Moria (computer game)

Infobox_Software
name = Moria
logo =


caption = "UMoria 5.2.2" screenshot deletable image-caption
developer = David Grabiner
latest_release_version = 5.2.2
latest_release_date = March vgy|1999
operating_system = Cross-platform
genre = Roguelike
license = Moria/Angband license
website = [http://www-math.bgsu.edu/~grabine/moria.html www-math.bgsu.edu/~grabine/moria.html]

"Moria" is a roguelike computer game based heavily on J. R. R. Tolkien's novel "The Lord of the Rings". The game's objective is to kill a Balrog, presumably Durin's Bane, deep within the Mines of Moria. The popular "Angband" derives from a later port, "Umoria". This direct descendent influenced the preliminary design of Blizzard Entertainment's "Diablo"." [The idea for "Diablo"] was modified over and over until it solidified when [Dave Brevik] was in college and got hooked on … "Moria/Angband"." cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_48/289-Secret-Sauce-The-Rise-of-Blizzard |title=Secret Sauce: The Rise of Blizzard |accessdate=2007-12-24 |last=Pitts |first=Russ |coauthors= |date=2006-06-06 |work=The Escapist |publisher=]

History

The original version was written at the University of Oklahoma by Robert Alan Koeneke after he became hooked on "Rogue" but could not run it on the VAX 11/780 computer to which he had access.

Version 1.0 was written in VMS Pascal and completed in the summer of 1983. From around 1985 the source code was widely distributed under a license that permitted sharing and modification but not commercial use. Koeneke's last release was "Moria 4.7" in 1986 or 1987, although more recent versions have been compiled by a variety of authors. "Moria" inspired a number of derivative versions. Jim E. Wilson created "Umoria", a modified version in C for UNIX and MS-DOS. At the University of Washington a modified Pascal version named "Imoria" was developed, which has been ported to C by Steve Kertes.

Gameplay

"Moria" begins with creation of a character. The player first chooses a "race" from the following: Human, Half-Elf, Elf, Halfling, Gnome, Dwarf, Half-Orc, Half-Troll. Racial selection determines base statistics and class availability. One then selects the character's "class" from the following: Warrior, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Paladin. Class further determines statistics, as well as the abilities acquired during gameplay. Mages, Rangers, and Rogues can learn magic; Priests and Paladins can learn prayers. Warriors possess no additional abilities.

The player begins the game with a limited number of items on a town level of six shops. A staircase on this level descends into a series of randomly generated underground mazes. Deeper levels contain more powerful monsters and better treasures. Each time the player ascends or descends a staircase, a new level is created and the old one discarded; only the town persists throughout the game.

References

External links

* [http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=4ge77v%24clt%40ionews.ionet.net Usenet article] from February 21 1996 in which Robert Alan Koeneke discusses the origins of the game.
* [http://www.angelfire.com/games3/imoria/imoria.html Steve Kertes' C port of "IMoria" ]
* [http://beej.us/moria/ The "Moria" Page]
* " [http://roguelike-palm.sourceforge.net/kMoria/ kMoria] ", a Palm OS port of "UMoria 5.5.2"
* " [http://www.minesofmorgoth.com Mines of Morgoth] ", a Microsoft Windows remake
* [http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/freeing_an_old_game_moria Free Software Magazine - Freeing an old game] discusses efforts to relicense "UMoria"