Legend of the Red Dragon

Legend of the Red Dragon
Developers: Robinson Technologies (1989-97), Metropolis Gameport (1998-2006) Platform: DOS Released in US: 1989 This game has unused graphics. This game has revisional differences. This game has hidden bonus content.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

Originally developed for Seth A. Robinson's own Darkside BBS and released to a very interested public shortly after, Legend of the Red Dragon is a text-based roleplaying door game for Bulletin Board Services about killing monsters, killing and flirting with players, and eventually killing the titular Red Dragon to save the realm.

Hidden Commands

RIPTerm Commands

Version 3.15 not only added a ton of new graphics for RIPTerm users, but it also added some fun interactions.

To do: Screenshots? Also, clicking on Violet's legs in the inn does something (?), but there's no apparent keyboard command for it?

Pressing 1 or clicking on a gem in Ye Olde Bank returned the following:

  Nice rock.

Pressing 2 or clicking on the vault door displayed...

  Steal?  Never!

...unless the player was into Thieving Skills, in which case it returned the following:

  You're a thief, find the key.

Pressing 3 or clicking on the oil lamp in Ye Olde Bank returned the following:

  Maybe there is a Genie in there.

And lastly, v3.25B added the following message to the Bank if the player pressed 4:

  Look wise guy, these are NOT secret keys. They say these things
  when you click on pictures in RIP. Nothing more. (Then again...)

In v3.50 or higher, the number/RIP messages display in white instead of dark green. In addition, if a Thief character has a Fairy in their pocket and presses 2, they were treated to something a bit more profitable:

  ** TRICKY EVENT **

  The buzzing in your pocket reminds you
  that the little fairy can feel your emotions.

  <MORE>

  IT ESCAPES FROM YOUR POCKET AND PICKS THE LOCK!

  <MORE>

  You steal X while the banker isn't looking.

Where "X" is would be a reasonable, random pile of gold relevant to the player's level (around 500 for Level 1, 3,000 for Level 2, and so on).

S is for Story

In v3.20 and higher, pressing S at the login screen displays an acknowledgment message, followed by this short poem/story written by Robinson himself.

  You have pressed S.  S is for story.

  <MORE>

  "HALLOWEEN" by Seth A. Robinson, '94

  Billy was no a kid who didn't fit in.  He couldn't talk and he was lame, poor
  little Billy just wasn't the same.

  He couldn't leave the house, because of his face.
  Last time he did, he met a can of mace.

  But even Billy had his time, and it was Halloween.  It was his favorite day -
  A night to walk the earth unseen.

  Other children won't point, won't laugh, won't harm.
  Little girls won't run away in alarm.

  Tiny Goblin, Tiny ghost and visions of the dead.
  Little witch with her stick and Jack Pumpkin head.

  Billy knew he fit right in, he didn't have to ask.
  The only difference was, he wasn't wearing a mask.

Tossing Your Gold Pouch

A new hidden command was added to the Forest in v3.50 onward. Pressing B while in the Forest returns the following text:

  You throw your gold pouch up into the air gleefully.

  AN UGLY VULTURE GRABS IT IN MID AIR!

While it would appear the player's gold has been stolen and lost, it actually ends up in the Bank safe and sound.