Realmz
Encyclopedia
Realmz is a fantasy adventure
and role-playing
computer game first developed and published by Fantasoft
in 1994 for the Apple Macintosh as shareware
. Fantasoft released a Microsoft Windows
-compatible version in 1999, and a science fiction role-playing game based on the Realmz engine, titled New Centurions
, in 2001. Realmz was originally written by Tim Phillips on a Macintosh IIsi
; he also wrote four game scenarios, including the introductory scenario "City of Bywater". Other original scenario contributors were Jim Foley (who wrote two scenarios, namely "Castle in the Clouds" and "White Dragon") and Sean Sayrs (who wrote three, including "Prelude to Pestilence" and "Griloch's Revenge").
Realmz is similar to the Exile series by Spiderweb Software
which features similar gameplay and graphics, and both were originally published by Fantasoft
.
Custom Realmz game scenarios can be created with a tool called Divinity - also produced by Fantasoft, LLC. A special version of Realmz - Divine Right - is useful in conjunction with Divinity. It is the debugger software for user-created scenarios.
D&D module, forcing the alteration of a number of elements in Realmz and its scenarios.
Realmz is a PC RPG where the player assumes the roles of a party of heroes in fictional adventures. The turn-based, tile-based game has rules for individual combat and the use of magic spells
in fighting while focusing on the medieval-period high fantasy genre.
The user interface
consists of a character status bar which includes the character portrait, combat status, the character name, current stamina/maximum stamina, attacks/round or spell points/max spell points and the characters armor rating
.
Players can select from a range of different actions including camping, inventory management, spellcasting, displaying current spells affecting the party, using spells from a scrollcase, trading items between characters, exchanging money between characters, resting, and inscribing scrolls. The action panel also displays the current time and day in the game and the current source of light. Special actions include area search, entering a temple, shopping and attempting to perform a special action.
Combat gameplay involves the basic movement of characters around the combat screen which costs movement points. The amount of movement points are affected by how much weight the character is carrying. Each character has a maximum movement allowance that is determined by their statistics. A character will always have at least 2 movement points per round, even if that character is carrying the maximum load. Rougher terrain takes longer to cross and can affect combat gameplay. Open areas cost 1 movement point to cross while obstacles and muddy or rocky areas cost more movement points.
Some objects, such as trees or giant fungi, are solid barriers to small creatures, while larger creatures are able to step over or move through these objects. Characters can also swap positions with other characters (since version 5), or they can attack a friend. Characters on auto mode or those that are reanimated will never attack an ally and will always try to swap positions.
Magic-using characters use spell points to cast spells, regenerating spell points slowly over time or more rapidly while resting. Spells are gained only at level-up by "purchasing" them using spell selection points, which the character receives a set number of based on their stats (although priestly classes instead gained entire levels of spells at a time with every three level-ups in earlier versions of Realmz). When encamped, the party's magic users can store away pre-cast spells for the future by using parchment, a scroll case, and an additional spell point penalty to create scrolls; these scrolls could then be used in the future (even by compatible proto-magical classes like thieves and paladins) without spending spell points.
One unusual feature of the Realmz magic system is that most spells could have their power (damage, area, targets, duration, etc) scaled by two to seven times in return for increased cost.
While new scenarios were released throughout the game's history, also typically packed along with the game in the next Realmz release, the game ultimately ended up with 13 official scenarios:
Many third party scenarios have been developed by fans and game developers by using Divinity, a scenario development kit (SDK) for Realmz that was released years into the lifespan of Realmz. This allows players who have no knowledge of programming to create scenarios with their own monsters, items, graphics and storyline.
A character editor
program was created and could be purchased separately from Realmz. The editor enables players to change existing characters and generate new characters with their own skills, portraits and other settings such as strength. However, not every aspect of a character can be edited. The fact sheet for characters are displayed on the screen, and is similar to the fact sheet in the Realmz game. An edit bar at the top of the screen allow players to edit a character's spells, conditions, and abilities. Characters can be given any items, however they are still be subject to the restrictions of that item; as an example a Priest is still only be able to use blunt weapons.
. Also, bugs on the Windows version exist, and it is not up to version parity with the final Macintosh release. Because of the game's age and lack of support for Mac OS X, the Realmz community has begun a project in 2005 to rewrite
Realmz for today's modern operating systems. Realmz will run on an Intel Mac with sheep shaver and in Windows running on an Intel Mac.
Mac OS Classic: to fix registration issue enter 410 on the registration screen and type in the serial number 13706024 then use the serial and registration code from Fantasoft.
Windows: enter 410 on the registration screen and type in the serial number 13706024 then use the serial and registration code from Fantasoft.
, MacCentral
and cnet
. Many users were pleased with the game's good customer support
, "intuitive user interface" and the continuous release of improved versions. Realmz game was voted "Best Shareware Game" by MacUser magazine in 1995 and awarded the Golden Mouse
for best shareware adventure game in the Swedish
edition of MacWorld.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
and role-playing
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
computer game first developed and published by Fantasoft
Fantasoft
Fantasoft is a computer game company which programmed and promoted a number of shareware games with a primary focus on the Apple Macintosh platform. The company has been dormant recently for several years...
in 1994 for the Apple Macintosh as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
. Fantasoft released a Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-compatible version in 1999, and a science fiction role-playing game based on the Realmz engine, titled New Centurions
New Centurions
New Centurions is a turn-based science fiction tactical role-playing game released by Fantasoft for "classic" Mac OS in 2001. The player guides a squad of up to six player characters through a series of missions....
, in 2001. Realmz was originally written by Tim Phillips on a Macintosh IIsi
Macintosh IIsi
The Macintosh IIsi was a compact three-box desktop unit, effectively a cut-down Macintosh IIci in a smaller case , made cheaper by the redesign of the motherboard and the deletion of all but one of the expansion card slots...
; he also wrote four game scenarios, including the introductory scenario "City of Bywater". Other original scenario contributors were Jim Foley (who wrote two scenarios, namely "Castle in the Clouds" and "White Dragon") and Sean Sayrs (who wrote three, including "Prelude to Pestilence" and "Griloch's Revenge").
Realmz is similar to the Exile series by Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software is a small indie video game developer founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel in Seattle, Washington. Its primary focus is on creating demoware games for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The company is unusual in that it first develops games for Macintosh...
which features similar gameplay and graphics, and both were originally published by Fantasoft
Fantasoft
Fantasoft is a computer game company which programmed and promoted a number of shareware games with a primary focus on the Apple Macintosh platform. The company has been dormant recently for several years...
.
Custom Realmz game scenarios can be created with a tool called Divinity - also produced by Fantasoft, LLC. A special version of Realmz - Divine Right - is useful in conjunction with Divinity. It is the debugger software for user-created scenarios.
Setting
While Realmz is primarily an engine for playing a number of scenarios (roughly corresponding to the campaigns in a tabletop RPG) using the same characters and set of rules, the different scenarios tend to take place in a broadly similar high fantasy setting known as "The Realmz". In fact, Fantasoft was once contacted by TSR about similarities to the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The 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...
D&D module, forcing the alteration of a number of elements in Realmz and its scenarios.
Gameplay
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
in fighting while focusing on the medieval-period high fantasy genre.
The user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
consists of a character status bar which includes the character portrait, combat status, the character name, current stamina/maximum stamina, attacks/round or spell points/max spell points and the characters armor rating
Armor class
In some role-playing games, armor class is a derived statistic that indicates how difficult it is to land a successful blow on a character with an attack...
.
Players can select from a range of different actions including camping, inventory management, spellcasting, displaying current spells affecting the party, using spells from a scrollcase, trading items between characters, exchanging money between characters, resting, and inscribing scrolls. The action panel also displays the current time and day in the game and the current source of light. Special actions include area search, entering a temple, shopping and attempting to perform a special action.
Combat gameplay involves the basic movement of characters around the combat screen which costs movement points. The amount of movement points are affected by how much weight the character is carrying. Each character has a maximum movement allowance that is determined by their statistics. A character will always have at least 2 movement points per round, even if that character is carrying the maximum load. Rougher terrain takes longer to cross and can affect combat gameplay. Open areas cost 1 movement point to cross while obstacles and muddy or rocky areas cost more movement points.
Some objects, such as trees or giant fungi, are solid barriers to small creatures, while larger creatures are able to step over or move through these objects. Characters can also swap positions with other characters (since version 5), or they can attack a friend. Characters on auto mode or those that are reanimated will never attack an ally and will always try to swap positions.
Magic-using characters use spell points to cast spells, regenerating spell points slowly over time or more rapidly while resting. Spells are gained only at level-up by "purchasing" them using spell selection points, which the character receives a set number of based on their stats (although priestly classes instead gained entire levels of spells at a time with every three level-ups in earlier versions of Realmz). When encamped, the party's magic users can store away pre-cast spells for the future by using parchment, a scroll case, and an additional spell point penalty to create scrolls; these scrolls could then be used in the future (even by compatible proto-magical classes like thieves and paladins) without spending spell points.
One unusual feature of the Realmz magic system is that most spells could have their power (damage, area, targets, duration, etc) scaled by two to seven times in return for increased cost.
Scenarios
- City Of Bywater (developed alongside Realmz by Tim Phillips)
- Prelude To Pestilence (1995, Sean Sayrs)
- Assault On Giant Mountain (1995, Tim Phillips)
- Castle in The Clouds (1995, Jim Foley)
- Destroy The Necronomicon (1995, Tim Phillips)
- White Dragon (1996, Jim Foley)
- Grilochs Revenge (1997, Sean Sayrs)
- Twin Sands of Time (1999, Sean Sayrs)
- Trouble in the Sword Lands (1999, Pierre H. Vachon)
- Mithril Vault (1999, Tim Phillips)
- Half Truth (2000, Tremordred)
- War in the Sword Lands (2000, Pierre H. Vachon)
- Wrath of the Mind Lords (2002, Pierre H. Vachon)
Many third party scenarios have been developed by fans and game developers by using Divinity, a scenario development kit (SDK) for Realmz that was released years into the lifespan of Realmz. This allows players who have no knowledge of programming to create scenarios with their own monsters, items, graphics and storyline.
Character editor
Level editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
program was created and could be purchased separately from Realmz. The editor enables players to change existing characters and generate new characters with their own skills, portraits and other settings such as strength. However, not every aspect of a character can be edited. The fact sheet for characters are displayed on the screen, and is similar to the fact sheet in the Realmz game. An edit bar at the top of the screen allow players to edit a character's spells, conditions, and abilities. Characters can be given any items, however they are still be subject to the restrictions of that item; as an example a Priest is still only be able to use blunt weapons.
Future of Realmz
Tim Phillips is no longer developing Realmz, and the game has not been updated in several years. It can only be run natively under System 7-OS 9 or Windows 98+, requiring Mac OS X-only machines to run it through the Classic environment or a Macintosh emulatorSheepShaver
SheepShaver is an open source PowerPC Apple Macintosh emulator originally designed for BeOS and Linux. The name is a play on ShapeShifter, a Macintosh II emulator for AmigaOS , which is in turn not to be confused with a third-party preference pane for Mac OS X with the same name...
. Also, bugs on the Windows version exist, and it is not up to version parity with the final Macintosh release. Because of the game's age and lack of support for Mac OS X, the Realmz community has begun a project in 2005 to rewrite
Rewrite (programming)
A rewrite in computer programming is the act or result of re-implementing a large portion of existing functionality without re-use of its source code. When the rewrite is not using existing code at all, it is common to speak of a rewrite from scratch...
Realmz for today's modern operating systems. Realmz will run on an Intel Mac with sheep shaver and in Windows running on an Intel Mac.
Free Realmz
Realmz was originally released as shareware, with a $20 registration fee and additional fees for each scenario. As of November 2008, Fantasoft has released the full version of Realmz as a free download. The registration numbers for the scenarios have been made available to everyone on the Realmz Yahoo Group.Mac OS Classic: to fix registration issue enter 410 on the registration screen and type in the serial number 13706024 then use the serial and registration code from Fantasoft.
Windows: enter 410 on the registration screen and type in the serial number 13706024 then use the serial and registration code from Fantasoft.
Reviews
Realmz received positive reviews from magazines and websites in the Macintosh community shortly after its initial release. Some of the more notable reviews are from MacUserMacUser
MacUser is a biweekly computer magazine published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. and licensed by Felden in the UK.In 1985 Felix Dennis’ Dennis Publishing, the creators of MacUser in the UK, licensed the name and “mouse-rating” symbol for MacUser to Ziff-Davis Publishing for use in the rest of the world....
, MacCentral
MacCentral
MacCentral was a web site that provided news and information covering the Apple Macintosh, originally as an independent entity and later as the news service for Mac Publishing Web sites, including Macworld.com and Playlist, before being subsumed by Macworld's own brand.MacCentral was founded by...
and cnet
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
. Many users were pleased with the game's good customer support
Customer support
Customer support is a range of customer services to assist customers in making cost effective and correct use of a product. It includes assistance in planning, installation, training, trouble shooting, maintenance, upgrading, and disposal of a product....
, "intuitive user interface" and the continuous release of improved versions. Realmz game was voted "Best Shareware Game" by MacUser magazine in 1995 and awarded the Golden Mouse
Golden mouse
The Golden Mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli, is a species of New World mouse. It is usually 5–8 inches in body length, and has a golden-brownish color.-Habitat:...
for best shareware adventure game in the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
edition of MacWorld.