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July 2001
In this issue of
GIGnews.com, we've put down the controller, turned off the telly, put on
our reading glasses, and kindly asked game industry insiders for book
recommendations. (Note: When available, we've linked to Amazon and other
sources where you can learn more about and/or purchase the books). Time
to read, class....
| Chris
Bateman, Managing Director and Creative Overlord at games design
and script studio International Hobo Ltd recommends... |
Sienna,
of Dynamix, recommends...
(Editor's
note: Have you read Sienna's article on Mise-en-scene?
Oui or no? No? Then read it now.) |
 The
Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell (with Bill Moyers)
Amazon.com |
 Call
of Cthulhu by
Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis
Amazon.com |
Avatar by
Discordia Inc.
Discordia |
 Downtime by Spiral Lobster
|
Chris
Bateman: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
(with Bill Moyers) -- Studying Campbell's work will
teach you why Star Wars remains enduringly
popular, and will help you unlock a greater potential in
your storytelling skills, assuming you are involved in
the creation of narrative games.
Avatar (a fantasy RPG published by Discordia
Incorporated,) or any role
playing game published by Steve Jackon Games or Chaosium
Inc - particularly
Sandy Peterson's Call of Cthulhu. -- Studying the
use of mechanics in table top role playing games is one
of the most valuable exercises a game designer can
perform. Even where the mechanics fall down repeatedly
(as is the case with most percentile-based systems) the
exercise of seeing how generalised mechanics function
can only serve to enhance a game designers range of
skills. Peterson's Call of Cthulhu is doubly
useful for its humility. Peterson is one of the few
designers willing to recognise that we stand upon the
shoulders of giants.
And Downtime, by Spiral Lobster, because I'm
contractually obligated to
plug this unusual and refreshing sci fi novel published
by Jacobyte Books at all opportunities, and because
you'll learn more from reading some inventive fiction
than you will from trudging through any book that
purports to impart the design process."
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|
 Game
Architecture and Design
by Andrew Rollings, Dave Morris
Amazon.com
(used may be available) |
 Painting
With Light by
John Alton
Amazon.com |
 The
Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
Amazon.com |
 Game
Design: Theory and Practice by
Richard Rouse
Amazon.com |
| Sienna:
"I read and play test every pencil and paper RPG
system I can get my hands on -- Dungeons and Dragons,
Sorcerer, Earthdawn, Mage etc. I
also play every game I can find, from board games to
puzzles to computer games. Never stop playing. Never
stop learning.
For inspiration I read a
great variety of books including mysteries, horror, sci
fi, fantasy, physics, Zen, engineering.. etc. This
includes, but is not limited to Games! Magazine, Book
of Five Rings, Through the Looking Glass, Lord of
the Rings, Enders Game, Chaos, Game
Design Theory and Practice and, just for fun (for
those of us who were designing in the old days), The
Book of Adventure Games by Kim Schuette."
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| More
from Sienna... |
 Through
the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Amazon.com |
 The
Lord of the Rings
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Amazon.com |
 Ender's
Game by Orson
Scott Card
Amazon.com |
The
Book of Adventure Games
by Kim Schuette
Amazon.com
(used may be available) |
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