Part 1 of a series on the CRPG renaissance examines how Fallout (1997) revitalized the classic role-playing game genre by blending post-apocalyptic storytelling, player choice, and tactical combat, breaking away from the linear trends of mid-90s RPGs.
This article traces the origins of Planescape: Torment by examining the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons settings that inspired it, particularly the Planescape campaign setting and its philosophical themes. It covers how the Infinity Engine games evolved from earlier titles and how the game's focus on story and dialogue diverged from traditional fantasy RPGs.
Simon Tatham closely examines a shell history screenshot from the movie *Tron: Legacy*, identifying plausible and implausible command-line details (e.g., `./cMech`, `make` runs, typos) and using the scene as a fun, educational exercise in realistic versus Hollywood-style terminal use.