- John W. Ratcliff
John W. Ratcliff (born
1961 ) is a noted game developer, best-known for creating the bestselling games "688 Attack Sub " and "SSN-21 Seawolf ". [ [http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue18/greviews/seawolf/seawolf2.html 1994 GameByte review] ] [ [http://www.subsim.com/ssr/simhist.html 1998 "History of Sub Sims"] ]Biography
John Ratcliff began his career as a software developer writing educational software as well as computer programs supporting cardiovascular research at the St. Louis University Hospital.
In conjunction with game publisher
Electronic Arts in 1987, he helped create the first 256 colorMCGA game688 Attack Sub . Several years later, he followed up with a sequel entitledSSN-21 Seawolf , again to critical acclaim, and in 1997 released the gameScarab .His most recent released title was as lead engine programmer for
Planetside , published bySony Online Entertainment . Ratcliff is also credited inCar & Driver (1992) and (1995).Ratcliff continues to be an active member of the game development community and has been a contributing author to such magazines as "
Dr. Dobb's Journal ". In 2006, he worked forAGEIA , where his role was to provideopen source tools and technology to facilitate the integration of physics into games. Ratcliff is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences, with a focus on computer technology and algorithms.Ratcliff also the founded the discussion forums, which he called Atheist Apologetics Research Ministry in
parody ofChristian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) and which, despite its name, did not promoteatheism or any particularphilosophy , but rather sought to allow greater latitude in discussions than did CARM's forums. He turned the forum over to another user in December 2006.Works
*
688 Attack Sub , 1987
*SSN-21 Seawolf
* Scarab, 1997
*Planetside
*Car and Driver , 1992
* , 1995References
External links
* [http://jratcliffscarab.blogspot.com/ Ratcliff's blog]
* [http://planetside.stratics.com/content/dev/profiles.shtml Stratics developer Profile with picture]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,23659/ Autogenerated developer credits at Mobygames]
* [http://reaarmed.talkbeliefs.org/forum/ AARM discussion boards]
** [http://www.carm.org/list/aarm.htm CARM Evangelicals responses to AARM]
* [http://www.carm.org/boards.htm CARM discussion forums]
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