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Roguelike Games Info and FTP Sites (FAQ)

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Aliza R. Panitz

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Nov 17, 1993, 9:58:52 PM11/17/93

Archive-name: games/roguelike
Last-modified: 93-11-10

Roguelike Adventure Games
=========================

I. What are the roguelike games?
II. List of major roguelike games
III. List of minor roguelike games
IV. List of "multi-user roguelike games"
V. What are *not* roguelike games?
VI. How to get files by FTP

=====================================================

A long time ago, on a computer system far, far, away, there was rogue.
Players wandered a dungeon, hacking and slashing at monsters, gaining
treasures, becoming more powerful, and living their D&D nightmares.

Rogue was a good game; people still play it. It was even distributed
with many copies of Unix. But rogue is a relatively simple and limited
game compared to most of the descendants it has spawned...

Although the common features of rogue and its many descendants are
'obvious' to many people, they are difficult to describe in simple
terms. All of the games mentioned below are single-user, fantasy
role-playing computer games, generally set in a dungeon, run with
a simple graphic interface. In all of the games, the player controls
a single character, who roams around getting more powerful, in order
to fulfill a difficult quest. Sword-and-sorcery rule the day.
Logistically, they're all free games; executables, and generally
sources, are available by FTP.

The similarities end there, though. More information can be found
in the 6 UseNet newsgroups dedicated to rogue and its descendants -
rec.games.hack, rec.games.moria, rec.games.rogue,
rec.games.roguelike.angband, rec.games.roguelike.misc, and
rec.games.roguelike.announce (alt.games.omega belongs in this list, but
is a poorly propagated group, which many readers cannot access.)

Below are listed basic information about all roguelike games known to
me, in alphabetical order. I've listed the main ftp site(s) for each
game; however, it's polite to use mirror sites, if closer to you,
especially if you're not in the same continent.

=====================================================

Listed below are the 'major' roguelike games. Please note that my
definitions of 'major' versus 'minor' games are pretty arbitrary. In
most cases, games without a well-known ftp site for sources get to
be listed as 'minor', whatever else their qualifications may be. (All
of my information comes from trolling the various newsgroups; if your
favorite game isn't listed, send mail to rg...@bronze.lcs.mit.edu)

GAME: Angband
Release: 2.4.frog_knows (Unix), 1.3.1 (PC), 1.0 (Mac)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.angband
FTP Site: ftp.cis.ksu.edu /pub/Games/Angband {129.130.10.80}
FAQ Avail: cte...@cs.umb.edu (Charles F. Teague II)
Spoilers: At the ftp site. /pub/Games/Angband/doc
Platforms: Unix, PC, Mac, Amiga, Atari, ...
Features: infinite dungeon. unique monsters and artifacts.
Misc: Still somewhat close to Moria in feel. VMS port RSN.

GAME: Moria
Release: 5.5.0
Newsgroup: rec.games.moria
FTP Site: ftp.cis.ksu.edu /pub/Games/Moria
FAQ Avail: grab...@math.harvard.edu (David Grabiner)
Spoilers: At the ftp site.
Platforms: Unix, PC, Mac, VMS, Amiga, Atari, ...
Features: Infinite dungeon. Restocking stores. 6 classes/races.
Misc: What is generally discussed is more properly called Umoria

GAME: NetHack
Release: 3.1.3
Newsgroup: rec.games.hack
FTP Site: linc.cis.upenn.edu:/pub/NH3.1/* {130.91.6.8}
FAQ Avail: se...@cie-2.uoregon.edu, posted weekly
Spoilers: ftp.uu.net:/comp.sources.games/volume13/nh-spoilers3 (Ver 7.0)
altair.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack (Reed spoilers, weapon guide)
Platforms: Unixes, Mac, PC, NT, OS/2, Amiga, VMS, Atari, X
Features: Everything including the kitchen sink
Misc: ?

=====================================================

Listed below are what I know of the 'minor' roguelike games. In most
cases, my information is pretty skimpy, and way out-of-date.

GAME: BOSS
Release: 2.0
Newsgroup: rec.games.moria
FTP Site: ftp.cis.ksu.edu:/pub/Games/Moria/BOSS
FAQ Avail: At the ftp site
Spoilers: At the ftp site
Platforms: VMS only (Unix port Real Soon Now)
Features: Cyberpunk Moria
Misc: "A game you can win in a weekend"

GAME: Hack
Release: ? (1.0.2, 1.0.3, 5.2 are all floating around)
Newsgroup: rec.games.hack or rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: check comp.sources.games (or net.sources) archive sites
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: Unix, PCs, Atari ST, probably others
Features: And your little dog too!
Misc: Distributed with some Unixes

GAME: Hack Lite
Release: 2.8.1
Newsgroup: rec.games.hack or rec.games.roguelike.misc or
comp.sys.amiga.games
FTP Site: wuarchive.wustl.edu (or any AmiNET site)
/pub/aminet/game/role/HackLite2_1.lha
(binaries only, source not available)
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: No
Platforms: Amiga, MS-DOS available when someone provides an FTP site
Features: graphics; contact ponds!squink!bil...@dg-rtp.dg.com (Alan Beale)
Misc: "NetHack made simple"

GAME: Larn
Release: 12.2 was posted to comp.sources.games
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ftp.uu.net:/usenet/comp.sources.games/volume11/larn (192.48.96.9)
wuarchive.wustl.edu:/pub/msdos/games/adventures/larn123e.zoo
nic.funet.fi:/pub/msdos/games/adventures/larn123e.zoo
atari.archive.umich.edu:/?
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: PCs, Unix, Atari ST, more?
Features: Time-limited quest; no character classes; variable difficulty
Misc: Good beginner game. Executables I've seen have exploitable bugs.
Ularn is a descendant of Larn.

GAME: Omega
Release: 0.78.1
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc, alt.games.omega
FTP Site: world.std.com:/src/games/omega3.tar.Z (0.75)
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au:/pub/omega/omegav0.78.1.tgz (0.78.1)
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: Unix, PC, Amiga, Atari ST, MS-Windows, OS/2
Features: Multi-dungeons; Fractional speeds; Quests; Personality
Misc: Now maintained by Rob Rendell (ren...@cs.monash.edu.au)
Rewrite by Tom O Breton (t...@world.std.com) in progress.

GAME: Phantasia
Release: 3.1.3 (June 1986)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: Archie sez:
emx.cc.utexas.edu:/pub/mnt/source/games/phantasia.tar.Z
ftp.cfi.waseda.ac.jp:/pub3/bsd-sources/NET2/var/games/phantasia/*
qiclab.scn.rain.com:/pub/games/phantasia.tar.Z
ugle.unit.no:/pub/unix/bsd-sources/games/phantasia/*
10 bytes of fame for locating a site with working code...
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: Berkeley Unix
Features: ?
Misc: ?

GAME: Rogomatic
Release: ?
Newsgroup: rec.games.rogue
FTP Site: ftp.uu.net:/pub/games/rogomatic.tar.Z
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: This *is* a spoiler!
Platforms: ?
Features: Plays rogue for you! Well!
Misc: *Very* version-dependant, apparently

GAME: Rogue
Release: 5.3 ?
Newsgroup: rec.games.rogue
FTP Site: Only "officially" released as VAX binaries with BSD Unix
ftp.uu.net:usenet/comp.sources.games/volume1/rogue (Stoehr clone)
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: Unix, PC, Atari ST, more
Features: ?
Misc: This is where it all started; urogue and srogue and bugs, oh my!

=====================================================

Listed below are "multi-user roguelike games". Yeah, yeah, I know, I
said at the top that all roguelike games were single-player. I lied.

GAME: Conquer, xconquer, xconq
Release: ?
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ltisun.epfl.ch (128.178.119.94) -- xconq
polyslo.calpoly.edu (129.65.17.1) -- Conquer
cs.bu.edu (128.197.2.1) -- conquer
jyu.fi (130.234.0.1) -- conquer, knight, larn, moria, nethack 3.0
FAQ Avail: ?
Spoilers: ?
Platforms: ?
Features: Multiplayer role playing game, rumored roguelike
Misc: My informant couldn't get source to build

GAME: Myth
Release: 1.04a
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ftp.iesd.auc.dk:/pub/myth
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: No
Platforms: SPARC binary, source needs SunOS 4.1 and g++ 1.40.3 or Sun C++ 2.0.
Features: Multi-user roguelike game
Misc: Not supported since 1989, new supporter wanted.

GAME: CrossFire
Release: crossfire-0.89.3 (bundled inside crossedit-0.7 map editor)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ftp.world.net:/pub/crossfire (192.243.32.18)
yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au:/pub/crossfire (130.194.9.1)
ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/crossfire (129.240.64.2)
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: With release (in doc sub directory)
Platforms: X-windows under Unix
Features: Multiplayer graphical arcade/adventure game
Misc: Supported by fra...@ifi.uio.no

=====================================================

There are a lot of things that aren't quite in the category of
roguelike games, but that keep creeping into the roguelike
newsgroups...

For information about commercial games like Ultima, Wizardry, etc.:
comp.sys.*.games[.*]

For information about playing D&D or other fantasy roleplaying games
with other human beings, face-to-face or by e-mail:
rec.games.frp.*

For information about Multi-User-Dungeon games on the Internet:
rec.games.mud.*

For information about other games to play when you feel like bashing
innocent bits and bytes:
rec.games.video.*

Finally, there are text-mode puzzle games, like Adventure, Zork, and the
whole family of Infocom text adventure games. If you want to *play*:
reg.games.int-fiction
If you'd rather *write* them:
rec.arts.int-fiction

If what you're looking for isn't listed above, don't post to the
roguelike groups - you'll just annoy the Ancient Dragons - try:
rec.games.misc

Special note: While collecting information, the game Wanderer
kept showing up on lists of roguelike games. It's not; it's more
of a box-pushing puzzle like sokoban. (In c.s.g archives...)

=====================================================

Pretty much everything mentioned here is available by anonymous FTP.
FAQ lists cross-posted to news.answers and rec.answers can be gotten
from rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209), under /pub/usenet/news.answers or
under /pub/usenet/more.specific.group.name

"anonymous FTP" is just a way for files to be stored where anyone
can retrieve them over the Net. For example, to retrieve the
latest version of the Moria FAQ, do the following:

> ftp rtfm.mit.edu /* connect to the site; a message follows */
> anonymous /* type this when it asks for your name */
> <your email address> /* type your address as the password */
> cd /pub/usenet /* go to the directory you want to be */
> cd rec.games.moria /* one level down (no slash). */
> dir /* look at what's there */
> get r.g.m_F_A_Q /* get the file; case-sensitive */
> quit /* stop this mysterious thing */

If your FTP program complains that it doesn't know where the site you
want to use is, type the numerical address instead of the sitename:

> ftp 18.70.0.209 /* connect with numerical address */

If you don't have ftp access, send e-mail to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu
with the single word "help" in the body of the message.

Getting binary files (executables, or any compressed files) is only
slightly more difficult. You need to set binary mode inside FTP before
you transfer the file.

> binary /* set binary transfer mode */
> ascii /* set back to text transfer mode */

FAQs and spoiler lists are generally ascii files; everything else is
generally binary files.

Some common extensions on binary files in archive sites are:

.Z Compressed; extract with uncompress
.tar.Z Compressed 'tape archive'; uncompress then untar or tar -xvf
.gz or .z Gnu gzip; use gunzip (available from prep.gnu.ai.mit.edu)
.tgz Gnu gzip of a tar archive; read the gzip man page.
.sit (Mac) StufIt archive
.zip (PC) Extract with Zip or Unzip
.zoo (PC) Yet another archive/compress program
.lhe (Amiga) ?
.exe (PC) Self-extracting archives - just execute them.
.uue or .UUE Transfer as text file; use uudecode to convert to binary
.hqx (Mac) BinHex format; transfer in text mode

Generic help can be found in the FAQs of comp.binaries.<your_system_type> for
how to transfer, extract, and virus-check binary files. (At rtfm.mit.edu)

If you can't FTP from your site, use one of the following ftp-by-mail servers:

ftp...@decwrl.dec.com
ftp...@src.doc.ic.ac.uk
ftp...@cs.uow.edu.au
ftp...@grasp.insa-lyon.fr

For complete instructions, send a message reading "help" to the server.

If you don't know exactly what you're looking for, or exactly where it
is, there are programs and servers that can help you. For more info,
send e-mail to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with the body of the
message reading send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources

=====================================================

That's all, folks.

Additions and corrections can be sent to rg...@bronze.lcs.mit.edu
Many thanks to the people who sent me info; I *hope* that I thanked
you all in e-mail...

This entire FAQ is copyrighted by the author, Aliza R. Panitz.
Permission is granted to archive or redistribute it, provided that
(1) there is no charge, and (2) the file remains intact, including
this copyright notice. Write me for permission to use excerpts.

Aliza R. Panitz

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Nov 18, 1993, 1:12:40 AM11/18/93

Aliza R. Panitz

unread,

Nov 24, 1993, 12:05:49 PM11/24/93

Archive-name: games/roguelike
Last-modified: 93-11-23

Roguelike Adventure Games
=========================

=====================================================

or mail 'help' to mails...@cis.ksu.edu

FAQ Avail: cte...@cs.umb.edu (Charles F. Teague II)
Spoilers: At the ftp site. /pub/Games/Angband/doc
Platforms: Unix, PC, Mac, Amiga, Atari, ...

Features: infinite random dungeon. unique monsters and artifacts.

Misc: Still somewhat close to Moria in feel. VMS port RSN.

Variants: BAngband, FAngband.

Variants: PMoria, IMoria (U. Wash only), Morgul, Druid Moria,
Purple X (Mac); see also Angband, BOSS.

GAME: NetHack
Release: 3.1.3
Newsgroup: rec.games.hack
FTP Site: linc.cis.upenn.edu:/pub/NH3.1/* {130.91.6.8}

FAQ Avail: se...@cie-2.uoregon.edu, posted weekly (FAQ and "Spoiler FAQ")

Spoilers: ftp.uu.net:/comp.sources.games/volume13/nh-spoilers3 (Ver 7.0)
altair.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack (Reed spoilers, weapon guide)
Platforms: Unixes, Mac, PC, NT, OS/2, Amiga, VMS, Atari, X
Features: Everything including the kitchen sink
Misc: ?

Variants: NetHack--, ChrHack

=====================================================

GAME: PMoria
Release: ?
Newsgroup: rec.games.moria
FTP Site: ?

FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: No

Platforms: ?
Features: More classes/races/spells/monsters. Quiver slot.
Misc: Descended from UMoria 5.5
Maintained by jl...@po.CWRU.Edu (John L. Spetz)

=====================================================

Listed below are "multi-user roguelike games". Yeah, yeah, I know, I
said at the top that all roguelike games were single-player. I lied.

GAME: Myth

Release: 1.04a
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ftp.iesd.auc.dk:/pub/myth
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: No
Platforms: SPARC binary, source needs SunOS 4.1 and g++ 1.40.3 or Sun C++ 2.0.
Features: Multi-user roguelike game
Misc: Not supported since 1989, new supporter wanted.

Features: Multiuser game.
Misc: ?

GAME: CrossFire
Release: crossfire-0.89.3 (bundled inside crossedit-0.7 map editor)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site: ftp.world.net:/pub/crossfire (192.243.32.18)
yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au:/pub/crossfire (130.194.9.1)
ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/crossfire (129.240.64.2)
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers: With release (in doc sub directory)
Platforms: X-windows under Unix
Features: Multiplayer graphical arcade/adventure game
Misc: Supported by fra...@ifi.uio.no

=====================================================

The following games have been reported as being roguelike in previous
versions of this list, but further information has shown that they are not:

Wanderer: a box-pushing puzzle like sokoban. (In c.s.g archives...)

Conquer, xconq: Multiplayer strategic wargame (cs.bu.edu, jyu.fi)

For information about playing D&D or other fantasy roleplaying games
with other human beings, face-to-face or by e-mail:
rec.games.frp.*

For information about Multi-User-Dungeon games on the Internet:
rec.games.mud.*

For information about other games to play when you feel like bashing
innocent bits and bytes:
rec.games.video.*

If what you're looking for isn't listed above, don't post to the
roguelike groups - you'll just annoy the Ancient Dragons - try:
rec.games.misc

=====================================================

.lzh (Unix and PC) Yet another...
.arj (PC) and another...

.exe (PC) Self-extracting archives - just execute them.

[Note: sometimes non-archived executables are stored.]

.uue or .UUE Transfer as text file; use uudecode to convert to binary
.hqx (Mac) BinHex format; transfer in text mode

Generic help can be found in the FAQs of comp.binaries.<your_system_type> for
how to transfer, extract, and virus-check binary files. (At rtfm.mit.edu)

If you can't FTP from your site, use one of the following ftp-by-mail servers:

ftp...@decwrl.dec.com
ftp...@src.doc.ic.ac.uk
ftp...@cs.uow.edu.au
ftp...@grasp.insa-lyon.fr

For complete instructions, send a message reading "help" to the server.

=====================================================

That's all, folks.

This FAQ is updated frequently; the most recent version can always
be found in rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/games/roguelike

Additions and corrections can be sent to rg...@bronze.lcs.mit.edu

Many thanks to the people who send me info!

Frederick Toshio Toida

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Nov 27, 1993, 8:20:02 AM11/27/93

I was trying to get all the files to run NET HACK, but I
couldn't find all the necessary files. Can someone help me out?

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