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The semi-official Interplay RPG FAQ
Last Update: 5 September 1995
This FAQ covers the most frequently asked questions about Interplay's
computer role-playing game products. It will be updated and posted to
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg every month on or around the first of the month.
The most recent copy of this FAQ will be available via anonymous FTP:
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/an/anarchy/ipfaq.txt
If you have any questions or comments about this FAQ, please e-mail me.
This is very much a "living" document, your comments are appreciated.
-Stonekeep's Chris (anarchy@netcom.com)
===========================================================================
Thanks to: Paul Bartholomew for suggesting it
Rache Bartmoss for asking a _lot_ of questions
Tim Cain for answering faq.faqs & other stuff
===========================================================================
Questions answered in this FAQ
(changes are marked with ***, new questions are marked with +++)
===========================================================================
::: STONEKEEP :::
***What is Stonekeep?
***When is Stonekeep going to be released?
Why has Stonekeep been delayed?
+++What does "coming soon" mean?
What about this real-time combat in Stonekeep?
***What are the system requirements for Stonekeep?
***Will a demo of Stonekeep be made available?
+++What's the Stonekeep Interactive Preview?
+++Is a Stonekeep demo going to be available on the Internet?
Will you be able to name your character in Stonekeep?
Can you give me an idea of the size of Stonekeep?
Is it Stonekeep or StoneKeep?
Why did Interplay advertise Stonekeep if it wasn't ready for release?
::: DUNGEON MASTER II: The Legend of Skullkeep :::
When is Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep going to be released?
+++Help! I need help with Dungeon Master II!!!
Is Dungeon Master II the same sequel that was released many years ago for
the Amiga?
How come Skullkeep and Stonekeep sound so much alike? Are the games related
at all?
::: Historical Products :::
What is the deal with Interplay, EA and the Bard's Tale/Wasteland series?
Will there ever be a Bard's Tale 4? A Wasteland 2?
What happened to Meantime?
What about Dragon Wars II or Lord of the Rings, Vol. 3?
What RPGs has Interplay developed and/or published?
How can I get a copy of the older Interplay RPGs?
What other Interplay developed/published RPGs are in the works?
***Where can I get the latest upgrade to BTCS? Other Interplay games?
::: AD&D :::
***How can I get more information on the AD&D(tm) titles?
+++ What about Descent to Undermountain?
+++ What about Dragon Dice?
Can I get more specifics on the AD&D(tm) license?
::: GURPS :::
Where can I get more information about the GURPS product(s)?
What is the deal with Interplay licensing GURPS(tm) _and_ AD&D(tm)?
::: Interplay in General :::
How can I playtest an Interplay game?
How can I become a game designer?
How can I contact Interplay?
What is Interplay's World Wide Web homepage?
What's the Interplay Song?
===========================================================================
Interplay CRPG FAQ
===========================================================================
::: STONEKEEP :::
Q: What is Stonekeep?
A: Stonekeep is a full-screen, first person perspective, real-time
skill-based combat system, fantasy role-playing game. Stonekeep
is Interplay's biggest RPG, having been in the works for over three
years. We have digitized actors, rendered hallways and monsters,
a rune-based magick system, a journal to record information,
digitized dialogue, stereo sound effects and cinematic music. It is
a CRPG - it is not multimedia cheesewhiz.
Q: When is Stonekeep going to be released?
A: Stonekeep is in Q/A at this time. We have a street release date of
November 8, 1995. We are hoping for a world-wide simultaneous release.
So far, we are only a couple days late on the schedule. We are
confident that we can make these days up (our programmers require
Pizza and Jolt(tm), not sleep).
Q: Why has Stonekeep been delayed?
A: It's a really big game, and it's just not easy to do a modern RPG. We
have a huge team of programmers, artists, musicians, designers and other
happy folk working on it. We want to make a game that _we_ would want to
play. Please be patient.
There is no truth to the rumors that Stonekeep has been cancelled,
or that it is being completely re-written. We are, of course, updating
the program as neccessary to finish it with the highest quality possible.
Q: What does "coming soon" mean?
A: It means that for the longest time, we did not have an official release
date. This was so that we didn't have to break any more promises to
marketing and sales, and ultimately to the customer. So instead of, say,
"1st QTR, 1994" and not making it, we said "well, it's just coming soon."
Now, of course, Stonekeep has a release date that we think is doable.
So, the whole "coming soon" and "what does that mean" point is moot. I'll
be quiet now.
Q: What about this real-time combat in Stonekeep?
A: The combat system is Stonekeep is pretty simple. You move a cursor
around the screen and click to attack. Based on your character's combat
skills and the weapon that you are using, you will hit closer to the
point you clicked on. Don't worry, it's not difficult and we have
big, full-screen monsters for you to hit. The combat system is balanced
50/50 between the skill of you the player and of your character.
Q: What are the system requirements for Stonekeep?
A: Pretty standard, actually. Here they are:
386/40 or better
8 megs of RAM
1x CD-ROM drive (150k/sec or better)
VGA (possible SVGA req. for movies, depends on disc space)
Mouse
A soundcard is recommended (we support most soundcards in their native mode)
but not required.
A recommended system would probably be a 486/66 with a 2x CD-ROM drive,
8 megs of RAM and VESA Local Bus video. Past that point, you should not
notice too much of a difference.
Stonekeep will also require some space on your hard drive, for save games,
and quick access to data. This amount is not yet determined, and will
probably be user selectable at installation time. It looks like 27 or 65
megabytes will be required, depending on installation settings.
Q: Will a demo of Stonekeep be made available?
A: We will be doing an interactive and a non-interactive demo for
Stonekeep. The details are still pending, but so far it seems that
the Interactive Preview will be available stand-alone and on some
magazine cover CD-ROMs. The Non-Interactive demo will be uploaded
and distributed electronically.
There are MPEGs available of the intro and failure cinematics
available via WWW. The URL is:
http://www.alias.com/Product/library/mpgdesc/interplay.html
There is no audio in these particular graphic demos.
There is a teaser on Vol. 2 of the Interplay Sampler. It's pretty cool and
comes with a lot of other demos that I have absolutely no knowledge of, so
check it out if you're brave.
The teaser is also hidden in Interplay's KINGDOM: The Far Reaches. Go to
the Crystal Palace and examine the book.
Q: What's the Stonekeep Interactive Preview?
A: It's the first level of the game, two maps to explore. You can
fight monsters, collect armor and weapons, "discover" traps, puzzles
and more. Basically, it's a brief look at the first part of Stonekeep.
What it doesn't have is: NPCs, magick and 20 more maps. The preview
will be available on magazine cover CD-ROMs (it's 116 megs or so,
so we won't be uploading it) and at retailers for $5 or so. The retailer
version will also include a rebate coupon. I highly suggest you check
out the Preview if you can't make up your mind about the full product,
it's a lot cheaper and it will give you a good look.
Q: Is a Stonekeep demo going to be available on the Internet?
A: Yes. We have a non-interactive, slideshow-type demo coming
soon. Under 1.5 megs, it has music and screens from the game. It should
be available on our WWW homepage by the time you read this. I'll also
make it available in my FTP site for several weeks.
Q: Will you be able to name your character in Stonekeep?
A: Sorry, no. You're character is predetermined in Stonekeep. This
is design-based, and we really, really feel that this does not change the
quality or enjoyment of playing Stonekeep.
Q: Can you give me an idea of the size of Stonekeep?
A: Sure. Stonekeep will ship on one CD-ROM. There are 22 maps, on 13
levels. The largest map is 40x33 squares (or grid locations). The average
map is around 28x28 (about 133% the size of Bard's Tale maps). There are
over 25 monsters, with around 70 combat types. 28 base spells, with 5
modifier spells, for a whole bunch of magick. There are 39 weapons with 25
pieces of armor. It's a large game, but not overly large with no blank
areas with nothing to do. Lots of puzzles to solve, people to talk
to, places to explore. Overall, I would expect 40-60 hours of gameplay.
Also included in the box, in the US and for a limited time, will be a
novella from Steve Jackson and David Pulver.
Q: Is it Stonekeep or StoneKeep?
A: Stonekeep, silly. Or if you prefer, STONEKEEP(tm): THE Computer Role-
Playing Game from INTERPLAY! Whichever is easier to write.
Q: Why did Interplay advertise Stonekeep if it wasn't ready for release?
A: Ad space must be purchased many months in advance, and plans for
ads are made many months before that. 6-8 months _before_ we think a
product will ship, we start the advertising process. Due to scheduling
problems, or just plain mistakes, we do not always have a product ready
for release when the ads hit the magazines. We would rather delay the
product until it is ready instead of shipping incomplete or buggy
software. This is an industry wide problem, especially with today's
quickly advancing hardware "standards". Interplay apologizes for any
inconvenince these delays may have caused, and were working on solutions
at this time. Like getting the games out in a reasonable timeframe.
::: DUNGEON MASTER II: The Legend of Skullkeep :::
Q: When is Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep going to be released?
A: Hey, buddy, it's out! DM2 shipped 7/24/95 for MS-DOS.
Q: Help! I need help with Dungeon Master II!!!
A: You should contact our customer support department. See, "How can I
contact Interplay?", below for details.
Q: Is Dungeon Master II the same sequel that was released many years
ago for the Amiga?
A: You are probably thinking of Dungeon Master: Chaos Strikes Back!
No, DM2: The Legend of Skullkeep is a completely original title.
Q: How come Skullkeep and Stonekeep sound so much alike? Are the
games related at all?
A: Coincidence. There is no connection between the two games.
::: Historical Products :::
Q: What is the deal with Interplay, EA and the Bard's Tale/Wasteland
series?
A: Interplay was the developer of the Bard's Tale series and Wasteland
for Electronic Arts (EA). EA has the rights to those titles. Now that
Interplay is a full-blown developer/publisher in our own right, whenever
we want to do something with those games (like the 10th Anniversary CD-ROM
or the Bard's Tale Construction Set) then Interplay must license some of
these rights on a per title basis from EA.
Q: Will there ever be a Bard's Tale 4? A Wasteland 2?
A: Contact Electronic Arts. Some people consider Dragon Wars, an
early Interplay developed and published CRPG to be BT4. EA put out
a game called Fountain of Dreams, which used the Wasteland engine
and was very similar in setting. Many people at Interplay would love to
do a sequel to either of those games, but we don't have the rights.
Q: What happened to Meantime?
A: [Wow, you've been around a while if you know what Meantime is.]
Meantime, a sort of sequel to Wasteland, was in development for a long time.
A beta version was actually up and running on the Apple // when the 8-bit
market took a nosedive. Interplay attempted to update and upgrade Meantime
for the MS-DOS market, but after several attempts (contractor problems and
other minor details) the project was scrapped. It occasionally rears it's
head, but the project is currently not in development.
Q: What about Dragon Wars II or Lord of the Rings, Vol. 3?
A: Dragon Wars II was planned, but never got past the design stage. Lord
of the Rings, Vol. 3: The Return of the King is currently not in development.
Q: What RPGs has Interplay developed and/or published?
A: Many over the course of the years. Here is a list:
Bard's Tale I
(actually titled "Tales of the Unknown, Volume 1: The Bard's Tale")
Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Wand
Bard's Tale III: The Thief of Fate [see footnote 1]
Wasteland [2]
Dragon Wars
Neuromancer [3]
Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1
Lord of the Rings, Vol. 2: The Two Towers
Bard's Tale Construction Set [4]
Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1 (Super Nintendo) [5]
Swords & Serpents (Nintendo Entertainment System) [6]
Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep [7]
[1] Interplay developed BT3, but did not program the
IBM and Amiga versions of that title. All three
Bard's Tale games were published by Electronic Arts.
[2] Published by EA.
[3] A cross between an RPG and an adventure game. Based
on the novel by William Gibson, Interplay's rights to
the title expired in 1991.
[4] The Bard's Tale name was licensed from EA for this
title. EA still owns the Bard's Tale license.
[5] The SNES version of LOTR is different then the MS-DOS version.
[6] Interplay developed for Acclaim.
[7] FTL developed for Interplay.
Q: How can I get a copy of the older Interplay RPGs?
A: Interplay released their 10th Anniversary CD-ROM. This title
contains: Bard's Tale 1, Wasteland, Dragon Wars and Lord of the Rings,
Vol. 1 along with Mindshadow, Tass Times, Battle Chess, Castles, Star Trek:
25th Anniversary, and Out of this World. You can find the 10th Anniversary
CD-ROM at your local retailer, or by calling 800-969-GAME. We don't have
any of the older games available seperately, sorry.
You should also check out a software discounters, clearance stores and
the sales bin at your local store. YMMV, but some great deals can be
had at such places. If all else fails, post on the net.
Q: What other Interplay developed/published RPGs are in the works?
A: A bunch more. Here is a list, in tentative order of release:
Stonekeep
Untitled GURPS(tm) project(s)
Untitled AD&D(tm) Planescape(tm) project(s)
Untitled AD&D(tm) Forgotten Realms(tm) project(s)
Q: Where can I get the latest upgrade to BTCS? Other Interplay games?
A: A zipfile with the latest update files (version 1.3, see the readme
file for your version number) for the Bard's Tale Construction Set is
available via anonymous FTP. You will need a copy of BTCS to upgrade,
the zipfile is not the complete program. Check out:
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/an/anarchy/nubtcs.zip
For other games, go check out the Interplay WWW homepage, and other
Interplay contact points - see below on how to contact Interplay.
::: AD&D :::
Q: How can I get more information on the AD&D(tm) titles?
A: We announced two AD&D titles at GENCON, Descent to Undermountain(tm) and
Dragon Dice(tm). Other AD&D titles are in the works, but nothing has
been announced yet.
Q: What about Descent to Undermountain?
A: Descent to Undermountain (DTU) is a real-time, multi-player AD&D
dungeon crawl. From 1 to 4 players explore Undermountain on a quest
for the Flame Sword of Lloth. DTU uses the Descent(tm) engine, so players
can look 360 degrees and have a full range of motion. Expect traps,
puzzles, and NPCs to interfere with your level advancement and character
development. DTU can best be described as an Action RPG, along the lines
of the Ultima Underworld-series.
Q: What about Dragon Dice?
A: Dragon Dice is a Windows (Win95 and Win 3.1 with WinG) game based on
the latest collectible game from TSR. Players spend vitual money and
buy packs of Dragon Dice. Players then build their armies and dice it
out. Heck, I dunno, but early screens look pretty cool and it comes
with a nifty keen special die for the table-top game. Neat.
Q: Can I get more specifics on the AD&D(tm) license?
A: Interplay has the rights to develop games based on two of the
AD&D campagain worlds, Forgotten Realms(tm) and Planescape(tm). Our TSR
Division is working on many different types of projects, with CRPGs being
the core of the planned games.
::: GURPS :::
Q: Where can I get more information about the GURPS product(s)?
A: There is a FAQ available via WWW at:
http://www.io.com/user/tcain
The latest information is there. In brief, it will be a SVGA game with
turn-based, tactical combat (in an isometric view, sort of like X-Com or
Syndicate), full character creation using the Basic Set 3rd Edition (second
printing) rules. And it's _not_ fantasy. Tim Cain, a veteran computer
games programmer and a longtime GURPS player and GM, is the project leader.
Q: What is the deal with Interplay licensing GURPS(tm) _and_ AD&D(tm)?
A: We think that there is enough of a market to support both licenses.
Frankly, Interplay wants to dominate the RPG market again. AD&D(tm)
is the number one paper and pencil RPG. Forgotten Realms(tm) is their
number one world. Planescape(tm) is doing very well, and is very
exciting. GURPS(tm) is a very good system, and will allow us to move beyond
the fantasy-based RPG design very easily. Many Interplay employees play
GURPS(tm) _and_ AD&D(tm). There is enough difference in the two licenses
that we will be able to make great games based on both of them. Neither
license should affect the other in an adverse manner.
::: Interplay in General :::
Q: How can I playtest an Interplay game?
A: We have an in-house Q/A department that does all playtesting of
Interplay titles. We do _no_ out of house playtesting at this time.
Interplay's Q/A department is the largest single department at Interplay,
and quality assurance is very important to us.
Q: How can I become a game designer?
A: A darn good question, since game design is not taught in very many
universities. Play games, and take a close look at their design. Write
down their strengths and weaknesses. Do a lot of design work on paper.
In my particular case, I played a lot of paper and pencil RPGs, and
stumbled into Interplay a long time ago as a customer service rep and
playtester. I then shoved my way into the design department. Shoving
helps.
Q: How can I contact Interplay?
A: You can reach Interplay customer support/technical service at:
INTERPLAY SUPPORT SITES:
Internet E-mail: support@interplay.com
Macplay: macplay@interplay.com
Web Site: http://www.interplay.com
Macplay: http://www.macplay.com
BBS: Telnet: 199.182.211.86
bbs.interplay.com
Modem Phone #: (714)252.2822
American On-line: Keyword INTERPLAY
or E-mail IPTECH
Compuserve: GO GAMBPUB
or E-mail 76702,1342
GEnie: Type M805;1 or go to the Bulletin Board in Scorpia's area
Prodigy: Use the Web browser to our Web site
or e-mail PLAY99B
FTP Site: ftp.interplay.com
Phone: (714)553.6678
Macplay: (714)553.3530
Fax: (714)252.2820 ATTN: Customer Service
Interplay Productions
ATTN: Customer Service
17922 Fitch Avenue
Irvine, CA 92714
Q: What is Interplay's World Wide Web homepage?
A: You can reach us via WWW using the following URL:
http://www.interplay.com
Q: What's the Interplay Song?
A: Um, well, it goes like this:
"Interplaaaay... hey! Inter-play!
Interplaaaay... hey! Inter-play!"
Repeat until throat is sore.
Q: What's the other Interplay Song?
A: OK, you got us, there's more then one song.
"Interplay, Interplay, Interplay,
Interplay all day long.
Interplay, Interplay, Interplay,
We sing our Interplay song!"
============================================================================
I tend to hang out in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg. So if there is something
you want to know about Interplay RPGs, feel free to ask there. If I can't
help you, or if it is about other Interplay products, then I'll refer you
to our regular customer service people.
============================================================================
For the record, I am an in-house designer at Interplay but I maintain this
FAQ strictly on my own time, and nothing in this FAQ should be taken as
official Interplay propaganda. Thanks- Chris.
============================================================================
Stonekeep, Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep are copyrighted 1995
Interplay Productions. All Rights Reserved. GURPS is a trademark of Steve
Jackson Games. AD&D, Forgotten Realms and Planescape are trademarks of
TSR, Inc. Used under license.
All other mentioned products are the copyright of their respective owners.
--
Chris Taylor - anarchy@netcom.com - Video/Computer Game Designer
I may work for Interplay Productions, but these opinions do not.
I should be working on Stonekeep, but I'm doing this instead.