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The Oregon Trail (1971 video game)

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The Oregon Trail
Screenshot from The Oregon Trail game.
Developer(s)MECC
Publisher(s)Brøderbund /
The Learning Company
Platform(s)Windows, Apple II, Macintosh, DOS
Release1971, 1974, 1985, 1992, 1996, 2001
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer (Turn-based)

The Oregon Trail is an educational computer game developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann and Paul Dillenberger in 1971 and produced by MECC in 1974. The game was inspired by the real-life Oregon Trail and was designed to teach school children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the trail. The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his party of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley by way of the Oregon Trail via a Conestoga wagon in 1848.

Development

The original version of The Oregon Trail was created in 1971 by three student teachers at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.[1] One of these students, senior Don Rawitsch, had the idea to create a computer program for a history class he was teaching, and recruited two of his friends, Paul Dillenberger and Bill Heinemann, both of whom were students teaching math, to help him. In 1974 Rawitch took a job at Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, or MECC, a state-funded organization that developed educational software for the classroom. He uploaded his game into the organization's network where it could be accessed by schools across Minnesota, and it proved so popular that it was released and sold on floppy disk in 1985, when the format had become popular. Several updated versions were released between 1991 and 2001.[1]

Gameplay

This section is applicable to the 1985 Apple II release of The Oregon Trail.

Random encounters and decision making

The Oregon Trail gives players opportunities to rationally think about the situation, giving many options and many possible consequences for each event, thus building problem-solving skills. The initial choice players make, which can be changed at any time throughout the game, is the pace of the oxen. A faster pace will allow the party to reach Oregon sooner, granting time bonuses. Moreover, the trail becomes much more difficult to travel when encroaching upon the winter months. However, a faster pace will result in a higher probability of wagon parts breaking or oxen dying. A similar set of choices is given for the amount of food to be distributed among the family: a severely reduced diet will result in a higher chance of members succumbing to illness and/or dying. On the other hand, allowing the family to eat too much will result in the food supply running out quicker and can eventually lead to starvation without successful hunts.


Along the way, numerous random events can occur. Random events include: a sudden onslaught of disease (such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and measles), a bounty of wild fruit, banditry of goods or supplies, sudden inclement weather, and spoiling of food supplies. Furthermore, at each river the player is given choices as to how to cross. A ferry, which costs money but is by far the least risky, is available in some instances. In situations where a ferry is not available, the player must decide to either caulk his wagon and float it across or ford, which is dangerous if the water is deep. In some instances, friendly Native Americans can be hired to assist in crossing. The depth of the river is stated before making a crossing decision, and the player has the option to wait until conditions become more favorable. Waiting for more favorable conditions uses time but always results in a reduction of the river's depth.


Periodically, the wagon train stops at outposts along the journey, where goods might be purchased at ever-increasing prices, and where players can learn historical facts about each location. Such stops include Chimney Rock and Fort Hall. At any point between the outposts and landmarks, players can rest, trade with passing travelers and natives, or hunt; though excessive hunting in one area leads to a scarcity of wildlife. Overhunting was explicitly allowed in order to show children the effects of poor resource management. In fact, the shooting of a buffalo yields more meat than is possible to carry back to the player's Conestoga wagon, leading to excessive waste. At the Columbia River, the player is presented with a different set of choices to complete the journey to Oregon. It is not possible to ford the river; instead the player can opt to float downstream in an arcade-style mode, which is uncharacteristic of the rest of the game. In this mini-game, the player must steer the wagon on a raft, while avoiding rocks. Or the player can simply choose to take the Barlow toll road instead, but this costs money and makes the trip a few miles longer.

Scoring

At the end of the journey, points are awarded according to a formula weighted by the profession chosen (points are doubled for a carpenter and tripled for a farmer), the number and health of surviving family members, remaining possessions, and cash on hand.

Legacy

MECC has followed upon the success of The Oregon Trail with similar titles such as The Yukon Trail and The Amazon Trail.[1] The original title has been re-released many times, for different platforms and on different media; it is currently up to the fifth edition.

The game was popular among American elementary school students in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many students in the United States had access to the game at school.

The game has become culturally iconic and an aspect of nostalgia for those who grew up playing the game. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Games in the series

  • The Oregon Trail — Apple II, Commodore 64 and DOS PC, 1985
  • The Oregon Trail — Apple Macintosh, 1991
  • The Oregon Trail Deluxe — DOS PC, 1992
  • The Oregon Trail — Apple Macintosh, 1993 (MECC)
  • The Amazon Trail — PC and Mac Floppy disk and CD-ROM, 1993
  • The Yukon Trail — PC and Mac Floppy disk and CD-ROM, 1994
  • The Oregon Trail II — PC and Mac CD-ROM, 1996 (collectors edition included earlier versions)
  • The Amazon Trail II - PC and Mac CD-ROM, 1997
  • Africa Trail — PC and Mac CD-ROM, 1997
  • The Oregon Trail, 3rd Edition — PC and Mac CD-ROM and DVD-ROM, 1997
  • The Oregon Trail, 4th Edition — PC and Mac CD-ROM, 1999
  • The Amazon Trail, 3rd Edition - PC and Mac CD-ROM, 2000
  • The Oregon Trail, 5th Edition — PC and Mac CD-ROM, 2001- essentially an update of the second edition, with the botany and fishing aspects of the third. Also added are animated shorts.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Coventry, Joshua. "Educational computing for the masses". SiliconUser. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |month=, and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

References

File:Oregontrail 03.gif
The Oregon Trail
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