Hello from Jim Landes!

[Jim_Landes]

It was a computer game company.

[BobMcLain]

After my first computer game company (Horizon Simulations) folded in 1980, I started life anew in Anchorage Alaska and shortly thereafter started a little hand moderated PBM game called “Swords of Pelarn” under the company “Midnight Sun Games”. This game was based upon the history and players of the role-playing game “Pelarn” and the format was following roughly the model of “Realms of Sword and Thunder” by Empire Games run by Glenn Holiday.

Realms of Sword and Thunder was one of my favorite games, even though it didn't run for long and the turns took weeks to process. I'm still in touch with Glenn Holliday, the designer. It's a shame he wasn't able to automate enough of the game to make its operation feasible.

And I remember, Jim, that you gave public credit to Glenn's game as inspiration for Swords of Pelarn. That was a classy thing to do!

In Gaming Universal #3, I wrote: "So, if you want a game with an existing (and very impressive) library of data there for the asking, join ROSAT. If you want in on the ground floor, try SOP [Swords of Pelarn]."

Obviously, in hindsight, not one of my better recommendations, since I believe ROSAT folded shortly thereafter.

Speaking of my favorite games, does anyone remember Court of Kings, an absolutely fantastic mixed-moderated game from The Round Table? It ran on monthly turn cycles, but the moderator was never able to get her labor-intensive turns out the door on time. Of course, the game folded quickly. I wish I could remember the moderator's name. Pat something, maybe.

-- Bob McLain

[Jim_Landes]

Thanks Jim,

Are you still playing Pbm games yourself?

Regards,

Walter.

(sorry about any english errors, I speak several languages but English grammar is harsh for me...)

Hello Walter,

I seem to have missed your question above, my appologies.

No, I have not played a PBM game since around 1993.

I returned to college and had to focus my time on studies, and then jumped into the corporate world with 90 hour weeks, a family and just no time to devote.

Since then I spend my free time making games.

Kindest regards,

Jim

[Victory]

Thanks Jim,

Are you still playing Pbm games yourself?

Regards,

Walter.

(sorry about any english errors, I speak several languages but English grammar is harsh for me...)

Hello Walter,

I seem to have missed your question above, my appologies.

No, I have not played a PBM game since around 1993.

I returned to college and had to focus my time on studies, and then jumped into the corporate world with 90 hour weeks, a family and just no time to devote.

Since then I spend my free time making games.

Kindest regards,

Jim

Jim,

It is good to see you still involved in games. I enjoyed playing Warband with your (and all of your team's) mods. It is cool that you have managed to stay in the game industry -- I got drawn into the corporate world and stayed there once I had a family. Finding time for even playing games has gotten tough.

I remember playing Epic and Legends back in the day. It is amazing how much fun some of those simple games such as Epic were just because you were in a game with so many other people.

Terry (from Rolling Thunder Games)

[Jim_Landes]

Thanks Jim,

Are you still playing Pbm games yourself?

Regards,

Walter.

(sorry about any english errors, I speak several languages but English grammar is harsh for me...)

Hello Walter,

I seem to have missed your question above, my appologies.

No, I have not played a PBM game since around 1993.

I returned to college and had to focus my time on studies, and then jumped into the corporate world with 90 hour weeks, a family and just no time to devote.

Since then I spend my free time making games.

Kindest regards,

Jim

Jim,

It is good to see you still involved in games. I enjoyed playing Warband with your (and all of your team's) mods. It is cool that you have managed to stay in the game industry -- I got drawn into the corporate world and stayed there once I had a family. Finding time for even playing games has gotten tough.

I remember playing Epic and Legends back in the day. It is amazing how much fun some of those simple games such as Epic were just because you were in a game with so many other people.

Terry (from Rolling Thunder Games)

Hello Terry,

Great to hear from you and my apologies for my tardy reply. Yes, I went back to the game industry in 2009 by taking a position heading up an interactive media program at a community college in Michigan.

I spend my days teaching computer science and game design and theory to young minds to help them shape the future of this industry.

In my spare time I have established a new concern, Gwythdarian LLC, a multi-media consulting firm and we are heavily involved in creating a new web based MMO using procedural generation techniques I have developed over the years. The end result will be quite astounding and we hope to have an alpha by this summer.

I did the corporate grind for many years, and while the money was great, I wanted to live a life that provided more value. That is what I say to people who ask me "Why did you move to Michigan?". I decided to live a life of value rather than living a life just for a paycheck. I found that the corporate world was not personally satisfying and that I was dying a bit every day.

Kindest regards,

Jim

[Victory]

You only live once. It is great to see you doing what makes you happy.

I'm looking forward to seeing your Gwythdarian game. I think we are living in a great era for games right now with indie companies able to make an impact and earn a sustainable living with a lot of outlets for their product.

The days of having to get shelf space for a game are long gone and if you can get a great product out there word of mouth can go a long ways. Today's climate requires a lot more computer and art skills than the old days, but if you have them I think the job is a lot more creative and less data entering.

And anyway, you started off in Alaska so Michigan has to be a step up, right?

(I grew up in Illinois before moving out to Colorado for Rolling Thunder)

[GrimFinger]

In my spare time I have established a new concern, Gwythdarian LLC, a multi-media consulting firm and we are heavily involved in creating a new web based MMO using procedural generation techniques I have developed over the years. The end result will be quite astounding and we hope to have an alpha by this summer.

A glimpse of things to come, with regard to Gwythdarian LLC, Jim?

http://scottelder.carbonmade.com/projects/4536571#1