How did the hero get the character '@'?

[Nekoninja]

I am curious about RPG history why the hero or the player tends to get this ascii character '@'? Why not this '☺'? What was the first RPG game to use it? It seems very common to use '@' in most of the text RPG games I have seen so far.

[AgingMinotaur]

As far as I have read, it supposedly originated in a pun: Since @ is pronounced "at", the sign shows you "where the hero is at".

As always,
Minotauros

[guest509]

Many early Rogue builds show your character as a smiley.

EDIT: But it looks kinda wonky. Everything else is a symbol but your hero is more of a picture. I prefer the '@' symbol. If you turn on easy mode in Brogue you turn into a '&' which to me looks like a guy giving you the 'f-you' arms crossed salute. :-)

[Nekoninja]

[quote  If you turn on easy mode in Brogue you turn into a '&' which to me looks like a guy giving you the 'f-you' arms crossed salute. :-)
[/quote]

HAHAHAHA! I never thought of that! 

[guest509]

It can also look like a guy totally wailing on air guitar.

[Ex]

Many early Rogue builds show your character as a smiley.

The old unix versions of rogue used an @ symbol. It might have had to do with compatibility. Early unix systems that played rogue might not have had access to all the same symbols, but they all had access to @. Or it might have taken inspiration from early unix mail programs that used @ like modern e-mail addresses do. I've also heard that it's supposed to look like an adventurer in the middle holding a shield or sword or something. Who knows though.

Maybe one of the authors of rogue knows or has said in an interview somewhere?

[ekolis]

I've heard rumors that the @ was supposed to look like a top-down view of a fedora. But that was probably just some silly Nethack archaeologist joke; I put more stock in the "where you is at" theory

[guest509]

How about this theory...what other symbol would do?

'&' maybe...

[Etinarg]

I imagine the developer sitting with a pencil and a sheet of paper, idly doodling while pondering "What character could I use for the hero?" ... and when watched the doodles, he suddenly was all like "yes, it's the @"