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| Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures | |
|---|---|
 Cover art byClyde Caldwell | |
| Developer | MicroMagic |
| Publishers | |
| Designer | Jason T. Linhart |
| Programmers | David Blake Jason T. Linhart Bill Sloan |
| Artists | Eric Halloran Herb Perez |
| Composers | David Govett George Sanger |
| Series | Gold Box |
| Platforms | MS-DOS,Mac |
| Release | March 17, 1993 |
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Mode | Single-player |
Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures, also known asUnlimited Adventures, or by the acronymsFRUA orUA, is a construction kit forrole-playing video games released forMS-DOS andMac on March 17, 1993, byStrategic Simulations.[2]
Unlimited Adventures is a construction kit forrole-playing video games, and drew its content from the priorGold Box engine games,[3] with improved graphics. SSI's contract withTSR, Inc. required the former to stop using the Gold Box engine, so the company released its development tools.[4][3] Games created by users can be shared with other players who also ownUnlimited Adventures. As of 2022, the program still has an active community of users.[5][non-primary source needed]
The original game allowed the user to createdungeon modules, some editing and renaming ofmonsters and characters, and to import pictures and monster sprites. However, some art, such as walls, combat backdrops, and title screens, could not be changed in the unmodified game.
Those limitations have been overcome by community-mademods. The availability of these mods has led to the creation of comprehensive "worldhacks", designed to allow the creation ofscience fiction,superhero,Western andRoman Empire adventures, among others. A program called "UASHELL" applies and manages these hacks and enables the player to apply them.
SSI sold 32,364 copies ofUnlimited Adventures.[4]Computer Gaming World in 1993 called it "the best adventure-construction kit available" despite the "sorely lacking" Gold Box engine.[6] According toGameSpy in 2004, although "the game's graphics were poor [...] and using the tools could be a little complicated,Unlimited Adventures was an excellent tool for budding RPG designers".[7]
James Trunzo reviewedUnlimited Adventures: Fantasy Construction Kit inWhite Wolf #37 (July/Aug., 1993) and stated that "UA comes with well-written and very complete documentation which includes a number of essential tutorials to give you a feel for design.UA also comes with a complete adventure that you can play and modify. All the scenarios can be saved and played on other computers by your friends. After all, you'll know all the secrets! The fun ofUA is in design - both the design of the game and the fun of designing your own adventures."[8]
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures is included in the compilation "The Forgotten Realms Archives - Collection Two".[9]
The fan-made game design programDungeon Craft (originally calledUA Forever) is a standalone program that partially emulatesFRUA's engine, but with a greater ease of user modification.
You can create your own fantasy adventure in theUnlimited Adventures construction kit...The game is coming soon from US Gold on PC and Apple Mac.