Roguelike Radio Episode 31 - Rogue, with co-creator Glenn Wichman
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Apr 20, 2012 In this lively discussion, Glenn Wichman, co-creator of the original Rogue, shares fascinating insights into the game's birth at UC Santa Cruz. He discusses the early programming hurdles and how Dungeons & Dragons inspired key design elements. The chat highlights Rogue's evolution from Unix to IBM PCs and its lasting impact on the roguelike genre. Glenn also reflects on Japan's divergent roguelike scene and the importance of item identification. This conversation is a treasure trove for gaming enthusiasts!
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College Origins And Early Playtesting
- Glenn Wichman and Michael Toy built Rogue at UC Santa Cruz in 1980 using mainframe terminals and cursor routines.
- They were Dungeons & Dragons fans who iterated by playtesting in computer labs late at night.
Distribution Drove Adoption
- Rogue spread because it became part of the Berkeley Unix distribution and reached many users by default.
- That packaging decision gave the game global exposure it otherwise wouldn't have had.
Port Rivalry And UI Focus
- Glenn wrote the Atari ST version and designed UI elements to make the game mouse-friendly and accessible.
- He and Michael competed adding features to their platform ports while skiing and coding in Lake Tahoe.