Playing at the World [Kindle Edition] Author: Jon Peterson | Language: English | ISBN:
B008PN6K9Y | Format: PDF, EPUB
Playing at the World Epub Free
Posts about Download The Book Playing at the World Epub Free for everyone book 4shared, mediafire, hotfile, and mirror link Explore the conceptual origins of wargames and role-playing games in this unprecedented history of simulating the real and the impossible. From a vast survey of primary sources ranging from eighteenth-century strategists to modern hobbyists, Playing at the World distills the story of how gamers first decided fictional battles with boards and dice, and how they moved from simulating wars to simulating people. The invention of role-playing games serves as a touchstone for exploring the ways that the literary concept of character, the lure of fantastic adventure and the principles of gaming combined into the signature cultural innovation of the late twentieth century. Download latest books on mediafire and other links compilation Playing at the World Epub Free
- File Size: 8087 KB
- Print Length: 720 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: Unreason Press; 1 edition (July 26, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B008PN6K9Y
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,336 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #41
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Role Playing & Fantasy - #41
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Science Fiction & Fantasy Gaming - #86
in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Gaming
- #41
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Role Playing & Fantasy - #41
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Science Fiction & Fantasy Gaming - #86
in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Gaming
At some point in the late 60s and early 70s a handful of young wargaming geeks in Wisconsin and Minnesota - almost by accident - found a new way to create and explore imaginary worlds, realities and lives. It was like nothing they'd experienced before, bringing pleasures and excitements far beyond anything people normally associated with "gaming." In a few short years, this new immersive fantasy experience spread from these tiny local wargame clubs to become an international phenomenon that changed the world.
Playing at the World is a study of the creation of Dungeons & Dragons (first published in 1974), and the birth of fantasy role-playing games. Like a methodical archaeologist, Peterson painstakingly uncovers D&D's origins in the theory and subculture of wargaming, in fantasy literature and fandom, and in the wider social context and subcultures of 1960s-70s America. For anyone interested in role-playing games (as a cultural phenomenon and as a narrative/world-simulation form), this book is an inexhaustible treasure trove of information and insights. The depth of Peterson's research is extraordinary and his prose style is confident and enjoyable (and the presentation, editing and design prove that self-publishing is no barrier to absolute professionalism). It's true that some casual readers may be put off by the (deliciously nerdy) comprehensiveness (Peterson is determined to identify and analyse every conceivable source for and influence on D&D's development), but for someone genuinely fascinated by the subject, that is merely another of the book's many pleasures.
But looking beyond the breadth and detail, there are plenty of important larger themes here, which Peterson does a better job of exploring than almost anyone else I've read on the topic.
Full disclosure: The author and I have been friends since 1995; we met when I was in college. I had the pleasure of reading an early draft as well as the final version of the book.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is interested in how modern board games, role playing games, and computer games came to be. The book traces the evolution of three separate ideas over centuries -- playing a role, games of chance, and fantastical fiction -- and shows how they crystallized into Dungeons and Dragons in the 1970s. It's easy to underestimate the significance of this event: it is the progenitor of all role playing games today and therefore modern video games such as World of Warcraft, Halo, board games such as Descent, and card games such as Magic: The Gathering.
To me, the most fascinating aspect of Playing at the World is how it answers questions I'd never thought of, despite playing D&D since I was 7, questions which in retrospect are puzzling. Why are Clerics called Clerics? Why does the Magic-User spell list include Dimension Door and Mirror Image? Why do Thieves have the particular set of skills they do, and why is there Thieves' Cant? Why Hit Dice, Hit Points, and a d20? All of these details suggested a world which the early books only peripherally explained. Why is there an omnipotent Dungeon Master? By comprehensively examining the fantasy literature and the history of chance in gaming and wargames, the book is able to show the origins of each of these ideas and how they were combined in Dungeons and Dragons.
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