5 comments about From Myst to Riven: The Creations & Inspirations.

1. This gigantic book features stunning full page renders of key scenes from Riven, as well as various high resolution screencaptures. It also takes you through the entire process of making Riven, from the completion of Myst to the completion of Riven. It shows you how the story was developed (and additional bits to the story), how the stunning photo-realistic graphics were acheived, how the sound was done, how the design and visual look came about. In the background, it tracks Cyan's rise from a small company in a garage into one of the most profitable independent game designers in the world. Being a fan of the whole Myst universe and of computer technology in general, I absolutely love this book. I have it on my coffee table. While I have other things to attend to, my guests can flip through it until I have time to sit down. The process that went into making Riven was enormous and complex, and I salute Mr. Kadrey for getting down into words.



2. Most computer games don't much for me. I'm not into shoot-'em-ups, and I learned back in the days of the original ADVENTURE and ZORK that I wasn't that great at puzzle-solving. Oh the other hand, I've been playing MYST and RIVEN regularly for years, even though I haven't solved that many of the puzzles. I'm what this author calls a "tourist," a player who just likes to wander about the Ages of these games and gawk at the exquisite artwork and music, and marvel at the fantastic realism the design team has managed to put into their worlds. This book brings all that out in some detail, describing how Rand and Robyn Miller came up with the basic ideas, how Richard Vander Wende turned all their plans on their heads and made the game the masterpiece that it is, how even the sounds you hear are apt to be clues (I never knew that!), and -- above all -- how none of the team let themselves be hurried in their quest for something as close to perfection as they could manage. Like Tolkien, they even invented a detailed language for the D'ni. Amazing stuff.



3. "From Myst to Riven" is a positively amazing book that follows the arduous journey of the Cyantists from creating two of the greatest games ever made. All the way through Inception, Preparation, Construction and Completion, Kadrey takes such an in-depth look at the inner workings of Cyan that you feel as if you helped them along in making it. Breathtaking visuals and intriguing narrative make this a book that's a must-have for any hardcore fan.



4. Despite having read all the five star articles, about how wonderful this books is. I was still utterly blown away by it when i received mine. The book cost me about 85$ with shipping, but I live in DK so in addition I had to pay extra tax totaling a cost of over 100$, despite that this book is still well worth it. note however if you live outside the US. you might want to check shipping options since this book is very large (about 35cm in height)and it will cost a great deal to ship, thus you might get it via regular mail (witch takes forever). For anyone interested in CG, computer game history, Myst, D'ni, or Multimedia, This book is an absolute must!



5. Exquisitely illustrated, beautiful layout and easy to read, this book provides insight into the making of these groundbreaking computer games. Richard Kadrey has created this volume clearly showing his love and appreciation of the Myst game. This book should be included in the library of every design college, as it shows the development, mapping and design process of the creation of Myst.
   
   The book has an introduction by Rand and Robyn Miller and is divided into four parts: Inception, Preparation, Construction and Completion. Included is even a lexicon of the D'ni grammar.
   
   Well worth the wait and the price!

1 comments about Stargate SG-1 Role Playing Game: Core Rulebook (d20).

1. For the most part I absolutely adore this game. The setting is one of my favorites (the "Stargate SG-1" TV show universe is dead-on perfect as an RPG setting). The system (adapted d20; you'll need the "Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, third edition) is wonderful--in particular it's stunningly detailed, allows characters to try virtually anything, and is quite flexible. It's simple enough to understand without much work, but complex enough to allow for dramatic, varied game-play. The amount of information provided is fantastic.
   
   The one down-side of this much information is that we keep forgetting that there are rules we should be applying to the game because there are just so darn many of them. Over time this abates--you get better at remembering what's in the book the more you play. Run a few combats before you play the game, so you aren't trying to learn both at the same time.
   
   My real gripe, and the one that took away that coveted last star, is that the editing job is terrible, and the layout job with respect to the charts doesn't help. The editing problems are issues that noticeably interfere with game-play. Paragraphs trail off in the middle. Fractions have been replaced by letters (just how much can you blow up with 'G' lbs. of C4?). Charts are often found quite a few pages away from any explanatory text.
   
   There are the usual few details that feel a bit wrong--the idea that characters should gain roughly one level of experience for each mission would have had SG-1 retiring at the end of season 1 of the TV show. The idea that any officer player characters have Major as a minimum rank doesn't match up with either the TV show or the info in the first half of this book.
   
   However, these are minor issues and easily fixed. The company's web site (www.stargatesg1rpg.com) provides detailed errata in the forums, as well as additional resources. And other than these problems, this is still the most fun I've ever had either playing OR gamemastering an RPG. It's an expensive book, but it's also nearly 500 pages--not a single bit of it wasted in my opinion. So I highly recommend it; just make sure you look up those errata!

5 comments about Cyberpunk 2020: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future.

1. I've ben GMing for something like fifteen years and this is the system I always return to. If I want to run someting of my own, this is the system I base it on.

   Slim-line, fast, flexible, simple, expansive, effective. All words that describe Talsorian's game mechanics - it simply does not get any better.

   As for the universe - this is a REAL world of darkness. No bright dawn, no happy ever after. Only your wits and tech, style and edge. No right or wrong, only power and death, a world of grey areas that seems only just around the corner.

   If you are a gamer and you don't have this - get it now.

   If you aren't a gamer but love the Dark Future setting, it's worth it.

   Magnificent.




2. I was stationed in Vilseck Germany with the 2nd of the 63rd Armor when I friend told me about Cyber Punk. It was almost a year before we found someone with the books, and immediatly set up a game. It was a game that I have never forgoten. It sits in my mind like the begining of Secret of Mana, forever a defining factor in my oppinions.

   This game does tend to drag with its role to hit/role to dodge rules, but it is more believable then any other game I have seen or played. The setting for Cyber Punk is OURT world, with OUR history. It is science fiction. We can look at our own lives, make few changes to the timeline, and see that it IS possible. In reality, these things would never happen, but in the game, it is easier for us to adapt to this new world because it is so close to our own. Realy, what has changed? The world has met a sort of anarchy, like in Mad Max. The government is now run by Corporations. Bionics are common enough that you see people with mettle limbs on a regular basis. This world is more real then any other I have seen, and this makes more believable. Since it is more believable it becomes easier to enter your charactor and enjoy the game.

   If I had to rate all the games I have played, I would put this on tope, even with its long combat and ineffectiveness with machine guns.




3. CP 2020 is by far the best pencil and paper RPG, this is all you need to get started. Playing CyberPunk will open your eyes to the world and the direction it is heading in and also opens your creativity and imagination. Everything from the weapons, the armor and the stat system whips AD&D. Anyone who doesn't like the whole fantasy ideals and/or combat system of AD&D needs to give CP a serious look-see.

   If you like CP:2020 check out the CyberSphere MOO, well coded and reasonably closely based on CP.

   Telnet on over to:

   cs.vv.com:6969
   or
   cs.vv.com:7777




4. Out of the whole cyberpunk movement and craze, it would seem that a role playing game was a natural. This had an interesting setting and information, and was appropriately brutal. This would lead to characters having the life expectancy of at least a little more than a paranoia clone, so you had to do something about that if you wanted to feature violence in your games.



5. In the short-run, it's like Shadowrun only without anything in the way of mysticism or magic. It's all metal or nothing in this game.
   
   Plenty here have praised the games mechanics, so I won't dive into that... ditto the excellent storyline (I haven't actually GMed a CP game in almost 10 years, and haven't played in five, yet I'll still flip through the rulebook every so often just to read about the local color and stories provided)
   
   If the game has a downfall it is only in that the story lineage is a little dated by modern standards (although strangely prophetic). As 2020 is fast approaching us (being 12 years away as of this writing) much of what was theorized as being "part of the future" has actually come to pass: The internet (ok, not QUITE as they have invisioned it, but can it be far off?), cellphones, corperations wielding vast political power, even modern stem-cell research is a harbinger to the body limb-regrowth capabilities tauted in the game, ditto with cyberlimbs/prosthetics.
   
   The game itself is still very much worth playing. Only now instead of a "dark future", the game has instead become more of a "grim alternate reality"... or alternately, you could just move the game's story ahead 20-30 years and adjust accordingly :)
   
   I highly reccomend it. If I could find another regular crew to play with locally, I'd be all over it!

5 comments about Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Monster Manual II.

1. This book has a lot of creatures that can be found no where else as well as a good look at demons and devils. While all the creatures in the first monster manual can be found in the newer versions this book is truely unique. If you ever get a chance to buy one, do so even if you already have the new monster manual.



2. This is the final piece of the 1st Edition AD&D monster puzzle. Despite its age, the book still offers up several monsters that never found their way into the 3rd Edition of the game. My favorites are the Modrons from the plane of Nirvana. They are some the silliest monsters ever created, but lend a lighthearted feel that 3rd edition lacks.
   
   Back on the serious side, the Random Encounter Tables are terrific. The tables not only list the monsters in this book, but also those in the original MM and Fiend Folio. They even have note next to each monster that indicates which book it can be found in. Very nice.



3. This book harkens back to the "good old days" when playing the paper and pencil D&D used to be new and fun. It is also the last of the original manuals we purchased to play the game. There have been several reincarnations of this manual and I've thumbed through them but they just don't hold a candle to the original, despite the fancier artwork and rule changes. There are lots of new monsters to supplement the original manual and they were all done in the same style as Monster Manual 1 with black and white line drawings. I am not at all happy with the direction TSR took after Mr. Gygax was booted out (or left, can't remember which) and one big loss was the original manuals. They are now up to version 3 something of the rules but I do not even know what they are because I just play computer games now. All I know about the new rules is that multi-class characters are easier to work with. It was an exciting time, a different era. I still have this manual and will always treasure it. If you can find one, pick it up just to see how things used to be done. Highly recommended.



4. for DMs in the game world, great book on monsters and their stats and purpose in life.



5. It's been many years since I had played Dungeons and Dragons, so when I started playing again with my son using the 3.5v set of rules our discussions turned to how it used to be. I just had to get this when I found it on Amazon.com. Not only nostalgic for me, but it's still a great resource for our games. We love it!

No comments about Player's Guide to the Hyborian Age (Conan (Mongoose Publishing)).

5 comments about Chosen of the Gods (Dragonlance: The Kingpriest Trilogy, Book 1).

1. I imagine that trilogies are hard to write, since you have to simultaneously offer the reader something at each step and hold enough back to excite them about the next one.

   I think that "Chosen" pulls it off -- the characters are engaging and interesting. I cared about what happened to them, and was suprisingly moved when they died or were coerced over a line.

   The next book, I imagine, will have even more meat to it! Only a couple more months to wait.




2. Even if you are like me and have read every single DL book in print, this one will keep you very interested and wanting more! I'm so excited that the 3rd book just came out! I cant wait to read it too. So that all the peices from all the other DL books fall into place with this final Book of the trilogy.



3. It was almost 4 star worthy but..

   It wasn't what you envisioned when you heard this trilogy was coming out. It took me awhile to get into it & it was a little predictable. It did gain steam as it went on & the sly deceptions of Fistdantilus made up for its shortcomings.




4. With Dragons of Summer Flame and the War of Souls, Krynn has seen some tumultous times, and one might argue that its fans have suffered the convulsions with it. Enter Chris Pierson, and now Krynn is revisiting its most tumultous time- the Cataclysm! Only this time, the fans are rejoicing.
   
   Chris Pierson has managed to recapture Dragonlance from the brink of nonsense. His characters have something to say to the reader, and his writing never stagnates. He gives us tremendous detail, without making the details themselves the story. And his subject material couldn't be better. Simply put, he is the perfect writer for Dragonlance.
   
   I have read the entire Kingpriest Trilogy twice over. It is certainly one of the best Dragonlance trilogies published in a long while. Dragonlance fans can only hope that Chris Pierson spins his future tales as endearingly as he delivered this Krynnish tragedy.



5. I have read a great many Dragonlance novels, and I've never felt the need to write a review for any of them. The reason for this depends on the books: the Weis/Hickman books need no review because the books speak for themselves; as for the others, most are neither amazing nor terrible, and even the mediocre ones are still enjoyable enough because they are afterall still Dragonlance. This trilogy is different.
   
   To begin with, I've come to expect a certain amount of superfluity and a general disappointment in those novels whose endings are already known; this was the case, of course, with Lord Soth and virtually all of the Preludes sextet. The fact that Peirson manages to hold the reader's interest and give us an ending worthy of the Dragonlance name despite the subject matter was, to me, an amazing feat. These novels were probably the only DL books not writtten by Weis and/or Hickman that really moved me (there were parts that brought me to tears).
   
   Secondly, I tend to be a stickler for detail when it comes to series fantasy. Don't get me wrong- I don't care so much about the minor details, like the location of Raistlin's school (different whether you read the Meetings sextet or the Raistlin chronicles, and for that matter, are we to believe Margaret Weis or the author of the earlier book?)- and at any rate, I view these contradictions as a normal occurence I would encounter if I were traveling across Krynn: the details of the same tale would be different hearing it from a citizen of Palanthas than from a peasant from Lemish, of for that matter from a Silvanesti elf or a kender. But the major details should agree: there should be no vallenwoods in Solamnia, 'Missing City' should not be on the mainland if there is in fact a city there at all, etc. Pierson took a great deal of care in researching the facts for his novels. I even cross-referenced with the Legends trilogy and could not find the slightest problem. Superbly done.

No comments about Classic Battletech Starterbook Sword and Dragon (Classic Battletech).

1 comments about Steve Jackson Games Munchkin Blender.

1. If you own any of the Munchkin games and their expansion this is a must add to your game deck. This expansion helps combine all the other expansion sets into one massive deck and it adds a bunch of cool treasures and doors. Definitely a must for any Munchkin who combines Munchkin sets.

5 comments about Player's Option: Spells and Magic (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Rulebook/2163).

1. The new spells and the new rules of this book made the mechanics of the game more realist and more "playable". An important acquisition for every spellcaster and most adventurers.



2. This book is a great source of information for any type AD&D game, this book includes detailed info about all types of Spellcasters and includes too the system of Character Point's already seen in the Player Option's:Skills&Powers but expanded and woth more option's this time for all Spellcaster. There is a system that you can create your own spellcaster type and almost create a new class, by choosing it advantages, disadvantages special powers and special traits. The books also include a system and a table of critical hit caused by magic. The book is very interisting and very good it worth the price you pay. Get it if you can.



3. Unlike "Skills and Powers" and "Combat and Tactics", "Spells and Magic" does not introduce a wholly new set of rules that the other two books in the series are infamous for. "Spells and Magic" so rarely deviates from the original rules and presents so much expanded materials ( rather than totally new), you will soon be immersed into the originality of the effort. While this is basically a second take on The Complete Wizard's Handbook, it accomplished its goals so much better and quicker that it has plenty of leftover space to introduce several new subdivisions of the magic-user class and many other useful innovations. My advise as for Spells and Magic? Opt for this rules expansion - steer clear of its comrades.



4. Spells & Magic is a good, well-written, fairly well organized book packed with spells for both wizards and preists, along with numerous NWPs.



5. I was searching for a way to create magical items with a mage and picked up this book and found it defines this and more. I was able to hunt for magical components and this book helped with the research factor.

   I wanted to find a few off-the-wall components and this book helped to define a good way to do that. It was helpful in answer magic related questions about Mages and what an Enchanter is good for or an Invoker. This book is a must if you plan of playing or running Mages, it is very helpful.

5 comments about Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (Official Perfect Guide).

1. This guide contains everything you need to beat the game. Definatly a good buy.



2. The guide for Baldur's Gate I by Brady Games was abysmal. It's far better to go online for information BG:I than buy the guide.
   
   However, the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Guide by Versus is absolutely brilliant. It gives you all the secrets, tells you exactly where everything is, exactly what needs to be done to get what, how much XP you get from each quest, etc. It's nigh on perfect.
   
   I have never seen another guide as good as this one. Perhaps it has some errors in it as other reviewers say, but what guide doesn't? I certainly have no complaints.
   
   I want a guide to give me detailed maps, detailed explanations of side quests,and detailed information on what items and XP you get from each monster, quest, etc. In short, I want it to explain everything there is to know about the game, except perhaps for strategies on defeating enemies - those are nice once in a while, but I tend to have my own style of gameplay anyways. This guide did all that. It gives all the vital information for this game - INCLUDING cheat information in case you are so inclined.
   
   This guide is nigh on perfect. I just wish that more guides were like it.



3. Ok, so I made sure I read all the reviews first to get a general idea if it was worth the hefty price. Based on what I read I decided to get it. What a mistake. Sure, the book looks outstanding, plenty of full color and detailed maps, great character, NPC, monster spell and equipment lists... I just found it to be really lacking in information. There was so much left out about areas that I came across on my own and would have loved to know more about. While I didn't expect a step-by-step walkthrough, I did expect the covered areas to be a little more informative. I also didn't like the way it was written, "Duh!", "If you're playing a multiplayer game (like we TOLD you to do)...", "...you have to admit that she's pretty darn hot, eh?". There were times I felt like they were speaking to a moron and I didn't appreciate that at all. Well, I bought it and I'm stuck with it, for now, but I can safely say I wouldn't purchase another guide from Versus again, unless their writing staff grows up.



4. Versus books made some of the best strategy guides I've seen. They were colorful, helpful, and concise. However, this pile of schlock is inexcusable. I payed $17, and it felt like I was reading one of my 8 year old brother's book reports (typos included). TONS of rancid information, lack of adequate coverage, and misprints. Save your money and find an online walkthrough.
   
   Verdict: Far from a "perfect guide".



5. Not very helpful in actually getting you through the game, since there are numerous errors and quite obvious typos (one that is repeated several times refers you to "page ????" - think they rushed into production and didn't quite finish editing). On the other hand, the full color illustrations are nice and there are a number of detailed maps, which unfortunately are not keyed to the numbered events in the text. The item list in the back is nice to have but also incomplete and with some errors.
   Since you're probably going to have to buy it used at this point and pay way more than the original price (I did, anyway), think about whether you want this just for the not-totally-complete maps and item lists. The text is juvenile and the plot line is incomplete, so don't buy it for that. There are wonderfully detailed guides free for the downloading available on line, so if you wants hints and walkthroughs, get one of them, not this.