Ultima 1 (1980/1981 original Apple II version) indeed had this a year before DoD (1982).
http://www.mobygames.com/game/ultima

To call these graphics "3D shape tables" is a stretch, too. They are simply predefined 2D vector shapes with no 3D engine behind them. The Apple II had drawing routines for this built into the operating system and could be called from BASIC - as the original version of Ultima 1 was mostly a BASIC program it made drawing the monsters easy.
Scaling the shapes to bigger or smaller sizes was no problem - it's a built in feature, too.

Elite on the other hand had a full vector graphics 3D engine with hidden-line removal (for display solid and not transparent bodies) but it came out 1984 and was written in 6502 assembly language. Conversion for the more popular computers came out a year later.

The iD games you mentioned are using a raycasting-engine and came out at least 10 years after DoD (Wolfenstein 3D = 1992 and Doom = 1993).

U1 was AFAIK turn-based (never played it) and didn't have the heartbeat.

Another CRPG that used vector graphics was "Questron" from SSI (1984 Apple II, Atari and C64 versions shortly after that).
http://www.mobygames.com/game/questron
As there were legal problems (Richard Garriott aka Lord British sued or threatened to sue SSI because of the similaritied to his Ultima franchise) the game got delayed until the royalties/license fee were sorted out so I don't know exactly when it was being developed. It's probably safe to say that it was "heavily inspired" by Ultima 1.

After SSI cleared the legalities with Garriott it pumped out several RPGs with similar tile-graphics ("Wizard's Crown" 1985, "The Eternal Dagger" 1987, "Shard of Spring" 1986, "Demon's Winter" 1988) before starting the AD&D games with "Pools of Radiance" in 1988 - but none of them used vector graphics for dungeons, AFAIK.

There are other graphically interesting RPGs (or RPG-adventure-hybrids) like for example "Shadowkeep" by Trillium (1984) with full color illustrations like a graphics adventure. I don't know if the graphics were simply loaded from disk or drawn on the fly, though. Instead of a dungeon the game features a single "evil tower" to "cast down an evil demon" who helds a wizard captive.

A similar game is "Realms of Darkness" from SSI (1987) which drew static pictures from picture definition files using the Graphics Magician toolkit - often used for graphics adventures as it was royalties-free. This saved lots of disk space as it used much less memory than a pre-rendered graphics page. This is the logical conclusion to the 2D vector shapes used in the earlier games.

take care,
Calibrator

I am in late on this one, Matt. I got caught up in the snow out in Maryland before returning to Texas. Upon my return I discover that my workplace has once again firewalled out Armchair Arcade. Ahh well...it was great while it lasted.

What an interesting game. Obviously the graphics are a bit dated, but they definitely have a style to them. It's a very angular, vector-like style. The last enemy you fought was highly stylized.

I sometimes wonder how much of a dice roll it would be for developers to aim for a stylized set of graphics. I imagine it would be on something like a PSN, Xbox Live, or Wiiware release. I guess Mega Man 9 would be an example. It was a new game that was released as an official homage to 8 bit games of old. Oh! How I wish they would do that with several other old games.

So Dungeons of Daggorath has a art style of its own. I would like to see something new that creates atmosphere by not giving you very much to look at. Having a certain lack of depth in the game doesn't mean it is primitive. Having a lack of depth quite literally means that the difference background and foreground is blurred. When that last monster came after you in DoD, it was BIG.

And that wizard - there is something to be said about characters on the screen without a background. It creates quite an effect.

Take a look at the T-rex approaching you in monster maze. The graphics were quite primitive, but the art and animation were highly stylized. I think this trait helps increase one's immersion into the game.

You know what I mean?

I have the 1081 which has mono sound and only understands the PAL color system but at 50 and 60 Hz.

I also have the original IIgs monitor but it's very small (12") and it has a scratch over the screen (got it from ebay from a guy who collected it from a school for US troops kids in Germany - which explains the scratches on the equipment ;-).

However, after I discovered that the IIgs outputs standard RGB analog like the Amiga I immediately checked the possibility to connect it to the 1081 as it also has an RGB-compatible SCART input.
I then found out that the Mac LC uses a similar video output and that the plug is physically compatible. This was great as I had a defective Mac LC color monitor which "sacrificed" it's cable for higher needs. I then soldered the plug to a standard European SCART cable by following these instructions:
http://vintageware.orconhosting.net.nz/apple2/scart.html

If your 1084 doesn't have a SCART input then you can at least use the pinout information of the IIgs video output and adapt it to your needs.
If your 1084 indeed has a SCART connector you can save yourself the trouble and buy a ready-made cable from them here:
http://vintageware.orconhosting.net.nz/
http://vintageware.orconhosting.net.nz/scart.html

It's well worth it, IMHO, as the picture is larger and equally good. The only thing bothering me a bit is that the monitor shows some first signs of age after twenty years.
I didn't have the time to connect the IIgs to my new TV, yet, but I'm sure it will work as it's SCART input is fully RGB compliant, too. If the 1081 fails then I have at least a good interim solution...

take care,
Calibrator

I thought the story was was that in order to get around the RF issues with the original TI-99/4, it was only solid with the matching monitor. The TI-99/4a was the one that was sold with a standard RF switch.

***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.

Yeah, I had an old, small (about 13") black&white TV at the time (1983) until I got an old but good big-ass (28") color TV about two years later (ca. 1985). My Atari finally got the display it needed! Needless to say that all my friends had good, small color TVs from the start and today nobody has to endure such things... ;-)

Another four years later I got an Amiga 500 (1989) and bought the classic Amiga color monitor which still serves me from time to time (for an Apple IIgs). It really was a great monitor at the time, not only getting along with 50 Hz video, but also 60 Hz (can't display NTSC but it accepts RGB analog which works well with several pieces of US or Japanese hardware). It probably is the most frequently used retro monitor today.
Since 1991 I used VGA monitors and got my first TFT late: February 2007. This is still my most important PC display.
For TV and consoles I got a very good 28" CRT TV in 1994 (I think) and it served me well until last February when I bought an excellent Full HD LCD TV (Sony 46" X4500) which I love and have hooked up to my home theatre PC and PS3. It also delivers a good picture when I connect older consoles (PS1, N64, Dreamcast (via VGA!) or my Gamecube). Didn't try the NES yet, but a colleague promised me some carts for free and if the picture is good enough then my old 28" CRT will find it's "grave" in the cellar...

Several manufacturers had problems with the FCC: Apple had to remove the RF modulator of the original Apple II to sell it as computer equipment. The owners had to buy a separate RF modulator made by a different company and install it themselves to connect it to the TV...
Atari designed their 400 and 800 models in fear of the FCC, eliminated a direct processor port for external devices (thus slowing down disk access) and literally built them like tanks with heavy shielding inside (2 mm thick!). I think they should be able to stop small caliber projectiles...

take care,
Calibrator