The Workshop
I’m pleased to announce a workshop dedicated to NetHack, a classic rogue-like video game first released in 1987. The workshop is planned for Tuesday, December 19th, 19:00 local time and is to take place in DC Krov (Kraljice Marije 47, Belgrade, Serbia).
I plan to deliver the bulk of the material in English because I still lack proficiency in Serbian, but I expect and welcome questions and comments in Serbian.
The Plan and Requirements
The workshop will consist of two parts:
- Let’s play: first I will share my screen and play a few characters to demonstrate the basics of the game across different stages.
- Tutorial: then the guests will be invited to join an on-line public server via SSH and try their best at surviving the game while I watch their progress and provide commentary.
Please bring a charged laptop if you plan to attend and wish to participate in the tutorial! As for the software, for Mac/Unix the default ssh client will be enough, while on Windows you might want to install PuTTY.
The Game
The oldest video game that is still actively developed to this day, NetHack is famous for its pure and timeless text-based interface, an unparalleled degree of depth and replayability, and above all, the harsh and unforgiving experience it presents to anyone who tries to survive even the first few levels.
Despite its name, NetHack is not a game about hacking computer systems. Sorry! Instead, it’s set in a fantasy world where your goal is to defeat hordes of undead, elves, orcs, and of course, the Wizard of Yendor, to bring the Amulet of Yendor to your god and attain immortality. The game’s history, however, is deeply intertwined with that of the Unix family of operating systems, and among its numerous references an experienced Unix hacker is sure to find something familiar.