Many people, especially current PC gamers, likely think of the Forgotten Realms universe when they hear "AD&D" mentioned in some form or other. In part, it's because Forgotten Realms is one of the most popular AD&D universes… but for the new crop of PC gamers, it's the main universe AD&D RPGs are set in. Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast, Icewind Dale, and Baldur's Gate 2 are all designed using the BioWare Infinity engine, use the second edition AD&D ruleset, and take place in Forgotten Realms.
Ok, so maybe Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor isn't going to change all of those things, but this ambitious little package will put a few spins on the tried and true formula you're used to. Pool of Radiance (PoR) will indeed be placed in the Forgotten Realms universe, but it will be using the new AD&D 3rd edition ruleset and a whole new engine supporting full 3D acceleration and 3D character models, all crafted by Stormfront Studios. The team making PoR is experienced in this field, as they used to make some of the first PC AD&D games, the "Gold Box" series. When a box comes encased fully in gold, you just want to scream out "boy, what a steal!" All right, so that joke was really bad even by 3DGN's standards, but the joke I wanted to run involved a pig, a few blades of grass, and a healthy dose of peanut butter. For some reason that comical story was found to be way too perver-er, silly for our page, so we had to think up what turned out to be a rather shoddy replacement.
The main storyline hasn't been announced in explicit detail so that you can be surprised when you play the game (it seems like everyone is doing that these days). What we do know about the basic plot is that a new "Pool of Radiance" has emerged, and such a pool emits an energy wave capable of turning all it touches into the undead. I think that is a really cool idea, and I kind of wonder if the energy only affects living organisms and not furniture (if you're like me, you've always wanted to sit and relax on an undead sofa). Your job is to find out what evil source is responsible for this pool, and Elminster himself will be the one who asks for your services. I guess when that guy isn't saving the world he's out recruiting people to save the world. And while he might be like Mother Teresa except for the beard and pointy hat, it is still clear that this adventure could spell death for your party if you aren't tough enough to face the dangers that lie ahead…
Quick Peek:
An AD&D RPG using the 3rd edition ruleset and offering plenty of interaction with environments on top of everything we've come to expect from the recent crop of AD&D RPGs.
Release Date:
Quarter 4 2000
Developer:
Stormfront Studios
Publisher:
SSI
Homepage:
Pool of Radiance
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Moving on… I've got to say that in this preview I'm inclined to compare PoR to the Baldur's Gate series in every single paragraph… but I'm just going to avoid that after this page as best as I can. The two games have very similar premises, but the execution will make for two separate RPGs that (hopefully) you'll want to have in your house. And if they're successful you'll be glad you bought them, because all of your console loving friends bragging about being able to play Vagrant Story need to be put in their place.
PoR is, truthfully, a game that's hard to get excited over when you first hear about it. That's why I've tried to spruce up this page by mentioning pigs and peanut butter. But since that didn't work, I'll give it to you straight: a lot of people are BioWare fans and seem to think PoR is an RPG trying to one-up Baldur's Gate 2. I don't think that's true, but since both games sound similar, I end up not getting excited about either of them. Because of that I forced myself to become as unbiased as possible when reading about PoR and talking to the developers, and I ended up realizing the game will be its own, well, game. If you don't believe me, you're just going to have to read on to find out why another AD&D Forgotten Realms RPG deserves a spot on your wall. Or your closet. Maybe your dresser. You know, wherever you keep your PC games. Just go onto the next page already.
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