Journeys into the Great Underground Empire

Yesterday I saw someone with a bumper sticker on her laptop that read, “It is pitch black and you are likely to be eaten by a grue.” I have not see that line since I was 14 years old.

It took me back to sitting at the desk in my room in front of my Apple IIc with my friend Bob wondering what a Grue was. We knew that what ever it was it wasn’t good. We were actually nervous. Anxious by just reading those words on the TV set. (Yes the IIc plugged into a TV set)

We were playing ZORK - one of the first computer role-playing games.

ZORK was a simple dungeons & dragons type of game but there were no fancy graphics, no deep storyline, and no fancy soundtrack - Just words on a screen. You would interact with the game by typing words like “examine” or “attack” or “open” in response to what the game presented to you.

It was enough to keep two kids interested and thinking about how to solve the puzzle the game handed us even well after the game was turned off.

Of course now it would probably be really boring with all the games for the PC and consoles out there. I am not sure it wouldn’t hold my interest any more never mind a 14 year old kid.

I still play computer role-playing games. I have a priest and a druid on World of Warcraft and I have a great time playing on line with friends. We team up and defeat monsters, complete dungeons, buy new armor, learn new spells, and all while talking to each other on headsets. The graphics are amazing and the stories are deep and detailed. You can buy books about the game, download the music on iTunes, and I hear they are making a movie.

The weird part is I don’t think anything in World of Warcraft has ever made me as nervous as reading “It is pitch black and you are likely to be eaten by a grue.”

I have yet to meet up with a Grue and hope I never do.