[Designers & Dragons 01] • Designers & Dragons · the '80s by Appelcline, Shannon -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Warning. Foreword: The '80s

A Future History of Roleplaying A Note to Readers of the First Edition

SPI: 1969–1982

Wargame Beginnings: 1969–1980

Magazine History

Strategy & Tactics 1967-Present

Fantasy and Roleplaying Games: 1973–1982 The End of SPI: 1980–1982 After TSR: 1982

Task Force Games: 1978–1996

Prelude to a Task Force: 1973–1977 Setting Up a Task Force: 1978–1979 Pseudo-RPGs: 1980–1985

The Fiction of Starfire

Forces & Catalysts, Leading to Change: 1985–1988 To Van Nuys & Back Again: 1988–1993

Mini-History

Amarillo Design Bureau: 1983-Present

Remember the Prime Directive: 1993–2004

Steve Jackson Games: 1980-Present

Before Steve Jackson Games: 1977–1980 Early Board Games: 1980–1984 Early RPGs: 1980–1983 Many Magazines: 1980–1984 Toon: 1984–1986 The Early Computer Days: 1981–1986

Magazine History

Space Gamer 1975–1990+

The Birth of GURPS: 1981–1987 The Early GURPS Days: 1986–1989 Steve Jackson vs. The Secret Service: 1990–1992 Changing Times: 1990–1994 A Non-GURPS Interlude: 1994–2000 The Expanding Face of GURPS: 1995–2002 d20 & Other Expansions: 2000–2003 GURPS 4e & E-publishing: 2004-Present The Rise of Munchkin & Other Changes: 2003-Present

FASA (1980-2001) Gamelords (1980-1984)

FASA: 1980–2001

Traveller & Other Early Beginnings: 1980–1984 Beginning the Voyages: 1982–1983 More Licensed RPGs: 1983–1985

The Great RPG Licenses: Science-Fiction

The Emergence of Battletech: 1983–1989 The End of the TV RPGs: 1986–1989 A Renegade Interlude: 1986–1993 Shadowrun Appears: 1989–1992 Battletech Updates, Licenses & Partners: 1989–1995 Earthdawn Appears: 1993–1994 Battletech, Harmony Gold & FASA Interactive: 1993–1998 Out with the Old, In with the New: 1994–1998 Buy-Outs and Closing Down: 1999–2001 Properties & Licenses: 2001-Present

Gamelords: 1980–1984

Beginnings & Thieves’ Guild: 1980–1984 Two Partnerships: 1981–1984 The Final Years: 1983–1984

ICE: 1980-Present

Rolemaster Beginnings: 1980–1982 The Origins of MERP: 1982–1984

The Great RPG Licenses: Fantasy

Early MERP Releases: 1982–1987 More Rolemaster Editions: 1984–1989 Piles of New Products: 1985–1990 The Bad Years: 1990–1992 The Fan Component: 1989–1993 The Final MERP Incarnation: 1993–1997 The Penultimate Rolemaster Incarnation: 1994–1998 The CCG Line: 1995–1998 The Last Years of ICE: 1994–2001 ICE for Sale: 2001 ICE Mk. 2, A Hopeful Beginning: 2002–2005 ICE Mk. 2, A Slow Decline: 2005–2010 ICE Mk. 3, A Hopeful Beginning: 2010-Present

Hero Games: 1981-Present

Secret Origins: 1981 Champions Year One: 1981–1985 Heroic Universal Role Playing: 1983–1985 The Early ICE Age: 1986–1989 Champions in 4E!: 1989

The View from Comic City!

Meanwhile … In Computer City: 1990–1993 The ICE Age Thaws: 1990–1995 Heroic Fracture!: 1996–1998 Online Years: 1998–2000 The Cybergame Year: 2000–2001 Hero Games, Fifth Edition: 2001–2002 Fifth Edition Revisions: 2003–2009 Up, Up, and Away!: 2008–2011 Kicking the Future: 2012-Present

Palladium Books: 1981-Present

Detroit Before Palladium: 1967–1980 Kevin Siembieda Before Palladium: 1977–1980 The Palladium Invasion: 1981–1983 The Palladium System: 1983–1985 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Licenses: 1985 Enter Robotech: 1986–1988 A Variety of RPGs, a Paucity of Supplement: 1987–1990 Enter Rifts: 1990–1993 IP Wars: 1991–2004 Years of Success: 1993–2002 The Slide toward a Crisis: 2000–2006 The Crisis of Treachery: 2006-Present

Leading Edge Games: 1982–1993

The Spiral-Bound Years: 1982–1985 What is The Phoenix Command?: 1986–1993

Mini-History

Timeline: 1980–1991, 2001-Present

Return to Rhand: 1987–1991

Leading Edge Games & The Trends of the ’80s and ’90s

Trailing Edge Games: 1989–1993

Bard Games: 1982–1990

D&D Days: 1982–1986 Talislanta Tales: 1987–1990 Many Publishers: 1992-Present

Yaquinto Publications (1979-1983) Mayfair Games (1980-Present) Avalon Hill (1958-1998) Columbia Games (2003-Present) Kélestia Productions (1980-Present) West End Games (1979-2009)

Yaquinto Publications: 1979–1983

A Brief History: 1979–1983

Mayfair Games: 1980-Present

The First Board Games & Role Aids: 1980–1984 Early Licenses in Board Games & Superheroes: 1982–1989 Iterating the RPG Industry: 1986–1991 Demons & Other Darkness: 1991–1993 An End to Roleplaying: 1991–1996 The German Coda: 1994–1997 Death and Rebirth: 1997-Present

Avalon Hill: 1958–1998

The Wargame Years: 1953–1983

Avalon Hill Computer Games

Victory Over SPI: 1982–1983 The Giant Jumps In: 1983–1984 RuneQuest Beginnings: 1984–1989 Board Gaming Continues: 1982–1991 The Dark Ages: 1989–1991 Another Tale: 1991–1993 The Last Renaissance and Fall: 1992–1997 After the Fall: 1997–1998 Hasbro Subsidiary: 1998-Present

Columbia Games: 1972-Present

Quebec & Block Games: 1972–1982 Campaign Worlds and Hârn: 1982–1983 The Golden Age of Hârn: 1983–1987 Toward a Fall: 1988–2000 Division and Death: 1998–2008 The Hârnic Future: 2008-Present Mini-History

Keléstia Productions: 2003-Present

West End Games: 1974–2009

The Wargame Years: 1974–1983 A Sense of Growing Paranoia: 1983–1984 Expansion & Growth: 1984–1987 Mini-History

Eon Products: 1977–1983

A Rising Star & A Coming Fall: 1987–1988 The Fall of Paranoia: 1989–1995 A New Roleplaying Game Experience: 1990 The Slow Death of Roleplay: 1989–1995 The MasterBook Fizzle: 1993–1997 D6 Comes Too Late: 1996–1998 Bankruptcy: 1998 The Second West End: 1999–2002 The Third West End: 2003–2009

SkyRealms Publishing: 1984–1988

Jorune Beginnings: 1984–1989 Jorune Aftermath: 1990–1994

Digest Group Publications: 1985–1993

The Early Digest: 1985–1987 The Road to MegaTraveller: 1985–1987 MegaTraveller!: 1987 The MegaTraveller Years: 1987–1991 The GDW Rebellion: 1991–1993 Post-Fugate DGP: 1994-Present

R. Talsorian: 1985–Present

Before The Games: 1980–1982 The Pre-Interlock Games: 1982–1987 The Future of Mekton: 1987–1994 Cyberpunk’d: 1988–1993 Visions & Revisions: 1991–1996 Castle Falkenstein, Good Sir: 1994–1997 Fuzion Times: 1996–1998 Shutting Down: 1998–2000 The Microsoft Years: 2000–2004 The New Cybergeneration: 2005-Present

Lion Rampant: 1987–1990

Foundation & Whimsy: 1987 Publication & Magic: 1987–1988 More Publications, More Ideas: 1988–1989 A Year of Tribulations: 1989–1990 White Wolf & Lion Rampant: 1990–1991 Latter Days: 1991-Present

Pacesetter: 1984–1986

A Trio of Games: 1984–1985 Wabbits, Sandmen, and The End: 1985–1986 Mini-History

54°40’ Orphyte: 1991–1992

Pacesetter Afterlife: 1990-Present

New Infinities Productions: 1986–1988

Discovering New Infinities: 1986–1987

Jefferson Swycaffer & The Rise of RPG Fiction

Cyborgs & Converts: 1987 Mini-History

Adventure Games: 1981–1985

Hopes & Failures: 1988

Creations Unlimited: 1986–1987

Creative Beginnings: 1972–1985 The Actual Story of Creations Unlimited: 1986–1987

Ye Settings of Yore: Kalibruhn

D20 Makes All Things Live Again: 2001-Present

Different Worlds Publications: 1987–1989, 2004-Present

Chaotic Origins: 1977–1985 Sleuthing Continuations: 1985–1987 Different Worlds Publications: 1987–1989 The Return of Ehara: 2004-Present

Appendix I:

10 Things You Might Not Know About Roleplaying in the ’80s

1. Roleplaying was Huge 2. Roleplaying Was Feared and Hated 3. The Industry Was Mature, Yet Primitive 4. Games Were Often Complex 5. Adventures Reached Their Zenith 6. Settings Were Loosely Defined 7. Military Roleplaying Was Big 8. Cthulhu, Traveller, and Champions Ruled 9. TSR Became the Enemy 10. Editions Still Didn’t Exist

Appendix II:

Bibliography & Thanks Books Magazines Websites Fact Checkers Scanners Special Thanks

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