First!

For various reasons, I'm interested in compiling a list of the first time various characteristics appeared in computer role-playing games. I've started going through my past entries and notes to put this together, but I'm realizing that I wasn't always attuned to innovations as I should be.

This list is going to be continually evolving, and I'm sure there are errors even in the few categories I've listed. Please comment on additional categories that you think make sense, and any corrections to categories already posted. Thanks!

General Firsts

First computer role-playing game: Perhaps a game labeled "m199h" on the PLATO mainframe at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1974. It was soon deleted. Likely, there were many programmers coding rudimentary CRPGs at the time.

First computer role-playing game still existing: The Dungeon (also called "pedit5"), a PLATO game from Reginald Rutherford in 1974 or 1975.

First commercially-published CRPG: Any of three from 1978, all published for the Apple II: Beneath Apple Manor, Dungeon Campaign, and Space.

First science fiction CRPG: Space (1978)

First post-apocalyptic CRPG: Autoduel (1985)

First (western) based on Asian mythology: Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony (1985)

First based on Middle-Eastern mythology: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1981) 

First CRPG by platform: DOS: The Wizard's Castle (1981); TRS80: Dunjonquest (1979); Atari 8-Bit: Dunjonquest (1979); UNIX: Rogue (1980); Commodore 64: Any number from 1983, including Telengard, Temple of Apshai, Curse of Ra, Ultima II, and Ultima III; Amiga: Any number from 1986, including Ultima III, Hex, Rogue, Temple of Apshai, and The Bard's Tale.

First multiple-character CRPG: Oubliette (1977) for PLATO; the first commercially-published one was Space (1978).

First multi-player CRPG: Moria (1975) for PLATO; first one available for PC might be Zyll (1984)

First sequel: Either Space II or one of the Dunjonquest expansions from 1979.

Game Elements

First textual descriptions of rooms and game areas: Temple of Apshai (1980), contained within an accompanying book.

First to have multiple endings for main quest: Wizardry IV (1986)

First side-quests: Might & Magic (1986)

First character-development system based on skill usage: Adventure Construction Set (1984)

First to allow crafting of weapons or armor: Knights of Legend (1989)

First to allow a choice in character icons or portraits: Wizard's Crown (1985)

First to feature food: Akalabeth (1980)

First to feature alcohol: Ultima (1981) in general; Ultima V and Might & Magic II, both from 1988, allowed you to get intoxicated.

First character alignments: Probably one of the PLATO games, but the earliest I can find in my notes is Wizardry (1981)

First mini-game: Ultima's battle against tie-fighters (1981)

First NPCs to whom you can speak: Akalabeth (1979)

First NPCs whom you can recruit into your party: Ultima IV (1985)

First dialogue options: Arguably Ultima IV, but limited to feeding keywords and saying "yes" or "no" to questions. Starflight (1986) had "dispositions" which affected NPC dialogue. Pool of Radiance and Wasteland from 1988 offered more extensive dialogue choices, but only in limited encounters. I'm not sure about the first game to offer full-sentence dialogue options as a regular part of NPC encounters.

First spoken dialogue: Unknown; haven't reached it

First to have a map of the game world: Ultima (1981)

First magic items that have to be "identified": Wizardry (1981)

First gambling: Questron (1984)

First real-time game: Dungeons of Daggorath (1982)

First CRPG sex: Wasteland (1988); also the first game with a sexually-transmitted disease.

First poison: Wizardry (1981); also first one with disease and cursed objects (potentially; still have to review PLATO games).

First use of morale: Wizard's Crown (1985)

First automap: Phantasie (1985)