This week, I look at the cult classic Deus Ex, one of the best first-person shooter hybrids. Designed by Warren Spector and funded by John Romero's Ion Storm, Deus Ex remains the top choice of countless enthusiasts of the franchise.

LegerdemainMy friend Alex Aguila recently notified me about a wonderful indie project that combines interactive fiction with roguelikes--it's Zork meets Nethack! You can read all about it at roguelikefiction.com, where there are many screenshots and the chance to buy a the game with a lovely cluebook for $20--300 pages! This looks really, really good. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Hi, guys. Do you remember The Bard's Tale, the epic 1985 role-playing game by Michael Cranford? You should! In any case, perhaps this video will show you why you should care about this classic.

Here's the first part of my interview with Tim Cain, producer of Fallout and many other classic CRPGs. What's fun is that Tim talks about the importance of the Atari 800 (Atariwriter, anyone?), Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, and of course the origins of Fallout. There's still plenty left to come (the actual interview was over an hour).

Here's the first part of a new multi-part series of video interviews with Chris Avellone, Creative Director of Obsidian Entertainment and lead designer of Planescape:Torment. In this first installment, Chris tells us about his gaming background, which is deeply rooted in pen and paper role-playing.

I was browsing the excellent Tales of the Rampant Coyote blog and was pleasantly surprised to find a great mention of my book on a post called Game Design: How CRPGs Warped My Brain, Part 1. After complimenting my book, R.C. goes on to mention the role-playing games that made the most impact on his design philosophy. Here's a snippet from the Temple of Apshai blurb:

The thing that stuck with me from that game is that while a picture may be worth a thousand words, sometimes those words in text descriptions can evoke thoughts, feelings, and understanding that a picture alone cannot convey – even with the best of modern graphics.

How true! I also remember enjoying the entries in the printed journal that accompanied Pool of Radiance and other goldbox games. It was so much fun when the game referred to you an entry; it was always worth taking the time to read it and gave the game a more authentic D&D like feeling. What CRPGs have "warped your brain?" Here's a brief list of my personal favorites and what they taught me.

Wow--now this really sounds interesting. Apparently Fable 3 will let co-op players have sex and eventually have children. Details seem scarce, and some are already thinking back to the seeds and trees thing from Molyneux. Even if it doesn't work out, though, I think we can all see the potential of something like this.

This week's show features Tunnels of Doom, an 8-bit classic rpg for the TI-99/4A. Enjoy, and please spread the word.

This week, I look at Bioware's new Dragon Age: Origins, a smash hit to join the ranks of earlier hits like Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age: Origins is a dream come true for many fans of older, more tactically-oriented RPGs, though we're still far from the turn-based micromanagement of games like Pool of Radiance or Wizard's Crown. What I particularly like about DA:O is the emphasis on characters' feelings--which include romance and "adult situations!" Enjoy.