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Is there a point to this story? It appears to be a description of a sequence of events remarkably devoid of any conclusion, climax, conflict, struggle, characte

by kubb 2y ago

Is there a point to this story? It appears to be a description of a sequence of events remarkably devoid of any conclusion, climax, conflict, struggle, character development or whatever we usually see in stories.

duskwuff 2y ago
It's an entry in a long-running series about the history of computer and role-playing games.
allturtles 2y ago
Erm, what? It's about the decline, fall and resurrection of an iconic company in the history of hobby gaming. The story arc seems pretty clear to me. The wider context is the series of articles on the resurgence of CRPGs in the mid/late-90s ("The CRPG Renaissance"), with this installment serving to set the stage for the arrival of Baldur's Gate (1998), in the last line: > What Adkison couldn’t have envisioned on that day was that the resuscitation of Dungeons & Dragons would begin in the digital rather than the tabletop realm, courtesy of one of the most iconic CRPGs of all time — a Pool of Radiance for this new decade.
Tuna-Fish 2y ago
The author likes articles about historically significant games to be mostly about the games, meaning that there is occasionally a chapter like this about background stuff, so he can dedicate the next one to the game itself. The title is: > The CRPG Renaissance, Part 3: TSR is Dead… And the last sentence is: > What Adkison couldn’t have envisioned on that day was that the resuscitation of Dungeons & Dragons would begin in the digital rather than the tabletop realm, courtesy of one of the most iconic CRPGs of all time — a Pool of Radiance for this new decade. What he is coy about, and what most of the people reading this know, is that the first D&D CRPG released under Adkinson's care was Baldur's Gate. Which is one of the most influential games ever released. Not only was it very good (it still frequently features on lists of best games ever made) and a massive sales success, but it was also different, in a way that redefined its genre to this day. Many elements that people expect there to be in modern CRPGs became expected because they were there in Baldur's Gate. And its influence wasn't limited to CRPGs, because it sold millions of copies to people who had never even considered playing D&D, and acted as a gateway into the hobby for them. But if you have no idea about what the next chapter will be, I admit that this one seems a bit weird.
kubb 2y ago
I guess most people don't feel this way, huh. That's fair.

by kubb 2y ago

duskwuff 2y ago

It's an entry in a long-running series about the history of computer and role-playing games.

allturtles 2y ago

Erm, what? It's about the decline, fall and resurrection of an iconic company in the history of hobby gaming. The story arc seems pretty clear to me. The wider context is the series of articles on the resurgence of CRPGs in the mid/late-90s ("The CRPG Renaissance"), with this installment serving to set the stage for the arrival of Baldur's Gate (1998), in the last line: > What Adkison couldn’t have envisioned on that day was that the resuscitation of Dungeons & Dragons would begin in the digital rather than the tabletop realm, courtesy of one of the most iconic CRPGs of all time — a Pool of Radiance for this new decade.

Tuna-Fish 2y ago

The author likes articles about historically significant games to be mostly about the games, meaning that there is occasionally a chapter like this about background stuff, so he can dedicate the next one to the game itself. The title is: > The CRPG Renaissance, Part 3: TSR is Dead… And the last sentence is: > What Adkison couldn’t have envisioned on that day was that the resuscitation of Dungeons & Dragons would begin in the digital rather than the tabletop realm, courtesy of one of the most iconic CRPGs of all time — a Pool of Radiance for this new decade. What he is coy about, and what most of the people reading this know, is that the first D&D CRPG released under Adkinson's care was Baldur's Gate. Which is one of the most influential games ever released. Not only was it very good (it still frequently features on lists of best games ever made) and a massive sales success, but it was also different, in a way that redefined its genre to this day. Many elements that people expect there to be in modern CRPGs became expected because they were there in Baldur's Gate. And its influence wasn't limited to CRPGs, because it sold millions of copies to people who had never even considered playing D&D, and acted as a gateway into the hobby for them. But if you have no idea about what the next chapter will be, I admit that this one seems a bit weird.

kubb 2y ago

I guess most people don't feel this way, huh. That's fair.