Dungeons & Diodes

[thebitterguy]

The Gleemax discussion (specifically, "eTools: WTF?") reminded me of something I'd been thinking about recently. While reading an old issue of Dragon, I noticed an add for SSI's first spate of TSR licensed computer products.

Personally, I only had experience with Knights of the Lance (not very good, and my copy crashed on me. Booo!) and the Pool of Radiance series (up until they stopped supporting the Commodore 64). I recall that my copy of Pool of Radiance also crapped out on the last disk, robbing me of my chance to battle the possessed dragon. Boo, again!

One product I never got (because I was a player, y'all, not a DM) was their Dungeon Master's Assistant ones. They promised to make the DM's job easier by providing them with access to charts and stuff. I guess that would be useful.

I found a DOS abandonware site that has a good selection of SSI stuff, including DM's Assistant 1 and DM's Assistant 2.

I wonder how the Old School gaming contingent feels about these. It would be perfect for them. Old school gaming materials on old school technology (run on an iPhone or something similar, I figure).

Comments

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

I had one of 'em, and I recall tinkering around with it, but not using it. *shrugs*

[thebitterguy]

Do you remember if it struck you as something that might be useful?

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

To a degree, but apparently I didn't find it invaluable or I'd have actually used.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

The old school cares not for computer games.

[thebitterguy]

Not the games, though. The DM Assistant Utilities.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

I suspect the feeling toward them is about the same as for the video games. I know I never used a computer-based DM utility program until the early 90s, well into the 2e era.

[unprovokedmoose.livejournal.com]

Instant NPC generation would be handy (I wrote up an Over the Edge generator for my Palm a while ago), but the mapping thing might be tough to handle. Unless you could zoom in & out on individual sections, like you see the phone doing with Google Maps in commercials...