No comments about Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games).

1 comments about Burnout Revenge (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This is a good guide. It does tell you how to pass through each stage. Also, it tells you how to unlock the best cars and track. So, it is very good guide. But one thing I should tell you, you have to get this when you play or you will be clueless. It does tell you all. Enjoy it, guys!

5 comments about Diablo II Official Strategy Guide (Official Guide).

1. this guide sux! it doesnt give any overall characterstrategies, and tells you everything you DONT need to know aboutquests - i dont care how to find the boss, tell me how to kill him! italso makes the bad skills seem good, which caused me to WASTE SKILLPTS on them. it also doesnt show how good some skills are. the guidesdoesnt show the damages for weapons, or even mention exceptionalitems. blizzards official website gives more info, and for free! italso has more pictures, and in color. i thought the guide would giveinformation not on the site - which MOST guides do. but no, it wasjust a waste of money. id get a better guide if i went to kinkos andtold them to print out and bind the whole blizz site.



2. The only thing I found useful in this guide was the list of items. Everything else in the guide has either been outdated, or is just some crap opinion from some guy saying that "It would be powerful if you did this..." and it's really only something useful in a single player game when you're just messing around.

   I suggest to anyone that plays Diablo2, to just enjoy the game and look up anything they need to know about items on websites. All the other info in this book is pretty much useless, and becomes your own knowledge within a week of playing on your own anyways!




3. This book is just sorry.. I never thought that wasting (money) for this thing would kill me like that. Its better if you just play it normally by yourself or log on and use (an online site). thats the way i had to do it, cuz the book only tells you how to kill diablo with the 5 Diablo 2 characters. They should really put more work into the book, cuz it just plain sucks... I suggest that who ever thinks of buying this book, is way better off by playing it their own way. Thats the way i had to do it, so its just a good suggestion.



4. if you ever play D2, do not buy this guide, I did when it was brand new, then you know what happened? They released version 1.02, and changed every skill stat, and item stat in the game, making every chart in the entire flippin book worthless. And even the writers opinions were killed because all the changing was to "change the balance" which makes other things more powerful than before, and some things less. As I write this, I still play D2 (quite obsesively) and we are now on patch 1.09 so even the expansion pack strategy guide, is out of date (based on 1.07) and it is now rumoured that version 1.10 is comming out soon. I sometimes look in my strategy guide and look at an item's stats, then look at the item in my inventory on the game and compare stats, all I can think about is laughing at how I wasted $20 on this when it was new. :(



5. This came with the Diablo BattleChest. It's a nice reference to have around, but it's nothing you won't be able to find online. There's nothing in the guide that will steer you the wrong way, and it is nice to have it in printed form. I wouldn't pay money for it, but if you're getting the BattleChest, it's a nice little bonus.

1 comments about Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games: The People, the Addiction and the Playing Experience.

1. This is an excellent book on video game addiction. It has helped me understand why my son finds it so difficult to stop playing. Thank you R.V. Kelly 2 for writing this book.

4 comments about Sword of Sedition (Mechwarrior: Dark Age, No. 15).

1. I really wanted to give this book a higher rating. I've been a fan of the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe for some time, now, and really enjoy Loren Coleman's contributions to the Mechwarrior Universe. First off, the good. ROC seems to be providing an editor (finally) who catches typos and grammatical mistakes. I think I only caught one in this book. Style-wise, Sword of Sedition is done well, like most Coleman Mechwarrior novels. The book centers around the leaders of the Inner Sphere trekking to Terra for the funeral of Victor Steiner-Davion. The story seems to be used primarily to set up the new characters who will (hopefully) carry the story arc into the future. Action is minimal until the latter third of the book, but the set-up is nice. The story arc, such as it is, continues to advance.
   
   *minor spoilers ahead*
   
   Unfortunately, this novel seems to be almost a rehash of the previous Battletech world. And while I miss the good ol' days of Victor, Kai, and the crazy Capellans, I was hoping that Mechwarrior would try to branch out and diversify itself from its predecessor. Instead, I find that I am reading about the noble Federated Suns led by their prince, Harrison aka the Bear (Hanse, the fox, Harrison, the Bear...original) who stand firm with the Republic that Victor died to protect. Yawn. Harrison, of course, has a Prince's Champion named Julian who seems to be the spiritual reincarnation of Victor. The token "wild girl," 'Calamity' Kell is introduced as well as Yori Kurita. The Kuritans, of course, manage to be rude to the Davions who graciously overlook the insults given them because they are Davions and that's what Davions do best. I won't spoil the ending, but for people familiar with the story of Victor from the previous series, Sword of Sedition seems to read like same story, different characters.
   
   I hope that the future brings some surprises for the MechWarrior universe. I would greatly like to see Katana Tormak and the Dragon's Fury written about and the Kuritans given more print. Ditto with the Capellan Confederation. Please, WizKids, give us fans something new and different to enjoy. While I'll continue to support the series, I find that I don't pay as much attention to the stories as I used to....maybe because I read them all 10 years ago.



2. This book is the 15th in the MechWarrior: Dark Age series of books. As noted by other reviewers, it centers around various factions of the inner sphere going to the funeral of one of the great leaders, and while getting to a slow start, it picks up in the last third. It is not a masterpiece of English literature.
   
   However, it was a great deal of fun to read. While slow at first, it kept interest with showing at least a little bit of most of the major factions and introducing some new players. The political intrigue is also pretty well written for a book that is trying to attract and keep a base of readers that include at least two divergent groups -- those interested in the WizKids toys that have come out in the past few years, and those interested in the Battletech universe that has been around for decades. Some of the themes in this book (and the series) may seem to be...recycled, but that's part of what makes most pop culture fiction so fun -- the hero is good and noble, struggles with some issue, and wins in the end. Bad guys have their reasons for being bad, and might be ahead in the game for a while, but eventually "get what's coming to them." Everyone is beautiful (except the evil ones, of course), the good eventually triumph, a lesson is learned, and we all live happily ever after. More or less, at least. And in this series, more often than not, that's what you get.
   
   So, if you're looking for something original, thought provoking, profound, etc....look somewhere else. If you like stories about heroes, giant robots, interstellar travel, spies, and the like, and want something to take your mind off school, work, or other things going on in the world, this series might just be what you're looking for! I've had fun reading the past 15 books, and looking forward already to the next one in the series.



3. Anyone who says this book was predictable didn't read the last chapter. It is a return to what I expect from the Battletech/Mechwarrior name. It's good to see the Houses acting somewhat like you'd expect, and seeing thing you recognize. It this wasn't the case, you'd have change for change sake, chaos, and you wouldn't know what was going on, or why. Coleman is masterful, even better than Stackpole, and whenever I see a new MW novel written by him, I know I'm going to enjoy it.



4. I was happy to see the Mechwarrior series get back to its roots. Although the focus is, obviously, on the Republic, when the series started, it alsmost seemed as if the great houses of the Inner Sphere didn't even exist. After some ups and downs in the new Dark Age saga, I've been pleasantly surprised by the last few books and was excited to learn that this was a continuation of "The Scorpion Jar". It's been quite a while since Battletech/Mechwarrior found its focus back on Earth and I'm glad to see a return to the roots of the series. Predictable? Yeah, somewhat. Wrapped up too quickly in the end again? Yep (does every novel have to climax in the last 10-15 pages?), but a fun read that opened the doors for a lot more.

No comments about Digital Generations: Children, Young People, and the New Media.

5 comments about Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Official Strategy Guide.

1. Overall I would say the book is very complete. I have found very little about Warcraft III that was not answered in this book. This book has two parts.

   The first part is the game play detail. This part provides details such as damage, armor, range, hit points for every unit and building; a "tech tree" for each race; and details about the special abilities of the heros. This part is essential for any serious player.

   The second part is a pure spoiler for the single player missions. It gives every detail about the missions including: items, enemies, power ups, and tactical strategies. This part would be most useful to younger players or those who are new to strategy games.

   I personally do not enjoy the single player game nearly so much as the multi-player game. I have owned the game for 6 months now, and have not-yet finished the single player game. Conversly, I have played over 200 online games.

   I would recommend this Strategy guide to two types of people: those who are serious about developing a winning strategy (using the first part of the book), and those who are new to strategy games and may have trouble completing the single player missions (who would use the second part of the book).




2. Bought this for my husband for Christmas. I couldn't believe how nice the graphics and color were. I personally can't stand these games because they take so long to play (it's solitaire and Mah Jongg for me), but my husband called me over just to look at it, and it's pretty neat. Guess I won't be seeing him for another 6 months while he plays it...



3. Grading just on the basis of a guide, this book would have received 5 stars easily. The failing in this case is not in the guide, but in the game: Warcraft III is not sufficiently difficult to justify spending hard-earned money on a strategy guide. There are certain missions that one may get stuck on, but after trying again once or twice, most players should be able to figure out each mission's 'trick' strategy and beat it with relative ease. This applies even to hard mode, which, with the exception of a few missions late into the third and fourth campaigns, is not very hard at all.

   That said, this guide is a walkthrough, in every sense of the word. It tells you what structures/units are available (and, most importantly, which ones you should use), shows you the entire map from overhead complete with a suggested path to follow, and what pitfalls need avoiding on a certain missions. After I had beaten the game several times on my own, taking a look through the walkthrough I noticed several ingenious strategies or shortcuts that I had never thought of that would have saved me a few hours of aggravation. And of course, it gives you a fairly good summary of unit tactics and general strategy, such as scouting, creeping, etc. to use on Battle.net. Like most guides, however, this one is not designed to make you the perfect B.net player, so most of the in-depth strategy and tactics must be gleaned from websites such as warcraftiii.net

   It is an excellent guide, so if you have the money to spare and need a quick way out of that inanely annoying mission you're replaying for the 30th time, this is a good buy. But if you can stand a little trial and error, I doubt you'll need help to the degree to which this book offers it.




4. This guide is excellent for getting through the single player campaign missions. The information about each race and their units is very detailed. It helped me through some tuff spots in the game and showed me more I can do than what I already knew. The only downside is the lack of multiplayer tips and tricks.



5. This is a good strategy guide, it really helps your game once you get into the tougher missions by helping you to find things you most likely would have never found without looking at this. I give it 4 stars because it would have been really worth the buy if it was in color, its hard to see the pictures, but aside from that, its a great guide for only 10 bucks. Really good to have if your new to the game and havent beaten the campaign yet.

5 comments about Mechwarrior #5: The Dying Time (Mechwarrior, 5).

1. The Gray Death Legion is summoned to protect Hesperus II and it's factories in the ongoing civil war between Victor and Katrina. When the cover blurb admits "even legends must die" it isnt a good omen for the book.
   The Grey Death Legion is sacrificed one member at a time upon the altar of war, and at the books' end I wasnt sure why. Perhaps ..., to show no one is safe. The story is tight and well written, but very very depressing at the end. One can only hope that the Legion will share the fate of the phoenix and be reborn. But that doesnt even seem to be on the near horizon.
   Goodnight Grey Death Legion, my first initiation to the universe of Battletech, and long time companions on the road. It wont be the same without you.



2. If Thomas Gressman had written this about some little known mercenary unit I wouldn't have minded. A dedicated and long term follower of the Gray Death Legion, I expected Caryl Grayson to die after more than forty years of his tough life style.

   Once again Skye separatists attack the Gray Death Legion, this time with outside support, where they manage to systematically eradicate the entire unit including Lori Caryle and all the supporting officers and staff.

   The battle scenes are well done but relay too much on aging equipment. In addition, the Gray Death Legion fails to show the tactical high-risk innovation we've some to expect from this band of heroes.

   In the end only Alex remains with fewer connections, equipment, or tenacity than his father was left with on Trell after his Grandfather died.

   I'd give the story 3 stars, but the meaningless death of this most celebrated unit weakens the entire Battle Tech Series and leaves me hollow.




3. First, Mr. Gressman's writing, I think, is very good. It seemed like he was issued marching orders by Whizkids, to just kill off the Legion. They all seemed to die so pointlessly, and had none of the tactical flair that they showed in the past.

   I think this is the first step in ending ties to the classic battletech game. I imagine we'll be seeing other famous units and people killed off before the new version of the game is launched, and the stories which will accompany it.




4. ***Spoiler***

   Perhaps the best combat unit in the current Battletech setting, the Gray Death Legion, was focal to the story line of the whole setting by starting a technology rebirth that allowed fans of the Battletech and MechWarrior RPGs to get a whole new set of toys. I say was because this is where they meet their end. A Rather unglorius end at that. Longtime fans will be saddened by turn of events in this book. It is done in a compentent manner and with all due respect to Thomas S. Gressman he had a very daunting task to pull off, but it left me with a bitter taste, like I imagine it did most fans. Pick this up if you want to read about one of the signs of the end of the current Battletech storyline and cherish the characters you loved.

   ***End Spoiler***

   ***For Everyone Else***

   Longtime fans will not like the conclusion to this book. Some longtime heros face impossible odds and they don't all come out alive. If you are a new fan, sorry about you luck. Battletech (at least the current storylune) is wrapping up with the closure of FASA Corporation and the buyout of Battletech/Mechwarrior by WizKid Games (Mage Knight anyone?). Of all the last novels, they all seem poorly done and rushed, as the best authors have went on to other projects or are working on the new Battletech Setting which will be called Mechwarrior: Dark Ages. Do yourself a favor and go back and buy all the books about the Gray Death Legion by William H. Keith Jr. You will enjoy it a lot more than the conclusion for of the settings most important set of heros.




5. The first time I picked up a Battletech book it was Decision at Thunder Rift...where the Gray Death started. William H. Keith was the author that brought them all together, Grayson, Lori, McCall, Vargas,..all of them. Needless to say I was shocked what this bozo Gressman, did to the Gray Death. This was the first book of Gressman I've read, and probably the last.

No comments about Games And Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks.

2 comments about Champions: Return to Arms (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. It has it all - easy to use.
   
   Nothing else - it works!



2. I bought this game and guide over a year ago, but I love the game, and this guide is the perfect compliment to it. I've yet to find a single mistake in this guide; the maps are flawless, the pictures are exactly what you need to see; every level and subquest is included along with strategies for all. In short, this is probably the most complete and accurate guide I've used so far for any game. Of course, you can get free tips (and even some crude ASCII maps) on the internet, so I normally wouldn't even recommend buying a retail strategy guide. But this one is definitely a worthy investment; it's just so much nicer (and prettier) to have everything you need, in lavish detail, right there in one place. So if you love this game and plan on playing it for 100's of hours like I have, you should probably get this guide. If you're only a casual fan with a passing interest in the actual game, then yeah, you probably don't need it; but for me this is la creme de la creme of strategy guides. Nice job!