Computer Gaming World Archive & Dave Arneson

Anyone else remember the venerable magazine “Computer Gaming World”?  Well, now there is a complete archive online! It is the work of several years by several volunteers.

While doing some research on another project of mine, I stumbled on an interview with Dave Arneson in issue #47 (May 1988).  He laments “Another common problem in CRPGs may be an emphasis in glitz and glamour rather than substance.”  And of course he saw computer graphics evolve at an amazing pace.

He continues, “Fortunately, CRPGs are becoming more interactive. In days of yore, one delved into the dungeon’s depths. Then, CRPG emerged into open country and villages. Today, they are vivid animated graphic spectacles. Yet, players must still hack and loot again and again in order to gain experience.”

Arneson discusses some of the rules many groups drop from their tabletop games (such as morale) and points out that computers could make these easy.  The essay sums up, “Where is character development taking place in CRPGs? Each of the newer games mentioned brings in a significant addition to the CRPG scene. Will there be more improvements, additions, and expansions? Or are we still dealing with [these improvements as unusual] quirks?”

The more things change, the more they stay the same.