Dragonriders was one of the last games designed to the original vision of the thinking man's game company. Although Dragonriders garnered critical praise, its release was overshadowed by the pure-action game Jumpman, a huge success. Connelley left with his team soon after, and this was his last game at Epyx. [2] The game is score-based, with points being awarded for successful negotiations and alliances. Games end when the pre-selected number of turns expire, a certain number of points are reached, or a certain number of Holds become Thread-infested. [1] Dragonriders was developed during a key period of the development of Epyx, what amounted to a "battle for the creative vision of Epyx". [2] Miss a Thread and it may destroy you… or hit the ground and turn the land to dust. At the beginning of the game, you can select the difficulty of the Thread fighting or disable it entirely.

Name must be no longer than eight characters and must be in the correct dragonrider honourific. (Apostrophe in the second or third position. ex. F’lar, Sh’gall, T’bor, etc.) You can facilitate negotiations by organizing special events: To win the confidence of a Lord Holder who fancies dragons, invite him to a Hatching. Weddings also provide opportunities to score diplomatic points. In the novels, the world of Pern is in a semi-feudal state of development. The majority of the population belongs to one of many Holds, which are similar to principalities or duchies.The Weyrs are dedicated to the raising and training of dragons, whose fiery breath is the only effective weapon against the Thread. Only the combined forces of many Weyrs could hope to deal with the Thread on a global basis, but internecine political battles between the Holds, Weyrs, and powerful Guilds prevent any sort of global response.

Dragon Riders of Pern ends after a certain number of turns (also to be selected at game beginning), when a player reaches a certain number of “Victory Points” awarded for forging alliances, or when a certain number of Holds are infested by threads. Dragonriders names The strategic part is the main part of the game. Here you try to negotiate with Lord Holders of Craftsmasters to make allies in your fight against the Thread. The first book, Dragonflight, is primarily focused on the efforts of Benden Weyr's new dragon master to form an alliance to fight the soon-to-arrive Thread. It has been hundreds of years since the last approach of the two planets, and the planet is ill-prepared for its return. The game consists of two major phases: Negotiation/Intrigue, where you negotiate with Lord Holders or Craftsmasters, and Thread Fighting. where you fight the Thread from infesting your lands. Pern is at the mercy of the Thread, a deadly microorganism native to another planet in the Pern solar system. When the two planets periodically approach each other in orbit every few hundred years, the organisms form into long strings of thread that cross the gap through space.If the player has chosen to send dragons to a Hold, this launches an action sequence, with the player controlling one of the Dragonriders, maneuvering the dragon and firing its breath to destroy the Thread falling from the top of the screen. Thread that touches the dragon injures and eventually kills it, and the player attempts to survive to the end of the sequence with the number of dragons he decided to send. [1] Next, enter the name of your dragon when prompted, allowing only ten characters here. Correct dragon names end in “th”. (ex. Mnementh, Kadith, Orth, etc.) Play Dragonriders of Pern online

The game was considered a forerunner of similar games based on novels. [1] A sequel for the Commodore 64, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, was cancelled and not completed. [2] Plot [ edit ] By 1982 the company had grown very large and Freeman left to work on his own (forming Free Fall Associates). Although Connelley was ostensibly in control of the company, in effect he had removed himself from the day-to-day operations to focus on development. This led to the formation of an internal development team under his direction, known as "The Connelley Group". [2] During this period, the company continued moving its focus from simulations and wargames to action titles. By 1983 the company's management was focusing on the Epyx brand, and changed the name of the company to match. [2] Thread fighting occurs at the end of each year. During this phase of the game, you mount your dragons and you must pursue the falling Thread and char it in midair with the dragon’s fiery breath before it lands.

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When diplomatic maneuvers fail you, you may be forced to resort to a duel — a wounded leader is unable to take any actions for a long time –, but this may jeopardize your status with peaceful leaders. Finally, conclaves may be called up after certain events like the death of a Weyrleader. While negotiations are taking place, a map of Pern periodically appears, highlighting a Hold where Thread is falling. Any of the Weyrs can choose to send dragons to fight the Thread, and how many to send. The outcome of these battles has a major influence on the Weyr's perception among the Holds, so sending dragons to allies, or potential allies, has a major outcome during the next turn. When the turn ends, thread is fought. [1] A board game based on the same basic premise was also released in 1983 by Mayfair Games. Like the Epyx game, the board game concentrated on the diplomatic efforts of one to seven players, with the same basic victory conditions. Unlike the Epyx version, there was no action sequence. [3] The parallels between the gameplay dynamics of the two games are striking, but existing sources do not record whether or not this was due to a collaborative effort. Originally formed as Automated Simulations in 1978 as a partnership between Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, the company had initially concentrated on wargame titles like Starfleet Orion. The release of the famed Temple of Apshai in 1979 took the company away from its hardcore market into a more action-oriented space. Concerned about brand dilution, the company introduced the Epyx brand to cover these titles. As these were very successful, the Epyx brand became more widely used than its parent company's name. [2]