ABSTRACT
Robert Koeneke was a worthless degenerate—or at least, the principal of Putnam City West High School in Bethany, Oklahoma, seemed to think so. Although loitering to play games did nothing to smooth over his reputation with the administration, Koeneke did more than play. Nosing around, Koeneke unearthed Colossal Cave Adventure. Like many other roguelike pioneers, he became hooked on the game and spent many evenings spelunking virtual caves. Suffering from a severe case of Rogue withdrawal, Koeneke decided to fill the minicomputer’s blank slate with his dungeon hack. The Mines of Moria—words that struck terror in the hearts of the many races that inhabited Tolkien’s classic fantasy epic. Early on, Koeneke’s goal for Moria was simple: recreate Rogue in an iconic setting that captured the thrills associated with another of his favorite hobbies. Coding dungeons that stretched over several screens was a trickier endeavor.
