5 comments about Ultimate Game Design: Building Game Worlds.

1. "Ultimate Games Design" There seems to be no shortage of games design books, and they all claim to be the ultimate. All of them wants to deal primarily with the big fluffy ideas of the lead design - the overall idea of the game and so forth. Few of them has anything to say about the actual execution in terms of level design for example.

   Untill now. Despite hating the title (and the colour scheme) of this book, I have to bow to the ultimate thing. This is as good a good as you will get right now about actually building game worlds - the level designs, the modelling, the texturing, the lighting and so forth. It also has one of the mandatory chapters on getting into the industry, where Tom Meigs goes beyond the usual war stories from the pros and repetitive listing of roles in the games industry, to actually offer the reader a good ammount of introspective questions to ponder and sage advice to gear up for the bumpy ride ahead.

   So from hating it, this book has become one of my absolute favourites on games design. Well done Tom Meigs, whoever you are!




2. If your not in the gaming industry, but want to be, then this book will be a very valuable resource to you. For me, it was a welcome break from reading all software books. Which you must also do to get into gaming, or at least the art or programming jobs. This book reveals little known facts such as getting a job in the QA dept of a game company is a great way to get in if your not an artist or programmer. It also paints a picture of an industry that has its problems like anything else. Great chapters are included that discuss level mapping concepts and design techniques that are sure to boost ones though process as well as good interviews with key gaming gods. It simply does a great job at covering the gamut that is games. The author also gives you some good tips on what game developers "who hire" think like, cause he probably has done it. Must read for any potential game industry people. Harsh reality in many ways.



3. Ambiguous content with statements such as light can be very useful... AND! This book is of no value to any one who is remotely interested in greating/building actual game worlds. You would be better off giving the book a miss and check the forums out on the internet. I am gutted that I made the mistake of reading and believing the comments made on the books contents which now seems obvious these were placed by the authors friends and relatives. It's a pity Amazon do not accept returns! As such the book is destined for the bin.



4. Tom Meigs, Ultimate Game Design: Building Game Worlds (McGraw-Hill, 2003)
   
   While there's a decent amount of useful information here, the reader of books on game design has seen a good deal of it before in other game design books. If it's your first game design book, it will likely be quite helpful to you; those who have read two or three other general books on game design are likely to only get anything out of the interviews.



5. Tom Meigs does a great job with this text. It goes over all of the concepts that you need to think about when designing your own levels, characters or even complete games. He includes many interviews with industry pro's that really "tell it like it is." The best part, I think though, is the last chapter where he gives some examples of the different episodes that have happened at the companies he has worked for. Man, stress can drive some people crazy.

2 comments about AI Game Programming Wisdom 3 (Game Development Series).

1. Computer gaming continues to grow at a very rapid rate. In fact much of the development of the new higher speed chips and of course the high performance video cards are being driven by the needs of the gaming people.
   
   Computer gaming software also continues to grow, perhaps even faster than gaming itself. Because of the rapid state of software development, no one author could possibly keep up with all of the changes that are taking place.
   
   So in this book Steve Rabin, of Nintendo of America has gotten almost sixty of the most advanced gaming software developers to write articles explaining the state of the art as they are helping to develop it. The writers come from a mix of software companies, universities, independent consultants, and game hardware developers. This is the state of the art in the development of artificial intelligence for games.



2. i'm surprised more people haven't reviewed this book (there's only 1 review at the time i write this). It's a really, really good book, i expected more reviews.
   
   Since what this book is isn't exactly obvious from the description, i figured i should explain it.
   
   Like the first two volumes, this book is a collection of articles, generally 5-10 pages each. The book is roughly 800 pages long, so that's a lot of articles.
   
   Each article is on a different topic and most are written by different people. A handful of authors wrote two articles, but realize that a *lot* of people contributed to this, and each is an expert in different areas, have different writing styles and represent different games.
   
   i believe most of the authors are professional game AI developers who've worked on big name games. There are also articles by professors and game AI hobbyists (who shortly after writing in this series became professionals). Most write in a way you can understand, a few state things very simply, a few others use math and Greek letters and other things that give me headaches. The vast majority of articles are practical articles, not theory, and there's a fair number of examples (with code) given on the included CD.
   
   Because the articles are small, they tend to be focused on a single topic such as navmesh generation, path smoothing or player prediction through n-gram analysis. Since there are so many, the topics cover all sorts of things, from camera movement systems to baseball games to squad FPS tactics to steering race cars to generating random numbers with a normal/Guassian distribution. My favorites are the ones where a developer discusses some bright idea he had for a game and how it backfired on him.
   
   Given the sheer number of articles, it is almost guaranteed that you will find several articles that you don't like, several you don't understand, several you don't care abot and several you can't believe you lived without. If you're like me, you'll find one or two articles that are worth the purchase price of the book all by themselves.
   
   I suppose i should mention that i wrote a couple of articles in this series (though not this volume), so i'm obviously biased, but this really is a very good series. i probably should give it a 5 but i don't like giving 5s and, besides, not every one of the ~100 articles was excellent, just a lot of them.
   
   Now here's the important part: i teach a video game AI class and i don't use this book. Why? Because this is not a text book on how to write AI. It does not cover every topic a beginner needs to know to write a game. It does not build up a single example, walking you step by step through making a game. It most certainly dosn't teach you how to program. In many respects, this is a book written by professionals for professionals. It's a "tips and tricks" book. The assumption is that you know how to program or design a game. You don't have to be a genius to use this book, but it's not a cookbook or Dummies book either.
   
   There are a lot of other books on AI, most of them all-in-one, how to write AI books. Personally, there's only one or two i'd recommend, and none i couldn't live without. But i really don't think i can stress enough just how valuable this particular series is.

5 comments about Planescape: Torment Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. Overall, this guide provided most information one would need to complete the game. Most of the provided walkthroughs were very detailed, and maps with labeled locations of important areas were also provided. However, a few details on quests in the game were not provided, such as locations of items/events and such. One such detail left out was a vital location in the game required to finish an important quest. These small errors are the only reason why I could not give this guide 5 stars.



2. The book has useful information but it is poorly organized and the maps are terrible. They have these numbers all over them, but there's no separate key that lists what these number represent. Instead you have to search through pages and pages of text to see when the "number" is semi-explained.

   Plus they leave out key information on some of the maps/sections. There's no index in the book either, which makes finding something almost impossible.

   Poor organization is why I give this book 3 stars. However, there's some useful content that kept me from giving it 1 star.




3. although some what helpful in the detailed walk-through, a better option to buying this book would be to simply download a faq off the web. The stats and item profiles are flawed in an embarasing number of cases. SAVE YOUR MONEY!



4. I found the guide to be incrediably lacking. It didn't even have a good walkthrough. Don't waste your money!



5. The obvious question for a book like this is, why should a reader listen to these people? In this case:
   - Avellone was Lead Designer on PLANESCAPE: TORMENT in its incarnation as a computer game;
   - Norton wrote the manual;
   - McComb, another of the game's designers, followed TORMENT over to Interplay from TSR, having worked on the Planescape campaign setting there.
   
   The book's chapters are grouped into two parts, where PART 1: A WORLD OF TORMENT provides an overview and PART 2: FOLLOW THE GREAT ROAD is a detailed walkthrough. PART 2, of course, provides the most spoilers for the game, but certain sections of PART 1 also contain spoilers. While anyone consulting a strategy guide should've waived the right to complain too much about spoilers, it is possible (with some care about not reading too far ahead) to consult specific sections for specific problems.
   
   Part 1 contains 5 chapters of the book's 16. Chapter 1 ("Genesis") discusses character generation in detail, explains the general principles of fighting, and provides an overview of alignments and factions. (It also compares/contrasts TORMENT with BALDUR'S GATE: similar interfaces but some specialization for TORMENT.) Chapters 2 - 4 cover creatures, gear, and spells/special abilities, while 5 is devoted entirely to tattoos. Chapter 5 is the most spoiler-heavy of part 1's chapters, thanks to the detailed discussion of Event Tattoos (available only after achieving certain actions in the game).
   
   I'm aware that this book has attracted some criticism regarding the accuracy of the numbers in part 1's tables. For example, every kind of critter in the game has a description in the ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL section, accompanied by a table describing such matters as its Armor Class, Hit Points, etc. Likewise, GEAR covers all the objects in the game (including weapons), and SPELLS AND SPECIAL ABILITIES provides analogous information. Given the sheer volume of information, it's likely that the tables aren't perfect.
   
   Personally, I can't speak to the accuracy of the tables' numbers. What I can say is that using the tables as the sole criterion for judging the value of this book dismisses a great deal of other valuable information herein. I'm thinking primarily of two types of information that don't depend on numbers:
   - general information about effectiveness of various kinds of attacks on specific types of monsters, and
   - specifics about how to get at quests, game areas, special abilities, etc. that a player may overlook if he or she doesn't think to experiment in the right way.
   
   The first case covers such matters as the need to invest in enchanted weapons when fighting abishai, preferred types of weapons in dealing with the undead, and so on. That kind of information can help improve one's gameplay generally and help bail the player out of annoying "I keep dying there" situations. The latter case, though, means that this book can help the player find the game itself more interesting.
   
   For example, if a player falls into particular habits during character generation at the very beginning - loading up Wisdom but neglecting Charisma, or Constitution at the expense of Dexterity - certain scenarios may never arise because the character will never see the relevant dialog options, or will never manage to be deft enough to successfully pickpocket the right character. The main characteristics that affect dialogue options are Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom; a character with low Charisma will never get the opportunity to fast-talk his/her way into certain scenarios, such as a few of the more interesting aspects of the Whispering Stone catacombs.
   
   The strategy guide also provides information about Alignment that may not occur to a player who automatically seeks to play as Lawful Good. Playing the game as a Chaotic character provides opportunities to join factions not available to more conventional Lawful Good characters, without necessarily restricting the player's ability to take on more typical quests. (For example, the Nameless One can take on the same quest for a variety of reasons ranging from "evil must be resisted" to "I want the money".) Without the strategy guide, for instance, a player may never recognize the contact point for joining the Revolutionary League or Xaositect factions.
   
   And, of course, there are easy-to-overlook details that a player may not think of without prodding. For example, once the player can speak to the dead, some specific undead NPCs encountered earlier may be worth revisiting. At the opposite extreme, using a translator for some languages that the player can already understand - and then listening for discrepancies in translation - can yield interesting information, though it can be as simple as another character having greater mastery of language than *you* do.
   
   I consider the guide well worth the money, not so much for its ability to bail one out of hard-to-play scenarios as for this latter quality of opening up scenarios I didn't manage to find on my own.

1 comments about Manhunt 2 Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature Series Guides) (Bradygames Signature Series Guides).

1. this was the first time i have used amazon and i was very unhappy with this item, i believe i paid over the odds for an item i believed to be new and when it arrive, it had been draw on the back... i email amazon to inform them i was upset and still they have not got back to me... putting this aside, the item arrive very quick.

5 comments about Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus-Advanced 3D Graphics and Rasterization (Other Sams).

1. Okay, maybe not the best book in the world. But it does do exactly what it says it is going to do, plus Andre Lamothe both knows what he is talking about, and presents all of the information in a logical and easy to understand way. A must have for all learning game programmers. After you read this book (which takes awhile) everything that you would need to know to write a full fledged 3d game is in your head. Long yes, but that is because the collosal amount of information in it. The CD contains source code for everything in the book. So not just do you have an explanation, but you have samples to play around with and learn from. Great book! But I would advise first reading his first book in the series, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus, and then just skip the first three chapters of the 3D game programing, that way you get the whole deal. I have read both books and have made several games using his information.



2. writer talk about too much basic knowledges which are used for 3d game programming , but most of them like knowledge of math and windows programming we can find in other books even in the course we studied long long ago.
   wish writer take the 3d as the point and talk more about the newest technolegies arised this years.



3. Andre' LaMothe is a pretty big name in the game-development education market. I feel, however, this is mostly due to the fact that his stuff allows "cook-book" programmers to just rip the code right out of the book and use it for their own purposes, rather than just lay out the theory and allow the programmer to do what he or she is supposed to be doing: programming their engine and solving problems.
   
   It begins with a pretty fair introduction to REALLY basic mathematics (high-school pre-calculus level stuff), and then follows it with a section on how to build a math library. The problem with sticking in a math section such as this into a book, is that there are really no supplementary problems for the reader to figure out on her/his own. It just lays out the tools without giving the reader a chance to use them on their own (later in the book he shows how to use the math to derive things, but, again, the reader isn't using his/her mind much...just being handed the algorithms on a $40 platter).
   
   Then, the book goes into 3D concepts, describes various graphics algorithms, shows implementations, and then eventually, by the end of the book, LaMothe has written a cheap, Quake-style renderer which the user can then, presumably, use to build a game on top of. Or the more interested reader can even try to learn how everything is put together from the source. There's one problem here:
   
   If you're looking to learn from example, then this book isn't a very good one. John Carmack has released his sources for Quake, Quake 2, and Quake 3, and are truly professional game engines (the best in the industry, according to some). If you're not willing to solve problems yourself and want to study somebody else's work, then just go download the Quake sources...they're free.
   
   I probably sound overly harsh on this book, but perhaps it's due to the fact that I'm the kind of person who likes to be given theory (even sometimes I'll figure it out on my own) and be left to come up with my own, personalized code. Now, this book allows for that, but it does spend a good deal of pages on implementation, flat jokes, and massive code-dumps.
   
   Speaking of flat-jokes, LaMothe's writing style seems rather bloated with unnecessary colloquialism. It takes quite a few paragraphs to wade through his egotism and "cool" talk before you get to the meat.
   
   In short: If you're a newbie game developer and want a "quick-and-easy" introduction to software rendering (everybody should start with a sw renderer -- or at least understanding 3D graphics theory), then by all means, buy this book. It's useful.
   
   However, if math is one of your best friends, and you like solving problems on your own and implementing things your way, then I suggest just buying a 3D graphics textbook (Alan Watt's is nice) and writing your own real-time software renderer (or even a realistic ray-tracer).



4. This book provides excellent information for anyone who is looking to understand 3D game programming built from the ground up. It does not focus on coding styles and practices. Instead, it takes the reader step-by-step through the process of creating a 3D game engine and explains the mathematics and optimization techniques behind each system. If you've ever wondered how to make a 3D game from scratch, this book will teach you. Note that this book expands on code from LaMothe's "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus", which covers similar material in 2D.



5. For all of you authors: We need more books like this. All of the rest of the books out there are hardware accelerate OpenGL and DirectX oriented. That's all fine and dandy, but what about those of us who want to know what goes on under the hood? This book is great. It shows exactly was is needed for software rendering without OpenGL.

5 comments about Game Programming for Teens, Second Edition.

1. Being that I am 25 years old, I have learned a lot for game programming from this book. Also, I own Blitz 3D, which is perhaps Blitz's best language. However, all of the code from this book is geared more towards 2D, which is good. However, I was hoping that Maneesh would have covered more with the 3D aspect, as most good games these days do involve the third dimension.
   
   Needless to say, this is perhaps the best game programming book for the beginner/hobbyist. You can create SNES/Genesis-quality games right out of the box with no problem. If you are a great artist, you can even make games comparable to today's console games, if only Maneesh would've covered more detail towards Game Programming in Blitz 3D. Great start to starting a hobby in making your own games, and it really has me sold on this book. I'm hoping that more books can come with this simplicity, and it's perhaps the most defined code I've used.
   
   Bottom line, good job Maneesh, great book, but just include some game code for the 3D version of Blitz in your Third Edition.



2. The reviews for the first edition of this book, and its software, were very positive. I bought it for my kids shortly after the second edition came out. This edition of the book is useful, but the software--supposedly the key to making the book work, since it is supposed to allow you to actually design games as you go along--is advertised on the back of the book as being unlimited, and it's not unlimited. It's a demo that expires after several uses. Supposedly there's an unlimited version on the author's web site; good luck finding it.
   
   Followup: I'm told the URL for the software is at www.maneeshsethi.com/BlitzPlusDemo.exe but I haven't used it yet to see if it's completely unlimited, or just has more uses.



3. Short: I am writing this review from the perspective of a high school student who started with Blitz, went on to a more advanced language, and is now revisiting Blitz again.
   
   Long: When I first picked up the book, I was a high school student with no prior programming experience. I had written code before, but it was HTML so I didn't actually write programs.
   
   I abandoned Blitz for a while when I finally got the chance to take a programming class(C++) in school and have recently returned and thus revisited the book to brush up. I took this oppertunity to write a review here.
   
   C++ is a more advanced, powerful, and widely used language but I still use Blitz to make simple games because it's hard to get good graphics in a C++ compiler without costly graphics pacakges to go with it.
   
   Opinion
   
   Short: The book is very intuitive and well written. The author does a very good job at explaining things and the book is very well paced. When going to a more advanced language I was helped significantly by the concepts I learned when using Blitz. I would highly recommend this book.
   
   Long: When I first got this book, I thought programming would be a daunting task. This book goes through it very well and has a nice pace that keeps you from getting overwhelmed. The author writes very clearly and is very good at explaining concepts. This is a great book to get started with programming.
   
   When I dropped this because I started programming in C++, I found transfering languages easier than I had hoped. I learned a lot of basic concepts in Blitz and was able to take many of them over into C++.
   
   For a short time, the only real changes that I experienced were different syntax between the two languages and some other basic priciples (such as library functions) not used in Blitz. By the time I got to a point where most of the material I was learning had no equivalent in BLitz, I had been using C++ long enough not have any problems.
   
   Conclusion
   
   Short: It's a great, well written introductory book for those looking to program for fun or those who want to go further but need a good starting point.
   
   Long: When I got this book, my purpose was to get something to introduce me into programming in a simple, easy to understand manner. I am happy to say that it works very well for this purpose. The Blitz language will not carry you especially far but if you are in it for fun or are just looking for a starting point, this will work very well. I still program with it myself a bit even after learning a more advanced language.



4. This was my very first game programming book. Eversince I have read 2 other books about programming, and am working on two more.
   
   Not only does this book give you a very good head start in game programming, it also gives you a sense of pride in programming. I don't know why, but it's just how the author explained everything.
   
   Overall, the book is very well put together, and it gives you a basic head start in programming in genaral.
   
   But be warned. If you want to do some 3D programming, this is not the book for you. It will only teach you the basics in both programming, and a little in graphics. Don't get me wrong, it teaches enough graphics to make a fine game. But you it doesn't teach you anything about maps, side scrolling, or other gene's. The only genre it really teaches would be like a space shooter.
   
   Use this book for a beggining in programming. Don't stop here though. Find another source that can teach you other programming techniques and languages.
   
   5 stars, all the way.



5. I really didn't like this book. It was written oddly, and doesn't teach you that much (which may have more to do with the fact that the programming language taught is really simplistic). The programs included are limited demos, and the final project (Invaderz!!!-what a wonderful name >_>) is not even explained in the book.

2 comments about Max Payne(tm) 2: The Fall of Max Payne Official Strategy Guide for PS2 & (Brady Games.).

1. Reviewing a strategy guide for a game you are lukewarm about is one of those piquant experiences. Especially when the guide is better than the game. Unfortunately, Max Payne 2 failed to grab me. I didn't find it particularly difficult either. If you go everywhere and try everything you will eventually figure everything out. Except for maybe the last 15 minutes.

   So here is a guide, put together by Tim Bogenn, that is a clear, easy to use walkthrough. One could almost fault it for a lack of emphasis on strategy, since it simply tells you what to do each step of the way. The only source of confusion is that Begenn chose not to provide maps, and sometimes the pictures aren't as graphic as they should be.

   But if you need a guide, this will carry you through. It includes information on the advanced modes and weapons as well. Since there are exactly 12 weapons there really isn't anything left out. So this is a first for me - a five star rating for a guide to a game which I only gave 3 stars. Go figure!




2. Very thorough guide to all the steps you need to take to master this violent noir thriller.
   
   Detective Max Payne returns to fight the crime world. Love comes calling, as the gumshoe's heart is under siege as well this time.
   
   Helped me beat some of the hardest puzzles in the game. I turned to the guide whenever it seemed like I was stuck at an impossible spot.
   
   Max is one of my favorite video characters. This game is a rare intelligent thriller. If you're tired of the same rocket-launcher binges against the same monsters and aliens, get into the murkiest world of all: the criminal mind.

3 comments about Age of Mythology: The Titans Expansion: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. This book covers every new campaign in the new expansion game. Maps and in depth walkthrus for the campaigns. Also every EVERY multiplayer tactic u ever wanted to know to become the master of the titans. For 15 dollars its definitly a great deal to get!! and heres more facts The eagerly anticipated Titans Expansion adds new strategic possibilities and depth of the Age of Mythology universe with Titan uberunits, the new Atlantean mythology, and a whole new campaign. This comprehensive strategy guide, written with the full support of Ensemble Studios and Microsoft Game Studios, is packed with the strategies, tactics, and analysis you need to master the Titans!

   Inside you'll find: Strategies and tips straight from Ensemble Studios' best players Thorough analysis of the Atlantean mythology, including military units, Major and Lesser Gods, and their powers Detailed economic and military strategies that show you how to build a thriving economy and prevail in combat Multiplayer tactics for every game mode, including Lightning tactics from Age of Mythology expert Chris "Swinger" Rupp In-depth stats for everything in the game Step-by-step walkthrough of the compelling new campaign




2. I likeed this strategy guide. Having it simply makes the game more fun, and that's what makes this a 5-star guide IMO. It covers everything from gameplay tweaks compared to the original game, to a completel walkthough of all missions.



3. I cannot really critique this book because I never could get the actual game to install on my pc. Thus, I never read this book with any real determination.

No comments about Game Production Handbook, 2/E(w CD-ROM) (Computer Science)(Game Development) (Computer Science).

4 comments about Star Trek Legacy (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Where to begin...
   
   About 2/3 of this "Strategy Guide" is a listing of all the ships included in the game and a list of the maps included in the game. Personally - all of this information should have been in the manual. This is not necessary information however because the statistics are much more meaningful in the ship select screen in the game - and the maps are not exactly that unique.
   
   The rest of the guide is a few "tips" which are pretty much no-brainers, and a walkthrough of the single player campaign. This is probably the most helpful part of the guide, although they do not really break down the missions enough and simply gloss over the details.
   
   The game itself really isn't deep enough to warrant the need for a strategy guide - and I believe Prima figured this out, which is why they padded 2/3 of it with pretty pictures of Star Trek ships from the game.
   
   I would recommend renting the game for the X Box 360 and see for yourself how much you need a strategy guide. I will go ahead and summarize strategy in STL for you so that you are good to go:
   
   WEAPONS:
   Phasers dissipate over distance, so try to get in close before letting loose. Also - don't constantly press the fire button - let your phaser banks charge up so that you get some good drain on the enemy shields. This should be the primary attack of any ship designated "Cruiser"
   
   Photon/Quantum torpedoes give the hull of enemy ships a beating - this should be the primary attack of any ship designated "Destroyer" and try to save them for when you have drained the shields with phaser fire. Unload a few of these into the hull of an enemy ship and it will seriously damage it.
   
   Warp: You cannot warp near asteroids or planets. Use this to your advantage, and be sure not to get caught in a disadvantage. Neither asteroids nor planets can hurt you - so feel free to warp right in.
   
   That is pretty much all you need to know. In any 1 vs 1 ship combat - be sure to match up ships to their equivalent. You will not be able to beat a larger ship with a smaller ship.
   
   The Borg cannot handle a sustained assault of multiple ships. If it is 1 vs 1 and the player is Borg - outfit your fleet with Destroyers. The Borg have no shields and the torpedoes damage them quite a bit en masse.
   
   That is about as deep as the game gets. There are no shield facings to worry about. You can do subsystem targeting... but it really has no effect in the grand scheme considering how hard it is to pull off in MP/Skirmish.
   
   Borg Cubes are really powerful weapon-wise, but really weak hull-wise. >4 ships can take down a cube easily with the loss of maybe 1 ship.



2. The only gripe I have is the keyboard controls and lack of reference material. Overall fun game!



3. If you get the game you should get this guide. It give you info on all the ships all the maps and all the missions. Plus its full of beautifully designed pages.



4. This game is the best for Star Trek! If you need any game of Star Trek, this is the one.