Software:Journey to Rooted Hold

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Journey to Rooted Hold
File:Journey To Rooted Hold Title.JPG
Title screen
Developer(s)Caravel Games
Publisher(s)Caravel Games
Designer(s)Erik Hermansen
Platform(s)Windows, Linux, Mac OS X
Release2005
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, Editor

Journey to Rooted Hold is the second computer puzzle game in Deadly Rooms of Death series published by American studio Caravel Games. It was released on April 1, 2005 for Windows. The Linux port was developed simultaneously with the Windows port and was released on April 2.

Also called DROD 2.0, the game includes many new additions and improvements, such as an expanded plot complete with in-game dialogue, higher resolution graphics; better user interfaces in both the editor and in game; new monsters and puzzle elements; additional customizability for holds, such as including custom images and sound; a new scripting system; and connectivity to an online DROD database.

Plot

After the conclusion of the original DROD, Beethro opened up a restaurant primarily serving roach meat. He made a modest living and decided to retire from smitemastery, however Dugan sent him a letter accusing him of seeding and Beethro knows that this is a result of the unopenable door on level 10. Beethro goes to Mobley, a DAA member and a resident of Dugandy. After an argument Mobley gives Beethro a portable orb to open the door. Meanwhile, Beethro's sister Vonnifa is having trouble with her son Halph, Beethro's nephew. Halph wants to become a smiter and Vonnifa requests that Beethro takes him to Dugan's dungeon to discourage him.

Beethro and Halph arrive in Dugan's 10th level which has suffered a recent cave-in. Halph wanders off with a goblin and Beethro has no choice but to follow him deeper into the secret passage behind the door. Beethro soon finds Halph and, with his help, uncovers an underground bureaucracy. The desk clerk attempts to explain to Beethro about the bureaucracy and why he must leave. However, after being told that explaining why he isn't supposed to go into the Empire's territory would take several months, he stops listening and wanders off deeper into the dungeon. The bureaucracy (known at this point only as "The Rooted Empire") sends 39th Slayer to kill Beethro.

After several close encounters, Beethro decides to escape to Blorn after finding he is in the city's sewer system, however the stairway is blocked by the Slayer. Lacking other options, he instead ventures deeper into The Empire.

Gameplay

Mostly the gameplay remains the same as its prequel. However in some rooms, the puzzles can only be accomplished with Halph's help, by beckoning him to hit orbs to open a corresponding door A new potion allows Beethro to create a decoy that will attract monsters. A few monsters have a slight difference from the ones they look like from the prequel, while others have completely new tactics, movements and weaknesses. The main obstacle that will get in Beethro's way is the 39th Slayer who makes use of a wisp to trail and uses a hook as his weapon. Because the Slayer reacts according to block Beethro's attacks, the Slayer can only be killed by one game element at the game's end. In addition, the game engine offers many new features including an improved level editor, an improved interface, an undo feature and dialogue and voice-acting support along with integrated CaravelNet support.

License

The library which handles connections to the online database (CaravelNet) is closed-source, although the rest of the game remains open-source under the Mozilla Public License and a fully functional executable (minus the CaravelNet connectivity features) can be made with the released source code.

Additionally, the artwork and levels composing the new content of Journey to Rooted Hold are sold commercially with rights reserved. Most of the game is still free. The source code, engine and level editor are still open source, a complete set of artwork is distributed with the demo version, and users can still download and build user holds without having to buy the full game.

Critical reception

  • GameTunnel 2005 Player's Choice Game of the Year[1]
  • GameTunnel 2005 Top 10 Games of the Year[2]
  • Home of the Underdogs Hall of Belated Fame Inductee[3]

References

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ [2]
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20061005002301/http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=5168. Retrieved 2007-02-14. 
  • DROD Official Site
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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