From: buglady@bronze.lcs.mit.edu (Aliza R. Panitz)
Subject: Roguelike Games Info and FTP Sites (FAQ)
Date: 5 Dec 1994 00:21:49 -0500

Archive-name: games/roguelike
Last-modified: 94-09-07
Posting-Frequency: weakly (every seven to nine days)

Roguelike Adventure Games    
-------------------------

0.)  News flashes
1.)  What are the roguelike games?
2.)  List of major roguelike games
3.)  List of minor roguelike games
4.)  List of "multi-user roguelike games"
5.)  What are *not* roguelike games?
6.)  How to get files by FTP 
7.)  About this FAQ...

-----------------------------------------------------

0.)  News flashes

12/04/94:  ADMIN:  Due to an error on my part, the same version has 
           been being posted since September.  My apologies.  - arp

12/04/94:  WWW: Home page at http://www.krl.caltech.edu/nethack/index.html

12/04/94:  WWW:  Sites for NetHack, Moria, Angband are now up.

11/11/94:  CROSSFIRE:  Version 0.91.6


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 1.)  What are the roguelike games?

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.roguelike.nethack, rec.games.roguelike.moria, 
rec.games.roguelike.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.)

There is also a Web page for the roguelike games:
    http://www.krl.caltech.edu/nethack/index.html

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.


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 2.)  List of major roguelike games

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 rgra@bronze.lcs.mit.edu)

GAME:      Angband 
Release:   2.6.1 (Unix/VMS/Mac, 10/94), 
           1.4.0 (PC, 03/08/94), 
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.angband
FTP Site:  ftp.cis.ksu.edu:/pub/Games/Angband {129.130.10.80}
           or mail 'help' to mailserver@cis.ksu.edu 
FAQ Avail: cteague@cs.umb.edu (Charles F. Teague II)
           jth@acpub.duke.edu  (Mac version only.)
Spoilers:  At the ftp site. /pub/Games/Angband/doc 
WWW:       lynx http://www.lm.com/users/peterb/angband/angband.html
Platforms: Unix, PC, Mac, Amiga, Atari, ... 
Features:  infinite random dungeon.  unique monsters and artifacts. 
Misc:      Still somewhat close to Moria in feel. 
Variants:  BAngband (obsolete), FAngband, SAngband (0.8), QAngband (1.4.1)
           Unofficial variants live in ftp.cis.ksu.edu:/pub/upload

GAME:      Moria 
Release:   5.5.2 (07/26/94)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.moria (was rec.games.moria)
FTP Site:  ftp.cis.ksu.edu:/pub/Games/Moria/*
           or mail 'help' to mailserver@cis.ksu.edu 
FAQ Avail: grabiner@math.harvard.edu (David Grabiner)  Posted twice monthly.
Spoilers:  At the ftp site. 
WWW:       http://www2.ecst.csuchico.edu/~beej/moria/moria.html
Platforms: Unix, PC, Mac, VMS, Amiga, Atari, ... 
Features:  Infinite dungeon.   Restocking stores.  6 classes/8 races.
Misc:      What is generally discussed is more properly called Umoria 
Variants:  PMoria, IMoria (VMS only; see Moria FAQ), Morgul, Druid Moria, 
           Purple X (Mac), CWMMoria (Amiga); see also Angband, BOSS.

GAME:      NetHack
Release:   3.1.3 (7/93)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (was rec.games.hack)
FTP Site:  linc.cis.upenn.edu:/pub/NH3.1/* {130.91.6.8}
           ftp.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack/Atari - graphical versions
FAQ Avail: seth@cie-2.uoregon.edu, posted weekly (FAQ and "Spoiler FAQ")
Spoilers:  ftp.uu.net:/usenet/comp.sources.games/volume13/nh-spoilers3/*
           ftp.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack/* {131.215.79.21}
                 (WCST spoilers, monster listings, game variants, etc)
WWW:       http://www.krl.caltech.edu/nethack/spoilers.700.html#WCST
           http://www.krl.caltech.edu/nethack/nethack.html
           http://www.engin.umich.edu/labs/mel/mneylon/nh/nethack.html
Platforms: Unixes, Mac, PC, NT, OS/2, Amiga, VMS, Atari, X
Features:  Everything including the kitchen sink
Misc:      ChrHack and NhSound add-ons available
Variants:  Hack Lite (see below), NetHack--, NhPlus, NHTNG


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 3.)  List of minor roguelike games

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.roguelike.moria (was 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; Mac (beta);  Unix port Real Soon Now
Features:  Cyberpunk Moria
Misc:      "A game you can win in a weekend"
           Mac beta version supported by markv@isy.liu.se 

GAME:      Hack
Release:   ? (1.0.2, 1.0.3, 5.2 are all floating around) 
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.nethack or rec.games.roguelike.misc 
FTP Site:  check comp.sources.games (or net.sources) archive sites 
           ftp.cica.indiana.edu:/pub/pc/win3/games/w_ohack.zip (MS-Windows)
                 (requires /pub/pc/win3/utils/w_one49.zip )
           ftp.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack/msdos/? Hack 1.0.1 (MsDos)
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.roguelike.nethack 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
           ftp.krl.caltech.edu:/pub/nethack/Msdos  or /Amiga
           (binaries only, source not available)
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers:  No
Platforms: Amiga, MS-DOS 
Features:  graphics; contact ponds!squink!biljir@dg-rtp.dg.com (Alan Beale)
Misc:      "NetHack made simple"

GAME:      Keep
Release:   ? 
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site:  ?
FAQ Avail: ? 
Spoilers:  ?
Platforms: ?
Features:  Escape from a keep, starting in the garden
Misc:      Last sighted at UCSC in 1991
	   Rumored maintained by fletloss@valhalla.com

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, Amiga, 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, adding character classes. 

GAME:      Omega
Release:   0.80 patch level 2 (94/07/??), "0.75-derived" (Mac)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc, alt.games.omega 
FTP Site:  ftp.std.com:/src/games/omega3.tar.Z (0.75) 
           monu1.cc.monash.edu.au:/pub/omega/omegav0.80.2.tar.gz 
                                  /pub/omega/omexe802.zip
                                  /pub/omega/ami_omega.80.2.lha
           sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/game/omega-075.hqx
FAQ Avail: ? 
Spoilers:  Occasionally posted.  (by whom???)
Platforms: Unix, PC, Amiga, Atari ST, MS-Windows, OS/2, Mac
Features:  Multi-dungeons; Fractional speeds; Quests; Personality
Misc:      Now maintained by Rob Rendell (rendell@cs.monash.edu.au) 
           Rewrite by Tom O Breton (tob@world.std.com) in progress.

GAME:      PMoria 
Release:   ?
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.moria (was 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 jls11@po.CWRU.Edu (John L. Spetz) 

GAME:      Rogomatic
Release:   ? 
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.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.roguelike.rogue (was 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)
           macbeth.cogsci.ed.ac.uk:/pub/rogue.zip      } 1984 PC port (Lane)
           ftp.digex.net:/pub/access/buglady/rogue.zip } v 1.1 Mr.McTesq
FAQ Avail: ? 
Spoilers:  ?
Platforms: Unix, PC, Atari ST, Amiga (by Epyx); Mac version 'in progress'
Features:  ?
Misc:      This is where it all started; urogue and srogue and bugs, oh my!

GAME:      The Land
Release:   ? 
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site:  ?
FAQ Avail: ? 
Spoilers:  ?
Platforms: IBM PC with CGA graphics
Features:  ?
Misc:      Set in the world of Thomas Covenant; probably copyrighted


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 4.)  List of "multi-user roguelike games"

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:   1.06
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc
FTP Site:  ftp.iesd.auc.dk:/pub/games/myth/myth-1.06.tar.gz (source)
           ftp.iesd.auc.dk:/pub/games/myth/binary/sparc.tar.Z (SPARC executable)
FAQ Avail: No
Spoilers:  No
Platforms: SPARC binary, source should be portable
Features:  "proof of concept for a multiplayer roguelike game"
Misc:      Latest revisions by Per Abrahamsen <myth@iesd.auc.dk>

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:  Multiuser game.
Misc:      ?

GAME:      CrossFire
Release:   crossfire-0.91.6 (11/11/94)
Newsgroup: rec.games.roguelike.misc, also an active mailing list (send
           mail to crossfire-request@ifi.uio.no with the subject "subscribe")
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: In INSTALL directory of source distribution.
Spoilers:  With release (in doc sub directory) and 'around the Web'
WWW:       http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk:/Crossfire/
           http://www.ifi.uio.no:/~frankj/crossfire/
           http://web.cs.city.ac.uk:3000/games/crossfire/crossfire.html
Platforms: X-windows under Unix ; need ANSI compiler
Features:  Multiplayer graphical arcade/adventure game with map editor
Misc:      Supported by master@rahul.net (Mark Wedel)
Servers:   sonja.math.virginia.edu 13326
           fermat.dartmouth.edu 13326
           corpse.ecst.csuchico.edu 13326
           beer.csua.berkeley.edu 13326


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 5.)  What are *not* roguelike games?

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)

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*:
     rec.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


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 6.)  How to get files by FTP

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 (18.181.0.24), 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 on
the Internet 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 in */
  > 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 18.181.0.24       /* connect with numerical address */ 

If you don't have ftp access, send e-mail to mail-server@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 (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/gzip.*.tar) 
  .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
  .lzh         (Unix and PC) Yet another...
  .arj         (PC) and another... 
  .lha         (Amiga) Common archive format.
  .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:

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

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

Some FTP sites, such as ftp.cis.ksu.edu, have dedicated mailservers that
will send you files only from that site; it causes less network load to
use local FTP servers where they exist.

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-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the body of the
message reading send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources


------------------------------------------------

~Subject: 7.)  About this FAQ...

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 rgra@bronze.lcs.mit.edu
Many thanks to the people who send me info!

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.


