Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Encyclopedia
Gateway to the Savage Frontier (1991) is a Gold Box
Dungeons and Dragons computer game developed by Stormfront Studios
and published by SSI for the Commodore 64
, PC
and Amiga
personal computer
s. The title was the #1 selling game in North America in August 1991.
When SSI began work on the Dark Sun
game engine
in 1989 after the completion of Secret of the Silver Blades
, they passed responsibility for continuing the Forgotten Realms
Gold Box games to Stormfront. Designers Don Daglow
, Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett, Arturo Sinclair and Mark Manyen set the action for the game in an area of the Forgotten Realms that TSR
had labeled The Savage Frontier, north of Waterdeep
and south of Luskan along the Sword Coast. The area was far to the west of the region that hosted the action for Pool of Radiance
and its sequels.
One of the major locations in the Savage Frontier, Neverwinter
, spun off a new chapter. Stormfront gained the support of AOL
executive Steve Case
to create the first-ever graphical MMORPG
, and to base it on the Gold Box engine. To leverage the existing game and cross-promote the titles, Daglow based the new MMORPG in Neverwinter and named it Neverwinter Nights.
The game's principal technical enhancement to the aging Gold Box engine was the addition of wilderness play, where the party traveled long distances on the map while following the basic D&D rules for combat with wandering monsters.
The game also featured character-specific side-quests, with two NPC
s who can open these optional missions. The side quests in turn open different endings for the game.
to conquer the entire Frontier area.
The storyline, in rough terms, follows:
Basically, Zhentil Keep plans to use these magical statues to open a way through an otherwise-unpassable desert
for their armies. If successful, the party is hailed as the "Heroes of Ascore," which is carried over into the sequel.
#177 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
Gold Box
Gold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game from TSR, Inc...
Dungeons and Dragons computer game developed by Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
and published by SSI for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s. The title was the #1 selling game in North America in August 1991.
When SSI began work on the Dark Sun
Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
in 1989 after the completion of Secret of the Silver Blades
Secret of the Silver Blades
Secret of the Silver Blades is the third in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" adventure computer games. The game was released in 1990.The story is a continuation of the events after Curse of the Azure Bonds.-Story:...
, they passed responsibility for continuing the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
Gold Box games to Stormfront. Designers Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
, Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett, Arturo Sinclair and Mark Manyen set the action for the game in an area of the Forgotten Realms that TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
had labeled The Savage Frontier, north of Waterdeep
Waterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
and south of Luskan along the Sword Coast. The area was far to the west of the region that hosted the action for Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
and its sequels.
One of the major locations in the Savage Frontier, Neverwinter
Neverwinter
Neverwinter is a fictional city-state in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Neverwinter was founded by Lord Halueth Never...
, spun off a new chapter. Stormfront gained the support of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
executive Steve Case
Steve Case
Stephen McConnell "Steve" Case is an American businessman best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online . Since his retirement as chairman of AOL Time Warner in 2003, he has gone on to build a variety of new businesses through his investment...
to create the first-ever graphical MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
, and to base it on the Gold Box engine. To leverage the existing game and cross-promote the titles, Daglow based the new MMORPG in Neverwinter and named it Neverwinter Nights.
The game's principal technical enhancement to the aging Gold Box engine was the addition of wilderness play, where the party traveled long distances on the map while following the basic D&D rules for combat with wandering monsters.
The game also featured character-specific side-quests, with two NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s who can open these optional missions. The side quests in turn open different endings for the game.
Plot Overview
The game revolves around a standard (for Gold Box adventures) party of six adventurers who inadvertently get caught up in a plot by the ZhentarimZhentarim
The Zhentarim is a fictional organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Also known as the Black Network, it is an evil organization based on the continent of Faerûn. One of its goals is to dominate the lands from the Moonsea to the...
to conquer the entire Frontier area.
The storyline, in rough terms, follows:
- The party starts off in Yartar, having just escorted a caravan from the dwarven stronghold Citadel Adbar (ruled by the dwarf king Harbromm). At the tavern, while the party is enjoying the feast and spirits, something in slipped into their food that causes them to pass out, and they are robbed of all gold and gear, especially the magic longsword that one member used to slay a griffon at Longsaddle. Fortunately, each character keeps a purse of coins under their pillow so they can buy armour and weapons.
- Through rescuing the NPC Krevish, the party being hired by the KrakenThe Kraken (D&D)The Kraken is a secret society in the Savage Frontier area of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
in Yartar to assassinate a clericCleric (Dungeons & Dragons)The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
of BaneBane (god)Bane , is the god of hatred, fear, and tyranny and one of the main evil gods in the fictional Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, Forgotten Realms....
at Nesme, only to discover that this evil priest was the only individual standing in the way of the conquest. - Rescuing the magic userWizard (Dungeons & Dragons)The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
Amelior Aminitas from Everlund, an eccentric and somewhat absent-minded wizard who explains how to stop the Zhentarim. Returning to Yartar, the party is captured and imprisoned in a Kraken base below the city. There, the magic longsword stolen at the start is recovered but the party has to fight four giant squid in a huge tank before escaping. - Finding four magical statues scattered across the frontier before the Zhentarim, led by a General Vaalgamon, gets to them.
- Traveling to the dead city of Ascore to end the Zhentarim plot.
Basically, Zhentil Keep plans to use these magical statues to open a way through an otherwise-unpassable desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
for their armies. If successful, the party is hailed as the "Heroes of Ascore," which is carried over into the sequel.
See also
- Neverwinter Nights
- Treasures of the Savage FrontierTreasures of the Savage FrontierTreasures of the Savage Frontier is a Gold Box Dungeons and Dragons computer role-playing game. It was developed by Stormfront Studios and published by SSI for the Amiga and DOS.-Development:...
- Gold BoxGold BoxGold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game from TSR, Inc...
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1992 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#177 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.