The Inside Scoop on Gaming

When the price is right for a gaming product, there is a certain temptation to let it off easy since there is no bitterness from wasting money on it. Of course there is nothing more delightful than receiving a free gaming product and discovering that you have received quite a gem. This is a review of a free product provided by the fine folks at RPG.NET, but I promise I won't hold myself back for this review (as if I ever have before).

The free product in question is the computer program Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas The Interactive Atlas runs on IBM-based machines running Windows 95 or Windows 98. I ran it using Windows 98, and it loaded and worked just fine. Then, in a fit of madness, I replaced Windows 98 with Windows 2000 and, to my delight, discovered that the Interactive Atlas runs under that OS just fine, too. If you happen to have a Macintosh-based machine, however, you're out on your ear: I don't believe there is a version for that OS.

Loading the Interactive Atlas is quite simple. There are three loading options: full install (which takes a mind-numbing 600mb of space), a medium install and a minimum install. Those who do the full install can save changes to the maps; those who do not can't. I personally did the medium install since I doubt I'm going to need to modify these maps.

The Interactive Atlas interface is fairly intuitive and reminiscent of web browsers. There are forward and backward arrows for navigations between maps as well as several sets of drop down menus. Also included are bookmarks so you can mark your favorite maps and easily return to them later. Other little useful tools include a ruler to measure distances and the ability to print impressive-looking maps (unlike those from the AD&D Core Rules Ver 1.0 from a few years back).

Another item that makes things easier is a globe of the world of Toril (on which one can find the Forgotten Realms.) This you can rotate with your mouse like a real globe and, if you click on an area, the appropriate map will show up, assuming one exists in the first place. The first time you click on the globe you also get a nifty little movie that was quite impressive.

I must admit when I first saw this product on the marketplace I cringed. I recalled the first edition AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM and remembered what a disaster that was. (I hear that version 2 is better, but I've never seen it so I can't attest to that. I figured that the existing Forgotten Realms maps were simply scanned in and that you would get crude zoom tools to look at areas.

First of all, all the maps were converted to vector graphics. Unlike scanned graphics, these are math-based and can be easily manipulated in draw programs like Illustrator or Freehand. They also look better on the screen, especially when a tight map zoom has been made. This impressed me greatly.

What impressed me even more was the fact that I could use a powerful search engine to zoom right where I want to go. If, for example, I need a city map of Skullport, all I have to do is type its name in, hit OK and…I get a billion cryptic names. Well, no product is perfect, and here's a bit of a flaw. The search engine tends to give you too many choices, many of them were not people friendly, even after I narrowed down the search.

There are a few other little things that could stand to be improved as well. First of all, there is no easy way to get to the main world map that appears when the program opens its first time. (Of course there might be a way, but I sure couldn't find it. I suppose I could have book marked it.) Another irritating feature is that when the globe is up and running, it does so in another window that is in front of other, non-related programs. Right now, for example, I've stuck it in the bottom corner so I can use my word processor to write this review.

There is one other last thing I ought to point out, but it isn't a fault of this product. On back of the jewel case cover it says that you can retrieve map updates from the Wizards of the Coast website. Well, although it gives you the main website address, it fails to tell you exactly where on the website these updates can be found. Good luck finding them. After quite a bit of looking, I finally did find the site that was supposed to contain the update, but when I arrived there I discovered there currently are none. (Or, if there are, they eluded me completely.)

I don't hold the fact that the Wizards of the Coast website is a bloated catastrophe against the product in this review and it does not reflect on the ratings I have it.

Overall I have to say that this is an excellent product and, had I in fact paid for it, I would not have been disappointed. This is a really good product that, aside from perhaps tweaking the search engine, needs no other improvements…

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas
Author: Various Category: Computer Product Company/Publisher: Pro Fantasy Software, Ltd. & Wizards of the Coast Line: None Page count: n/a Playtest Review by Mark Strecker on 06/19/00. Genre tags: Fantasy	When the price is right for a gaming product, there is a certain temptation to let it off easy since there is no bitterness from wasting money on it. Of course there is nothing more delightful than receiving a free gaming product and discovering that you have received quite a gem. This is a review of a free product provided by the fine folks at RPG.NET, but I promise I won't hold myself back for this review (as if I ever have before). The free product in question is the computer program Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas The Interactive Atlas runs on IBM-based machines running Windows 95 or Windows 98. I ran it using Windows 98, and it loaded and worked just fine. Then, in a fit of madness, I replaced Windows 98 with Windows 2000 and, to my delight, discovered that the Interactive Atlas runs under that OS just fine, too. If you happen to have a Macintosh-based machine, however, you're out on your ear: I don't believe there is a version for that OS. Loading the Interactive Atlas is quite simple. There are three loading options: full install (which takes a mind-numbing 600mb of space), a medium install and a minimum install. Those who do the full install can save changes to the maps; those who do not can't. I personally did the medium install since I doubt I'm going to need to modify these maps. The Interactive Atlas interface is fairly intuitive and reminiscent of web browsers. There are forward and backward arrows for navigations between maps as well as several sets of drop down menus. Also included are bookmarks so you can mark your favorite maps and easily return to them later. Other little useful tools include a ruler to measure distances and the ability to print impressive-looking maps (unlike those from the AD&D Core Rules Ver 1.0 from a few years back). Another item that makes things easier is a globe of the world of Toril (on which one can find the Forgotten Realms.) This you can rotate with your mouse like a real globe and, if you click on an area, the appropriate map will show up, assuming one exists in the first place. The first time you click on the globe you also get a nifty little movie that was quite impressive. I must admit when I first saw this product on the marketplace I cringed. I recalled the first edition AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM and remembered what a disaster that was. (I hear that version 2 is better, but I've never seen it so I can't attest to that. I figured that the existing Forgotten Realms maps were simply scanned in and that you would get crude zoom tools to look at areas. First of all, all the maps were converted to vector graphics. Unlike scanned graphics, these are math-based and can be easily manipulated in draw programs like Illustrator or Freehand. They also look better on the screen, especially when a tight map zoom has been made. This impressed me greatly. What impressed me even more was the fact that I could use a powerful search engine to zoom right where I want to go. If, for example, I need a city map of Skullport, all I have to do is type its name in, hit OK and…I get a billion cryptic names. Well, no product is perfect, and here's a bit of a flaw. The search engine tends to give you too many choices, many of them were not people friendly, even after I narrowed down the search. There are a few other little things that could stand to be improved as well. First of all, there is no easy way to get to the main world map that appears when the program opens its first time. (Of course there might be a way, but I sure couldn't find it. I suppose I could have book marked it.) Another irritating feature is that when the globe is up and running, it does so in another window that is in front of other, non-related programs. Right now, for example, I've stuck it in the bottom corner so I can use my word processor to write this review. There is one other last thing I ought to point out, but it isn't a fault of this product. On back of the jewel case cover it says that you can retrieve map updates from the Wizards of the Coast website. Well, although it gives you the main website address, it fails to tell you exactly where on the website these updates can be found. Good luck finding them. After quite a bit of looking, I finally did find the site that was supposed to contain the update, but when I arrived there I discovered there currently are none. (Or, if there are, they eluded me completely.) I don't hold the fact that the Wizards of the Coast website is a bloated catastrophe against the product in this review and it does not reflect on the ratings I have it. Overall I have to say that this is an excellent product and, had I in fact paid for it, I would not have been disappointed. This is a really good product that, aside from perhaps tweaking the search engine, needs no other improvements… Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)