| | | Copyright |
| | | About the Authors |
| | | About the Technical Reviewers |
| | | Acknowledgments |
| | | Tell Us What You Think |
| | | Introduction |
| | | | From Idea to Design |
| | | | What This Book Is (and Isn't) About |
| | | | How This Book Is Organized |
| | | | Non-Computer Games, Too! |
| | | | A Word About Pronouns |
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| | | Part I. The Elements of Game Design |
| | | | Chapter 1. What Is Game Design? |
| | | | Art, Science, or Craft? |
| | | | The Anatomy of Game Design |
| | | | Documenting the Design |
| | | | Anatomy of a Game Designer |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 2. Game Concepts |
| | | | Getting an Idea |
| | | | The Elements of a Game |
| | | | Understanding Your Audience |
| | | | The Genres of Interactive Entertainment |
| | | | The Types of Game Machines |
| | | | Motivations That Influence Design |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 3. Game Settings and Worlds |
| | | | The Purpose of a Game Setting |
| | | | The Dimensions of a Game World |
| | | | Realism and Abstraction |
| | | | The Save-Game Issue |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 4. Storytelling and Narrative |
| | | | Stories in Games |
| | | | The Story Vehicle |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 5. Character Development |
| | | | Art-Driven Character Design |
| | | | Story-Driven Character Design |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 6. Creating the User Experience |
| | | | What Is the User Experience? |
| | | | The Human-Computer Interface |
| | | | Components of the User Experience |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 7. Gameplay |
| | | | Use of Language |
| | | | Defining Gameplay |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 8. The Internal Economy of Games and Game Balancing |
| | | | What Is Game Balance? |
| | | | Static Balance |
| | | | Dynamic Balance |
| | | | Tools for Balancing |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| |
| | | Part II. The Genres of Games |
| | | | Chapter 9. Action Games |
| | | | Action Game Genres |
| | | | Design Elements |
| | | | Special Design Considerations for Action Games |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 10. Strategy Games |
| | | | The Common Elements of Strategy Games |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 11. Role-Playing Games |
| | | | The Common Elements of Role-Playing Games |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 12. Sports Games |
| | | | The Common Elements of Sports Games |
| | | | Special Design Issues for Sports Games |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 13. Vehicle Simulations |
| | | | The Common Elements of Vehicle Simulations |
| | | | Other Vehicles |
| | | | Special Design Considerations for Vehicle Simulations |
| | | | Putting It Together |
| |
| | | | Chapter 14. Construction and Management Simulations |
| | | | The Common Elements of CMSs |
| | | | Special Design Considerations for CMSs |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 15. Adventure Games |
| | | | What Is an Adventure Game? |
| | | | The Common Elements of Adventure Games |
| | | | User Interface Design |
| | | | Special Design Considerations |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 16. Artificial Life, Puzzle Games, and Other Genres |
| | | | Artificial Life Games |
| | | | Puzzle Games |
| | | | Games for Girls |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 17. Online Games |
| | | | Advantages of Online Games |
| | | | Disadvantages of Online Games |
| | | | Design Issues for Online Gaming |
| | | | Persistent Worlds |
| | | | Putting It Together |
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| | | | Chapter 18. The Future of Gaming |
| | | | Gaming Hardware |
| | | | The Future of Game Programming |
| | | | Game Genres |
| | | | Broadband Networking |
| | | | The Distant Future |
| | | | Interactive Entertainment as an Art Form |
| | | | A Few Final Words |
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| |
| | | Part III. Appendixes |
| | | | Appendix A. Sample Design Documents |
| | | | Creating and Using Design Documents |
| | | | The High-Concept Document |
| | | | The Game Treatment |
| | | | The Design Script |
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| | | | Appendix B. Bibliography |
| | | | Game Design |
| | | | Game Theory |
| | | | History and Sociology of Video Games |
| | | | Architecture and Graphic Design |
| | | | Writing and Narrative |
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| | | Index |