A strange little side quest
Put Feudalism next to the history of role-playing games and a few unexpected connections appear. Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. The timeline takes another interesting turn: In 1958, Tennis for Two used an analog computer and an oscilloscope to turn simple physics into a playable tennis-like demonstration. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.
