HACK first

This whole adventure started in 1986 when a friend at Michigan Tech showed me HACK on his PC-XT.  The computer had a 20MB MFM hard drive, which was magic to me at the time after using exclusively floppies.

I can't say I remember exactly what HACK was like.  It clearly had classes/races (and like earlier Nethack, some classes were races and all others were human) and I clearly remember wishing (from fountains? magic lamps?)  The whole cursed/blessed/uncursed thing was a mystery to us, as was the randomization of potion/scroll/amulet/ring names.  You wouldn't believe how many times we tried to write down what each meant, only to be perplexed next game.  I don't think the scroll names have changed since HACK.

ASCII symbols ruined my life

Nethack.... I love you.  I hate you.  When I met you, my future glowed black for a moment.  New moon... I feel lucky tonight!

I'm feeling faint from hunger.

Do you want your possessions identified?

--More--