#023x - Get Yourself Lost in the Caves (Caves2 & Caves3)

Unfortunately, the Caves series has turned into something of an anti-climax. If you couldn't tell already, this is going to be another gaiden article, and a very short one at that. There's still an amount of interesting tidbits to discuss, as both Caves2 and Caves3 are innovative programs in their own rights.

It's a good time to talk about these now for a few reasons. One is that I'm experimenting with my work process and played ahead a few games. I got to these two, and saw that, in their source code, they're listed by Dave Kaufman as having been written in June of 1973. They were still released in September '73 by People's Computer Company, as that was the next newsletter published after Caves 2 and 3 were completed.

PCC Newsletter, September 1973.

Another reason is that, as it turns out, these "sequels" developed by Dave of the Caves are not new games. Rather, they are both, in essence, scenario editors for Lost in the Caves. Yes, that's right - now you too can make a cave system, all for the purposes of causing grievous mental confusion to a person or persons of your own choosing! (You can bet someone would've tried to make a "kaizo" cave back in the day. That's what game making programs are for, right?) 

I believe that this is the first instance of a scenario editor-type program ever made for a game - and we get two for the price of one!

Caves2's introduction.

The only difference between the two is that Caves2 does not allow for making loops in the cave system, such as making a loop of cavern #12 -> #13 -> #19 --> #12 (this is the example given in Caves3's instructions.) Caves2 can fit up to 128 caverns; I assume the same for Caves3, but no articles on it confirm that.

Caves3's introduction.

What I find curious is that both these programs allow for each cavern to have up to five exits, unlike the original game, which only allowed for three. Lost in the Caves could've been a lot more interesting if the harder difficulties went up to five exits per cavern. Personally, while I have a little interest in game design, I'm not really interested in making my own cave; I'd have no one to share it with, anyway.

While I find it disappointing that these aren't sequel games, I love the fact that Dave of the Caves thought it was a good idea to make these programs. He was, I think, trying to encourage people to get into a simple form of making their own games, without the need to learn BASIC progamming. I'm taken back to my youth when I used to mess around for hours in Age of Empires' scenario editor and make the most absurd, blow-everything-up types of maps. Those were fun times...