You Must Descend!
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sourcrepes 06/02/21 (Wed) 12:19:17 #82368781


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Screenshot of Rogue (1980).

Computer games like Beneath Apple Manor (1978) and Rogue: Exploring the Dungeons of Doom (1980) were among the first to rely on procedural generation. Simple dungeons were created at random, then populated with monsters, traps, and treasure to challenge the player. This cut down on the complexities of level design and insured each play-through was unique.

Nethack — a fork of Hack (itself inspired by Rogue) — was the inevitable consequence. Released in 1987, it increased the complexity of Rogue by several orders of magnitude. Players could drown in lava, engrave words upon the floor ("Elbereth" would prevent enemies from attacking that tile), dip objects in potions, and even wipe an entire species of monster from existence (via a scroll of genocide).

But there was one thing Nethack lacked: Multiplayer. Despite the rising popularity of MUDs (multi-user dungeons; online games that players could connect to via a telnet client), Nethack remained a game you played alone.

The closest thing to an online version of Nethack was Dungeons of Kesmai. Released in 1980, the MUD's customized client used ASCII graphics to represent a world that up to 6 players could explore. Island of Kesmai (1985) expanded this to over a hundred players. But neither game had procedural generation — the world was predefined.

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You Must Descend!: a Ranger summons hounds for a Butcher.


In 1988, You Must Descend! became one of the first MUDs to rely entirely on procedurally-generated content. Everything — from dungeon layouts, traps, treasure, potions, rituals, and even the monsters themselves — is randomly generated. Players can master fourteen different skills on their quest into "the proving grounds of the mad God" to rescue the Prince or Princess from Moloch's clutches.

But the game is not without its flaws: Although the content is random, players all encounter the same content. The first level was swiftly overwhelmed by new players, griefers, and veterans looking for easy experience and loot (PvP is permitted).

In addition, mobs ('mobiles', or NPCs) do not respawn. Instead, they reproduce procedurally. For example: After consuming enough mass, Shurks (enormous carnivorous amoebas) will split into two; meanwhile, Urgs (goblin-like demons) breed and produce children (which graduate into adult Urgs after 750 'ticks'). Because of this, it didn't take long for over-eager players to wipe out a majority of You Must Descend!'s ecosystem — leaving nearly every floor barren.

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You Must Descend!: a Fighter defeats Moloch.


Finally, the game remains unfinished. The main quest requires you descend to the 50th level and defeat the demon, Moloch — thus rescuing the Prince/Princess. Once rescued, you escort them back to the first floor, where the dungeon's exit ("The Black Gate") awaits. But no way of opening this gate has been discovered. The only clue is dialogue that the Prince/Princess offers when Moloch is defeated ("Thank you, brave <name>! Let us use the iron key and return to the surface!").

Despite these issues, You Must Descend!'s community grew. As more people joined, they developed sophisticated workarounds. Players soon realized they can create a Ranger, log in, summon hounds, then quit — creating an endless food supply. Miners strip-mined entire floors, gutting them of their contents; Builders used the resources to construct player-driven settlements. Fighters descended to grind Moloch (one of the only mobs that does respawn), then returned with the body (and a Prince/Princess in tow).

On that last bit: since new characters don't spawn with anything besides a rusty tool and some rags, players have to get creative with gear. Fortunately, Moloch drops a hammer and steel plate — but not all classes can use them. Butchers can strip mobs of their organs, including skin, teeth, and bones — all of which can be crafted into useful tools. After leveling their skills on a Ranger's hounds, Surgeons can graft additional body parts to allies, granting bonuses.

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You Must Descend!: A Necromancer makes it to the 125th level.


In 1990, a player with an extra set of eyes discovered a hidden set of stairs that led to the 51st floor. This, in turn, led to the discovery of the 52nd floor, then the 53rd — and so on. Although each additional floor proved to be barren of content (just empty rooms and halls), it didn't stop players from exploring deeper. Settlements migrated down; upper floors were abandoned. But as players descended, the supply chain between the upper and lower floors became increasingly tenuous. Eventually, they over-extended: With all the settlements now well below the 50th floor, it's all but impossible to reach an active settlement from spawn without starving.

But this hasn't stopped new players from trying. The last recorded attempt was made by Raymond Asakawa on April 5th, 2012. By spawning sixty hounds (the maximum number of mobs that can be active on a floor), then playing a Necromancer to kill and re-animate them, he managed to create a mobile food-source that could follow him into the dungeon's depths.

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You Must Descend!: The 137th floor.


Past the 115th floor, every wall has been cleared by previous players, resulting in large, empty spaces. Past the 122nd floor, abandoned structures appear to have once served as farms for Princes and Princesses.

At the 125th floor, he started receiving a repeating prompt regarding hearing 'the distant clang of a hammer against iron'. By the 135th floor, large regions of the floor started disappearing.

Ultimately, he reached the 137th floor before his character finally collapsed and perished from exhaustion.



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