World Builder
Encyclopedia
World Builder is an authoring system for point-and-click adventure games. It was released in 1986 by Silicon Beach Software
and had already been used for creating Enchanted Scepters
in 1984. In 1994 World Builder along with Course Builder, SuperCard and HyperDA was cited as the reason Appleton was "something of a legend." On August 7, 1995 developer William C. Appleton released World Builder as freeware
.
The games World Builder created used different layers of code to manipulate the images the game contained: object code, scene code, and finally world code. The World Template included with the program contained default world code with default failure responses to standard text commands like north, south, up, down, and so on. Other than actions with characters (which were always combat oriented) and clicking on objects to pick them up everything had to set up through code and dialog boxes.
The map is organized in compass directions and up/down as was common in earlier interactive fiction
. Characters can be defined to move around independently and interacted with. There is also a special provision for weapons, which have a stochastic
impact just as the dice of role-playing games. The game system includes QuickDraw vector graphics, a scripting language and digitized sound. A large number of games were made and released in circulation, many after the application was made freeware in 1995.
Ray Dunakin, author of numerous titles using the game development system, contributed various documentation and supporting files for the World Builder 1.2 release.
#118 by Hartley and Patricia Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers stated that "The variety of worlds, scenes, and characters you can create and motivate seems endless... We are really impressed with World Builder." In a subsequent column, the reviewers gave the program 3½ out of 5 stars.
Silicon Beach Software
Silicon Beach Software was an early developer of software products for the Macintosh personal computer. It was founded in San Diego, California by Charlie Jackson and his wife Hallie. Jackson later co-founded FutureWave Software with Jonathan Gay, the company that produced the first version of...
and had already been used for creating Enchanted Scepters
Enchanted Scepters
Enchanted Scepters is an early point-and-click adventure game, released in 1984.It was created with the World Builder adventure authoring system released to consumers in 1986. The player must find the four fire, earth, air and water scepters hidden across the Kingdom, and return them to the Wizard...
in 1984. In 1994 World Builder along with Course Builder, SuperCard and HyperDA was cited as the reason Appleton was "something of a legend." On August 7, 1995 developer William C. Appleton released World Builder as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
.
The games World Builder created used different layers of code to manipulate the images the game contained: object code, scene code, and finally world code. The World Template included with the program contained default world code with default failure responses to standard text commands like north, south, up, down, and so on. Other than actions with characters (which were always combat oriented) and clicking on objects to pick them up everything had to set up through code and dialog boxes.
The map is organized in compass directions and up/down as was common in earlier interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
. Characters can be defined to move around independently and interacted with. There is also a special provision for weapons, which have a stochastic
Stochastic
Stochastic refers to systems whose behaviour is intrinsically non-deterministic. A stochastic process is one whose behavior is non-deterministic, in that a system's subsequent state is determined both by the process's predictable actions and by a random element. However, according to M. Kac and E...
impact just as the dice of role-playing games. The game system includes QuickDraw vector graphics, a scripting language and digitized sound. A large number of games were made and released in circulation, many after the application was made freeware in 1995.
Ray Dunakin, author of numerous titles using the game development system, contributed various documentation and supporting files for the World Builder 1.2 release.
Reception
The program was reviewed in 1987 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...
#118 by Hartley and Patricia Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers stated that "The variety of worlds, scenes, and characters you can create and motivate seems endless... We are really impressed with World Builder." In a subsequent column, the reviewers gave the program 3½ out of 5 stars.
Games Created By World Builder
- Enchanted SceptersEnchanted SceptersEnchanted Scepters is an early point-and-click adventure game, released in 1984.It was created with the World Builder adventure authoring system released to consumers in 1986. The player must find the four fire, earth, air and water scepters hidden across the Kingdom, and return them to the Wizard...
- Midnight Snack
- Radical Castle
- Star Trek Game
- Wishing Well
- Little Pythagoras
- Bug Hunt
- Mountain Of Mayhem
- Psychotic!