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Pool of Radiance
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== Development == ''Pool of Radiance'' was the first official game based on the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' rules.<ref name="gmmag" /> The scenario was created by [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]] designers [[Jim Ward (game designer)|Jim Ward]], [[David Cook (game designer)|David Cook]], [[Steve Winter]], and [[Mike Breault]], and coded by programmers from [[Strategic Simulations, Inc]]'s Special Projects team.<ref name="Dragon149">{{cite magazine |title=The Envelope, Please! |magazine=Dragon |issue=149 |date=September 1989 |pages=20β21}}</ref> The section of the ''Forgotten Realms'' world in which ''Pool of Radiance'' takes place was intended to be reserved for development solely by SSI.<ref name="Dragon133" /> The game was created on [[Apple II]] and Commodore 64 computers, taking one year with a team of thirty-five people.<ref name="gmmag" /> This game was the first to use the [[game engine]] later used in other SSI D&D games known as the "[[Gold Box]]" series.<ref name="HighScore">{{cite book |last=DeMaria |first=Rusel |author2=Johnny L. Wilson |title=[[High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games]] |publisher=McGraw-Hill Osborne Media |year=2003 |page=161 |chapter=The Wizardry of Sir-Tech |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJNvZLvpCEQC&pg=PA161 |access-date=14 July 2009 |isbn=0-07-222428-2}}</ref><ref name="Allgame">{{cite web |last=Deci |first=T.J. |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11666 |title=Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance |website=[[Allgame]] |access-date=15 July 2009 |archive-date=14 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114170557/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11666 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Levi |last=Buchanan |date=March 6, 2008 |title=Dungeons & Dragons Classic Videogame Retrospective |website=IGN |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/857/857143p1.html |access-date=2009-10-08}}</ref> The SSI team developing the game was led by [[Chuck Kroegel]].<ref name="C+VG" /> Kroegel stated 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 restrictions of a home computer. In addition to the core [[Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks|''AD&D'' manuals]], the books ''[[Unearthed Arcana]]'' and ''[[Monster Manual II]]'' were also used during development.<ref name="gmmag" /> The images of monsters were adapted directly from the ''Monster Manual'' book.<ref name=cover2010>{{cite book |first=Jennifer Grouling |last=Cover |year=2010 |title=The Creation of Narrative in Tabletop Role-Playing Games |page=40 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-4451-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xl7P7GwME3gC&pg=PA40}}</ref> The game was originally programmed by Keith Brors and Brad Myers, and it was developed by [[George MacDonald (game designer)|George MacDonald]].<ref name="MobyGames">{{cite web |url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/pool-of-radiance |title=Pool of Radiance |work=[[MobyGames]] |access-date=15 July 2009}}</ref> The game's graphic arts were by Tom Wahl, Fred Butts, Darla Marasco, and Susan Halbleib.<ref name="MobyGames" /> ''Pool of Radiance'' was released in June 1988;<ref name="Dragon133">{{cite magazine |title=The Game Wizards |author=Ward, James M. |magazine=Dragon |issue=133 |date=May 1988 |page=42 |url=https://archive.org/details/dragon-magazine-270/Dragon%20Magazine%20133/page/42/mode/2up | access-date=19 June 2024|author-link=Jim Ward (game designer)}}</ref> it was initially available on the Commodore 64, Apple II, and [[IBM PC compatible]]s.<ref name="Allgame" /> A version for the [[Atari ST]] was also announced.<ref name="TGM" /> The [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] version was released in 1989.<ref name="Allgame" /> The Macintosh version featured a slightly different interface and was intended to work on black-and-white Macs like the [[Mac Plus]] and the [[Macintosh Classic|Mac Classic]]. The screen was tiled into separate windows including the game screen, text console, and compass. Graphics were monochrome and the display window was relatively small compared to other versions. The Macintosh version featured sound, but no music. The game's [[Amiga]] version was released two years later.<ref name="AA14" /> The PC 9800 version {{lang|ja|γ'''γγΌγ«γ»γͺγγ»γ¬γ€γγ£γ’γ³γΉ'''γ}} in Japan was fully translated (like the Japanese Famicom version) and featured full-color graphics. The game was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] under the title ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance'', released in April 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/advanceddungeonsdpor/index.html |title=Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance |work=gamespot UK |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013094240/http://uk.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/advanceddungeonsdpor/index.html |archive-date=2008-10-13}}</ref> The NES version was the only version of the game to feature a complete soundtrack, which was composed by Seiji Toda, as he was signed to the publisher, Pony Canyon's record label at the time.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} The same soundtrack can be found on the PC-9801 version.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} The Amiga version also features some extra music, while most other ports contain only one song that plays at the title screen.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} The original ''Pool of Radiance'' game shipped with a 28-page introductory booklet, which describes secrets about the game and its concepts. The booklet guides players through the character creation process, explaining how to create a party of adventurers. The game also included the 38-page ''Adventurer's Journal'', which provides the game's background and features depictions of fliers, maps, and information that characters see in the game.<ref name="C+VG" /> The DOS, Macintosh and Apple II versions of ''Pool of Radiance'' include a 2-ply [[code wheel]] for translating Espruar (the [[Elvish languages|elvish]] language) and Dethek (the [[Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)|dwarven]] language) runes into English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pool of Radiance - Translation Wheel |url=https://www.oldgames.sk/codewheel/pool-of-radiance |access-date=2024-08-11 |website=www.oldgames.sk |language=en}}</ref> Some Dethek runes have multiple different translations.<ref name="C+VG" /><ref name="PoRDOS">''Pool of Radiance'' (1988). DOS. Strategic Simulations, Inc. Strategic Simulations, Inc.</ref><ref name="dosmanual">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/manual_Pool_of_Radiance/page/n2 |title=Pool of Radiance DOS Manual |date=1988 |publisher=Strategic Simulations}}</ref><ref name="macmanual">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/pool_of_radiance/page/n1 |title=Pool of Radiance Macintosh Manual |date=1989 |publisher=Strategic Simulations}}</ref> After the title screen, a copy protection screen is displayed consisting of two runes and a line of varying appearance (a dotted line, a dashed line, or a line with alternating dots and dashes) which correspond to markings on the code wheel.<ref name="PoRDOS" /> The player is prompted to enter a five or six character code which corresponds to a five or six character word. In the case of a five character word, there is a number at the beginning of the word which is not entered.<ref name="dosmanual" /><ref name="macmanual" /> Under the lines on the wheel are slots which reveal English letters, the coded English word being determined by lining up the runes, matching the correct line appearance, and then entering the word revealed on the code wheel.<ref name="dosmanual" /><ref name="macmanual" /> If the player enters an incorrect code three times, the game closes itself.<ref name="PoRDOS" /> In the DOS version of ''Pool of Radiance'', the code wheel is also used for some in-game puzzles. For example, in Sokol Keep the player discovers some parchment with elvish runes on it that require use of the code wheel to decipher; this is optional however, but may be used to avoid some combat with undead if the decoded words are said to them.<ref name="PoRDOS" /> In the NES version, the elvish words are given to the player deciphered without the use of the code wheel, as the NES release did not include a code wheel. === Re-release === [[GOG.com]] released ''Pool of Radiance'' and many Gold Box series games [[Digital Distribution|digitally]] on August 20, 2015, as a part of ''Forgotten Realms: The Archives-Collection Two''.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Jordan Erica Webber |author-link=Jordan Erica Webber |date=Aug 20, 2015 |title=Forgotten Realms: The Archives brings 13 D&D classics to GOG |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/forgotten-realms-the-archives-brings-13-dd-classics-to-gog/ |magazine=PC Gamer}}</ref> [[Steam (service)|Steam]] released ''Pool of Radiance'' in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pool of Radiance on Steam |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1882370/Pool_of_Radiance/ |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=store.steampowered.com |language=en}}</ref>
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