Text Based Rpg Games – What’s the Story?
Monday, November 29th, 2010What are text-based RPGs and what makes them so damn addictive?
Before PCs could comfortably handle rich graphics, text based RPGs were being played on college LANs over exceedingly weak dial-up connections. Usually known as MUDs (multi-user dungeons), many of these text based browser games have been altered to run online via a MUD client, or more recently, a modern web browser.
A poor internet connection has very little affect on playability, and can also handle large numbers of players, often referred to as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). This is largely due to the fact that most text based MMORPGs do not have graphics.
Another advantage to text based RPGs is that they have much lower system requirements than graphical games, enabling them to be played on pretty much any computer connected to the Internet. People also play them on handheld devices and cell phones.
Every text based game worth its salt will have the power to create a virtual character, increase their health, wealth, status, equipment, weaponary, trade items etc, and complete tasks in the game. With so much competition, players expectations are much higher and developing a successful text based browser game requires time, effort, regular feature updates and lots of caffeine. Good text MMORPGs are addictive and keep players loyal for many months or years.
Facebook, the social media giant, saw the appeal in text-based rpg games and launched Mafia Wars, Farmville and Frontierville, developed by Zynga.
Although much more graphical than the first text-based RPGs, under the bonnet, they are really no different to the majority of other text based browser games.
If you fancy giving text-based browser games a try, take a look at Torn, Farmville or SimRocker.