| Acknowledgments |
|
xxi | |
| Preface |
|
xxiii | |
|
|
| Authors' Preface |
|
xxvii | |
| Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Role-Playing Games |
|
1 | (20) |
|
CRPGs As A Genre Of Video Games |
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|
7 | (5) |
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CRPGs As A Genre Of Role-Playing Games |
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12 | (3) |
|
Educational Benefits Of CRPGs |
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|
15 | (5) |
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The Evolution And Taxonomy Of CRPGs |
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|
20 | (1) |
| Chapter 2 Origins |
|
21 | (20) |
|
Baseball Simulation Games |
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21 | (3) |
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24 | (3) |
|
J.R.R. Tolkien And Fantasy Role-Playing |
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|
27 | (7) |
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34 | (5) |
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39 | (2) |
| Chapter 3 The Dark Age |
|
41 | (20) |
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Plato And The Mainframe Era |
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42 | (7) |
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Rogues In The Computer Labs |
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|
49 | (3) |
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52 | (8) |
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60 | (1) |
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|
60 | (1) |
| Chapter 4 The Bronze Age |
|
61 | (20) |
|
The First CRPGs For Personal Computers |
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|
64 | (14) |
|
The Wizard's Castle And Eamon |
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65 | (3) |
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Edu-Ware's Space And Empire |
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68 | (2) |
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70 | (1) |
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Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure |
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71 | (2) |
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Dunjonquest: The Birth Of Apshai |
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|
73 | (5) |
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The End Of The Bronze Age |
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|
78 | (1) |
|
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|
79 | (2) |
| Chapter 5 The Silver Age |
|
81 | (30) |
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|
82 | (9) |
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The Revenge Of The Enchantress |
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|
85 | (2) |
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87 | (4) |
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Wizardry: The Proving Grounds |
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91 | (7) |
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Fighting For Your Right To Party |
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94 | (1) |
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The Knight Of Diamonds And Legacy Of Llylgamyn |
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95 | (2) |
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The Return Of Werdna: Turning The Tables |
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|
97 | (1) |
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Other Highlights Of The Silver Age |
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|
98 | (10) |
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98 | (2) |
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100 | (1) |
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101 | (1) |
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102 | (2) |
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Ali Baba and the Forty Players |
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104 | (2) |
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106 | (2) |
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Summing Up The Silver Age |
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|
108 | (1) |
|
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|
109 | (2) |
| Chapter 6 The Birth of the Golden Age |
|
111 | (40) |
|
Transition To The Golden Age |
|
|
111 | (1) |
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Mainframe Games Revisited |
|
|
112 | (2) |
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The Dawn Of The Golden Age |
|
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114 | (19) |
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Down and Out in Skara Brae |
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114 | (6) |
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117 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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The Bard's Tale Construction Set |
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|
118 | (2) |
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The Infant Phantasies of Strategic Simulations, Inc.: Any Questrons? |
|
|
120 | (13) |
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The Dougherty Brothers: Questron and Legacy of the Ancients |
|
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121 | (2) |
|
The Phantasies of Winston Douglas Wood |
|
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123 | (4) |
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127 | (2) |
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The Shard of Spring and Demon's Winter |
|
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129 | (2) |
|
|
|
131 | (2) |
|
Origin And Ultima: The Great Enlightenment |
|
|
133 | (10) |
|
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136 | (1) |
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Ultima Meets Death Race: Autoduel |
|
|
136 | (3) |
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|
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139 | (4) |
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140 | (1) |
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141 | (1) |
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142 | (1) |
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142 | (1) |
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Might And Magic: A Brave New World |
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143 | (4) |
|
Starflight and the Space Sim CRPG |
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145 | (8) |
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Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula |
|
|
147 | (1) |
|
The End Of The Early Golden Age |
|
|
147 | (1) |
|
|
|
148 | (3) |
| Chapter 7 SSI's Golden Age |
|
151 | (36) |
|
Unforgettable Realms: SSI's Gold Box Games |
|
|
153 | (31) |
|
Pool of Radiance and the Forgotten Realms Series |
|
|
154 | (14) |
|
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162 | (1) |
|
Secret of the Silver Blades |
|
|
163 | (1) |
|
|
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164 | (1) |
|
Champions of Krynn and the Dragonlance Series |
|
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165 | (2) |
|
|
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167 | (1) |
|
|
|
167 | (1) |
|
|
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168 | (2) |
|
Treasures of the Savage Frontier |
|
|
168 | (2) |
|
|
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170 | (3) |
|
Neverwinter Nights: The Gold Box MMORPG |
|
|
173 | (1) |
|
Concluding Thoughts on the Gold Box Games |
|
|
174 | (1) |
|
SSI's Action CRPGs: Heroes of the Lance and Hillsfar |
|
|
175 | (8) |
|
|
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175 | (2) |
|
|
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177 | (2) |
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179 | (1) |
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180 | (1) |
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180 | (1) |
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181 | (1) |
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182 | (1) |
|
Unlimited Adventures: The Gold Box Construction Set |
|
|
183 | (1) |
|
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|
184 | (3) |
| Chapter 8 Origin's Golden Age |
|
187 | (14) |
|
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187 | (12) |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (5) |
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194 | (1) |
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195 | (1) |
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196 | (1) |
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197 | (1) |
|
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|
198 | (1) |
|
Concluding Thoughts on Origin's Golden Age |
|
|
199 | (1) |
|
|
|
200 | (1) |
| Chapter 9 Sir-Tech, New World Computing, and Sierra |
|
201 | (30) |
|
|
|
201 | (3) |
|
|
|
201 | (2) |
|
Crusaders of the Dark Savant |
|
|
203 | (1) |
|
New World Computing In The Golden Age |
|
|
204 | (9) |
|
|
|
204 | (2) |
|
|
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206 | (2) |
|
|
|
208 | (1) |
|
|
|
209 | (2) |
|
|
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211 | (2) |
|
Interplay In The Golden Age: Wasteland And The Lord Of The Rings |
|
|
213 | (9) |
|
|
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213 | (2) |
|
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215 | (2) |
|
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217 | (2) |
|
|
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219 | (3) |
|
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222 | (1) |
|
Sierra And The Glorious Revolution |
|
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222 | (7) |
|
|
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223 | (2) |
|
|
|
225 | (1) |
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226 | (1) |
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|
226 | (1) |
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227 | (2) |
|
|
|
229 | (1) |
|
|
|
229 | (2) |
| Chapter 10 Early Japanese Role-Playing Games |
|
231 | (28) |
|
Nintendo And The Rise Of JRPGs |
|
|
231 | (26) |
|
|
|
234 | (5) |
|
|
|
236 | (1) |
|
|
|
237 | (2) |
|
The Dragon Warrior Series |
|
|
239 | (4) |
|
|
|
241 | (1) |
|
|
|
241 | (1) |
|
|
|
242 | (1) |
|
The Perennial Final Fantasy |
|
|
243 | (5) |
|
|
|
246 | (2) |
|
|
|
248 | (1) |
|
|
|
248 | (2) |
|
|
|
250 | (1) |
|
|
|
251 | (1) |
|
Sega's JRPG: Phantasy Star |
|
|
252 | (8) |
|
|
|
253 | (1) |
|
|
|
254 | (1) |
|
The End of the Millennium |
|
|
255 | (2) |
|
Concluding Thoughts on Golden Age JRPGs |
|
|
257 | (2) |
| Chapter 11 Dungeon Master and the Rise of Real-Time 3D |
|
259 | (24) |
|
|
|
260 | (21) |
|
|
|
260 | (4) |
|
|
|
262 | (1) |
|
|
|
263 | (1) |
|
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|
264 | (3) |
|
|
|
265 | (1) |
|
|
|
265 | (1) |
|
|
|
266 | (1) |
|
Crystals of Arborea and the Ishar Trilogy |
|
|
267 | (1) |
|
Ishar: Legend of the Fortress |
|
|
268 | (2) |
|
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
The Seven Gates of Infinity |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
|
|
270 | (2) |
|
|
|
272 | (2) |
|
|
|
274 | (1) |
|
|
|
275 | (2) |
|
Other Dungeon Master-Inspired Games |
|
|
277 | (3) |
|
|
|
277 | (1) |
|
|
|
278 | (1) |
|
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
Modern Grid-Based Dungeon Crawlers |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
|
|
281 | (2) |
| Chapter 12 Other Games of the Golden Age |
|
283 | (16) |
|
|
|
283 | (14) |
|
Battletech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception |
|
|
283 | (2) |
|
|
|
285 | (2) |
|
|
|
287 | (1) |
|
|
|
287 | (1) |
|
|
|
288 | (3) |
|
|
|
289 | (1) |
|
Space 1889 and Twilight 2000 |
|
|
290 | (1) |
|
|
|
291 | (1) |
|
Darklands: A Historical CRPG |
|
|
292 | (2) |
|
The Four Crystals of Trazere |
|
|
294 | (2) |
|
Legend of the Red Dragon and BBS Door Games |
|
|
296 | (1) |
|
Summing Up The Golden Age |
|
|
297 | (1) |
|
|
|
298 | (1) |
| Chapter 13 The Epic Fails |
|
299 | (20) |
|
SSI's Utterly Forgettable Realms |
|
|
301 | (8) |
|
|
|
301 | (2) |
|
|
|
303 | (1) |
|
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands |
|
|
304 | (1) |
|
Ravenloft: Strand's Possession |
|
|
305 | (1) |
|
Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse |
|
|
306 | (1) |
|
|
|
307 | (1) |
|
|
|
308 | (1) |
|
AD&D Gets Dumber And Dumberer |
|
|
309 | (3) |
|
|
|
310 | (2) |
|
Origin And The Demise Of Ultima |
|
|
312 | (5) |
|
|
|
312 | (1) |
|
|
|
313 | (2) |
|
Transcending Ascension: The Gothic Series |
|
|
315 | (2) |
|
|
|
317 | (2) |
| Chapter 14 The Platinum Age |
|
319 | (38) |
|
Ultima Underworld: The First Dungeon Simulator |
|
|
320 | (12) |
|
|
|
323 | (1) |
|
Ultima Underworld and the Rise of Fluid First-Person 3D |
|
|
324 | (8) |
|
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail |
|
|
327 | (1) |
|
|
|
328 | (1) |
|
Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny |
|
|
329 | (2) |
|
|
|
331 | (1) |
|
Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls, And Procedural Generation Revisited |
|
|
332 | (12) |
|
|
|
333 | (3) |
|
|
|
336 | (4) |
|
|
|
340 | (1) |
|
|
|
341 | (1) |
|
|
|
342 | (2) |
|
Might And Magic: From Platinum To Pabulum |
|
|
344 | (11) |
|
|
|
345 | (3) |
|
|
|
348 | (2) |
|
|
|
350 | (1) |
|
|
|
350 | (3) |
|
|
|
353 | (2) |
|
|
|
355 | (2) |
| Chapter 15 Diablo and the Rise of Action RPGs |
|
357 | (26) |
|
Diablo And Diablo-Like RPGs |
|
|
358 | (23) |
|
|
|
358 | (4) |
|
|
|
361 | (1) |
|
|
|
362 | (5) |
|
|
|
366 | (1) |
|
|
|
367 | (2) |
|
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|
369 | (7) |
|
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|
369 | (2) |
|
|
|
371 | (1) |
|
|
|
372 | (1) |
|
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|
373 | (2) |
|
|
|
375 | (1) |
|
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|
376 | (7) |
|
|
|
378 | (2) |
|
|
|
380 | (1) |
|
|
|
381 | (2) |
| Chapter 16 Fallout and Baldur's Gate |
|
383 | (26) |
|
|
|
383 | (6) |
|
Wasteland Revisited: Fallout |
|
|
383 | (5) |
|
|
|
388 | (1) |
|
Arcanum: Steampunk And Magick |
|
|
389 | (2) |
|
|
|
391 | (17) |
|
|
|
392 | (4) |
|
|
|
396 | (2) |
|
Fear and Loathing in Planescape: Torment |
|
|
398 | (4) |
|
Fighting for Your Right to Party: Icewind Dale |
|
|
402 | (4) |
|
Icewind Dale II and AD&D 3rd Edition |
|
|
404 | (2) |
|
Other D&D-Licensed Games of the Platinum Age |
|
|
406 | (3) |
|
Pool of Radiance, Flushed |
|
|
406 | (1) |
|
The Temple of Elemental Evil |
|
|
407 | (1) |
|
|
|
408 | (1) |
| Chapter 17 Other Highlights of the Platinum Age |
|
409 | (10) |
|
Dungeon Keeper And Krondor/Antara |
|
|
409 | (8) |
|
|
|
409 | (2) |
|
Raymond E. Feist and the Krondor Series |
|
|
411 | (11) |
|
|
|
411 | (2) |
|
|
|
413 | (2) |
|
|
|
415 | (2) |
|
Summing Up The Platinum Age |
|
|
417 | (2) |
| Chapter 18 The Birth of the Modern Age |
|
419 | (20) |
|
|
|
422 | (5) |
|
|
|
423 | (2) |
|
|
|
425 | (2) |
|
|
|
427 | (5) |
|
|
|
430 | (2) |
|
Knights Of The Old Republic |
|
|
432 | (3) |
|
|
|
435 | (1) |
|
|
|
435 | (3) |
|
|
|
438 | (1) |
| Chapter 19 Modern JRPGs |
|
439 | (18) |
|
The Migration From Computers To Consoles |
|
|
439 | (15) |
|
|
|
441 | (3) |
|
|
|
444 | (2) |
|
|
|
446 | (1) |
|
|
|
447 | (2) |
|
|
|
449 | (2) |
|
|
|
451 | (1) |
|
|
|
452 | (1) |
|
|
|
452 | (2) |
|
|
|
454 | (1) |
|
|
|
454 | (1) |
|
|
|
455 | (2) |
| Chapter 20 The Rise of the MMORPG |
|
457 | (42) |
|
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games |
|
|
457 | (39) |
|
|
|
458 | (2) |
|
Ultima Online: The Grandfather of MMORPGs |
|
|
460 | (3) |
|
|
|
463 | (1) |
|
|
|
464 | (2) |
|
|
|
466 | (2) |
|
|
|
468 | (2) |
|
|
|
470 | (1) |
|
|
|
471 | (1) |
|
|
|
472 | (1) |
|
|
|
473 | (2) |
|
|
|
475 | (1) |
|
|
|
476 | (3) |
|
|
|
479 | (1) |
|
Star Wars: The Old Republic |
|
|
480 | (2) |
|
|
|
482 | (1) |
|
Other Superhero MMORPGs: DC Universe Online and Marvel Heroes |
|
|
483 | (1) |
|
World of Warcraft: The Greatest MMORPG |
|
|
484 | (5) |
|
|
|
489 | (1) |
|
Dungeons & Dragons Online |
|
|
490 | (3) |
|
The Lord of the Rings Online |
|
|
493 | (2) |
|
|
|
495 | (1) |
|
The Current State Of MMORPGs |
|
|
496 | (1) |
|
|
|
497 | (2) |
| Chapter 21 The Late Modern Age |
|
499 | (28) |
|
|
|
500 | (10) |
|
|
|
500 | (2) |
|
|
|
502 | (4) |
|
|
|
506 | (4) |
|
|
|
510 | (11) |
|
|
|
512 | (4) |
|
|
|
516 | (3) |
|
|
|
519 | (1) |
|
|
|
520 | (1) |
|
|
|
521 | (4) |
|
|
|
521 | (4) |
|
|
|
525 | (1) |
|
Kingdom Come: Deliverance |
|
|
525 | (1) |
|
|
|
526 | (1) |
| Chapter 22 The Renaissance, Kickstarted |
|
527 | (36) |
|
Kickstarter-Inspired Games |
|
|
530 | (31) |
|
|
|
530 | (1) |
|
|
|
531 | (2) |
|
|
|
533 | (3) |
|
|
|
536 | (3) |
|
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire |
|
|
539 | (1) |
|
|
|
540 | (1) |
|
Torment: Tides of Numenera |
|
|
540 | (4) |
|
|
|
544 | (1) |
|
|
|
545 | (3) |
|
|
|
548 | (2) |
|
|
|
550 | (1) |
|
|
|
551 | (2) |
|
|
|
553 | (3) |
|
|
|
556 | (2) |
|
|
|
558 | (3) |
|
|
|
561 | (2) |
| Chapter 23 The Road Ever Ventures Forth |
|
563 | (4) |
|
|
|
564 | (1) |
|
Publishers Need Not Apply |
|
|
565 | (1) |
|
|
|
566 | (1) |
| Shane's Afterword: Surprise Encounter |
|
567 | (2) |
| Appendix: The CRPG Bestiary |
|
569 | (24) |
| Index |
|
593 | |
Biežāk uzdotie jautājumi par e-grāmatām