5 comments about Tomb Raider III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. I needed this book to get through the game but there is so much to read...I had to up the time on my screen saver between moves. Also, there is an extra level in the game that you may partake in only if you get all the secrets. Well....if you notice, in London on the Aldwych level, there are 5 secrets in that level yet only 4 are listed in the guide. I made it through the whole game and collected all the secrets in the guide yet with cathedral key in hand, I couldn't enter the bonus level. Drats! So.....I took my time in that level once again and I found it (the fifth secret)....maybe I'll share if you really want it and can't find it. Only now, I'll have to play the whole game again to earn my bonus. Sigh.



2. hello im matthew o'boyl and im writing to you to ask for the tomb raider 3 guide



3. but this guide gives you lots of help but the only thing is the secrets and the guide has boxes and explains in more detail which is confusing and takes longer to complte than usual however this isnt really that much of a dilema also its interesting how it choses the levels this is worth buying yes



4. While this book CAN be helpful, it's not as well planned or as well written as the first two Tomb Raider guides from Prima. It's easy to see why Prima decided not to continue to print this book, as its walkthrough is sparsely populated with pictures or words, comparatively. The problem with this book, as opposed to the first two, is that it almost always skips over how to get every pickup, or which items are traps or simply larks - useless to go after.

   There is another book I have, "The Tomb Raider Companion," but I've misplaced it recently. I bought the Prima version, finally, because I liked the first two Prima guides and because the Companion is too wordy with not ENOUGH pictures. This makes it sometimes difficult to discern Lara's position or positioning within the game. But this review is about the Prima version; although written by the same author as the first two, it seems either that the editors decided to print less or that Mr. Ward decided that it wasn't necessary to write more. Reading over some of the other articles posted, it's difficult to understand why they thought that there was too much writing. The other book, the "Tomb Raider Companion", THAT book is too wordy...

   All in all, this book is good for those who want to explore more on their own and rely less on someone else's writings, and perhaps that's why this is so much less informative than the Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider II walkthrough guides -- but if someone just wanted small hints at various steps of the game, they would probably just look it up online or ask a friend instead of buying this particular walkthrough.




5. This book is...ok.

   The only quam i have with it is, there's about 6 secrets that aren't even put in the book. And for those of you who do know, Tomb Raider III contains a secret level called "All Hallows" which is accessable only if you find all 60 of 59 secrets. (no, that's not a typo.)

   ...ok four. Now let me think...There's 1 missing in "Temple Ruins", 1 in "The River Ganges", 1 in "Mudubu Gorge", and if you're going crazy trying to find that one in "Aldwych", its in the same room you get into with the "Ornate Star". Just turn around and look up.

   The only reason i did this is because we're waiting patiently for the "Angel of Darkness" to come out. But if you get bored...try getting all the secrets, because "All Hallows" is kinda fun.

   But yeah...the book gives good hints and tips on how to get through the game, and places to find medi-paks and ammo and all that good stuff.

   So, if you're buying a used one, i'd definately recommend it.

4 comments about Need For Speed: Underground 2 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Well, why I say it is a perfect guide, it is because it covers all the cars, tracks and the process of each stage. For example, in this book, it tells me I need like 6 stars to get to stage 4, 9 stars to stage 5 and 10 stars to stage 10 and to beat the game. For the tracks, it tells me pretty in detail of how long, how to run and how to win a race by these tracks. For the cars, it tells me which is good and which is not good. Basically, this book tells me a hint of how to play it.



2. When I first played Need For Speed Underground 2 it was amazing. You could play i for hours and not get tired.



3. Don't get me wrong, NFSU2 is a great game but it just doesn't warrent this book. I thought it'd be helpful but it wasn't and I just went through the stages of the game without the book and did just fine. There are plenty of free guides over the internet anyways.



4. Sometimes, I often look into thrid-party strategy guides to see if they can be as helpful as they come out to be. For the guide for Need For Speed: Underground 2, I definitely was right. The guide tells you all the requirements you'd need to get through each of the five stages, as well as detailed tips for each of the well designed and conjured tracks for drag racing, outruns against underground street racers, circuits and point-to-point sprints, and the drift racing competeitions. It does add up very well for those who have Need For Speed Underground 2, and I absolutely suggest this if you get the game in new and used conditions.
   
   Maps: A-
   
   Price: B+
   
   Details: B
   
   Overall: B 1/2+

5 comments about Gran Turismo 4 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Whoever wrote this book, the group that did, should be made to do it over again! I'm not kidding, it is this horrible. I've been a gamer, for a very long time and know what I'm doing; not saying I'm the best or anything like that, but I know when I see a crap strategy guide.
   
   This guide is only a guide pertinent towards real life racing and not the game, as it speaks volumes on real technique and real cars, while neglecting the fact that we aren't driving real cars (while close), but a driving simulator game! I want to know (see), like the previous guides each and every task and how to beat them; for instance, there is not one good piece of info on the driving missions, nor for any of the races. The license section, on how to aquire them is great, but still lacking. Check out the old Verus game guides, they did the last Gran Turismo guide, and you won't find nearly any complaints towards it... Geezz, if we wanted a thick collectible Gran Turismo book we could have waited and gone to Ebay and gotten it cheaper. This book is a ripp off for what you get, do not buy it, if you do you'll know why I said don't. Make your own strategy or look one up online, their are plenty of legitimate online strategies, so dig in. Take care and all the best to you...



2. If what you want is a handy reference for some cars, an index of all cars that can be unlocked, and something very light to thumb through at your leisure, buy this book.
   
   If what you want is what is advertised on the book -- "The best racing lines for all tracks" "Expert racing lessons to help you dust your competition" -- you'll be sorely disappointed.
   
   The closest they come to including "racing lines" is brief mentions of a fraction of the turns on each track. Particularly bad is the Nurburgring Nordschleife coverage. Here's an example of how they describe one vast section of the course: "The third section of the course is also highly technical, with many difficult chicanes and hairpins connected to one another." That's all they say for what is approximately 3 to 4 miles of track.
   
   The "expert lessons" appear to be completely missing. They do mention the license exams, but the text they include for each one might almost be as useful as the in-game text. They mention the driving missions, but only that they exist -- there are no tips for them here.
   
   I strongly recommend utilizing online resources instead of this book.



3. This book is simply not worth buying. I bought this book hoping for check times for gold medals in license tests, racing lines, and strategies for tuning, etc.
   
   This book has none of this. It's basically a history of all the car companies in the game, with listings of all of the cars available, and an unlock list.
   
   Go to (...)and don't waste your time with this book.



4. This is a completely useless strategy guide. Why? Because Gran Turismo is a racing game. What can a guide teach you that you can't possibly learn by playing the game. Now, I know what you're thinking: Why am I reviewing this if I think it's useless. Because I wasted my money on it, that's why, and I'm going to bash into the ground and attempt to scare others from wasting their money as well.
   
   Pros and Cons:
   + Pages 292-295, which contains a list of the cars you win racing certain events.
   
   - It "describes" driving techniques. How many have ever passed a driving test by only reading the driving manual and never actually getting behind the wheel?
   
   - It analyzes car manufacturers, which can be fun, but it's also something that's been found in car magazines throughout the world.
   
   - It gives you maps of the race course and the key turning points, once again "describing" how to take the turns.
   
   - The guide has a kind of "extras" section, that actually bores us with the past Gran Turismo titles and how they affected the industry. We know how it has affected the industry, because their have been FOUR titles.
   
   - Then, it tries to squeeze money from you by advertising, in a section all its own by the way, other GT items (hats, DVDs, a steering wheel). This wouldn't have bothered me had they placed it at the back of the book but it's closer to the middle.
   
   - Finally, it has all the websites of all the car manufacturers, another way of shamelessly advertising things most of us can't afford.
   
   Some of you may think that my "cons" are actually pros, but when you think about it, a strategy guide (which they cleverly titled "Game Guide") is supposed to aid you in the game. The cons listed are all the things I thought didn't help me. As you can see, I only liked four pages. Needless to say, I don't recommend this guide. You can learn more by actually experiencing the game than reading this guide.



5. The book did not give you tips on the special missions or much on car setup. The only thing of use was the car and prize check off list, but there is no information on Peugeot's Cars anywhere in the book.

3 comments about Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Good overview and strong strategy guide of this latest expansion to Age of Empires III. Overall game play strategy for each of the 3 Asian nations as well as for each scenario in campaign mode.



2. This is the worst strategy book I have ever seen. I can't understand why a company like Ensemble Studios/Microsoft approved this book by BradyGames.
   
   I have read every book since Age of Empires II and strategy guides for several other games. This is the worst I have ever seen.
   
   Multiplayer strategy
   It basically contains one short page with multiplayer strategy. Advice like: "Share your resources with your teammates to make them build whatever they need." Is that supposed to be helpful? How about some tips regarding, booming, rushing, turteling, special strategies, etc. There in NOTHING in this book regarding these important issues.
   
   Strategy on different maps
   Age of Empires III, The Asian Dynasties includes 36 maps (including the ones from AoE3 and The War Chief expansion). This guide has a very short strategy for 27 of them! Most strategies for these maps are only one sentence long! Where is the description for the rest of the maps? (Andes, Auraucania, California, Upper Himalayas, Northwest Territory, Orinoco, Ozarks, Painted Desert and Plymouth)
   
   Civilizations
   This book have basically unit tables for the three new civilizations and for the reference tables for the Europeans too. Where is the reference for the Aztecs, Iroquois and the Sioux? There in no reference to the natives either. Actually they are not even mentioned. There is no strategy in this book for any civilization!
   
   Overall
   This book include 174 pages. It is basically divided this way:
   7 pages of basic game information
   73 pages of unit tables for the three new Civilizations
   31 pages of "Walkthrough" single player campaigns
   3 pages of information regarding single player skirmishes. No strategy.
   1 page multiplayer strategy
   7 pages with poor maps strategies containing 1-2 sentences for each 27 maps
   46 pages with European unit tables
   1 page with single player 11 cheat codes
   3 pages covering the Scenario Editor
   
   Conclusion
   How can they call this "Official Strategy Guide - Age of Empires The Asian Dynasties"? It contains basically lots of unit tables and "walkthrough" single player campaigns. There in only a few pages with poor strategy included. I will NOT recommend this book to anyone else than those who need a "Walkthrough" single player campaigns.



3. You can get most of the same information from the internet and the official website under forums. Barely mentions MultiPlayer. The walk-thru of the 3 new civs was informative but nothing I did not know from just playing a few times. Some of the numbers were not correct.

1 comments about NCAA Football 08: Prima Official Game Guide (Ncaa Football).

1. NCAA Football 08
   This is a fantastic update to the previous version. The programmers have stepped up the clarity and the abilities of the players on the field. I must admit my style from the way I played NCAA 07 is basically a mirror on this new game as was the old one, but the overall presentation of this game is light years ahead of the last year's version.
   
   I will admit that on a day when you just rather skip through the recruiting additions that take a tremendous amount more input I wish what is required was less. But, it must be said that this new game is a big jump from what was contained in NCAA 07.

5 comments about Guitar Hero II Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides) (Official Strategy Guides).

1. There are very few great music games that've really thrived like Guitar hero has done for the Playstation 2. Yet, with all the hype, a sequel had to be in the works. Nevertheless, for those who have sought for an easy graph of each of the cheats for Guitar Hero II, they can find it in this book. This guide helps you look at what the actual graphs and motions of each song in the game like Guns & Roses 1988 hit Sweet Child Of Mine. The book also gives you neat details on how to unlock songs and special modes within the game. If you have the game for the Playstation 2, or just bought the PS3 and this game, you'll definitely rock on with this guide.
   
   Price: B
   
   Convience: B+
   
   Overall: B 1/2+



2. This book is as entertaining as Guitar Hero 2 is. There is one thing this guide did not do: It did not help me improve my Guitar Hero skill.



3. Seriously, who buys a guide book to a friggin' music game?! you don't learn to beat the songs with that thing! You:
   1. Actually play the songs more than twice,
   2. listen to the actual versions of the songs to predict where the frets might be, or,
   3. JUST TRY!
   You don't buy guidebooks for games like these. You get them for games like WoW or Runescape or Halo or any other game with gameplay that varies besides strumming furiously. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!



4. How do I master hammer-ons & pull-ofs? How do I progress from Medium to Hard or Hard to Expert? What is the best strategy for mastering the tricky parts of various songs? When is the best time to activate Star Power for maximum score?
   
   None of these strategy questions are answered by this guide! In fact the majority of the guide is taken up with diagrams of all songs on Expert mode. I don't know if they're accurate or helpful because I'm not there yet.
   
   There are some interviews and articles that might be entertaining to read, but the font is about 4 point and looks like it was made with a typewriter that needs a new ribbon, so I gave up trying to read them.
   
   Save your money and skip this guide!



5. Although I gave this product 5 stars, that is only because I am a guitar hero fan and think the book is a good item to go with my guitar hero collection. However, the only value I found to this book is the tabs for all 40 songs on expert plus the famous jordan by buckethead. I do find the tab feature helpful because songs such as jordan, even on the slowest training speed can be pretty hard at first. So reading the tabs, you can slow it down as much as you want. Other than that, this book is useless and not worth buying.

5 comments about MechWarrior: Dark Age Novel 5: Truth and Shadows.

1. Truth and Shadows is the second book of the "Proving Grounds Trilogy" and follows "A Silence in the Heavens." I liked "Silence" very much. I was glad to see that Truth and Shadows carries forward the plot very well. More battles take place in a campaign by the Steel Wolves to conquer Northwind, but this time the war undergoes some original and unexpected turns. For example, you will be surprised to discover where the Wolves have hidden their dropships-- but I won't spoil the story by telling you.

   Characters are very interesting. We learn a lot more about Ezekiel Crow. He turns out to be more complex than he seemed at first-- not just a "boy scout" type of straight arrow. In fact, he acts decisively in Truth and Shadows -- to find out whether he is a good guy or a villain, or how to interpret his actions, we will need the third and final novel of the trilogy-- not yet published.

   The three motley "ground pounders" have now been promoted to sergeants, but still function wonderfully to bring us the dust and noise of battle from a grassroots view. All in all, author Delrio is to be commended for flowing the second book naturally from the first-- using the larger canvas to brush in more enriching details.

   The Prefect, Duchess Tara Campbell, never comes alive for me too well, but her aide-de-camp, Captain Tara Bishop, emerges as a very interesting and important character. Another well-drawn character is the civilian medic who is taken as a bondsman by Anastasia Kerensky. This character, Ian Murchison, promises to have a major part in the coming third and final novel.

   Anastasia Kerensky is her evil and sexy best-- her rock-star leathers display a figure that could cause a bishop to kick out a stained glass window. She's tougher, crueler, and lovelier than any of the other Steel Wolves she rules. She doesn't get as much play as in "Silence," but where she does appear she really steals the spotlight. Part angel, part devil, she both kills and loves without mercy and without regret. Truly a classic femme fatale. Mr. Delrio, give us more of her!

   One quirk of the book that struck me is the abrupt way it ends. Many trilogies end each separate volume with some sort of reconciliation, some semi- or tentative conclusion. This book just slams on the brakes with little logic. Suddenly, one of the combatants just states, "okay, back off, cease hostilities." We know this is just a pause in the war, and it seems unmotivated. Possibly Mr. Delrio checked the word count of the manuscript, figured out he had penned the necessary 280 pages or so, and said, "hey-- time to go fishing." I wish he had shaped the ending of this book more skillfully. Especially since the third book -- which will clear up all the dangling loose ends-- is almost certainly some months away.

   The way Delrio writes, one gets a real sense of the mud, the pain, the laser smoke, the fatigue of a major battle. Delrio may have some military background, or, if not, he has certainly done his homework. He makes the battlefield seem very real and very gripping.

   I have read all but one of the new MechWarrior Dark Age series of novels. A couple of the others were pretty good-- and, alas, a couple were simply awful. Delrio's efforts are definitely right up there with the very best. With Delrio and Coleman writing more novels in the new series, I have hopes some good reading is in store for us.

   An excellent entertainment, and I highly recommend it.




2. Uh, did anyone find it a little wierd how Anastasia got away from Paladin Crow in the first novel. Apparently after their climatic duel, in which Crow overloaded her Ryoken by stroking it with lightning, he let her go free. Picture this, Crow brings the Ryoken crashing down, and does not come to Tara's aid against the IndustrialMech's because he's guarding the Ryoken. Tara finally gets out of her predicament, and Crow tells her to come see what he's caught. THEN, suddenly the Steel Wolves are leaving the planet, and we are supposed to just ASSUME that the DEACTIVATED Ryoken just got back up, said adieu to the Paladin and joined her buddies off planet? Talk about wierd! Other than that little quirk, the second book is pretty good, and if you can handle a little suspension of disbelief, you'll be fine.



3. I understand that the old world of battletech is dead and buried, but this new series is crap. It is poorly writen with little to no action and predictable plot twists. I hate the fact that they have thrown loyal readers into the battletech universe 50 or so years in the future with no explaining what happened to the main charaters from the civil war/clan era. Victor is brought up in Ghost War and has never been brought up again. What happened to Vlad and Katrina, Phalen Kell and the Wolves in Exile, the Clans themesleves, Kai Allard-Lao and so on. People invested years in getting to know these characters and now they are forgotten.
   My biggest problem is the lack of action in these books. I don't care about retrofitted agromechs and VTOL's and groundpounders. I want 100 ton mechs blowing each other up and vicious political fighting going on in the background.



4. Battlemechs CANNOT knock each other over by doing a running forward handstand into a flip. Nor can they roll around on the ground clenching each other like lovers.
   
   Delrio obviously didn't research his topic.
   
   Other than the glaring lack of knowledge of the game universe that this series is based on, I felt that the book was okay. It worked as part of the larger trilogy. Let the buyer decide whether or not they can suspend their disbelief.



5. TRUTH AND SHADOWS continues the storyline of Northwind that began in A Silence in the Heavens, again utilizing a structure similar to its predecessor. This time, it's Ezekiel Crow, Paladin of the Sphere, who undergoes life-altering changes.
   
   It's been several months since the Steel Wolves have been seen, and Northwind is finally starting to breathe easy. But Crow can't really do so—not when the specter of Liao is being hung over his head by an unknown party.
   
   As before, much of the first two-thirds is spent on character development, with some minor action from the secondary cast. Only towards the end do Tara Campbell and Crow hop into their BattleMechs and join the fray.
   
   The Wolves' defeat feels more honest this time, in that they weren't actually defeated. Rather, in the face of the scorched earth tactics the Highlanders used ("If we can't have it, you can't either"), the Wolves decide that Northwind is more trouble than it's worth, and set their sights on a new target in time for the trilogy's conclusion: Terra.
   
   While the structure of the trilogy has already gotten repetitive, "Delrio"'s strong writing more than makes up for it. The lies, deception, and betrayals keep the reader guessing even as the story moves on towards a conflict that's been over a decade in the waiting.

5 comments about EverQuest II (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I'm sorry that some people feel Prima has ruined the startegy guide industry but I think that of all their guides this one is perhaps one of the best, not the worst. I don't see how anyone could look at this guide and think it wasn't made by people who love videogames, and who love EQ.
   
   I recently purchased the eguide version for $10 at the official Prima site. It's the exact same thing as the print guide, in PDF format. All 336 pages. So that is what I'm basing this review on right now because the content is identical for the most part.
   
   First, although there is a large section dedicated to "the basics" a lot of the information will still be extremely helpful to new EQ or MMO players. Not all of us have been playing EQ Live for the last five years. EQ2 was my first foray into the world of MMO's, personally. There are many things in the basic sections of the guide that give a lot of insight into the game mechanics and fundamental ways in which things work, like the economy, crafting, magic, armor, classes, jargon, and so forth. Yes, you could figure out most of this on your own but for someone who only has a couple hours a night to play, this guide speeds up the learning process and makes the play time more enjoyable - and that's what really important. I don't really feel that it destroys the magic of the game in any way - in fact it increases it, by removing some of the hampering frustrations/confusions due to details left out of the manual.
   
   Second, and more importantly, the quest listings are extensive and well documented, and well laid out. The guide only goes to level 30 (by which point we'd hope most players get a grip and are comfortable on their own anyhow). It isn't trying to direct players if they don't want to be directed, it's simply pointing them in the right direction if they (like me and most people who work for a living) don't have the six hours a night to pour into the game looking for obscure NPC's and locations using the game's subpar journal/map/waypoint feature.
   
   I give it four out of five because of course it isn't perfect. There are some mistakes and the print guide will certainly have more, but I suspect the publishing delay is an attempt to make sure the print version is as up to date as it can be. Yes, if you buy the guide six months from now there will be many discrepancies - but my bet is that most people buying the guide are buying it NOW specifically for that reason - they want to get ahead early and while it's accurate. Also, it would have been nice if the quests had been laid out in order of difficulty for each section, rather than simply alphabetized. This would have made it easier to do the easy ones first, gain the experience, and then move on to the harder ones. Yes, you can use the game's journal to tell which will be difficult, but if the guide had done that it would have made it that much more intuitive.
   
   Overall a really great effort and Prima should be proud of having taken on such a massive project and getting it done more or less right. I'd recommened this guide to any player who wants the most from EQ2; it's an entirely new game and whether you're familiar or not with the original this guide will help you out a lot.



2. It seems that Prima guides have definately turned a corner in a good direction. I played EQ a long time ago, but had moved on to other games in between. It was very helpful to have this guide so I could find my way around quickly and easily. I only play for a couple hours a night, and the guide really does help me maximize that time. Maybe they'll come out with an expanded guide that goes past lvl 30. ;)



3. "EverQuest II: Prima Official Game Guide" is one of the best commercial guides I have ever seen.
   
   I find most guidebooks, and especially those from Prima, very poor. They are inaccurate and seem to condescend to the reader. Online guides, fan sites and forums always seem to have better content and be more up-to-date. I received this - a gift from my wife who knew how excited I was to start playing Everquest II - with about the same enthusiasm as receiving a bar of soap. (She thought it was a comic book set in an everquest genre.)
   
   I was pleasantly surprised how good the guide has been. The book has been very helpful in getting up and running in the game. Everquest II is very complicated and a bit daunting to start playing especially as I only play a few hours a week. The maps are especially helpful in getting oriented.
   
   Yes, all guidebooks are spoilers, but while there are a lot of quest walk-throughs there are plenty more to discover. Also, the guide doesn't have much content for characters over the mid 20's - leaving a lot of game for you to discover.
   
   I think the guide really helped get my head "into" the game.



4. This guide is easily the best investment any EQ2 gamer can make. On the whole I tend to find Prima's guides to be slightly awkward and unattractive. But this is definitely the exception to the rule. I only wished I had this guide by my side weeks before when I was wasting hours upon hours finding my way around in this massive world and calling for help constantly for the location of stores and NPC's. A good section of the beginning of this book is a beginners guide and a walkthrough of the newbie Isle of Refuge. Any old EQ gamer won't really find anything new or helpful here. In fact, anyone not entirely new to MMO's could probably do without those pages.
   
   However, the rest of the book is absolutley essential. The maps are very accurate (for now at least, until SOE decides to make changes) and the Spell lists and Armor/Weapons charts are top notch. This guide has raised my game immensely. I'm completeing quests quicker and I'm leveling faster.
   
   From a standpoint of style, this guide is above and beyond any other that's on the market today... including Prima's other guides. In fact, I was considering picking up the matrix Online to try out, but after seeing how relatively unattractive and uninteresting the Prima book had presented it, I decided not to.
   
   This guide is well designed and laid out, and easy to read, not to mention one of the best looking guides to come from Prima in years. For the folks at Prima, give your EQ2 team a big 'Thank You' and tell your other teams to get on the ball.



5. This is an excellent companion for anyone starting EQ2. Maps, quests, and much more useful reference info is included. Unlike the old guides I'd seen for EQ1, the maps are actually useful and include where to find certain mobs and NPCs. Although Sony has historically been difficult in allowing print books to be published with maps of Everquest zones, it looks as if they've lightened up on their requirements, giving the player customers actual useful information for a change. Also, the book is extremely well organized and written making it a constantly consulted desk fixture.
   
   This book won't be as much use to you if you're above level 25-30 and looking for help in finding your way around new zones. Let's hope they continue the trend and make another guide for the higher level players.

5 comments about Virtual LEGO: The Official LDraw.org Guide To LDraw Tools for Windows.

1. This book is excellent in almost every respect.
   It does a great job of introducing the reader to the LDraw suite of tool for making LEGO creations on your computer. Though this book is geared toward beginners, it is also a great tool for those intermediate users looking to expand their LDraw horizons. I especially liked the sections on creating building instructions. Additionally, all the reference sections make this book worthwhile for even the seasoned LDrawer; I loved the visual color reference on the inside front cover. This book would make a fine addition to any LEGO enthusiasts library.



2. What a great pleasure it is to thumb through my buddy Tim's (and Ahui & Steve's) hard work and see the big payoff. Guys, this thing is great. Sits perfectly alongside any computer/instructional/technical/howto book. Things are made easy and very well explained throughout. And hey, any book I'm in can't be a bad one. :-)



3. Dude i know the guy that wrote this book. I had a beer with him one night and he told about this book and i was like wow. I think i might have to buy it. TIM YOU RULE



4. If you want to do lego CAD, this book is for you! I had used MLCAD and LPub before I got the book to some degree, but my abilities exploded after going through the tutorials. LSynth is also very clearly explained. The CD that is included is a big plus for those who have had difficulty installing the software (all of which is free from the internet though) and also includes some tutorial models for use with the book. The additional resources described in the book show that he is interested in getting as much use out of Lego CAD from the general populace.
   
   All in all, well worth the money and the read!



5. This is an EXCELLENT book for people SERIOUS about building simple AND complex models using LDRAW. While working with the program I found myself constantly referencing the book--which can be read front-to-back... but ALSO be used as a quick reference book. This has earned itself a permanent position on my bookshelf--no wait--next to my computer!

1 comments about Final Fantasy VIII.

1. OK, Piggyback Interactive is a company from the UK. They have a really big reputation there. They do a much better job than Prima and Bradygames do, giving you high quality guides with tons of info and crystal clear high-rez screenshots. This guide, is probably one of the greatest Final Fantasy guides ever written. You thought the VERSUS BOOKS FFVII guide was good? Wait until you see this one, it blows the Versus Books FFVII guide out of the water! And that's saying a lot.
   
   The guide is incredibly colorful. Each section giving you a list of all the items, maps and location of all the draw points. Each section is also written with amazing detail! It's almost like the guide is talking to you.
   
   The characters section and items section is also brutally detailed. You'll learn so much about the game it isn't even funny. The bestiary is also more concise and to the point. Honestly, who picked up the Bradygames guide and had to flip back just to learn what all the symbols mean? Much more or less who cared to use the bestiary in the Brady guide? It was so confusing and error riddled that it wasn't worth it. Not here. This bestiary throws less at you. By that I mean, only the basics. Where to find them, weakness and average HP for the basic changing levels (meaning when you draw different spells). Much easier to follow.
   
   Also, it is possible to find all the cards and unearth every secret without giving anything valueable to the plot. This guide is spoiler free. Alongside you'll also uncover all the limit breaks and weapons.
   
   There are a few drawbacks to the guide however.
   
   For one, the Bestiary isn't in alphabetical order. It seems to be done based on when you run into the monster. This can be very annoying if you want quick info on what you can steal, items, weakness, etc. Not a big deal since the enemies level up, but what if you're desperate to know their weakness and you don't have a scan spell?
   
   Also, the abilities and such is equally confusing. These list are also randomized. It comes to the point where it's annoying to find abilities. You'll find all the abilities and such on the list, but you'll spend one hell of a time searching through it all.
   
   Finally, while items are listed in the walkthrough, they're not always called out on the map. I don't think this is a problem (especially if you could utilize the Bradygames guide, which had maps in the back of the book).
   
   The problems are minor, and for that I gave it a five. It's probably the best Final Fantasy Guide out there. Nothing is left uncovered. If you can actually find this guide (via ebay or import from amazon.co.uk), pick it up.
   
   Good job Piggyback!