It got bigger before it got smaller, too. (The turning points that would focus their attention on a leaner experience were first getting a prototype working and then discovering Warcraft II multiplayer in late 1995.)
![One page (of two) listing technologies included in a very early Age of Empires design. One page (of two) listing technologies included in a very early Age of Empires design.](https://social.mossrc.me/media/892cbc7efdd8535d03b52a98b36cb52f837c273764f7499fdcd3b8c8ff836843.jpeg)
![A page from a listing of how researching different technologies would impact on gameplay. A page from a listing of how researching different technologies would impact on gameplay.](https://social.mossrc.me/media/6e9113b522dbc16bb005b9b48ff582f7a667013082fe7e95275b505646179022.jpg)
More info at https://bit.ly/3TuNGZf
a publisher-side producer on loads of licensed horror games).
If you'd like to support the project or learn more about our plans for the series, you can do so at https://terrorbytesdoc.com
"Lara should not stand on the table. We need to wash Lara's hands cuz Lara's hands are brown."
A few seconds later, "Lara is looking for the bathroom to wash her hands. There's the bathroom, Lara! Go! Dad, why is Lara not going to the bathroom to wash her hands."
If you signed up previously, you don't need to do anything, but if anyone new would like to subscribe, here's the link: https://mailbob.io/u/mossrc/
Got one going out about TerrorBytes and a few other things shortly.
for the past few years i've been working to preserve as much of the multimedia era as i can.
brian thomas's If Monks Had Macs is a weird collection of hypercard modules that brian made, and collected them together into a fascinating piece of multimedia. equal parts interactive book, point and click text adventure, journaling software, art analysis, and social commentary - i wouldn't even know how to review it!
there were two editions of the program. the first was all made in Hypercard by brian in black and white in 1988. this one has a special place in my heart because all of the artwork was done in macpaint. you can play it in-browser here: https://archive.org/details/ifmonkshadmacs_1988
the second was remade by brian and his friends in 1995, using Voyager Expanded Books' Toolkit - which was basically a massive re-implementation of hypercard. it is in full colour this time, with some rendered artwork in place of the old macpaint art. disc image here: https://archive.org/details/IfMonksHadMacs
@MossRC has a great interview with brian on the history of the program, very much worth listening to here: https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/ifmonkshadmacs
does anyone know brian personally? it would be great to have him on mastodon!
#hypercard #macintosh #vintageApple #archival #gamePreservation #multimedia
![The front cover of If Monks Had Macs, by Brian Thomas & friends. It shows a medieval-style monastery upon a hill overlooking the ocean. The front cover of If Monks Had Macs, by Brian Thomas & friends. It shows a medieval-style monastery upon a hill overlooking the ocean.](https://dialup.cafe/system/media_attachments/files/111/970/813/232/114/560/original/65f901264d21e412.jpeg)
![The interior of If Monks Had Macs, showing a plain black and white manual, and a CD-ROM. The interior of If Monks Had Macs, showing a plain black and white manual, and a CD-ROM.](https://dialup.cafe/system/media_attachments/files/111/970/813/294/510/052/original/b0abc90ddb1515c1.jpeg)
![A screenshot from If Monks Had Macs. The left shows a black and white picture of a medieval monastery and castle, which was probably drawn from a woodcut.
The right shows the text:
This is EveryWare! If you like it enough to keep it for yourself, give it to someone else!
If all the world's information was at our fingertips, would our thoughts be any less scattered? I think not. These stacks invite you to explore the world of an idea rather than a catalogue of facts. A screenshot from If Monks Had Macs. The left shows a black and white picture of a medieval monastery and castle, which was probably drawn from a woodcut.
The right shows the text:
This is EveryWare! If you like it enough to keep it for yourself, give it to someone else!
If all the world's information was at our fingertips, would our thoughts be any less scattered? I think not. These stacks invite you to explore the world of an idea rather than a catalogue of facts.](https://dialup.cafe/system/media_attachments/files/111/970/853/895/667/408/original/061fe4cd04e84ef2.png)
It's going to be fascinating talking to these guys about their work and influences. (And boy am I glad to have an episodic structure to make parsing out their stories and insights easier.)
You can support the project at https://terrorbytesdoc.com
![Front cover for the GameWizards Tomb Raider Interactive Strategy Guide, promising "full motion video", "view actual game play", and "jump to any trouble spot and get answers quickly" as major selling points. Front cover for the GameWizards Tomb Raider Interactive Strategy Guide, promising "full motion video", "view actual game play", and "jump to any trouble spot and get answers quickly" as major selling points.](https://social.mossrc.me/media/e5a5c28bb616964b128b97ecc36866505ad762143549b7e3dbc32c465f8bcc89.jpg)
![Back cover, showing screenshots of the software and asserting "This is the first ever CD ROM that allows you to conquer the game by watching actual segments of the game in full-motion video." Back cover, showing screenshots of the software and asserting "This is the first ever CD ROM that allows you to conquer the game by watching actual segments of the game in full-motion video."](https://social.mossrc.me/media/a096ddb824a6316e7adf556a54646c1b60cb3c41cbd912ddf79f2710afcdaf21.jpg)