Larn
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| Larn | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Noah Morgan |
| Designer(s) | Noah Morgan |
| Version | 12.0 |
| Platform(s) | Cross-platform |
| Release date | 1986 |
| Latest release | 12.3 / 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Roguelike |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Input methods | Keyboard |
Larn is a roguelike computer game authored by Noah Morgan in 1986 for the UNIX operating system. Morgan's original version of Larn remains part of the NetBSD games collection.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
Primary development of Larn halted in 1991 with version 12.3, but its open source nature has led to later variants. Developers have ported the game to such diverse operating systems as Solaris, Amiga OS, Atari TOS, and Microsoft Windows.
[edit] ULarn
In 1987, Phil Cordier modified the Larn source code to form Ultra-Larn, or more commonly, ULarn. It introduced true character classes and additional levels, weapons, etc. As with its parent, other developers have maintained and refined ULarn in the absence of its author.
[edit] Gameplay
Larn is the first roguelike game to feature a persistent home level[citation needed]—in this case, a town. In addition to the player's residence, the town offers a bank, a shop, a trading post, a school, a tax administration office, and two entrances to a dungeon.
The goal of Larn is for the player to traverse a dungeon in search of a potion that will cure his ailing daughter of 'dianthroritis'. This quest is time-limited, measured in 'mobuls'. Apart from the main dungeon's ten levels, three additional levels are located beneath a volcanic shaft. To obtain the sought-after potion, the player must first acquire adequate experience, power, and gold. Larn increases in difficulty each time beaten, making it harder for players to perform in-game actions, such as destroying walls or statues. Larn also requires the player pay a tax in subsequent games based on the amount of money in the player's possession when the game was last won.
[edit] References
- ^ src/games/larn/. NetBSD CVS Repositories. Accessed January 18, 2008.
