1 comments about Official Pocket Player's Guide to Star Trek: The Next Generation Card Ga (Star Trek Next Generation (Unnumbered)).

1. The Star Trek Customizable Card Game has added several expansion sets since this Player's Guide was published in 1995. These have had enough effect on the game that the advice in the book is unlikely to be helpful, even to a beginner. The free card offer that came with this book has expired. Unfortunately, at present no other books offer up-to-date advice for playing this game (generally known as "ST:CCG"). The Web is the best source of current information.

1 comments about Dead or Alive Ultimate (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This book has no more info than the instruction manual. The little character strategy info (setences worth) they do have contradicts info posted by top players on DOAU forums. The screenshots for moves are very pixelated--they appear to be taken DOA2 on Dreamcast--the whole guide is probably rehashed from the DOA2 guide for Dreamcast. STAY AWAY

1 comments about Resident Evil: Code Veronica - Book Two (Resident Evil (DC Comics)).

1. Being a fan of comic book art, video games, and zombies, I figured this graphic novel would be a unique treat... but I have mixed feelings. The art in this book is very nice and interesting, especially in the action sequences. It remains faithful to the game, in that the characters randomly find weapons, ammunition, puzzle keys, and herbs... although this adds to the choppy storytelling. Overall, the story is bland and uninteresting, much of it being told through Claire's non-stop self exposition. If you're a huge fan of the game and comic book art, you will probably enjoy this graphic novel. But, if you are looking to be engaged in a great zombie story you should look elsewhere.

No comments about Golden Sun: The Lost Age Player's Guide.

1 comments about Thunderscape: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima's Secrets of the Games).

1. I used this book to succesfully complete "Thunderscape", however it could have been a little more explanatory. There were a few things I had to figure out on my own and was dissapointed that their were no "illegal" cheats. The maps were also *very* useful.

2 comments about Crimson Skies : Sybex's Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. This first thing I noticed about the book was the beauty of the layout and the addition of in-character content. There's also a very nice full color poster of each of the pre-rendered planes in the back of the book.

   The book is comprised of 4 parts as follows: Part 1: Earn Your Wings Part 2: Air Supremacy Part 3: The Adventures of Nathan Zachary Part 4: Knight of the Skies: The Multiplayer Game

   Part 1: Earn Your Wings

   Here David first discusses the various regions of the former United States of 1937 and provides an excellent desription of each of the main pilot leagues from each region. This is well done and provides the background to understanding the history behind the Crimson Skies universe and the single player missions. Flight fundamentals are covered cursorily discussing elevators, ailerons, rudders, and throttle and introducing the instrumentation and in-flight views. This section is not packed with a great deal of useful information but I think that's appropriate considering that the main focus of CS is action and not simulation. The Basic Flight Maneuvers chapter is one of the most beneficial in my opinion, covering bank turns, half-loops, high-G turns, and docking with Zeps. These skills will be used again and again while flying through the singleplayer missions and will help out in your forays into multiplayer. David explains the execution and apllication of each maneuver which will be most helpful to beginning pilots.

   Part 2: Air Supremacy I found this portion of the Sybex manual to be the most useful. David introduces each of the 11 planes with a short history, a pre-rendered image, and a paragraph discussing handling and loadout options. At the end of the aircraft chapter can be found two tables, one with qualitative comparisons of each planes maneuverability, strength, and speed, and the other table displays cost and maximum payload. The tables are useful for when first starting out in CS and becoming familiar with the pros and cons of each airframe. Advanced Aircraft maneuvers are expertly covered but I found this section to lack a great deal of depth. I would have expected there to be more maneuvers listed and aerial combat tactics illustrated since air combat is the main focus of the game. There is good coverage for gun and rocket selection with a description of which fire power to use for differing situations. I found the statisitcs tables for guns and rockets to be very helpful when considering how to load out my plane when going into battle. The last chapter in this part deals with aircraft design and is well done. Considerations for airframes, engines, armor, guns, and hardpoints are discussed and there's even a sample design included using the Devastator. Well done!

   Part 3: The Adventures of Nathan Zachary Part 3 goes over each of the 24 single player missions with an eye towards getting the reader involved with the storyline by engaging the reader in a first person diary-esque dialogue. Each mission entry is completed with mission objectives and tips to help you along your way. The coverage of the missions takes up the majority of the book and rightfully so in my opinion. There are screenshots and maps along with each mission description. When it comes right down to it, this section is the reason why you would want to buy this book.

   Part 4: Knight of the Skies: The Multiplayer Game If I had one serious gripe with this book then it would be centered around this last section of the guide. There's a mere 4 pages devoted to multiplayer and only a short paragraph for each of the different multiplayer missions; deathmatch, CTF, and Zep vs. Zep.

   Conclusion You'll probably like this book if... You're new to the Crimson Skies universe and the rudimentary aspects of dogfighting. You want to concentrate mostly on Single Player missions and like the assistance of someone that's been there before so to speak.

   You probably won't like this book if...

   You know the airframes and history inside out from your days with the pen and paper version of CS. You're looking for a comprehensive manual to improve your already modest dogfighting skills.

   For my own personal tastes I'd rate the Sybex Guide as follows: Background: 9/10 Flight mechanics: 6/10 Aircraft Descriptions: 6/10 Aircraft Design: 7/10 Mission guide: 9/10 Multiplayer: 2/10 Ease of use: 9/10 Layout: 8/10 Price ($20): 7/10

   Overall -- 70%END




2. If you like the game you really should get this book. Apart from a breakdown of all the aeroplanes and a beautiful poster of them, it shows you how to do some really excellent combat aerobatics - with illustrations and descriptions right down the the throttling e.g "use 3/4 throttle and no more or you'll risk stalling the plane" ...

   And tells you how to shoot at an angle to which you are travelling by sliding the plane at a 5 degree angle - which is substantially better than crashing into the slow moving zeppelin you are trying to shoot to pieces like I used to !

   Now that section alone is worth the price of the book. The author, I see, is an actual experienced pilot (and perhaps fanatic!) and knows what he is talking about.

   It helps lift the game to a whole new level, because it will give you the technical knowledge and the base skills required to fill the boots of Nathan Zachary.

   I also recommend a good joystick, I use a force feedback which makes it more difficult to hold steady but hey - good! A nice touch of realism.

   This would make an excellent present also, anyone who likes this game would very much enjoy the book as well.

5 comments about Spells of Fury: Building Windows 95 Games Using Directx 2.

1. Even though Directx will soon be up to version 6, Spells of Fury is still applicable to programming games in Windows. The book is ideally suited for someone trying to get into programming games in general plus doing them on Windows platform. I wouldn't bother using the source code on the CD. Be a trooper and write all of it out on your own. You'll find that you will learn more that way.



2. In the day & age where everybody wants to create the next QUAKE it's nice to see a book that's main focus is on 2d and multiplayer RPG development with direct X. Every book I have purchased in the past has an entire 4 chapter section dedicated to DIRECT 3D and maybe a chapter or so for 2d programming with direct draw. So what's the beginner to do? I mean if you can't create a 2d game what chance do you have of creating a 3d game? Well with the help of this book you'll learn all the fundamentals of game programming as well as how to use some of the Direct X features. Yes the book only deals with Direct X 3 and the latest direct X version is 6 but any sample included on the CD can be compiled using the directX 6.0 sdk with out having to make any modifications. New features have been added to direct X but beginners need to learn the basics first and this book is the place to start



3. The book has good information about how to use DirectX for developing games. However, there are lots of problems either related to the text or related to the example programs. (The latter being the worst). The example codes are a) not well commented, b) most of them do not run as they suppose to; c) the programmer (who is not the author) defines functions (methods) never used in the main program; etc. This book can be useful for someone interested in developing games, but be aware that you will need to rewrite most of the code again (after you understand what the original code was trying to do, which will take a lot of your time). Also be aware that the author does not reply e-mails, what is really sad. I have been in contact with authors of other books and this connection between author-user is a very healthy thing to have. Normally both have something to learn from this connection.



4. I skipped a couple newer DX books and bought this one as I'd heard many good things about it. Unfortunately I'm not very pleased. Although all of the code is still relevant to newer versions of directX, the level of explanation is very light. On the plus side, there is a lot of code, but one is simply left to figure out many important details. Basic/summarizied descriptions appear all over the place which even a non-programmer might understand (To load a DIB, first, read the header, then... etc), but many of the "nitty-gritty" details are either completely skipped or only given a very cursory examination. Overall, it's not worthless, but there has to be something better.



5. This was the second book I bought on programming using Microsoft's DirectX SDK. I researched all the other books on the market before I bought it, and by reading this book I learned everything I needed to know about DirectDraw, DirectInput, DirectSound & DirectPlay

   This book provides many example games, after reading this book you'll have a better understanding of 2d game engines like those found in Rayman, Myst and Command & Conquer.

   Another big plus is the author's explaination on how to use Binary Search Trees and Linked List and the sample code provided on how to apply these to creating/destoying objects/entities in games.

   If you want to learn how to program games for Windows using DirectX you either go with this book or Andre LaMothe's Windows Game Programming for Dummies.

   Go with the later if you're a complete newbie. Or (better yet), buy them both.

5 comments about Ultima: The Technocrat War Book I of III: Machinations.

1. This book is exciting, entertaining, and suprisingly well written. I have been a science fiction/fantasy fan since I was a kid and try to support new authors. Austen Andrews was a name that I was not familiar with, so I picked up the book. What a delightful suprise: Great characters and a solid story line packed with excitement. I have placed Andrews on my list of "must read" authors, and look forward to his next offering.



2. It might not be fair to review a book I haven't even finished. But I can't help but share what I think already. Andrews creates a very real world with very real characters who each in turn want something. This is cleverly weaved into a plot driven by greed, political warfare and power.

   The language is beautiful. And Andrews shows great skill in presenting the story very clearly, yet, without patronizing the readers.

   Though his attempts (to make references to what Ultima gamers would be familiar with) hardly qualifies it as "based on the bestselling computer game", The Technocrat War already has me looking forward to a compelling trilogy which I will read over and over again.




3. I have just the distinct pleasure of finishing this masterfully written novel. I have been an Ultima fan for over 15 years; ever since I could understand the words on the computer screen, I could never get enough. Richard Garriott (Ultima's founder) is a true inspiration for me. Now I have found another...Austen Andrews. Like other Ultima fans, I was disappointed to hear about the disbanding of the "Ultima: Origin" design team and the cancellation of the game, but here we have the first in a trilogy of books that will turn both fans and newcomers toward the love for Ultima and keep the torch ablaze after two decades.

   I cannot express through words how immersing and thought provoking this book was. Andrews has mastered the use of descriptive language and lavish descriptions to bring alive a "pre-Avatar" Sosaria. Although I could easily pick up on some of his minor errors, (Britannia Bay instead of Brittany Bay and the geographical location of the dun-geon Despise) his writing brought back a great feeling of nostalgia that "Ultima Online" simply does not bring.

   When reading this tale, readers will become particularly enraptured in the char-acter development. Some of the most remarkable characters I will never forget and look forward to learning more about are the endearing, but elegant Way Master Thulann, the gruff but lovable Gabriel Montenegro, and the mysterious "Techo-Prophet," Lord Blackthorn, who in this tale seems to have made his way out of the Ethereal Void after being banished by Lord British.

   This is a story of political strife, manipulation of cultural diversity, and divisive team players that turn out to be anything but. I cannot express how I loved this work. I rank Andrews among some of the classic sci-fi and fantasy writers including Heinlein, Tolkien, and Lewis. I look forward to the next installment with utter anticipation and commend Andrews for keeping the Ultima torch lit even after the authorities at Origin have faltered!




4. Incredible read .. well written and will come to life again when the new release of Ultima online comes out in 2002 (blackthornes Revenge) . Gripping story and for those of us that played UO online was a very realistic look at what the Role playing and style of game is to feel. Well Done! look forward to more.



5. Austen Andrews is the master of dialogue. Really. He writes some really fantastic dialogue. His character are also extremely likeable. This was another page turner book for me. I finished it in a couple days as well.

   If any of you are familiar with the Ultima games or Ultima Online then you'd know where this book comes from. This book is actually a novelization of what Ultima Online 2 was supposed to be before it was canceled. Even though I hate MMORPGs reading this book makes me wish that UO2 had seen the light of day.

   I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Very nice dialogue, fantastic characters, engaging storyline.

5 comments about Grandia (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. This, with out a doubt, is the most horrid excuse for a strategy guide I have ever seen. It contains no maps, no item locations, and no secrets. All it has is a collection of screenshots from the game, which are cryptic at best. There is a list of skills for each character but not what they do. I would say this is a good book for someone who doesnt want to play the game at all, but rather just see a bunch of screenshots from it.



2. For a game with as many hidden secrets and difficult dungeons as Grandia, one would expect to find a strategy guide full of hidden items, maps and strategies. After all, that's the reason gamers buy them. This guide fails to deliver any of the above. The only item that the guide will help you find are Mana Eggs, so finding anything else, including hidden weapons, is up to you. Basically, this guide is a color walk-through stuffed with tiny screenshots which were not necessary. Just a distraction from the boring, and uninspired "Go west, now turn south...", walk-through I suppose. There are weapon, item and magic lists at the beginning of the guide which are okay at best, but they still fail to tell you where to find these items. As far as the secret dungeons go, thank goodness I found them myself because the book says hardly a word about them. Not a single map or strategy for these areas which are very difficult and time-consuming. After I finished the game, I realized that I could easily have beaten it without this guide because I did all the exploring myself to find hidden items/weapons. If you need a good walk-through, visit Gamefaqs, heck even a message board is better than this book. Also, the guide suffered a very bad printing mishap that is very obvious at the end of the guide. The last 5-10 pages or so have the wrong text under their screenshots and a good portion of the walk-through for the Final dungeon was cut off, including any info on the final boss. As if we would have gotten help beating it anyway!

   Overall: 1 star for being in color and having a few pretty pictures.




3. If you own the Sega Saturn version of Grandia (which is in Japanese) then this book is quite useful, as it retells some of the story as you are going along. Doubtless this will annoy people who have the english version (hence the low scores).As a guide it is quite poor - It does'nt tell you where all the Mana eggs are, and there are no details of the secret areas...but it is a small price to pay for a story synopsis. Get this book if you love the game or if you have the Saturn version - which is the best one ;0)



4. To say the least, this is a terrible book. It offers no maps, nothing about the secret dungeons, no boss stratagies. Nothing. It is not worth anything you pay for it, except maybe 5 cents.

   If you need a Walkthrough for this wonderful game, GameFAQs has much better ones, for free!




5. Now if only that walkthrough had maps and some strategy for bosses then maybe the guide could get 3 or even 4 stars from me.

   The guides doesn't cover the full extent of the game for starters and doesn't present any way of telling you some of the basics like learning magic and battling.

   The walkthrough doesn't even have maps. Its one of those "Screenshot description below" type of walkthrough (and that doens't work when dealing with an RPG). I didn't mind no bestiary but I do mind them not telling me EXP. from bosses and enemies. They also tell me nothing about learning moves and magic. Overall this guide is useless, and as one reviewer said, go to GameFAQs if you want a guide to this game. This doesn't even tell you how to find most items in an area.

   Overall, if you want to see pretty pictures and just get up and go without knowing any secrets (they don't even cover the special stage) then be my guest and buy this guide. But if you want in depth strategy then go to GameFAQs.

1 comments about RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Wacky Worlds (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. This may or may be needed if you have the original RollerCoaster Tycoon. I liked the original RollerCoaster Tycoon and was pleased when number 2 came out. I like number 2 better than number 3. The Prima Stategy Guides are not perfect -- incomplete in some ways and too informative in places where very little is needed. However, my overall opinion is that they are very worthwhile. I own the Prima Strategy Guide for all three RollerCoaster Tycoon games. .