Back, back, and even further back ... to the beginning.

[abradley]

Not quite the beginning, rather to the days of Apple2 and text adventures like 'Colossal Cave Adventure' 1977. There's this game created by Don Brown that ... Well, let the CRPG Addict explain it, he's far better with words:

Eamon (1980)

The relative quality of freeware and commercial CRPGs often serves as a counter-argument to capitalism. We might naturally expect that games made for profit would out-perform games made just for the fun of it--and in certain areas, like graphics and sound, they unquestionably do. But in terms of overall gameplay, we need look only further than the entire roguelike genre--including the high-ranked NetHack and Omega--to see that commercial games don't always make for better games.

This axiom rings most true during Barton's Dark and Bronze Ages, when the earliest commercial RPGs significantly under-performed what university students created for their friends on mainframes in between classes. Few of the commercial RPGs from the late 1970s and early 1980s exceed the PLATO games like dnd, Oubliette, and Avatar (I realize I haven't reviewed all of these; you'll have to wait for the book for that). I would go so far as to say that only Dunjonquest: Temple of Apshai comes close, and not until 1982 and 1983, with Wizardry and Ultima III, do commercial games clearly start to hold their own.

Eamon is one of the best examples of a "freeware" game that has inspired affection and devotion well beyond any commercial game of the era. Programmer Don Brown specifically designed the game as an engine for an infinite number of modules--it's the earliest "construction set" for CRPGs--and people still write them today. The Eamon Adventurer's Guild Online regularly reviews new adventures and blogs about other Eamon news. I'm hard-pressed to think of many other games that have an active community after 33 years.

Eamon is a cross between an RPG and a text adventure. Aside from the opening-screen graphic, the entire interface, including all commands, is text. Each module, or "adventure," is a self-contained story that takes maybe 10-30 minutes to play. Each features a variety of monsters, items, and special encounters, but the items aren't portable from one adventure to the next, so what you don't use in the adventure itself, you sell upon return to the adventurer's hall (the nexus among all the adventures). Although there are some common commands (e.g., NORTH, SOUTH, GET, LOOK, ATTACK, OPEN), the specific inputs can change from adventure to adventure.

At first glance, Eamon seems like a very simple game. There are only five weapon types (mace, spear, axe, sword, and bow), only three attributes (hardiness, agility, and charisma), only four armor types (leather, chain, plate, and shield), and only four spells (blast, heal, speed, and power). But these limited elements come together in unique ways to create adventuring scenarios extremely advanced for the time. For example:
(Continued)
http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2013/03/game-93-eamon-1980.html

The article has links to Eamon Deluxe (Dos) that I've play on my android w/ adosbox, imagine there are ways to port it to other handhelds.

Using dosbox on my PC.

What about the scenarios, well there's this review of a big adventure (6hrs+):

Eamon Deluxe Adventure #22

A Runcible Cargo by Thomas Ferguson

Reviewed by Frank Black

Eamon Deluxe version: 4.2 (with some 5.0 upgrades)
Playing time: 6-8 hours!
Reviewer rating: 9.5 out of 10 Average rating: 9.5/1


Description:

Admittedly, you don't know how you got here, but a relaxing, if uncanny, sunset greets your gaze.

But you have unexpected company, in the form of an incredibly large rabbit.

Being a seasoned Eamonaut, a rabbit of this stature should seem pedestrian. You, after all, have battled wizards with rocket launchers and engaged in space opera with broadswords...

...so why does this rabbit unnerve you so?

Comment: Above is the ENTIRE intro text, which, when paired with the author warning me ahead of time that he had little programming experience and had never written an Eamon before, led me to believe I was in for a mildly entertaining, Alice in Wonderland type hack'n'slash fest. But looks can be deceiving and A Runcible (look it up) Cargo is a good example of that. Weighing in at 102 rooms, 141 artifacts, 39 monsters and *162* effects, this nearly 17,000 word Eamon Deluxe original is best described as an interactive novel, with a true feeling of adventure and rich with the flavor of Classic Eamon Lore. Indeed there are so many references to the Main Hall regulars and various classic adventures across the board that I was left dazed in a fantastic sort of way.

I initially sat down with my girlfriend at 1 a.m. one night, expecting to play through this adventure in an hour or less, make a few notes about bugs and typos and whip out a quick review.
(Continued)
http://eamon-guild.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-eamon-announcement-and-review.html

Not sure this 6+ hour adventure is what you need , but if your an everyday commuter this or any number of adventures may suit your needs.

Will this replace Baldur's Gate or Morrowind, not likely. but a nice change of pace.

Good gaming.

Now to check out that rabbit.

 

[civvver]

I try and try but just cannot get into really old rpgs. Can't stand ultima, all text sounds even worse.

 

[abradley]

I try and try but just cannot get into really old rpgs. Can't stand ultima, all text sounds even worse.

Yes, ain't all that keen to play the old classics like Wizardry 1, 2, and 3, much rather play Wizardry 6 thru 8 for the graphics, but if something special comes along like Eamon, which is adaptable to handhelds. It's like they used to say about radio vs tv, radio has better graphics (your vivid imagination). Like when I was young, read everything I could get my hands on and could see, in my minds eye, exactly what was happening ... I was there.

That's what Eamon has for me, like the bit from above: "Admittedly, you don't know how you got here, but a relaxing, if uncanny, sunset greets your gaze.

But you have unexpected company, in the form of an incredibly large rabbit." As I read that, I saw that and was hooked, wanted to know what that incredibly large rabbit was doing there. So Eamon is like many, many novels with rpging tossed in. On my Nook I've novels galore, but no RPGing. With the Eamon and Android I've got both in one.

And the adventures aren't always long like 'A Runcible Cargo' reviewed in the OP, most are shorter http://www.eamonag.org/columns/Reviews251-300.htm like 1 hour +/-, rather like a short story your interacting with.

But, that said, that's just me and my view, with that and $10 you can get a cuppa in most places.

Best