http://hwd3d.com/actions-must-have-consequences/

When I was a child growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I played a classic educational simulation game on the Apple II called “The Oregon Trail.” Like many school age children both then and since, I faced a seemingly simple task. As the wagon-train leader, I was supposed to guide settlers from Independence, Missouri to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. More often than not, my simulated wagon train faced severe set-backs – measles, dysentery, flooded rivers, and sick oxen. Sometimes, I felt that this game was determined to keep me from ever successfully reaching Oregon. But, I persevered, and I repeatedly played the game until one day, the game announced my arrival in Oregon. I filled myself with a ten-year-old child’s pride. I knew that I had achieved something important.

read more... (external link, opens in a new window)