[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Epyx Rogue?

Manuel Polik writes ...
> 
> Rubywand wrote:
> 
> >      In a later catalog, Rogue is listed again; but, not for Apple II.
 ....
> 
> Makes me wonder since the original MS-DOS version ran in text mode with
> ASCII chars. But maybe no one was there to translate the original C code
> into 6502 ASM?
>

     Maybe; but, Epyx still did lots of Apple II stuff. If, as Jeffrey Lambert
notes, there was a Trs-80 Color Computer 3 version, coding for Apple II should
have been relatively easy. And, as you say, with a Text disply, graphics
capabilities would not seem to be an issue.

     My guess is that the main snag was Apple II memory limitations combined
with its cramped (140k per diskette side) media. Rogue could run on an Apple
II; but, the C source program would probably have needed to be significantly
modified.

     Of course, the IIgs can easily handle Rogue. Unfortunately, the GS was
about two years too late. There were several competing platforms with larger
user bases; and, in any case, it would have been hard to sell a GS game
offering just a Text display. 

 

> 
> By now I think it was never made. Too bad. It's a very good & addictive
> game, I still like playing it today.
> 
 ....

     Well, there is a version for the IIgs which runs under the Orca shell
(Orca.Sys16, etc. from Byte Works).  It's available from Uni-kl.de at ...

ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/apple2/gs/games/roleplay/  .

     To play this version, it's best to stick Rogue, Rogueopts, and Readme in
the same folder as Orca.Sys16. Start Orca and enter "rogue" at the prompt. (To
resume a saved game, enter "rogue -r" at the prompt.)

     According to a "Bug.Report" text file included in the package, you get a
system crash if you try to restore a saved game. Rogue does seem to be kind of
paranoid about users messing with save game files; but, if you stick with one
saved game and the default file name (rogue.save) and use the "-r" switch when
you start playing a saved game, there does not seem to be a problem. (I have
not experimented with using other file names or having more than one saved
game.)

     To read the Readme file, you can start Orca and enter "edit readme" at the
prompt.



Rubywand