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Metamorphosis Alpha
''Metamorphosis Alpha'' is a science fiction role-playing game. It was created by James M. Ward and originally produced by TSR, the publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. It was the first science fiction role-playing game, published in July 1976. Description The original edition is set on a generation spaceship, the starship ''Warden'' that has been struck by an unknown cataclysmic event that killed many of the colonists and crew. The characters must survive their missions in this ship (which they believe to be a world) where they no longer understand the technology around them, and they encounter numerous mutated creatures. Players can portray a human, a mutated human, a mutated plant, or a mutated creature. Articles in '' Dragon'' expanded these options to include clones and robots as well as adding rules for cybernetics. Players have five characteristics: radiation resistance, mental resistance, dexterity, strength, and constitution. Humans have a sixth characteristic, lead ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James M
James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (other), various kings named James * Saint James (other) * James (musician) * James, brother of Jesus Places Canada * James Bay, a large body of water * James, Ontario United Kingdom * James College, a college of the University of York United States * James, Georgia, an unincorporated community * James, Iowa, an unincorporated community * James City, North Carolina * James City County, Virginia ** James City (Virginia Company) ** James City Shire * James City, Pennsylvania * St. James City, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * ''James'' (2005 film), a Bollywood film * ''James'' (2008 film), an Irish short film * ''James'' (2022 film), an Indian Kannada-language film * James the Red Engine, a character in ''Thomas the Tank ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Editions Of Dungeons & Dragons
Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the game. However, many ''D&D'' fans continue to play older versions of the game and some third-party companies continue to publish materials compatible with these older editions. After the original edition of ''D&D'' was introduced in 1974, the game was split into two branches in 1977: the rules-light system of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and the more complex, rules-heavy system of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D''). The standard game was eventually expanded into a series of five box sets by the mid-1980s before being compiled and slightly revised in 1991 as the ''Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia''. Meanwhile, the 2nd edition of ''AD&D'' was published in 1989. In 2000 the two-branch split was ended when a new version was designated the 3r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ares (magazine)
''Ares'' was an American science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI), and then TSR, Inc., between 1980 and 1984. In addition to the articles, each issue contained a wargame, complete with a foldout stiff paper map, a set of cardboard counters, and the rules. Publication history Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) began publishing ''Ares'' in 1980 as a science-fiction companion to ''Strategy & Tactics''.''Ares'' magazine was similar to ''Strategy & Tactics'', with a game every issue, but it focused on science-fiction and fantasy. SPI suffered financial problems and went into debt, and TSR bought the company and its assets in 1982. Shannon Appelcine stated that "TSR did very little with SPI's roleplaying games. ''Ares Magazine'' #12 (1982), which was prepared by SPI and published by TSR, included a game called 'Star Traders,' which was for use with ''Universe''; it was the last support for that game system ..As TSR turned further away ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metagaming Concepts
Metagaming Concepts, later known simply as Metagaming, was a company that published board games from 1974 to 1983. It was founded and owned by Howard Thompson, who designed the company's first game, '' Stellar Conquest''. The company also invented Microgames and published Steve Jackson's first designs, including '' Ogre'', '' G.E.V.'' and '' The Fantasy Trip''. History The company's first product, released in 1974, was '' Stellar Conquest'', which had been rejected by Avalon Hill in 1973. Many of Metagaming's notable titles were also science fiction wargames, including '' Ogre'', '' G.E.V.'', and ''WarpWar''. In 1975, Metagaming started ''The Space Gamer'' as a quarterly house magazine. By its 17th issue, ''TSG'' was a full size bimonthly magazine, printed on slick paper and covering games from other publishers, including fantasy games. Thompson and Metagaming pioneered the idea of publishing small, low-cost games in what came to be known as the MicroGame format. For a wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Space Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. The magazine is no longer published, but the rights holders maintain a web presence using its final title ''Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer''. History ''The Space Gamer'' (''TSG'') started out as a digest quarterly publication of the brand new Metagaming Concepts company in March 1975. Howard M. Thompson, the owner of Metagaming and the first editor of the magazine, stated "The magazine had been planned for after our third or fourth game but circumstances demand we do it now" (after their first game, '' Stellar Conquest''). Initial issues were in a plain-paper digest format. By issue 17, it had grown to a full size bimonthly magazine, printed on slick paper. When Steve Jackson departed Metagaming to found h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OneBookShelf
OneBookShelf is a digital marketplace company for both major and indie games, fiction and comics. OneBookShelf was formed by the merger of RPGNow and DriveThruRPG. The company's e-commerce platforms host content from individual sellers, indie creators and major publishing companies such as Chaosium, Fantasy Flight Games, White Wolf, and Wizards of the Coast. In July 2022, it was announced that Roll20 will merge with OneBookShelf to become a new company. History RPGNow RPGNow was established in 2001 by James Mathe. Academics Sebastian Deterding and José Zagal wrote that "in the beginning, the bestselling products on RPGNow were nearly always d20 products. Mathe made attempts to reach out to established publishers of other types of games, but many were hesitant about selling digital versions, worried that would increase piracy or cannibalize existing print sales. Nevertheless, RPGNow recorded better than 10% growth in every year of its operation". DriveThruRPG DriveThruRPG ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Starlost
''The Starlost'' is a Canadian-produced science fiction television series created by writer Harlan Ellison and broadcast in 1973 on CTV in Canada and syndicated to local stations in the United States. The show's setting is a huge generational colony spacecraft called ''Earthship Ark'', which has gone off course. Many of the descendants of the original crew and colonists are unaware, however, that they are aboard a ship. The series experienced a number of production difficulties, and Ellison broke with the project before the airing of its first episode. Premise Foreseeing the destruction of Earth, humanity builds a multi-generational starship called ''Earthship Ark'', wide and long. The ship contains dozens of biospheres, each kilometres across and housing people of different cultures; their goal is to find and seed a new world of a distant star. In 2385, more than 100 years into the voyage, an unexplained accident occurs, and the ship goes into emergency mode, whereby eac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orphans Of The Sky
''Orphans of the Sky'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, consisting of two parts: "Universe" (''Astounding Science Fiction'', May 1941) and its sequel, "Common Sense" (''Astounding Science Fiction'', October 1941). The two novellas were first published together in book form in 1963. "Universe" was also published separately in 1951 as a 10¢ Dell paperback. The work presents one of the earliest fictional depictions of a generation ship. Plot The gigantic, cylindrical generation ship ''Vanguard'', originally destined for "Far Centaurus", is cruising without guidance through the interstellar medium because long ago, a mutiny killed most of the officers. Over time, the descendants of the surviving loyal crew have lapsed into a pre-technological culture that is marked by superstition and forgotten the purpose and nature of their ship. Since they come to believe the "Ship" is the entire universe, "To move the ship" is considered an oxymoron, and referenc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert A
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honour, praise, renown" and ''berht'' "bright, light, shining"). It is the second most frequently used given name of ancient Germanic origin. It is also in use Robert (surname), as a surname. Another commonly used form of the name is Rupert (name), Rupert. After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form ''Robert'', where an Old English cognate form (''Hrēodbēorht'', ''Hrodberht'', ''Hrēodbēorð'', ''Hrœdbœrð'', ''Hrœdberð'', ''Hrōðberχtŕ'') had existed before the Norman Conquest. The feminine version is Roberta (given name), Roberta. The Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form is Roberto (given name), Roberto. Robert is also a common name in many Germanic languages, including English ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ian Livingstone
Sir Ian Livingstone (born 29 December 1949) is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of a series of role-playing gamebooks, ''Fighting Fantasy'', and the author of many books within that series. He is also one of the co-founders of prominent games company Games Workshop. Early life Livingstone attended Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, where, according to him, he only earned one A-level, in Geography. He has kept his close links with the school and has visited it on numerous occasions, including to donate money for a refurbishment of the ICT suite, and to present awards to GCSE recipients in 1998. Career Games Workshop Livingstone co-founded Games Workshop in early 1975 with flatmates John Peake and Steve Jackson. They started publishing a monthly newsletter, ''Owl and Weasel'', and sent copies of the first issue to subscribers of the recently defunct fanzine ''Albion''; Brian Blume received one of these copies, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Dwarf (magazine)
''White Dwarf'' is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop, which has long served as a promotions and advertising platform for Games Workshop and Citadel Miniatures products. During the first ten years of its publication, it covered a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games (RPGs) and board games, particularly the role playing games '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D''), '' Call of Cthulhu'', ''RuneQuest'' and ''Traveller''. These games were all published by other games companies and distributed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop stores. The magazine underwent a major change in style and content in the late 1980s. It is now dedicated exclusively to the miniature wargames produced by Games Workshop. History 1975: ''Owl and Weasel'' to ''White Dwarf'' Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone initially produced a newsletter called ''Owl and Weasel'', which ran for twenty-five issues from February 1975 before it evolved into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Non-Stop (novel)
''Non-Stop'' is a 1958 science fiction novel by British writer Brian Aldiss. It is about problems that the inhabitants of a huge generation space ship face after an alien amino acid that they picked up on another planet triggers a pandemic. Law and order began to collapse, and knowledge of the ship and its purpose was eventually almost entirely lost throughout the vessel. It was the author's first Science Fiction novel. Originally published by Faber & Faber, it was published in the U.S. by Criterion Books as ''Starship'' in 1959. The novel has been frequently republished in the UK and US and translated into French, German, Danish and other languages. The Signet and Avon US paperback editions were also published under the title ''Starship'', but American publishers Carroll & Graf and Overlook Press have used the title ''Non-Stop''. Plot summary The novel's protagonist, Roy Complain, lives in a culturally-primitive tribe on a massive generation ship which has descended into a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
