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Pool Of Radiance (series)
''Pool of Radiance'' is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms campaign settings of Dungeons & Dragons; it was the first Dungeons & Dragons video game series to be based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. The series reached combined global sales above 800,000 units by 1996. Series ''Pool of Radiance'' Development The section of the ''Forgotten Realms'' world in which ''Pool of Radiance'' takes place was intended to be developed only by SSI. The game was created on Apple II and Commodore 64 computers, taking one year with a team of thirty-five people. This game was the first to use the game engine later used in other SSI D&D games known as the "Gold Box" series. The SSI team developing the game was led by Chuck Kroegel. Kroegel said that the main challenge with the development was interpreting the ''AD&D'' rules to an exact format. Developers also worked to balance the graphics with gameplay to provide a faithful ''AD&D'' feel, given the re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strategic Simulations, Inc
Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit from its founding in 1979 to its dissolution in 1994. The company was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', and for the groundbreaking ''Panzer General'' series. History The company was founded by Joel Billings, a wargame enthusiast, who in the summer of 1979 saw the possibility of using the new home computers such as the TRS-80 for wargames. While unsuccessfully approaching Avalon Hill and Automated Simulations to publish wargames, he hired programmers John Lyons, who wrote ''Computer Bismarck''—later claimed to have been the first "serious wargame" published for a microcomputer"Titans of the Computer Gaming World"''Computer Gaming World'', March 1988 p.36.—and Ed Williger, who wrote '' Computer Ambush''. Both games were written in BASIC as were many of SSI's early games. Although Billings e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Game Engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software industry. The game engine can also refer to the development software utilizing this framework, typically offering a suite of tools and features for developing games. Developers can use game engines to construct games for video game consoles and other types of computers. The core functionality typically provided by a game engine may include a rendering engine ("renderer") for 2D or 3D graphics, a physics engine or collision detection (and collision response), sound, scripting, animation, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, localization support, scene graph, and video support for cinematics. Game engine implementers often economize on the process of game development by reusing/adapting, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mac Plus
The Macintosh Plus computer is the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of US$2,599. As an evolutionary improvement over the 512K, it shipped with 1 MB of RAM standard, expandable to 4 MB, and an external SCSI peripheral bus, among smaller improvements. Originally, the computer's case was the same beige color as the original Macintosh, Pantone 453; however, in 1987, the case color was changed to the long-lived, warm gray "Platinum" color. It is the earliest Macintosh model able to run System Software 5, System 6, and System 7. Overview Bruce Webster of ''BYTE'' reported a rumor in December 1985: "Supposedly, Apple will be releasing a Big Mac by the time this column sees print: said Mac will reportedly come with 1 megabyte of RAM ... the new 128K-byte ROM ... and a double-sided (800K bytes) disk drive, all in the standard Mac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software engineers. The current lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, as well as the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro desktops. Macs run the macOS operating system. The Macintosh 128K, first Mac was released in 1984, and was advertised with the highly-acclaimed 1984 (advertisement), "1984" ad. After a period of initial success, the Mac languished in the 1990s, until co-founder Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. Jobs oversaw the release of many successful products, unveiled the modern Mac OS X, completed the Mac transition to Intel processors, 2005-06 Intel transition, and brought features from the iPhone back to the Mac. During Tim Cook's tenure as CEO, the Mac underwent a period of neglect, but was later reinv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Games Machine
''The Games Machine'' is a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published ''CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', ''Amtix!'' and other magazines. History The magazine ran head to head with Future's recently launched ''ACE'' and EMAP's long running ''C&VG'' magazines. Unhappy with the profits from the title Newsfield decided to end the title in 1990. However Newsfield would, more or less, continue with a multi format magazine with '' Raze''. This new title would concentrate on the ever rising consoles like the Mega Drive as well as the established NES and Master System. ''The Games Machine'' in Italy A magazine with the same name is still being published in Italy. While it started as an Italian translated version of the British magazine, it currently publishes original articles, and is one of the best selling PC games magazines in Italy. References External links Archived The Games Machine magazines on the Internet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IBM PC Compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. The term "IBM PC compatible" is now a historical description only, since IBM no longer sells personal computers after it sold its personal computer division in 2005 to Chinese technology company Lenovo. The designation "PC", as used in much of personal computer history, has not meant "personal computer" generally, but rather an x86 computer capable of running the same software that a contemporary IBM PC could. The term was initially in contrast to the variety of home computer systems available in the early 1980s, such as the Apple II, TRS-80, and Commodore 64. Later, the term was primarily used in contrast to Apple's Macintosh computers. These "clones" duplicated almost all the significant features of the original IBM PC architectures. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MobyGames
MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small number of people paying to become patrons. Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It is currently owned by Atari SA. Content Prior to being merged into the database, changes go through a leisurely verification process by volunteer "approvers". There is a published standard for game information and copyediting. The most commonly used sources are video game packaging and title and credit screens. Registered users can rate and review any game. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists which can generate a list of games available for trade with other users. The site has an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own subforum. History MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999 by Jim Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George MacDonald (game Designer)
George MacDonald is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games and in the computer game industry. Career George MacDonald started work on role-playing games while at college, by adding more detailed super powers to Gamescience's '' Superhero: 2044'' RPG (1977) and ultimately creating his own original system which Steve Peterson typed up, and which eventually became the superhero RPG, '' Champions'' (1981). MacDonald and Peterson had only enough money to print 1,500 copies of the game and hand-collated the pages, and they sold their new game at Pacific Origins 1981; they were surprised to see it sell very well, selling 1,000 of their 1,500 copies at the convention. After this early success, MacDonald and Peterson started Hero Games as a publishing label. By 1982, they were ready to take the next step in turning Hero Games into a professional business, and opened up an office and asked Ray Greer to join them as a partner and handle marketing and sales, with B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monster Manual II
''Monster Manual II'' is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Monster Manual II'' was a 160-page hardcover book published in 1983, credited solely to Gary Gygax, which featured cover art by Jeff Easley. The book was a supplement describing over 250 monsters, most with illustrations. Many of the monsters were drawn from scenario modules, in particular from '' S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth''. The book included random encounter tables for dungeon and wilderness settings built from the ''Monster Manual'', ''Fiend Folio'', and ''Monster Manual II'', and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages of ''Dragon'' magazine. Like the ''Fiend Folio'' before it, the monsters in ''Monster Manual II'' listed the experience point value for each monster within the entry. The ''Monster Manual II'' along with the First Edition ''Unearthed Arca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unearthed Arcana
''Unearthed Arcana'' (abbreviated UA) is the title shared by two hardback books published for different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the core rulebooks, containing material that expanded upon other rules. The original ''Unearthed Arcana'' was written primarily by Gary Gygax, and published by game publisher TSR in 1985 for use with the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' first edition rules. The book consisted mostly of material previously published in magazines, and included new races, classes, and other material to expand the rules in the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' and ''Players Handbook''. The book was notorious for its considerable number of errors, and was received negatively by the gaming press whose criticisms targeted the over-powered races and classes, among other issues. Gygax intended to use the book's content for a planned second edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''; however, much of the book ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dungeons & Dragons Rulebooks
This is a list of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' rulebooks for the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, sorted by the edition of the game that they appeared in. This list does not include books designed for use as premade adventures. In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', rule books contain all the elements of playing the game. And they cover rules to the game, how to play, options for gameplay, stat blocks and lore of monsters, and tables the Dungeon Master or player would roll dice for to add more of a random effect to the game. Options for gameplay mostly involve player options, like race, class, archetype, and background. But other options could be player equipment like weapons, tools, armor, and miscellaneous items that can be useful. Original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Basic Dungeons & Dragons'' The '' Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' was the successor to original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and was released while TSR, Inc. was working on the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer And Video Games
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website was launched in 1999 and closed in February 2015. ''CVG'' was the longest-running video game media brand in the world. History ''Computer and Video Games'' was established in 1981, being the first British games magazine. Initially published monthly between November 1981 and October 2004 and solely web-based from 2004 onwards, the magazine was one of the first publications to capitalise on the growing home computing market, although it also covered arcade games. At the time of launch it was the world's first dedicated video games magazine. The first issue featured articles on ''Space Invaders'', Chess, Othello and advice on how to learn programming. The magazine had a typical ABC of 106,000. Website Launched in August 1999, CVG was o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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