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Legend of the Red Dragon (LORD)
*click to enlarge
Legend of the Red Dragon was a “Homebrew” written by Seth Robinson of Robinson Technologies in 1989. The game was designed to fill a void by offering users of his Bulletin Board System (BBS) an interactive RPG to enjoy. The first release of LORD was extremely basic and included only a chatting and flirting system. Eventually the Pascal coded game merged a text based RPG with a mixture of action and romance. LORD quickly became a cult classic among early BBS gamers, surprisingly due in part to simple word-of-mouth publicity.
In LORD, gamers must venture into a dark forest, slay the evil there, and return triumphant with gained experience and accumulated treasures. Players can then deposit their money in the bank, bribe the bar tender for information, flirt (and marry) the barmaid, purchase weapons and armor, or challenge the town melee master. When a final level of 12 is achieved the player must venture out to slay the Red Dragon and attempt to win the game!
LORD is often remembered for its player-vs-player battles and the ability to marry Violet, the barmaid. Multiplayer was not supported by all BBSes, but those boards that did support it often had users posting their desire for revenge on the in-game message board. Marriages to Violet were limited by a randomizing factor, some marriages would last days while others could last a month. The game further built upon marriages by offering the opportunity for offspring, which on occasion brought with them surprising benefits.
Besides the in-game message system users also communicated using an electronic mail system. The e-mail system was a unique feature in LORD that allowed players the opportunity to build real relationships with other players from around the world. Many users made use of the e-mail system to plot their late night attacks on ill-equipped warriors, while others used the e-mail system to steal away female players from their virtual husbands.
The most popular version of LORD was WT-LORD which ran on the WildCat BBS Software. LORD eventually spawned a sequel which featured ANSI graphics and top-down rogue-like gameplay. In 1998 both LORD and its sequel were sold to Metropolis Gameport. After being contacted by Metropolis Gameport, the last maintainer of LORD, Michael Preslar, released updates until 2009 and announced that more was planned for LORD.
LORD is a text based RGP (although a later port supported RIP Graphics) and while dated it is continually enjoyed even to this day. LORD can be found running on many BBS legacy boards, Web sites, and recently on Android capable devices. If you are a fan of fantasy and humor, or just want to experience a classic RPG, give LORD a play.
LORD Games:
Genre: RPG
Type: Homebrew
Developer: Seth Robinson
Release Date: 1989
System: Bulletin Board System (BBS)
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