John W. Ratcliff: Difference between revisions
m Dating maintenance tags: {{BLP sources}} |
|||
| (139 intermediate revisions by 66 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|American video game programmer}} |
|||
'''John W. Ratcliff''' is a noted game developer and the founder of the controversial website [[AARM]]. |
|||
{{BLP sources|date=August 2024}} |
|||
==Game Development== |
|||
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} |
|||
'''John W. Ratcliff''' (born 1961) is an American video game programmer and designer best known for creating ''[[688 Attack Sub]]'' and ''[[SSN-21 Seawolf]]''.<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue18/greviews/seawolf/seawolf2.html 1994 GameByte review]</ref><ref>[http://www.subsim.com/ssr/simhist.html 1998 "History of Sub Sims"]</ref> |
|||
Ratcliff's began his career as a software developer writing educational software as well as computer programs supporting cardiovascular research at the St. Louis University Hospital. |
|||
==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. Together with [[John A. Obershelp]] in 1988 he developed the Ratcliff/Obershelp pattern-matching algorithm also known as [[Gestalt Pattern Matching]] to improve educational software.<ref>[https://xlinux.nist.gov/dads/HTML/ratcliffObershelp.html Ratcliff/Obershelp pattern recognition]</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | In conjunction with game publisher [[Electronic Arts]] in 1987, he helped create one of the first 256 color [[IBM Multicolor Graphics Array|MCGA]] games, ''[[688 Attack Sub]]''. Several years later, he followed up with a sequel entitled ''[[SSN-21 Seawolf]]'', and in 1997 released the game ''[[Scarab (game)|Scarab]]''. |
||
| ⚫ | 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]]. |
||
| ⚫ | |||
Ratcliff especially enjoys teaching on the subject of computer technology, with special emphasis on algorithms. He also speaks at conferences, and most recently spoke at game|tech 2004. |
|||
| ⚫ | 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 for [[AGEIA]], where his role was to provide [[Open-source model|open 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. |
||
==Webpages== |
|||
Ratcliff also founded the [[internet forum|discussion forums]], which he called Atheist Apologetics Research Ministry in [[parody]] of [[Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry]] (CARM) and which, despite its name, did not promote [[atheism]] or any particular [[philosophy]], 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. |
|||
Ratcliff is the [[founder]] and creator of [[AARM]], which stands for 'Atheist Apologetics Research Ministry.' As its founder, Ratcliff has the technical ability to moderate the [http://aarm.mywowbb.com/ AARM Forums]. The name of the site is a play on words referring to the [[Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry]], founded by [[Matt Slick]]. |
|||
==Games== |
|||
Ratcliff began AARM up as a reaction to the moderated nature of CARM's forums, and in response to a perception that [[atheists]] were being systematically excluded from those forums. Ratcliff has expressed a preference for unmoderated discussion forums for the purpose of discussing controversial subjects, stating "Why subject yourself to 'their' rules? It doesn't make any sense at all to me." |
|||
* ''[[688 Attack Sub]]'', 1989 |
|||
* ''[[Car & Driver (video game)|Car & Driver]]'', 1992 |
|||
* ''[[SSN-21 Seawolf]]'', 1994 |
|||
* ''[[Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat]]'', 1995 |
|||
* ''[[Scarab (game)|Scarab]]'', 1997 |
|||
* ''[[PlanetSide]]'' 2003 |
|||
== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
Despite creating an "atheist" website, Ratcliff is not an atheist. He describes himself as a [[Pantheist]] influenced by "[[Neo-Platonism]], [[quantum physics]], the Seth Material by [[Jane Roberts]], and the works of [[Robert Anton Wilson]]." Ratcliff practices Wilson's confrontational and controversial practice of [[guerilla ontology]]." |
|||
* [http://jratcliffscarab.blogspot.com/ Ratcliff's blog] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
==Controversy== |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratcliff, John}} |
|||
Critics of John Ratcliff from the [[Evangelical]] website [[CARM]]charge that Ratcliff is negligent for failing to use [[Moderation system|moderation]] to edit or remove unspecified comments allegedly amounting to [[slander]] and [[libel]] from the AARM website. They also disapprove of unmoderated boards, where people are permitted to make personal attacks and use [[profanity]] and other foul language. |
|||
[[Category:American video game programmers|Ratcliff, John W.]] |
|||
[[Category:Living people|Ratcliff, John W.]] |
|||
Critics also point out that Ratcliff at one point described himself as a [[troll]] in the context of posting to CARM's moderated discussion boards. [http://www.carm.org/list/aarm.htm] |
|||
[[Category:People from St. Louis]] |
|||
[[Category:1961 births]] |
|||
Ratcliff's supporters believe that criticism of Ratcliff amounts to little more than a reflection of [[CARM]]'s disapproval of [[AARM]] and of unmoderated discussion in general. [http://aarm.mywowbb.com/forum6/2576.html] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* [http://www.infiniplex.net/~jratcliff/resume.htm Ratcliff's resume] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
Latest revision as of 04:27, 1 August 2024
 |
John W. Ratcliff (born 1961) is an American video game programmer and designer best known for creating 688 Attack Sub and SSN-21 Seawolf.[1][2]
Biography
[edit]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. Together with John A. Obershelp in 1988 he developed the Ratcliff/Obershelp pattern-matching algorithm also known as Gestalt Pattern Matching to improve educational software.[3]
In conjunction with game publisher Electronic Arts in 1987, he helped create one of the first 256 color MCGA games, 688 Attack Sub. Several years later, he followed up with a sequel entitled SSN-21 Seawolf, and in 1997 released the game Scarab.
His most recent released title was as lead engine programmer for PlanetSide, published by Sony Online Entertainment. Ratcliff is also credited in Car & Driver (1992) and MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat (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 for AGEIA, where his role was to provide open 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 founded the discussion forums, which he called Atheist Apologetics Research Ministry in parody of Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) and which, despite its name, did not promote atheism or any particular philosophy, 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.
Games
[edit]- 688 Attack Sub, 1989
- Car & Driver, 1992
- SSN-21 Seawolf, 1994
- Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, 1995
- Scarab, 1997
- PlanetSide 2003
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Ratcliff's blog
- Stratics developer Profile with picture
- Autogenerated developer credits at Mobygames
- CARM discussion forums
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
