Games

Richard Bartle

Designing Virtual Worlds

Editura: New Riders Publishing

Anul aparitiei: 2003

Designing Virtual Worlds is the most comprehensive treatment of virtual world design to-date from one of the true pioneers and most sought-after design consultants. It's a tour de force of VW design, stunning in intellectual scope, spanning the literary, economic, sociological, psychological, physical, technological, and ethical underpinnings of design, while providing the reader with a deep, well-grounded understanding of VW design principles. It covers everything from MUDs to MOOs to MMORPGs, from text-based to graphical VWs. Designing Virtual Worlds brings a rich, well-developed approach to the design concepts behind virtual worlds. It is grounded in the earliest approaches to such designs, but the examples discussed in the book run the gamut from the earliest MUDs to the present-day MMORPG games mentioned above. It teaches the reader the actual, underlying design principles that many designers do not understand when they borrow or build from previous games. There is no other design book on the market in the area of online games and virtual worlds that provides the rich detail, historical context, and conceptual depth of Designing Virtual Worlds.

Nick Dyer-Witheford, Greig de Peuter

Games of Empire: Global Capitalism and Video Games

Editura: University of Minnesota Press

Anul aparitiei: 2009

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, video games are an integral part of global media culture, rivaling Hollywood in revenue and influence. No longer confined to a subculture of adolescent males, video games today are played by adults around the world. At the same time, video games have become major sites of corporate exploitation and military recruitment.In Games of Empire, Nick Dyer-Witheford and Greig de Peuter offer a radical political critique of such video games and virtual environments as Second Life, World of Warcraft, and Grand Theft Auto, analyzing them as the exemplary media of Empire, the twenty-first-century hypercapitalist complex theorized by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. The authors trace the ascent of virtual gaming, assess its impact on creators and players alike, and delineate the relationships between games and reality, body and avatar, screen and street.Games of Empire forcefully connects video games to real-world concerns about globalization, militarism, and exploitation, from the horrors of African mines and Indian e-waste sites that underlie the entire industry, the role of labor in commercial game development, and the synergy between military ...

Sam Hendricks

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How-To" Guide for Beginners

Editura: Extra Point Press

Anul aparitiei: 2010

How to play, enjoy and win Fantasy Football. Finally, an easy and straightforward way to learn how to play fantasy football. Learn the easy way. Everything you need to play. A book every beginner will enjoy Answers these questions: - Why play fantasy football? - Where do I start? - How do I pick the right league? - How do I score points? - Who do I start each week? Includes: - Explanation of NFL and fantasy football rules - Draft tips - Vital resources to help - Foreword by Emil Kadlec, Co-Founder of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF) and owner of Fantasy Sports Publications - And much more

Dale Ratermann

The Unofficial Colts Trivia & Puzzle Book

Editura: Blue River Press

Anul aparitiei: 2010

Learn all about the Colt's team past and present. This book contains the greatest moments and best players in this all new volume. This book is broken into more than a dozen chapters highlighting the franchises history, top players and coaches, records and statistics. In addition, learn interesting new facts about the team while solving fun puzzles appropriate for all ages.

Klaus Teuber

Cities & Knights of Catan

Editura: Mayfair Games

Anul aparitiei: 2010

Dark clouds are gathering over the peaceful island of Catan. Wild barbarians, attracted by the wealth of Catan, sailed to attack the country. Fortunately, warning has given Catan time to meet the danger. The size of the barbarian army corresponds to the number of cities in Catan. Thus, for Catan to fend off the barbarian attack, the players must form a knight force as strong as the barbarian force. In addition to fending off the barbarians, players compete to build the three great metropolises of Catan. Each of these magnificent centers are worth two additional victory points. To build a metropolis, players must invest in city improvements. To acquire these improvements, players must acquire the three new types of Trade Cards: Coinage, Paper, and Cloth. These cards can only be gained by building a city next to mountain, forest, or pasture hexes. Ages: 12+ Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 100-150 minutes Art: Volkan Baga, Harald Lieske & Stephen Graham Walsh

Andreas Seyfarth

Puerto Rico

Editura: Rio Grande Games

Anul aparitiei: 2011

Prospector, captain, mayor, trader, settler, craftsman, or builder? Which roles will you play in the new world? Will you own the most prosperous plantations? Will you build the most valuable buildings? You have but one goal: achieve the greatest prosperity and highest respect! This is shown by the player who earns the most victory points? Type: Economic, City Building Number of players: 3-5 Age of players: 12+ Length: 60-90 minutes

Dominion [With 500 Cards and Storage Tray and Rule Booklet]

Editura: Rio Grande Games

Anul aparitiei: 2010

You are a monarch, like your parents before you, a ruler of a small pleasant kingdom of rivers and evergreens. Unlike your parents, however, you have hopes and dreams! You want a bigger and more pleasant kingdom, with more rivers and a wider variety of trees. You want a Dominion! In all directions lie fiefs, freeholds, and fiefdoms. All are small bits of land, controlled by petty lords and verging on anarchy. You will bring civilization to these people, uniting them under your banner. But, wait! It must be something in the air; several other monarchs have had the exact same idea. You must race to get as much of the unclaimed land as possible, fending them off along the way. To do this you will hire minions, construct buildings, spruce up your castle, and fill the coffers of your treasury. Your parents wouldn't be proud, but your grandparents would be delighted. Contains 500 cards, rulebook, and card organizer insert tray. Ages: 10+ Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 30 minutes.

Matt Leacock

Pandemic

Editura: Z-Man Games

Anul aparitiei: 2010

Four diseases have broken out across the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together, playing to their characters' strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. For example, the Operation Specialist can build research stations, which are needed to find cures for the diseases. The Scientist needs only 4 cards of a particular disease to cure it instead of the normal 5. But the diseases are outbreaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also working toward cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.

Matt Leacock

Pandemic: On the Brink

Editura: Z-Man Games

Anul aparitiei: 2010

Pandemic: On the Brink is an expansion to our popular cooperative game, Pandemic, wherein players take on roles to work together to fnd cures to 4 diseases. In this expansion you will find six new roles (plus 1 revised OpEx and a Bio-Terrorist), eight new special events, and several challenge kits to be added to the basic game play. Virulent Strain challenge: makes one disease become particularly deadly in unpredictable ways. Mutation Challenge: adds a fifth (purple) disease that behaves differently than the original four. Bio-Terrorist Challenge: pits one player against the others! You may also play with 5 players and play on Legendary level! Other components include: 12 purple disease cubes, 12 pawns in a smaller size, petri dishes to store your diseases and pawns, a bio-terrorist pad for that player to record his actions.

Pass the Popcorn

Editura: Wiggles 3D

Anul aparitiei: 2009

The Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword: 50 Challenging Cryptic Crosswords

Editura: Times Books(NY)

Anul aparitiei: 2008

Designed to challenge even the most experienced crossword buff, this selection of 50 puzzles from London's "The Times" put your linguistic prowess to its limit. Initially published just four times a year on holidays, "The Times "crossword has appeared on a weekly basis since 1997. With oversized grids of 23 x 23 squares--compared to a standard 15 x 15--these puzzles require serious word power and brain bending.

Anne R. Bradford

Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2009

This unique crossword dictionary, compiled and crafted by a single author based on more than 50 years' experience of crossword solving, compiles words that have all appeared as a solution to a real crossword clue. Previous readers have found this book an invaluable reference work for both cryptic and quick crosswords, and new users will be quickly converted! Readers will learn how to recognize words used in cryptic crossword clues which indicate that the answer is an anagram, pun, or word-play. Now available with an even clearer text design, this durable edition offers more than 30,000 new solutions.

The Times Killer Su Doku, Book 5

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2009

This fifth and toughest addition to the successful Times Killer Su Doku series will test your skills to the limit, adding the challenge of arithmetic and taking Su Doku to a new and even deadlier level of difficulty. The puzzles use the same 9x9 grid as Su Doku but with an added mathematical challenge. The aim is not only to complete every row, column and cube so that it contains the digits 1-9, it is also necessary to ensure that the outlined cubes add up to the same number. With 150 new Tough and Deadly Killer Su Doku puzzles, there is no chance to ease yourself in with easy puzzles. For those who like to live dangerously and push beyond their mental comfort zone, steel yourself for The Times' toughest collection yet.

The Times Codeword, Book 1

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2009

An utterly addictive puzzle, Codeword is an enormously popular feature of Times2. This cracker of a puzzle is the perfect alternative to knowledge-based crosswords (you either know it or you don't, right?) and number-crunching Su Dokus. In this compelling collection of 150 brand-new Codewords, which for the first time ever are ranked in increasing levels of difficulty, you can really wrestle with your word power and test your logic to the max. The concept is simple. Each number represents a letter, so, starting with the solved letters, use your logic and vocabulary to reveal more letters, form words, and then crack the code

The Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2009

Compiled by the editor of London's "The Times" crossword, this original compilation will challenge even the most experienced crossword buff. With unique grids of 23 x 23 squares--larger than the standard 15 x 15 grid--these puzzles require serious word power and brain bending, and are the perfect quizzes for those looking to test their linguistic prowess to its limit. Initially published just four times a year on holidays, "The Times "crossword has appeared on a weekly basis since 1997.

The Times Cryptic Crossword, Book 14

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2010

The Times Crossword is the most famous crossword in the world. Tease your brain with this superb collection of puzzles which have been compiled by the Editor of The Times Crossword to test your word power skills. This collection of 80 cryptic puzzles will test your word power to its full. Bend your brain by lateral thought, test your linguistic prowess or simply switch off for a moment or two and see why The Times crossword has become, quite deservedly, the world's most famous crossword. Continuing the enormous success of previous titles in the series - and sporting an eye-catching redesign - The Times Crossword Book 14 will be eagerly snapped up by crossword aficionados everywhere. Previously published as The Times Crossword book 14.

The Times Fiendish Su Doku, Book 3

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2010

A new collection of previously unpublished Fiendish Su Doku puzzles with the added bonus of 30 Super Fiendish puzzles. Perfect for the advanced solver in need of a constant supply of ultra-difficult puzzles. Guaranteed to provide hours of absorbing, brain-stretching entertainment. The puzzles in this collection are of the highest quality and supplied by Sudoku Syndication, the Sudoku suppliers to The Times newspaper. Since the first Su Doku puzzle appeared in The Times in November 2004, they have become a phenomenon, with over 5 million copies of The Times Su Doku books sold worldwide. You don't need to be a mathematical genius to solve these puzzles; it is simply a question of logic. Each puzzle has a unique solution - and there's no guesswork required. The Times Su Doku remains the original, the best and the market leader.

Noah Hearle, Lydia Ade

The Times Killer Su Doku, Book 6: The Dangerously Addictive Su Doku Puzzle

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2010

This sixth and toughest addition to the successful Times Killer Su Doku series will test your skills to the limit, adding the challenge of arithmetic and taking Su Doku to a new and even deadlier level of difficulty. The puzzles use the same 9x9 grid as Su Doku but with an added mathematical challenge. The aim is not only to complete every row, column and cube so that it contains the digits 1-9, it is also necessary to ensure that the outlined cubes add up to the same number as well. With 150 new Tough and Deadly Killer Su Doku puzzles, there is no chance to ease yourself in with easy puzzles. For those who like to live dangerously and push beyond their mental comfort zone, steel yourself for The Times' toughest collection yet.

The Times Difficult Sudoku

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2010

A collection of 200 previously unpublished Difficult Su Doku puzzles of the highest quality from the Su Doku suppliers to The Times newspaper. Perfect for the intermediate Su Doku solver in need of a constant supply of challenging puzzles, this book is guaranteed to provide hours of absorbing, brain-stretching entertainment. Since the first Su Doku puzzle appeared in The Times in November 2004, they have become a phenomenon, with over 5 million copies of The Times Su Doku books sold worldwide. You don't need to be a mathematical genius to solve these puzzles; it is simply a question of logic. Each puzzle has a unique solution - and there's no guesswork required. The Times Su Doku remains the original, the best and the market leader.

The Times Codeword, Book 2: 150 Easy to Difficult Puzzles

Editura: HarperCollins (UK)

Anul aparitiei: 2010

A second addictive compendium of brand new puzzles that rely on patience, logic, and ingenuity to crack the code The perfect alternative to knowledge-based crosswords and number-crunching sudokus, Codeword is an utterly addictive puzzle designed to test word power and logic. The concept is simple. Each number represents a letter; puzzle-crackers must use a base of solved letters to unveil more letters, form words, and then crack the code. This compelling collection contains 150 new puzzles ranked in increasing levels of difficulty, making this the perfect introductory volume for novices.