Editing Gold Box (section)

==History==
===Licensing and development===
In the mid-1980s TSR, after seeing the success of the ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' series and other [[computer role-playing game]]s (CRPGs), offered its popular ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''AD&D'') property to video game companies. Ten companies, including [[Electronic Arts]], ''Ultima'' creator [[Origin Systems]], and [[Sierra Entertainment]] applied for the license.<ref name="allen1">{{cite web | first=Allen | last=Rausch | date=2004-08-16 | title=SSI's "Gold Box" Series | url=http://au.gamespy.com/articles/539/539214p1.html | access-date=2009-01-02}}</ref><ref name="maher20160318">{{cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/03/opening-the-gold-box-part-3-from-tabletop-to-desktop/ | title=Opening the Gold Box, Part 3: From Tabletop to Desktop | publisher=The Digital Antiquarian | date=2016-03-18 | access-date=19 March 2016 | author=Maher, Jimmy}}</ref> [[Strategic Simulations, Inc.]] (SSI) president [[Joel Billings]] had, along with many other companies, earlier contacted TSR about licensing ''AD&D'', but TSR was not interested at that time. Although smaller and less technically advanced than other bidders, SSI unexpectedly won the license in 1987 because of its computerized wargaming experience, and instead of releasing a single ''AD&D'' game as soon as possible, the company proposed a broad vision of multiple series of games and spinoffs that might become as sophisticated as TSR's tabletop original.<ref name="allen1"/>{{r|maher20160318}}

After winning the ''AD&D'' license, the number of SSI's in-house developers increased from seven to 25, including the company's first full-time computer-graphic artists. TSR significantly participated in the games' development, including designing [[Ruins of Adventure|a tabletop module]] on which the first SSI game would be based. Using ''[[Wizard's Crown]]{{'}}s'' detailed combat system as a base for their work,{{r|maher20160318}} the development of the Gold Box engine and the original games was managed by SSI's [[Chuck Kroegel]]<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=G.M. The Independent Fantasy Roleplaying Magazine |publisher=Croftward |issue=1| volume=1 |date=September 1988| page=20| title=Advanced Dungeons & Dragons}}</ref> and [[George MacDonald (game designer)|George MacDonald]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Pool of Radiance Rule Book |publisher=A&a Printers and Lithographers |location=US |year=1988 |pages=29}}</ref> Later versions were led by Victor Penman<ref>{{cite book |title=Pools of Darkness Adventurer's Journal |publisher=American Lithographers |location=US |year=1991 |pages=1}}</ref> and Ken Humphries.<ref>{{cite book |title=Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed Log Book |publisher=American Lithographers |location=US |year=1992 |pages=1}}</ref>

===The series===
[[File:Cover_art_for_the_SSI_1991_catalog.jpg|thumb|left|SSI's 1991 catalog cover, showing some of the Gold Box titles.]]
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),<ref name="gamasutra" /> the games forming one continuous story rooted in the once-glorious city of [[Phlan]], later encompassing the entire [[Moonsea|Moonsea Reaches]]<ref name="gog">[http://www.gog.com/game/forgotten_realms_the_archives_collection_two Forgotten Realms: The Archives - Collection Two] on GOG.com</ref> and four outer regions: [[Dalelands]], [[Cormyr (fictional country)|Cormyr]], [[Cormanthyr]] (where [[Myth Drannor]] is located),<ref>{{cite book |title=Curse of the Azure Bonds Adventurers Journal |year=1989}}</ref> and [[Thar (Forgotten Realms)#Thar|Thar]].<ref name="cotab">{{cite book |title=Pools of Darkness Adventurer's Journal |year=1991}}</ref> The original four titles were developed in-house at SSI, and the first three titles were the best selling Gold Box games.{{r|maher20170331}} A series of TSR novels paralleled the stories in the games.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/series/40865-forgotten-realms-pools|title=Forgotten Realms: Pools Series|website=Goodreads}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/291735.Azure_Bonds|title=Azure Bonds|website=Goodreads}}</ref>

Released in 1990, ''[[Champions of Krynn]]'' was the first of SSI's Gold Box spin-offs based on TSR's very popular ''[[Dragonlance]]'' universe, and roughly in the novels by [[Margaret Weis]] and [[Tracy Hickman]]. Chronologically, it was the third Gold Box game and employed some innovations that showed up in later games, like the moon phases for mages, the choice of deities for clerics, and the level difficulty selector. The following titles were ''[[Death Knights of Krynn]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Dark Queen of Krynn]]'' (1992).<ref name="DnD">{{cite book | first=Barton | last=Matt | title=Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games | publisher=A K Peters | location=Wellesley, MA, US | date=2008 | isbn=9781568814117 | oclc=301791360}}</ref>{{Rp|139–159}} While the games give players a chance to meet ''Dragonlance'' characters like [[Tanis Half-Elven]] and [[Raistlin Majere]], the gameplay is far more linear.{{r|gamasutra}}

When SSI began working on the ''[[Dark Sun: Shattered Lands|Dark Sun]]'' game in 1989, all the programmers in-house had to stop the development of Gold Box games and start working on the Dark Sun engine. After ''Secret of the Silver Blades'' came out, Chuck Kroegel passed the Gold Box engine and the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' location to Beyond Software (later [[Stormfront Studios]]).<ref name="gamebanshee">{{cite web|first=Jon |last=Birnbaum |title=Stormfront Studios Interview |publisher=GameBanshee |date=2005-04-16  |url=http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/28317-stormfront-studios-interview/all-pages.html |access-date=2018-08-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Morgan | last=Ramsay | title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play | publisher=Apress | date=2012 | location=New York | isbn=9781430233510 | oclc=828215808 | page=144}}</ref> They set their first ''Forgotten Realms'' Gold Box title, ''[[Gateway to the Savage Frontier]]'' (1991), in the [[Savage Frontier (Forgotten Realms)|Savage Frontier]], an area to the extreme west of the previous games location. Following the events of the first game, ''[[Treasures of the Savage Frontier]]'' (1992) added a weather system and an innovative romance system between party members and [[Non-player character|NPCs]].<ref name="DnD" />{{Rp|139–159}}

SSI also adapted the Gold Box engine from fantasy to science fiction for a pair of [[Buck Rogers]] games: ''[[Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday|Countdown to Doomsday]]'' (1990) and ''[[Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed|Matrix Cubed]]'' (1992). They were based on the [[Buck Rogers XXVC|Buck Rogers XXVc]] tabletop RPG by TSR, with rules heavily based on those of the company's flagship game.{{r|maher20170331}} According to Keith Brors (former technical director of SSI), the company was pressured by TSR into developing their Buck Rogers computer game against their better judgment, due to TSR president Lorraine Williams personally owning the Buck Rogers IP. The games did not perform as well as the fantasy settings, but they do represent some enhancements to the Gold Box engine.<ref name="DnD" />{{Rp|139–159}}

Apart from the main games, ''[[Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace]]'' was launched in 1992. Based on the 2nd edition's [[Spelljammer]] rule set, it combined real-time ship combat, turn-based melee battles, and interplanetary trade. Besides the innovations, many gamers and critics took issue with its occasional bugs and lengthy load times.{{r|escapist}}

Sales declined over time, as the engine—originally designed for the [[Commodore 64]]—aged, and SSI released too many games (11 Gold Box games over four years). When SSI and TSR extended the original contract expiring in January 1993 for 18 months, SSI was required to discontinue the engine, moving to new developing technologies.{{r|maher20170331}} In March of the same year, SSI's last release was ''[[Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures]]'', an editor that allows players to create their own games using the Gold Box engine.{{r|maher20170331}} Game developers had access to 127 different monsters, 100 different event triggers, and a framework that could hold an adventure consisting of four different wilderness areas or 36 dungeon levels.<ref name="allen2">{{cite web | first=Allen | last=Rausch | date=2004-08-17 | title=A History of D&D Video Games - Part III | url=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/539/539722p1.html | access-date=2018-09-08}}</ref> It also included a mini-adventure called ''The Heirs to Skull Crag''.<ref name="DnD" />{{Rp|139–159}} An active community grew up around this game, including [[Hack (technology slang)|hacks]] that expanded its powers and its graphical capabilities.<ref>[http://ua.reonis.com/ FRUA & Dungeon Craft Community Forums] on {{cite web | title=UA File Archive | url=http://frua.rosedragon.org}}</ref>

===Spin-off to MMO===
All of the online RPGs of the 1980s were text-based [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]s, describing the action in the style of ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'' or [[Will Crowther]]'s original ''[[Colossal Cave Adventure|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 (1991 video game)|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,<ref>{{cite book | author1=Mulligan, Jessica | author2=Patrovsky, Bridgette | title=Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide | date=2003 | page=455 | publisher=New Riders | isbn=1-59273-000-0}}</ref> and was the most popular features on AOL's service,<ref>{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Olivetti|title=The Game Archaeologist and the Nights of Old Winter|work=The Game Archaeologist: The complete history of classic MMOs|publisher=Engadget|date=2007-02-23|url=https://www.engadget.com:80/2010/11/23/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-nights-of-old-winter/|access-date=2018-08-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012215738/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/23/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-nights-of-old-winter/|archive-date=2015-10-12}}</ref> raising between US$5 million and US$7 million annually to the company from 1992 to 1997.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Mulligan, Jessica |author2=Patrovsky, Bridgette |title=Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide |date=2003 |page=12 |publisher=New Riders |isbn=1-59273-000-0}}</ref> It paved the way for later hits such as ''[[Ultima Online]]'' (1997) and ''[[EverQuest]]'' (1999).{{r|gamebanshee}}

===Closure and legacy===
When SSI and TSR announced in 1994 that the latter would not renew the former's ''AD&D'' license, the two companies described the end of the relationship as amicable. A SSI spokesperson said that the company disliked the license's restrictions.<ref name="cgw199404">{{Cite magazine | date=April 1994 | title=SSI Advances Beyond AD&D With Divorce From TSR | department=Read.Me | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117 | magazine=Computer Gaming World | pages=12}}</ref> With the Gold Box engine's sales finally fading after a six-year run, the losses SSI absorbed during those two years of delays played a critical role in the sale of SSI to [[Mindscape (software publisher)|Mindscape]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |first=Joel |last=Billings |title=Joel Billings' Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) papers |page=2 |publisher=The National Museum of Play |date=January 2014 |url=http://www.museumofplay.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Finding%20Aid%20to%20Joel%20Billings%27%20Strategic%20Simulations%2C%20Inc.%20%28SSI%29%20papers_052115.pdf |access-date=2018-08-11 |archive-date=2016-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418121002/http://www.museumofplay.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Finding%20Aid%20to%20Joel%20Billings%27%20Strategic%20Simulations%2C%20Inc.%20%28SSI%29%20papers_052115.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="DnD" />{{Rp|271–279}}

Although the interest in the series eventually waned, the mantle of this genre was later assumed by more recent role-playing games such as ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'', ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' and ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]''.{{r|allen1}}