Gold Box
Encyclopedia
Gold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI
. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game
from TSR, Inc. These games shared a common engine that came to be known as the "Gold Box Engine" after the gold-colored boxes in which most games of the series were sold.
and Sierra Entertainment
, applied for the license. SSI President Joel Billings
acquired the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) license from TSR in a 1987 major deal due primarily to their computerised wargaming experience and their broader vision. The development of the Gold Box engine and the original games was managed by SSI's Chuck Kroegel
and George MacDonald. Later versions were led by Victor Penman and Ken Humphries.
The first game produced in the series was Pool of Radiance
, released in 1988. This was followed by Curse of the Azure Bonds
(1989), Secret of the Silver Blades
(1990), and Pools of Darkness
(1991), the games forming one continuous story rooted in the once-glorious city of Phlan and later encompassing the entire Moonsea Reaches and four outer planes. A series of TSR novels with identical titles paralleled the stories in the games, and also were best sellers. The original four titles were developed in-house at SSI, and were the best selling Gold Box games. Their success spurred an era of rapid growth at the company.
Earlier games in the series were playable on the Apple IIe
, the Apple Macintosh, the Commodore 64
, the Amiga
and the IBM PC
. Later games in the series were released only for the Macintosh, Amiga, and PC.
When SSI began work on the Dark Sun
engine in 1990, development of the Savage Frontier series was passed to developer Stormfront Studios
. Stormfront set their first Forgotten Realms Gold Box title, Gateway to the Savage Frontier
(1991), in Neverwinter
, far from the locale of the prior games in Myth Drannor. Gateway became the fourth Gold Box game to go to the #1 position on industry sales charts.
All of the online RPGs of the 1980s were text-based MUD
s, describing the action in the style of Rogue
or Will Crowther's original Adventure
game. Stormfront's Don Daglow
had been designing games for AOL
for several years, and the new alliance of SSI, TSR, America On-Line, and Stormfront led to the development of Neverwinter Nights
, the first graphical MMORPG
, which ran on AOL from 1991 to 1997. NWN was a multi-player implementation of the Gold Box engine, and was the most popular game on AOL for over five years. It paved the way for later hits such as Ultima Online
(1997) and Everquest
(1999).
Dark Sun was supposed to replace the aging Gold Box engine with its first game, Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
in 1992. Unfortunately, the new engine was still shaky when Shattered Lands appeared in 1994. With the Gold Box engine's sales finally fading after an incredible six-year run, the losses SSI absorbed during those two years of delays played a critical role in the sale of SSI to Mindscape in 1994.
The memory of all these games is kept alive by Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
, or FRUA for short, released in 1993, which was an editor that allowed players to create their own stories using a version of the Gold Box engine. An active community grew up around this game, including hacks that expanded its powers and its graphics abilities.
However, interest in the series eventually waned, although the mantle of this genre
was later assumed by more recent role-playing games such as Baldur's Gate
, and more recently, Neverwinter Nights
.
s, and were heavier on combat than on role-playing.
The Gold Box games formed a number of series in which you could move characters who had finished one game to the next one in the series. In addition, characters from Pool of Radiance could be imported into Hillsfar
, a game based on an entirely different engine, and then exported into Curse of the Azure Bonds. The system was improved over time, adding better colors, graphics, more player-class levels, and new story lines.
Additionally, Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
(1992) used the Gold Box combat engine.
was given a score of 90% by Commodore User. The reviewer Tony Dillon was impressed with the features.
The next game in the series Curse of the Azure Bonds was also well received given a score of 90% on magazine, "The Games Machine" and 89% on CU Amiga-64.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
from TSR, Inc. These games shared a common engine that came to be known as the "Gold Box Engine" after the gold-colored boxes in which most games of the series were sold.
History
In 1985 TSR, after seeing the success of the Ultima series, offered its license to game developers. Ten companies, including Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
and Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
, applied for the license. SSI President Joel Billings
Joel Billings
Joel Billings is an American computer game designer. He is the founder of the game company SSI. He was also the company's president.-Career:Billings started SSI in 1979 just after finishing college, with a $1000 initial investment. The first product was Computer Bismarck, which he co-wrote...
acquired the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) license from TSR in a 1987 major deal due primarily to their computerised wargaming experience and their broader vision. The development of the Gold Box engine and the original games was managed by SSI's Chuck Kroegel
Chuck Kroegel
Chuck Kroegel is an American computer game designer. He was an executive for many years with SSI, and played a role in developing their position as an industry leader in war games and role-playing games...
and George MacDonald. Later versions were led by Victor Penman and Ken Humphries.
The first game produced in the series was Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
, released in 1988. This was followed by Curse of the Azure Bonds
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Curse of the Azure Bonds is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1989. It is the second in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box adventure computer games, continuing the events after the first part, Pool of Radiance.An...
(1989), Secret of the Silver Blades
Secret of the Silver Blades
Secret of the Silver Blades is the third in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" adventure computer games. The game was released in 1990.The story is a continuation of the events after Curse of the Azure Bonds.-Story:...
(1990), and Pools of Darkness
Pools of Darkness
Pools of Darkness is the fourth in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box adventure computer games, published by Strategic Simulations, Inc.. The game was released in 1991...
(1991), the games forming one continuous story rooted in the once-glorious city of Phlan and later encompassing the entire Moonsea Reaches and four outer planes. A series of TSR novels with identical titles paralleled the stories in the games, and also were best sellers. The original four titles were developed in-house at SSI, and were the best selling Gold Box games. Their success spurred an era of rapid growth at the company.
Earlier games in the series were playable on the Apple IIe
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
, the Apple Macintosh, the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
. Later games in the series were released only for the Macintosh, Amiga, and PC.
When SSI began work on the Dark Sun
Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....
engine in 1990, development of the Savage Frontier series was passed to developer Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
. Stormfront set their first Forgotten Realms Gold Box title, Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Gateway to the Savage Frontier is a Gold Box Dungeons and Dragons computer game developed by Stormfront Studios and published by SSI for the Commodore 64, PC and Amiga personal computers...
(1991), in Neverwinter
Neverwinter
Neverwinter is a fictional city-state in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Neverwinter was founded by Lord Halueth Never...
, far from the locale of the prior games in Myth Drannor. Gateway became the fourth Gold Box game to go to the #1 position on industry sales charts.
All of the online RPGs of the 1980s were text-based MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s, describing the action in the style of Rogue
Rogue (computer game)
Rogue is a dungeon crawling video game first developed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman around 1980. It was a favorite on college Unix systems in the early to mid-1980s, in part due to the procedural generation of game content. Rogue popularized dungeon crawling as a video game trope, leading...
or Will Crowther's original Adventure
Colossal Cave Adventure
Colossal Cave Adventure gave its name to the computer adventure game genre . It was originally designed by Will Crowther, a programmer and caving enthusiast who based the layout on part of the Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky...
game. Stormfront's Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
had been designing games for AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
for several years, and the new alliance of SSI, TSR, America On-Line, and Stormfront led to the development of Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights (AOL game)
Neverwinter Nights was the first multiplayer online role-playing game to display graphics, and ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL.-Gameplay:Neverwinter Nights was developed to be played similarly to the Gold Box series of games...
, the first graphical MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
, which ran on AOL from 1991 to 1997. NWN was a multi-player implementation of the Gold Box engine, and was the most popular game on AOL for over five years. It paved the way for later hits such as Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
(1997) and Everquest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
(1999).
Dark Sun was supposed to replace the aging Gold Box engine with its first game, Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands is a turn-based computer role-playing game that takes place in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting of Dark Sun...
in 1992. Unfortunately, the new engine was still shaky when Shattered Lands appeared in 1994. With the Gold Box engine's sales finally fading after an incredible six-year run, the losses SSI absorbed during those two years of delays played a critical role in the sale of SSI to Mindscape in 1994.
The memory of all these games is kept alive by Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures, also known as Unlimited Adventures, or by the acronyms FRUA or UA, is a computer game originally released on March 17, 1993, by Strategic Simulations, Inc...
, or FRUA for short, released in 1993, which was an editor that allowed players to create their own stories using a version of the Gold Box engine. An active community grew up around this game, including hacks that expanded its powers and its graphics abilities.
However, interest in the series eventually waned, although the mantle of this genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
was later assumed by more recent role-playing games such as Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate series
Baldur's Gate is a franchise of action role-playing games released under the Dungeons & Dragons Video Game Licenses. It is set in the fictional campaign setting of Forgotten Realms and takes place in its fictional continent of Faerûn. It takes place mostly in the Western Heartlands, but has also...
, and more recently, Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
.
Features
The "Gold Box Engine" had two main game play modes. Outside of character creation, game play took place in a screen that displayed text interactions, the names and current status of your party of characters, and a window which displayed images of geography, and large or small pictures of characters or events. When combat occurred, which was often in these games, you switched to a full screen combat mode, in which player character icons could move about to cast spells or attack icons representing the enemies. All the games typically involved long dungeon crawlDungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
s, and were heavier on combat than on role-playing.
The Gold Box games formed a number of series in which you could move characters who had finished one game to the next one in the series. In addition, characters from Pool of Radiance could be imported into Hillsfar
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Hillsfar
Hillsfar is a role-playing video game released for MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 in 1989. It features a combination of real-time action and randomly generated quests. It also includes standard gameplay elements of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, upon which the...
, a game based on an entirely different engine, and then exported into Curse of the Azure Bonds. The system was improved over time, adding better colors, graphics, more player-class levels, and new story lines.
Titles
- The Pool of RadiancePool of RadiancePool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
Forgotten RealmsForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
series (developed internally at SSI):- Pool of RadiancePool of RadiancePool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
(1988) - Curse of the Azure BondsCurse of the Azure BondsCurse of the Azure Bonds is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1989. It is the second in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box adventure computer games, continuing the events after the first part, Pool of Radiance.An...
(1989) - Secret of the Silver BladesSecret of the Silver BladesSecret of the Silver Blades is the third in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" adventure computer games. The game was released in 1990.The story is a continuation of the events after Curse of the Azure Bonds.-Story:...
(1990) - Pools of DarknessPools of DarknessPools of Darkness is the fourth in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box adventure computer games, published by Strategic Simulations, Inc.. The game was released in 1991...
(1991) - Forgotten Realms Unlimited AdventuresForgotten Realms Unlimited AdventuresForgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures, also known as Unlimited Adventures, or by the acronyms FRUA or UA, is a computer game originally released on March 17, 1993, by Strategic Simulations, Inc...
(1993)
- Pool of Radiance
- The Savage Frontier Forgotten RealmsForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
series (developed by Stormfront StudiosStormfront StudiosStormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
):- Gateway to the Savage FrontierGateway to the Savage FrontierGateway to the Savage Frontier is a Gold Box Dungeons and Dragons computer game developed by Stormfront Studios and published by SSI for the Commodore 64, PC and Amiga personal computers...
(1991) - Treasures of the Savage FrontierTreasures of the Savage FrontierTreasures of the Savage Frontier is a Gold Box Dungeons and Dragons computer role-playing game. It was developed by Stormfront Studios and published by SSI for the Amiga and DOS.-Development:...
(1992) - Neverwinter NightsNeverwinter Nights (AOL game)Neverwinter Nights was the first multiplayer online role-playing game to display graphics, and ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL.-Gameplay:Neverwinter Nights was developed to be played similarly to the Gold Box series of games...
, the first graphical MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
, for AOLAOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
(1991)
- Gateway to the Savage Frontier
- The DragonlanceDragonlanceDragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
series (developed internally at SSI):- Champions of KrynnChampions of KrynnChampions of Krynn is the first in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" computer role-playing games. The game was released in 1990. The highest graphics setting supported in the MS-DOS version was EGA graphics. It also supported the Adlib sound card and either...
(1990) - Death Knights of KrynnDeath Knights of KrynnDeath Knights of Krynn is the second in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" computer role-playing games, published by Strategic Simulations, Inc...
(1991) - The Dark Queen of KrynnThe Dark Queen of KrynnThe Dark Queen of Krynn is the third in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" role-playing video games. The game was released in 1992.-Story:...
(1992)
- Champions of Krynn
- The Buck RogersBuck RogersAnthony Rogers is a fictional character that first appeared in Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan in the August 1928 issue of the pulp magazine Amazing Stories. A sequel, The Airlords of Han, was published in the March 1929 issue....
series:- Countdown to DoomsdayCountdown to DoomsdayBuck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday is a computer role-playing game released by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1990, set in the Buck Rogers XXVC game setting....
(1990) - Matrix CubedMatrix CubedBuck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1992.Versions of the game were sold for the IBM PC Compatible...
(1992)
- Countdown to Doomsday
Additionally, Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
Spelljammer: the Pirates of Realmspace is a computer game for MS-DOS and was released by SSI in 1992. It is a Dungeons & Dragons PC computer game using the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Second Edition, Spelljammer rules. Spelljammer was programmed and designed by Cybertech...
(1992) used the Gold Box combat engine.
Collections
- Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Limited Edition Collector's Set (1990, DOS, C64, Amiga, SSI) - a compilation of many early AD&D titles, including several Gold Box games.
- Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Collectors Edition (1994, DOS, WizardWorksWizardWorks SoftwareWizardWorks Software was a video game developer and publisher located in Minneapolis, MN. Focused on casual consumer games sold through mass-merchants like Target and Wal-Mart, WizardWorks was best known for publishing the Deer Hunter series of video games developed by Sunstorm Interactive but also...
) - a compilation of all of the Gold Box games, minus FRUA and the Buck Rogers series. - Fantasy Fest! (1994, DOS, SSI) - a compilation of several AD&D games, including FRUA.
- Dungeons & Dragons Ultimate Fantasy (1995, DOS, Slash) - a compilation of several AD&D games, including FRUA.
- The Forgotten Realms Archives (1997, DOS/WIN, Interplay) - a compilation of SSI's Forgotten Realms video games, including the Gold Box series'.
- Gamefest: Forgotten Realms Classics (2001, DOS/WIN, Interplay) - a compilation of SSI's Forgotten Realms video games, including the Gold Box series'.
Game reception
The first Gold Box game Pool of RadiancePool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
was given a score of 90% by Commodore User. The reviewer Tony Dillon was impressed with the features.
The next game in the series Curse of the Azure Bonds was also well received given a score of 90% on magazine, "The Games Machine" and 89% on CU Amiga-64.