In our last ReAction, Roberta talked about how she came to find Colossal Cave, and how it affected her and ultimately changed the course of her life. Why Colossal Cave? Part IIby Roberta WilliamsI found myself thinking and planning a game of my own in bed at night and became so excited by the idea that I drove to a local art store and bought oversize pieces of thick white paper. I brought them home and sat down at the proverbial ‘kitchen table’ to start sketching and doodling out a game map of my idea. In my mind, I was calling it Mystery House because I based it on the board game ‘Clue’ and a story much like an Agatha Christie novel. It was an impulsive thing to do, but I found myself compelled, and just knew that I was on to something! I convinced Ken to work with me on it, and together we created the first computer game with graphics – for the Apple II computer. So, how did Colossal Cave Adventure manage to change my world in such a profound way? It did it by reaching deep into my soul, my very brain. Though I was ‘spelunking’ in the Colossal Cave game, Colossal Cave itself had entered into the tunnels and crevices of my own grey matter and dug out my forgotten urges of fun, adventure, creating, and storytelling. In actuality, I had never really lost those, but had locked them deep inside and tossed aside the key. Colossal Cave found that key for me! This recounting explains, “Why Colossal Cave.” I owe it so much; it gave me this life I now lead. Without it, I honestly don’t know what I would have been doing all of these years! (And our company, Sierra On-Line, would never have existed.) So that’s my motive, the reason to bring it back to today’s gameplayers. In my grateful mind, I want to share it, and to hope that it can inspire others as it did for me. It gave me my life’s career and weirdly taught me ‘how’ to design adventure games. But that’s really not a huge leap as I’ve always loved to tell stories – as a child to my friends, to my younger brother, to my parents, to my cousins. I used to put together little plays or skits as well — and, of course, I would play the main character while my brother, friends, or cousins would be the other characters. We would perform them for my parents, or for my aunts and uncles. I feel honor and passion about bringing Colossal Cave back to modern players because, in my mind, it worked absolute ‘magic’ for me, and I can’t understand why it wouldn’t for others. But maybe, that’s just me; it’s how I think! As a computer game designer, I love being able to create immersive ‘worlds’ for people, not just simply to devise a linear story. I want to create a fantasy world where the players truly are the protagonists and can decide within it where they wish to go, get totally immersed in that world, and feel like they’re ‘in charge.’ I want them to sense danger, or experience exhilaration upon finding something important — and leave it to them to figure out how to get past an obstacle, solve a puzzle, and successfully reach a goal. Discovery is important! And I experienced all of those emotions when first playing the text-based Colossal Cave. Those game attributes are still there, and I honestly can’t believe that people have changed so much that they are not able to feel the same sense of wonder, exploration, and discovery that a game like this can impart. So, here’s my motive: to re-introduce Colossal Cave to modern gameplayers, partially to validate for myself that people truly haven’t changed that much. But nagging questions do remain: Can modern players spawn the patience for a slower, more methodical exploration through a fantasy cave – a serene, cerebral enjoyment? Or are they only capable of experiencing high-tension, and on-the-edge excitement? I am curious about that, and time will tell who the modern gameplayers really are. I hope that they can enjoy both! But, I admit, I do have some worries; I fear that many of today’s gameplayers have become addicted – and I do use that term advisedly – to the high-action and constant-adrenaline tension of today’s third-person, action-oriented games. Though today’s action-adventures do tell a story — as did the prior adventure games of the 80’s and 90’s – they tend to move players quickly toward precise spots because of pre-determined game plots, the game focus usually being combat. But traditional adventure games not only had a story to tell, but players were – and still are — enjoying those games at their own speed and whims. All in all, I’m optimistic that there is still a sizable group of tried-and-true adventure players, as well as those who would permit themselves to explore a quieter, more personal world of traditional adventure gaming. And along these lines, I would like to take a moment to kindly request that if you have played our newly revived Colossal Cave and enjoyed it, I would be so appreciative if you could review it. That would help us pass along the word – but more specifically to aid the preservation of Colossal Cave as the historical computer game icon it truly is! Thank you!
Roberta Williams |