Strategic Simulations

Strategic Simulations, Inc.

Type| Public
Industry| Video games
Fate| Merged into Mindscape
Founded| 1979; 47 years ago (1979)
Founder| Joel Billings
Defunct| 1994 (1994)
Headquarters| Mountain View, California, US
Products| Wargames
Role-playing games

Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) was a video game developer and publisher of over 100 games from its founding in 1979 to its dissolution in 1994 (though the brand was in use until around 2002).[1] The company focused on computer wargames then later added role-playing video games. SSI published the Panzer General series and the official video game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 List of games
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## History

The company was founded by Joel Billings, a wargame enthusiast, who in the summer of 1979 saw the possibility of using the new home computers such as the TRS-80 for wargames.[2] While unsuccessfully approaching Avalon Hill and Automated Simulations to publish wargames,[3] he hired programmers John Lyons, who wrote Computer Bismarck—later claimed to have been the first "serious wargame" published for a microcomputer[2]—and Ed Williger, who wrote Computer Ambush. Both games were written in BASIC as were many of SSI's early games.

Although Billings expected that he and Lyon would write the first version of Computer Bismarck on a North Star computer, Apple Computer executive Trip Hawkins, who would later found Electronic Arts, persuaded Billings to switch to the Apple II because of its graphics.[3] Computer Bismarck appeared for the Apple in January 1980 and for the TRS-80 later in the year. Chuck Kroegel, who joined the company as an employee in 1983, was the co-author with David Landrey of many of the early SSI wargames and led product development for over ten years.

Strategic Simulations booth at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1982

By late 1980, SSI advertised that its games could "take you from Waterloo to the Super Bowl. (By way of the North Atlantic.)"[4] In 1982 SSI launched their RapidFire line. Although the name implies action titles, it was in fact simply a branding of games being written by third party authors. The initial series consisted of Cytron Masters, The Cosmic Balance and Galactic Gladiators. Later titles included Epidemic!, a real time strategy title dealing with a global plague, Queen of Hearts, Cosmic Balance II, Broadsides and others. The branding effort did not last very long, and appeared to have been ended in either 1983 or 1984. Chris Smith reviewed SSI's RapidFire Line in The Space Gamer No. 59.[5] Smith commented that " RapidFire is a game line that deserves any award it can be nominated for. It is the best line of computer games I've ever seen, and the programs rate high on an individual basis also."[5]

An SSI ad for Commodore 64 games, published in a 1984 issue of Computer Gaming World

By 1985, Antic wrote "serious computer wargamers consider [SSI] a company in a class by itself". It had 60 employees and had published 12 games in the previous year, most written in compiled BASIC. Developers such as Gary Grigsby received royalties of up to $20,000 per game.[6] By fiscal 1987 the company had $5 million in sales, and had released 89 games in its first eight years.[2]

SSI had expanded into role-playing games in 1984 with titles such as Wizard's Crown, Questron and the Phantasie series. In 1987, SSI acquired the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) license from TSR and subsequently published 30 titles in that series, starting with Pool of Radiance in 1988 and including War of the Lance in 1989 (Apple II) and 1990 (MS-DOS & Commodore 64). The TSR products formed the core of games released using the Gold Box engine.

By 1992, Computer Gaming World stated that SSI "is no longer known as, primarily, a wargame company [but] continues to publish its share of wargames".[7] In 1994, the company released Panzer General. Panzer General was a very approachable and easy-to-play game that nevertheless had some gameplay depth and the sense of continuity and goals. It was followed by three other games based on slightly modified versions of the basic engine, including Allied General and Pacific General, the latter arguably being the most balanced. Non-historical games based on the same system were also released, Star General and Fantasy General. These were later referred to collectively as the 5-Star General Series.

As the newer versions were released over a three-year period they increasingly became outdated in terms of improving computer hardware. In 1997 they released a new version, Panzer General II, with hand-painted maps and icons. It was very popular, selling well over 100,000 copies in its first release, and is still modded and played today. [8] People's General was based on the same engine. In 1999 Panzer General 3D Assault introduced a true 3D engine, but gameplay was not particularly notable.[citation needed]</ref> A final attempt in 2000 was Software:Panzer General III: Scorched Earth.

SSI was acquired by Mindscape in 1994, spent some time as part of Mattel, and finally became part of Ubisoft in March 2001, which retired the brand a few years later.[1]

In December 2013, Joel Billings donated several SSI video games, such as Computer Bismarck, including the source code for preservation to the ICHEG.[9][10]

## List of games

Main article: Software:List of Strategic Simulations games

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Strategic Simulations, Inc.'s MobyGames bio". https://www.mobygames.com/company/80/strategic-simulations-inc/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Titans of the Computer Gaming World", Computer Gaming World, March 1988, p.36.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wilson, Johnny L. (November 1991). "A History of Computer Games". Computer Gaming World: 10. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
4. ↑ Advertisement (November 1980). "We can take you from Waterloo to the Super Bowl. (By way of the North Atlantic.)". BYTE: 375. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-11/1980_11_BYTE_05-11_High-Resolution_Graphics#page/n329/mode/2up. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Smith, Chris (January 1983). "SSI's RapidFire Line: Featured Review". The Space Gamer (Steve Jackson Games) (59): 14–15.
6. ↑ Powell, Jack (July 1985). "War Games: The story of S.S.I.". Antic 4 (3): 28. https://archive.org/stream/1985-07-anticmagazine/Antic_Vol_4-03_1985-07_Computer_Challenges#page/n27/mode/2up.
7. ↑ "The Consumer Electronics Show: No Longer Behind Closed Doors". Computer Gaming World: 23–28. August 1992. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=97. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
8. ↑ "Panzer General 2" (in en). https://www.gog.com/en/game/panzer_general_2.
9. ↑ Nutt, Christian (2013-12-16). "Strategic Simulations, Inc. founder donates company collection to ICHEG". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/strategic-simulations-inc-founder-donates-company-collection-to-icheg.
10. ↑ Dyson, Jon-Paul C. (2013-12-16). "The Strategic Simulations, Inc. Collection". ICHEG. Archived from the original. Error: If you specify `|archiveurl=`, you must also specify `|archivedate=`. https://web.archive.org/web/20170323152519/http://www.icheg.org/blog/chegheads/2013/12/the-strategic-simulations-inc-collection.

## External links

* Strategic Simulations, Inc. at MobyGames
* 1985 story about SSI
* The History of SSI Games
* GOTCHA awards for SSI

* v
* t
* e

Dungeons & Dragons

Basics

| General|

* Controversies
* Editions
* Gen Con
* Popular culture
* Film series
* Related products
* Retro-clones
* RPGA
* Sources and influences

|

Gameplay|

* Adventures
* Alignment
* Attribute
* Dungeon Master
* Game mechanics
* Magic
* Magic item
* Miniatures
* Psionics

Creators|

* Gary Gygax
* Dave Arneson
* Keith Baker
* Richard Baker
* Ed Greenwood
* Jeff Grubb
* Tracy Hickman
* Robert J. Kuntz
* Mike Mearls
* Frank Mentzer
* Chris Perkins
* Jim Ward
* Margaret Weis

Companies|

* TSR
* Wizards of the Coast
* Grenadier Models
* Judges Guild
* Paizo
* Ral Partha
* Strategic Simulations
* WizKids

Licenses|

* Game System License
* Open Game License
* System Reference Document

Geography and cosmology

| Campaign settings|

* Al-Qadim
* Birthright
* Blackmoor
* Council of Wyrms
* Dark Sun
* Dragonlance
* Eberron
* Forgotten Realms
* Neverwinter
* Ghostwalk
* Greyhawk
* Kara-Tur
* Kingdoms of Kalamar
* Mystara
* Planescape
* Ravenloft
* Ravnica
* Rokugan
* Savage Coast
* Spelljammer
* Theros

|

Planes of existence|

* Material Plane
* Abeir-Toril
* Athas
* Eberron
* Mystara
* Oerth
* Underdark
* Sigil
* Inner Plane
* Outer Plane

Characters and beings

| Races|

* Dragonborn
* Dwarf
* Eladrin
* Elf
* Gnome
* Halfling
* Half-elf
* Tiefling

|

Classes|

* Artificer
* Barbarian
* Bard
* Cleric
* Druid
* Fighter
* Monk
* Paladin
* Ranger
* Shaman
* Sorcerer
* Rogue
* Warlock
* Wizard
* List of alternative classes

Character lists|

* Dragonlance
* Forgotten Realms
* Greyhawk
* Ravenloft

Notable characters|

* Drizzt Do'Urden
* Elminster
* Iggwilv
* Raistlin Majere
* Mordenkainen
* Lord Soth
* Vecna
* Strahd von Zarovich

Creatures and monsters|

* Celestials
* Dragons
* Elementals
* Fiends
* Giants
* Oozes
* Outsiders
* Beholder
* Drow (dark elf)
* Illithid (mind flayer)
* Lich

Deities and powers|

* 2nd edition monsters
* Archdevils
* Demon lords
* Greyhawk deities

Publications

| Core rulebooks|

* Player's Handbook
* Dungeon Master's Guide
* Monster Manual

|

Classic boxed sets|

* Dungeons & Dragons (original)
* Basic
* Expert
* Companion
* Master
* Immortals
* Rules Cyclopedia

Supplements|

* Arms and Equipment Guide
* Battlesystem
* Book of Exalted Deeds
* Book of Vile Darkness
* Deities & Demigods
* Draconomicon
* Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns
* Fiend Folio
* Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
* Libris Mortis
* Manual of the Planes
* Player's Option: Combat & Tactics
* Player's Option: Skills & Powers
* Player's Option: Spells & Magic
* Psionics Handbook
* AD&D 2nd edition
* D&D 3rd edition
* D&D v3.5 Expanded and Complete
* Unearthed Arcana
* Wrath of the Immortals

Notable
modules|

* List of Eberron modules and sourcebooks
* Against the Giants
* Dead Gods
* Desert of Desolation
* Dragonlance
* Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
* The Gates of Firestorm Peak
* The Isle of Dread
* The Keep on the Borderlands
* The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
* Queen of the Spiders
* Ravenloft
* Red Hand of Doom
* The Ruins of Undermountain
* The Temple of Elemental Evil
* Tomb of Horrors
* White Plume Mountain

Online tools|

* D&D Beyond

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic Simulations. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Company:Strategic_Simulations&oldid=4242667"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template