The Essential Blueprint of Good Game Design: The Architecture of Space and Transformatin inMassively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

The explosive popularity of massively multiplayeronline role-playing games (MMORPGs) in recent yearshas thrust a spotlight onto role-playing game genre. This book explores the never before discussedarchitecture of games by looking beyond graphicimages and into the mythological underpinnings ofspace, game-play, and narrative. The amazing valueof the role-playing game as a carrier of ancienttenets teaching principles of community, identity,and revitalization is also expressed as the residueof an invisible substructure of adventure,transformation, and the architectural roots of themythic hero's journey. These key ingredients worktogether as an essential blueprint for goodrole-playing games and are without question thestrongest and most effective tools for understandingand designing high quality, amazing role-playinggames. For those gamers who wonder why they can'tget enough of their favorite game, this is a must read.