphics and live video, but the basic gameplay can already be seen in something as early as FTL's Dungeon Master. Dungeon Master was released in '87 and quickly took the CRPG community by surprise. Not only did it boast strong visuals for the time, it was also a real-time dungeon crawler (although, whether it was truly the first is debatable when compared to the more obscure Dungeons of Daggorath in '82 or Alternate Reality: The City from Datasoft in '85).
	__________________ RPGWatch - http://www.rpgwatch.com Last edited by Taluntain; Wed, 12th Jan '11 at 4:10pm.

		Sorcerer's Place Home \| Chatrooms \| BoM Rules & FAQ Sorcerer's Place Stores: Games, Books, DVDs, Merchandise (buying via these links & our affiliated stores below helps support the site - thanks!)
Have you liked us yet?