I cede to your youth.

In terms of the City -- well, I tried playing the PC version, and my
impression was that it felt very ... Incomplete. Not far from your
estimation. However, the other versions I've played (ST and C64, both
emulated) fared much worse -- in fact, I thought the PC's graphics were
superior and much more convenient (no disk swapping!).

There was no Dungeon for the PC. There were rumors of a port, but
nothing ever materialized. A half-complete Amiga port was done, but UAE
always choked on the image for me so I can't compare it to the others.

In my heart, AR will always be an Apple //c game. I think I still have
an old 286 Laptop with the City and a few SSI Goldbox games installed,
but it's not as fondly recollected.

--Frank

-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Steltzer [rsteltzer--15wpharmacy.com]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 5:33 PM
To: <Address Masked>
Subject: RE: Player ages.


Actually, the award goes to me!

23 (and female). I played the PC version - it came bundled with my
first computer. I was 10 years old at the time (1990 for those who
don't want to do the math) and quickly became obsessed with Alternate
Reality. At the time thought that I somehow had received a "broken"
game - I would go through some doors and get an error message "Can't
find dungeon.exe" or "Can't find arena.exe", etc. I was also quite
annoyed that no matter what I did, I could never join a guild. I had
found it all quite mysterious - there were so many unanswered questions
surrounding AR.

Of course when I looked it up online later in life I got the answers to
all my questions - and then some. It really upset me to find out that
it was never completed - there was no other game I can remember from my
childhood that captured my attention quite like AR did.

Speaking of the past, I have since played the Atari version on an
emulator and was always struck by how difficult it must have been for
you all to make money in the city at the beginning. The PC version had
jobs at various locations - the Inns, the Taverns and the Banks - and I
could always just work a lot if I needed extra cash (or needed to pass
some time).

Is there anyone else here who played the PC version?
How do you think it compared?

Rebecca
-----Original Message-----
From: Piringer, Frank [Frank.Piringer--msnyuhealth.org]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 10:14 AM
To: <Address Masked>
Subject: RE: Player ages.

I'm 26 -- so I guess I win!

I got interested in AR back in 1985 (yes, I was 7) thanks to those
full-page adverts in Home Computing magazine -- the magazine published
the code for BASIC games, and I was teaching myself the language despite
being in 2nd grade. Does anyone remember the name of the uber-character
that was in there--I want to say Jester the Quester but I'm pretty sure
I'm wrong.

Anyway, I had already gotten my feet wet in the RPG genre with Wizardry,
but I had gotten fustrated with the multi-character parties and quasi-3d
maps and had sworn off RPGs until I saw the ads for AR. Even though my
computer was a meager little Apple //c, with it's Monochrome graphics
and one 360k floppy drive, it was still being developed for and had some
of my favorite games still to this day (7 Cities of Gold, Oregon Trail,
and Night Mission pinball)

Unfortunately, the only version I ever got for my Apple was the Dungeon.
Or maybe fortunately, because after playing the City much later I can
say that the Dungeon was a much more rewarding experience for a young
explorer. If I had the complete open-endedness of the City I probably
would have gotten bored pretty quickly. Having all of the dungeon's
different environments to explore was so fascinating for me. I
literally spent days just searching every square of the Sewers,
searching for secret passages and bashing Molds and Rats with my torches
(my weapon of choice for lv0-3).

To this day I'm dissapointed ARO never got developed -- the MMO market
was still young, and AR was *built* for just that kind of world, ten
years before they became mainstream. Sometimes, I still boot up AR:D in
my Apple II emulator -- it just doesn't feel the same on any other
platform -- and wander around familiar hangouts. Not to mention the
stares I get on the subway when I sing "The Devourer" when I get into
the mood ;)


Is it him or her? Is it scale or fur? Does it occur
In the dark of night? Crystal Cavern Light? Metal appetite?

I want to know...

I want to know...you...

--Frank

-----Original Message-----
From: Darryl Giors [darryl--mindsyncpost.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2004 8:56 PM
To: <Address Masked>
Subject: Player ages.


Wow, I hadn't previously thought of myself as a junior member of the AR
List but I just might be one of the youngest. I was only 10 Y.O. when
AR:C came out. My brother picked up a copy a few months after it came
out but I didn't really play it until Summer of '85. I was instantly
enthralled with the gameplay and one of my best friend's whom I still
see regularly was into the game as well. It became a regular after
school habit. I couldn't wait until the Dungeon came out and I was
counting the days despite the delays that occurred.

Anyhow I'm currently 29. Anybody younger than that around here?

Darryl Giors

Lance, of the City of Xebec's Demise

Tyr, wielder of the Eater of Evil, wrought by the Dwarven Smithy of the
Dungeon.


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