The computer game publisher SSI and the
pen&paper publisher TSR join together to create a
new role-playing game for computers with AD&D
background.
The partners did their best to ensure the success
of the new game. The scenario was created by
TSR's own Jim Ward with help from David Cook,
Steve Winter and Mike Breault. Jim Ward has gone
on to author TSR novels and adventure game
settings and the others on the TSR staff have done
similar things after the completion of the Pool of
Radiance project.
In the end the product
POOL OF RADIANCE
sets new standards in gamedesign, story depth,
tactical options and graphical presentation.
The success of the "Pool of Radiance" turned out
to be a goldmine for SSI.
The game was converted to a variety of computer
platforms including C64, Apple II, MS-DOS, Amiga,
Atari ST and NES.
SSI's new game engine sets gaming standards.
They released 20 AD&D games, bestsellers like
Curse of the Azure Bonds, Secret of the Silver
Blades, Pools of Darkness and others with
Dragonlance or even Buck Rogers settings until
1997.
TSR, the owner of AD&D, participates in the
success of the computer games. Their novel "Pool
of Radiance" and the P&P module "FRC1 - Ruins
of Adventure" are based on the story of the
computer game.
The rennaisance of role-playing games at the end
of the 90s comes up with a number of new
projects with AD&D - now DND 3.0 - background.
UBI-Soft takes over the license for Pool of
Radiance to reanimate the legend in timely
clothes. "Pool of Radiance - Ruins of Myth
Drannor" is a sequel to the story from 1988 but it
suffers from a lot of problems like bugs, bad
handling, thin storyline and - worst of all - critical
gameplay problems.
Because of these arguments it wasn't able to hold
the standard and repeat the success of the first
release.
Chris Fowler, a student of Game development at
Griffith University, recreates the original Pool of
Radiance using brandnew Aurora Toolset of
Neverwinternights.
His project was released at NWVault and was one
of the first modules to reach Hall of Fame status.
More than 170.000 downloads were counted until
May 2006. This makes the "Pool" one of the most
successful mods ever released at NWVault.
The history of the "Pool"
