The way that roguelikes tried to solve the problem was to focus on procedural generation: the task of world-building was collapsed into algorithms that would build it anew every time the player embarked on a new quest. However, in the quest to produce the perfect “forever” game, most of the world-building was given over to the cold thrashing jaws of procedural generation.

ADOM differentiates itself from other roguelikes right from the start: before players begin the game, they are invited to “Embark on the Postcard Adventure” – an option on the main menu that lists Thomas Biskup's home address with the simple request to send him a postcard if they enjoyed ADOM. It's a remarkably human gesture in a genre of game that established itself as a vector for cold machine logic.

During character creation, there are 12 races and over 20 classes to choose from. Certainly, some combinations are more effective than others, but the game will let you pick any combination you want. In keeping with the concerns that motivated Rogue, the choices you make during character creation will have a major impact on how the game plays out.

Once you've created your character, a short passage describing your upbringing is generated, populated with some events that relate to your race and class. It's a brilliant way to prime players, something that later roguelikes would replicate and build upon to great effect.

After this, ADOM does what made me fall in love with it, something that cut against the established orthodoxy of roguelikes up until that point: ADOM drops you right into the mountainous Drakalor Chain of the world of Ancardia; not the top floor of an astonishingly deep dungeon, but a whole corner of the world, full of caves and towns and dungeons.