09-01-2014, 02:58 PM
It occurred to me the other day that once upon a time, before the public Internet, we actually ran some of our games over a BBS! You remember those, don't you? The original Bulletin Board Systems, back before web BB software took over the term?
Back then, with a few personal computers scattered around but no Internet to connect them, some of us would run our own (often purchased) software to let the computers talk directly to one another. The user's computer would call the BBS computer on the phone, using a modem (remember those, with all the funny beeps and whistles?). The BBS computer would answer the phone, ask for a login, and present the dial-in user with a text menu of his choices of things to do.
Back then we had private discussion forums and customized software for running various turn-based games, including old PBM games, wargames, role-playing games, and other fanciful stuff. It was the first step away from the original postal delivery of such games.
Anyhow, the whole concept of private BBS systems seems to have been missed throughout the descriptions hereabouts of the history of PBM gaming, and it deserves to be remembered.
Back then, with a few personal computers scattered around but no Internet to connect them, some of us would run our own (often purchased) software to let the computers talk directly to one another. The user's computer would call the BBS computer on the phone, using a modem (remember those, with all the funny beeps and whistles?). The BBS computer would answer the phone, ask for a login, and present the dial-in user with a text menu of his choices of things to do.
Back then we had private discussion forums and customized software for running various turn-based games, including old PBM games, wargames, role-playing games, and other fanciful stuff. It was the first step away from the original postal delivery of such games.
Anyhow, the whole concept of private BBS systems seems to have been missed throughout the descriptions hereabouts of the history of PBM gaming, and it deserves to be remembered.