#Unless by folding it‚ but I'd rather refrain from doing that

[kyouka-supremacy]

Finally gotten around scanning the September Animage issue. Please enjoy!!

[self-loving-vampire]

To give a couple of examples from my area of focus specifically: Ultima and Wizardry.

These two are very old, incredibly influential RPG series. Many RPGs incorporate elements pioneered in one or both of these games.

So you might say "Okay, I'd rather play a more modern RPG that does the same things but better then".

But if you actually read the history of these things, there's rarely a case where a game is just "the same but better" unless it's something like a port or a different version of the game or something.

Ultima 4, for example, had a main quest that did not revolve around defeating a great evil or saving the world (as is often the case with RPGs even to this day). What you needed to do to win in addition to questing for certain items was to live as a good person in accordance to an 8-fold virtue system, doing things like donating blood, being honest, and refusing to withdraw from battle.

The implementation was rough, of course. This was 1985 after all. Despite that, it's an idea that remains novel to this day.

Meanwhile, Wizardry has spawned an entire subgenre of clones and spiritual successors such as Etrian Odyssey or Labyrinth of Refrain, but it too had some aspects to it that are not very common in these later games.

For example, the concept of having multiple adventuring parties. If your party died, you could create a second party to go retrieve the bodies and hopefully get them resurrected. This is something that has kind of gone away in recent years.

[dryadologist]

Daniel's first mistake is so abruptly entering into Wendell's sphere of influence. He smells so damn good and those eyes? Intoxicating. Even worse with his neck being right there, right? "Oh, so you missed me, did you?" he asks slyly, his grin revealing those perfect teeth of his.

But then he takes in the name on the pass and his eyes narrow. "I do hope you pickpocketed that, Daniel. Our community is rather small and I'd like it if you refrained from putting me in jeopardy because of your clear fascination with me."

Is this how he sounds? My God, no wonder Emily has a difficult time tolerating him sometimes. Wendell finds himself with his eyebrows raised, staring at Daniel as he monologues about just how famous and hot he is as if he needs to say it aloud to make it true. "Are you here for my validation, Danny? Are you hoping I'll wax poetic about how I'm so very jealous of your newfound fame and fortune?" But he gladly accepts the drink, flashing the bartender one of his gorgeous smiles. "I don't watch TV and I don't use a phone if I can help it. Unless you intend to write me long letters then, well, correspondence can be rather difficult. You could email me. I haven't been able to get away from using a computer for my work."

Wendell folds his hands in his lap, heaving a long sigh. "I will not be ditching the conference to abscond with you to who knows where to do who knows what." It seems Daniel may have hunted him down with the intention of pushing his buttons. "Spoken like a true human. When one always expects to live a long life, there's no reason to live fast, as they say."

Daniel saunters into Wendell's space like he has every right to be there, slinging one arm around his shoulders and leaning his other forearm against the bar. He grins, wide and close, though his teeth are human-blunt. For now.

"Yeah, yeah. The conference. That's why I'm here too." He dangles a pass from one hand, the lanyard woven around his fingers, and the name it displays is definitely not Daniel Molloy. With the same hand, he gestures to the bartender for two more of whatever Wendell's drinking, and then drops down onto the stool next to him.

"Can't I just want to catch up with a pal? You never call, you never write..." He sighs deeply and clutches one hand dramatically to his chest. "I'm wounded, prof. I really thought we had something special. Whatever, I'm over it. Did you like my book? Have you been watching me on the TV? Pretty fucking hot, right? Everyone wants a piece of me." He shoots Wendell another grin as the bartender sets their drinks down in front of them. "You included, right? I'm hot stuff right now. Ditch the conference, I bet it's boring anyway. Live a little. All that immortality and you're choosing to be a teacher. What's that about?"