TerraTools

  • TerraTools Computer Graphics Solutions (also known as 'RadonLabs' and 'BigPoint Berlin' later) was the German developer of Microsoft Urban Assault and Metropolis Dawn that was based on Babelsberg, Potsdam and later Berlin.
    (This article is currently under construction!)


    1 Overview

    TerraTools Computer Graphics Solutions (also known as 'RadonLabs' and 'BigPoint Berlin' later) was the German developer of Microsoft Urban Assault and Metropolis Dawn that was based on Babelsberg, Potsdam and later Berlin.


    2 Information

    TERRATOOLS was founded in 1993 by Professor Ulrich Weinberg. One of the progenitor figures of early computer graphics technology in Germany. The German company had around 30 employees who develop software products in the field of interactive 3D environments such as games, simulations, virtual TV applications, massive-multiplayer-environments and cross-media-projects (combinations of internet, TV, CD-ROM and other media).


    TERRATOOLS as a game developer was the only European partner of Microsoft Inc., Redmond, USA who was the development partner and publisher of Microsoft Urban Assault in 1998.


    The company specialised in the following services:

    Quote

    Development, Creation & Production of

    • 3D Computer Games

    • Massive-multiplayer-environments

    • Cross - media - projects

    • Virtual TV Studios


    3 Location

    The initial headquarter of TerraTools was established at Churchill Mansion (Churchill-Villa) in the media city of Babelsberg, close to the German capital city of Berlin. This was the same historical building where the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had lived during the Potsdam Conference (German: Potsdamer Konferenz) after World War II.

    The company later moved their HQ into the city of Berlin and operated under the new company title 'RadonLabs'.


    4 Projects


    5 Game Development

    TERRATOOLS INTERACTIVE 3D SCENARIOS
    (Game Development)

    Urban Assault

    		URBAN ASSAULT combines diverse action game play with strategic depth. From a first-person cockpit perspective, players can control 44 types of combat vehicles, from airplanes, helicopters and satellites to jeeps and tanks. Gamers can simultaneously command and deploy their entire army from an overlayered transparent map as they manage resources and upgrade technologies. To win URBAN ASSAULT, players have to think like a general and perform like a frontline soldier. URBAN ASSAULT is set in a foreboding, post-apocalyptic 3D world with astounding high-quality graphics.

    Games under DevelopmentThe TERRATOOLS team is currently working on several new products including:
    * strategy games
    * action-simulation games
    * science fiction role play games

    Future Game DevelopmentWith the development of new games TERRATOOLS puts the main emphasis on following points:
    * development of 3D User Interfaces
    * development of massive multiplayer environments
    * server oriented games
    * artificial intelligence to control the opponents
    * physical simulation, inverse cinematics, 3D Morphing
    * combining games interactivity with virtual TV Sets


    6 Outcome

    Shortly after the final development of Urban Assault and its unreleased official expansion pack Metropolis Dawn, the company had changed its name to 'RadonLabs'. Since then, RadonLabs have produced multiple different video game projects. One of their most successful and widely recognised titles is Drakensang series, which contains the same internal references that can be originally found in Urban Assault game data. At some point, the company was eventually purchased by a Hamburg-based video game company called BigPoint, and it still operates under the title of 'BigPoint Berlin' to this day.


    7 Notable Key Members

    7.1 Prof. Ulrich Weinberg - CEO

    7.2 Andre Weißflog - Lead Programmer

    7.3 Andreas Flemming - Software Development

    7.4 Bernd Beyreuther - Graphics and Assets Designer


    8 Urban Assault Credits (TerraTools)

    8.1 Terratools

    Terratools Management
    Producer, Owner, and PresidentUli Weinberg
    Project ManagerUta Kapp
    Development ManagerThomas Langhanki
    Terratools Production
    Lead ProgrammerAndre “FLOH” Weissflog
    Game Design, Graphics, and ModelingBernd Beyreuther
    ProgrammerAndreas Flemming
    Sound Design, In-game MusicSylvius Lack
    Level Design and In-house Test LeadStephan “OPTI” Karau
    Level Design, Testers, and Additional GraphicsSteffen Priebus, Stefan "3" Warias, Henrik Volkening, Nico Nitsch, Dietmar “DIDI” Köbelin, Dirk Mansbart
    Technical SupportStephan Bludau, Gregor Schmidt

    Special thanks to Steve "SARGIE" Sargent and Andre Schulze, aka "GÖTZ."


    Note: This is the official full credits of the Terratools department for Urban Assault development. For the credits of the Microsoft department for Urban Assault development, please check the other article.

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