The Mammoth Cave doesn't have any mammoths but one thing it does have is the blessed coolness of a cave on a sticky, humid bitch of a Day in the Midwest. Many things suck about Texas weather but at least it isn't particularly humid.
Cadillac Man is going down with an entourage of mostly family (I think) and some will hike while others won't, depending on what they're capable of doing. You know how it goes when you go to the Zoo with Gramps and your kids. He probably won't be able to keep up so they will split up ahead of that. In this case, Gramps will be right in the thick of it and hat tip to Cadillac Man for that.
Colossal Cave in Willie Crowther's ADVENTURE program was loosely modeled on Mammoth Cave and no real gamer worth his salt is unaware of the first of the real computer games, as opposed to Star Trek which was mildly cool but silly whereas ADVENTURE would draw you back for all the puzzles to solve. Above all, you must find the Lantern or you will likely fall into a pit and be eaten by a grue. (WIKI: Colossal Cave Adventure)
Note: Don Woods is a huge part of this as well but he extended Crowther's original concept so there's great coolness but it's not quite the same.
That concept of a text-based adventure was continued in the highly-successful ZORK series and the flashy, glitzy graphics came into videogames after that but I lost interest. It's extremely unlikely you will hear from anyone who really does know the material that anyone did it before Willie Crowther. He's one of my all-time heroes in programming because he brought a measure of intelligence into it for the first time. As you can see from Facebook programming, that intelligence has been entirely crushed out of it now but it did exist at one time.
Have a peach of a time and especially a cool-temperature time, Cadillac Man and crew. Be careful with the lantern, tho, as you may fall into a pit and be eaten by a grue.
Yes, that expression has stuck in my head since the late seventies. I played that game a lot as in one hell of a lot and it's a large part of why I won't go near them now. They're never allowed to possess my life again although Colossal Cave was highly cool.
Cadillac Man is going down with an entourage of mostly family (I think) and some will hike while others won't, depending on what they're capable of doing. You know how it goes when you go to the Zoo with Gramps and your kids. He probably won't be able to keep up so they will split up ahead of that. In this case, Gramps will be right in the thick of it and hat tip to Cadillac Man for that.
Colossal Cave in Willie Crowther's ADVENTURE program was loosely modeled on Mammoth Cave and no real gamer worth his salt is unaware of the first of the real computer games, as opposed to Star Trek which was mildly cool but silly whereas ADVENTURE would draw you back for all the puzzles to solve. Above all, you must find the Lantern or you will likely fall into a pit and be eaten by a grue. (WIKI: Colossal Cave Adventure)
Note: Don Woods is a huge part of this as well but he extended Crowther's original concept so there's great coolness but it's not quite the same.
That concept of a text-based adventure was continued in the highly-successful ZORK series and the flashy, glitzy graphics came into videogames after that but I lost interest. It's extremely unlikely you will hear from anyone who really does know the material that anyone did it before Willie Crowther. He's one of my all-time heroes in programming because he brought a measure of intelligence into it for the first time. As you can see from Facebook programming, that intelligence has been entirely crushed out of it now but it did exist at one time.
Have a peach of a time and especially a cool-temperature time, Cadillac Man and crew. Be careful with the lantern, tho, as you may fall into a pit and be eaten by a grue.
Yes, that expression has stuck in my head since the late seventies. I played that game a lot as in one hell of a lot and it's a large part of why I won't go near them now. They're never allowed to possess my life again although Colossal Cave was highly cool.
2 comments:
Thanks, Silas. You set the spark. After, your articles regarding, The Way, I mentioned the idea of walking and the Mammouth Cave to my nephew. He enthusiastically responded and now his wife and my four great niece and nephews are now totally engaged. They call me their Grunkle (Great Uncle). The cave adventure occurs this Saturday. Outside temperature will be in the 90s while inside the cave will be in the high 50s. We may not come out till October!
Grunkle ... great one!
Thank you as hearing someone heard your idea and liked it is about the best thing which comes from the Internet. The plan wasn't so clear on who goes last time and your crew sounds like it will be a riot.
Staying inside the cave until October might be an extreme solution but my impression of Mammoth Cave is you could explore it for the rest of your life.
Pics, pics, pics!!
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