Silas Warner
Encyclopedia
Silas Warner was a game programmer
and the first employee of Muse Software
. Among other games, he created Castle Wolfenstein
and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
.
Warner was educated at Deep Springs College
and Indiana University
. He was a talented programmer, but lacked some social skills.
Former coworkers state that he was a prototypical "geek
" in the best sense of that word: smart, inventive, and totally uninterested in conforming. He was a very large man, 6'9" and between 300 and 400 lbs.
Warner was a major contributor to the early PLATO system in not just the area of gaming but also as an educational content developer. RobotWar
and its editor program RobotWrite originated on the PLATO system in the 1970s. This game allowed players to program their own robots in a simple language
and then pit them against each other in an arena
. Due to the nature of the PLATO system as an interactive educational tool, and the availability of RobotWar at many PLATO sites, this game became an item listed in the on-line computer science curriculum of many universities and colleges. Other PLATO games authored principally by Warner include Conquest, Orbit War and Airace (precursor to Airfight hence subLOGIC
's Flight Simulator
). He was also a contributor to Empire.
Warner also created one of the first digital sound systems for the Apple II called "the Voice" which enabled one to record voice and play it back through the Apple II's severely limited sound system. The technology was used to create the voices in Castle Wolfenstein. He also adapted RobotWar
for the Apple II. This version of the game was so popular Byte magazine used to run competitions for best robot
.
After Muse, Warner went to work for MicroProse
at their Hunt Valley, Maryland
studio. He left about 1990 and subsequently worked at Virgin Games in Southern California.
Warner died in March 2004 after a long battle with kidney disease
. His ashes were scattered at a private ranch in Magalia, California.
and talented musician and composer in the classical European style. Amongst his notable works are Fugue for DRH and Variations on Sonata in A by Mozart (the second of which can be downloaded for personal use).
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
and the first employee of Muse Software
Muse Software
Muse Software was a software and computer game publisher and developer for the first generation of home computers. They first published for the Apple II, and later expanded to the Commodore 64, Atari, and the IBM PC....
. Among other games, he created Castle Wolfenstein
Castle Wolfenstein
Castle Wolfenstein is an early stealth-based action-adventure shooter computer game developed by Muse Software for the Apple II. It was first released in 1981 and later ported to DOS, the Atari 8-bit family, and the Commodore 64.- Description :...
and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein is a 1984 computer game by Muse Software. It is the sequel to the innovative and successful Castle Wolfenstein, a prototypical stealth game...
.
Warner was educated at Deep Springs College
Deep Springs College
Deep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
and Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. He was a talented programmer, but lacked some social skills.
Former coworkers state that he was a prototypical "geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
" in the best sense of that word: smart, inventive, and totally uninterested in conforming. He was a very large man, 6'9" and between 300 and 400 lbs.
Warner was a major contributor to the early PLATO system in not just the area of gaming but also as an educational content developer. RobotWar
RobotWar
RobotWar was a programming game written by Silas Warner. This game, along with the companion program RobotWrite, was originally developed in the TUTOR programming language language on the PLATO system in the 1970s. Later the game was commercialized and adapted for the Apple II family of computers...
and its editor program RobotWrite originated on the PLATO system in the 1970s. This game allowed players to program their own robots in a simple language
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
and then pit them against each other in an arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
. Due to the nature of the PLATO system as an interactive educational tool, and the availability of RobotWar at many PLATO sites, this game became an item listed in the on-line computer science curriculum of many universities and colleges. Other PLATO games authored principally by Warner include Conquest, Orbit War and Airace (precursor to Airfight hence subLOGIC
SubLOGIC
The subLOGIC Corporation is an American software development company. It was formed by Bruce Artwick when he was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and later incorporated by Stu Moment....
's Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
). He was also a contributor to Empire.
Warner also created one of the first digital sound systems for the Apple II called "the Voice" which enabled one to record voice and play it back through the Apple II's severely limited sound system. The technology was used to create the voices in Castle Wolfenstein. He also adapted RobotWar
RobotWar
RobotWar was a programming game written by Silas Warner. This game, along with the companion program RobotWrite, was originally developed in the TUTOR programming language language on the PLATO system in the 1970s. Later the game was commercialized and adapted for the Apple II family of computers...
for the Apple II. This version of the game was so popular Byte magazine used to run competitions for best robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
.
After Muse, Warner went to work for MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
at their Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley is an affluent unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It lies just north of the city of Baltimore, along Highway 145 off Interstate 83. Loch Raven Reservoir...
studio. He left about 1990 and subsequently worked at Virgin Games in Southern California.
Warner died in March 2004 after a long battle with kidney disease
Nephrology
Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.-Scope of the specialty:...
. His ashes were scattered at a private ranch in Magalia, California.
Music
Silas Warner was also a published authorAuthor
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and talented musician and composer in the classical European style. Amongst his notable works are Fugue for DRH and Variations on Sonata in A by Mozart (the second of which can be downloaded for personal use).
External links
- Anecdotes from an ex-coworker
- Variations on Sonata in A by Mozart by Silas Warner at the NWC Scriptorium
- Old Timers: Muse Software, Silas Warner's KansasFestKansasFestKansasFest is an annual event for Apple II computer enthusiasts. Held every July at Rockhurst University of Kansas City, Missouri, KansasFest typically lasts five days and features presentations from Apple II experts and pioneers, as well as games, fun events, after-hours hallway chatter,...
1992 presentation