Spare Time

Time is a spare thing, an old stickman, a skeletal reaper with a rusty scythe. And yet, as spare as time is, we waste it further. This was my somewhat morbid reflection today. I hear from many parents that their children spend time in a profligate and perhaps rather heedless manner. They seek my advice. Yet, in the background what I hear is my own past – a past filled with joyful memories of computer games and endless trashy novels, slowly being refined towards an education in computer science and the ability to distinguish good writing from bad.

But I didn't set out to make this a long post (pointless, pointed or disappointing). I set out merely to provide links to a series of articles which my filters somehow missed. Here they are. Welcome to The History of Computer Role-Playing Games:

The Early Years (1980-1983)
Yes, I actually played Akallabeth by Lord British. These were my secondary school years.

The Golden Age (1985-1993)
This was the heyday of piracy, and weird computer exploits and other lovely things.

The Platinum & Modern Age (1994-2004)
The age that most of my students grew up in – an age of heresy mixed with iron, blood and innocence.

...like every other age of humanity.

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And on quite another note, here is a brilliant story which deserves to win more than one award.