Listener mail call: Classic PC roguelikes

Tell us about your favorite procedural experience—by way of ASCII text, naturally.

Oh yes, we have more podcast sessions on the way. And this weekend, we're going nitty-gritty with the nittiest, grittiest genre of all: The PC roguelike. This isn't about Mystery Dungeon. It's not about Spelunky. No FTL or Fatal Labyrinth. Just ASCII-based games played on computers, offering no quarter, fully demanding your total investment over the course of months with the extremely likely prospect of a permanent death wiping out all those efforts facing you at all moments. Those roguelikes. We bet you've played 'em, and we be you have things to say about 'em. So say it!

Here is your writing prompt for our roguelikes episode:

What do you think is the value of classic roguelikes?

Or:

What is your favorite experience/anecdote about playing a roguelike?

You can contribute one of two ways: One, simply post in the comments below. Alternately, you can send me an email message at jparish [at] retronauts [dot] com.

The usual rules apply. Please tender your submission no later than end of day Oct. 5! Don't worry about length or brevity on this one. I think this topic lends itself to extensive anecdotes...