Rating: 
Summary: The Best Game Design Book on the Market
Review: I agree with one of the previous reviewers. While Swords & Circuitry bills itself as "A Designer's Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games," the truth is that it's the best game design book on the market for just about _any_ genre--particularly for designers who want story and character to play a large role in their experiences.After spending a few years as a developer for Electronic Arts, I (along with some other EA expatriates) started a company to develop our dream project. None of us was proud enough--or dumb enough--to think we knew everything about game design, so we browsed the bookstores for help. Even though our project is more Survival Horror than RPG, Swords & Circuitry was the one book that covered all the topics most important to us: Story/Character Development, Gameplay, Scriptwriting, Proposal Formatting, Design Documents, and World Creation. (And if you're considering this book specifically because you want to design an RPG, there are--as you may have guessed--plenty of chapters dedicated solely to that genre.) Soon after our team's first copy of Swords & Circuitry was bought, each of us had one within easy grabbing distance of our desks. If you're an aspiring designer who dreams of making the next Ultima, Baldur's Gate or Final Fantasy, this book is the perfect primer to get you started on the theory and the specifics of game design. And if you're an industry vet who...well...dreams of making the next Ultima, Baldur's Gate, or Final Fantasy, this book is a great resource that offers excerpts from successful proposals and design documents. Plus, by reading it straight through, you'll fill in plenty of gaps in your game design education (gaps you didn't even know you had).
Rating:
Summary: Organized, detailed, and Enlightening
Review: I really don't know where to begin in thoroughly recommending this book. If you have any interest in designing RPG games (or any game at all, for that matter) this is the best book for your bank. Neal Hallford lays it all right out in front. From story design to gameplay mechanics to writing your pitch documents, this book will show you the most important stages of game development. More importantly, this book is down to earth and easily digestible. The chapters and subsections were written in a very clear and concise manner. I've seen other game design books that failed to educate or even entertain. Neal Hallford writes this book not only from the point of view of a veteran game designer (Betrayal at Krondor, Dungeon Siege, and others), but also from the point of view of a GAMER. It is from that point of view that really makes this title stand out. You can tell how much he enjoys his work, and his excitement for the focus medium (RPGs) is infectious as you read. He really helps you to craft a world in your own mind (and helps you think 'outside of the box' as you design). Each chapter is complete with a handful of exercises to help the budding game designer expand the way in which they think about games This title is also rife with interesting tidbits and trivia about past games and game development. Neal Hallford never forgets that, even though this is a billion-dollars-a-year industry, we make GAMES. Even though the process should be taken seriously, you should work very hard at both doing it well, and having fun while you do it. The process itself is, in fact, one of the strongest aspects of this title. Neal takes you through every step of the process including writing your design document (the game designer's bible, as it were). He points out critical features, and common oversights. Again, he does all of this in a way that is very easy to understand. Finally, the appendix to this title is a treasure trove itself. Included in the back of the book are interviews with some of the top game developers in the business. And while many other books have included 'fluff' interviews with game designers, this book actually focuses on the critical topic: game design. You learn about how different game designers work, how they approach certain problems, and where they get their inspiration. In addition to these interviews, you can also find sample design documents, descriptions of levels, and charts for gameplay mechanics. I don't recommend this book. I demand that you buy it. If you have even a passing interest in game design, this book was written for you. Professionals should own it. This is even a great resource for mod authors who are looking for help in creating their own worlds within other game titles. You won't be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: Good information for designing any kind of game, period.
Review: I think the Hallfords sold themselves short with the title of this book: I'd heard of it, but wasn't interested in reading it, because I didn't think it applied to the kinds of games I work on. I was wrong. Highlights for me include the section on the different reasons different people play videogames and the section on difficulty curves. Both of these sections have ideas I hadn't come across before. The interviews with designers are good, too: the interviewees are all players in the industry, and the interviews don't limit themselves to information that would only apply to RPG's. The ratio of meat to fat in this book is quite high. The Hallfords know a lot, and they try to get it all on the page.
Rating:
Summary: Good intro to game design.
Review: Neal and Jana Hallford, Swords and Circuitry (Prima, 2001)
A word to prospective buyers: Swords and Circuitry is not a book about coding games. If that's what you're looking for, Prima has a number of other titles you can go to. This one's about designing games, and there's nary a line of code to be found.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, this book does have a lot to offer both for those who plan to specialize in game design and those who are running (or trying to run) one-man shops. The Hallfords offer a good deal of advice regarding the whole process of game design, from defining what it is (and having others interviewed by Neal Hallford do so as well) to details of design documents, proposals, etc. The benefits for the aspiring game designer are obvious; to the one-man shop, reading this may help clarify some things that will help when programming time comes, or shed a different light on things that may not have been thought of in quite that way. Definitely worth checking out, but know what you're getting. *** ½
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Game Designers
Review: Neal's (& Jana's) book is not only comprehensive and up-to-date (which no small task in the game industry!) but it's also enjoyable as hell. His well documented history of the gaming industry alone is worth the price of the book, but Swords & Circuitry is also full of incredibly valuable information presented in an well thought-out manner, and with a sense of humor. The book covers world building, game balance, effective team building, resource management, game proposals, design documents, user interfaces, game writing and much, much more. And, as a bonus, the second half of the book contains recent interviews with some of the hottest developers in the industry. If you're a designer, or a would-be designer, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I can't recommend it highly enough! Wynne McLaughlin
Game Writer/Content Designer
Recent titles: Command & Conquer: Renegade, Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge, Pirates: The Legend Of Black Kat (PS2/X-Box), Emperor: Battle For Dune
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Game Designers
Review: Neal's (& Jana's) book is not only comprehensive and up-to-date (which no small task in the game industry!) but it's also enjoyable as hell. His well documented history of the gaming industry alone is worth the price of the book, but Swords & Circuitry is also full of incredibly valuable information presented in an well thought-out manner, and with a sense of humor. The book covers world building, game balance, effective team building, resource management, game proposals, design documents, user interfaces, game writing and much, much more. And, as a bonus, the second half of the book contains recent interviews with some of the hottest developers in the industry. If you're a designer, or a would-be designer, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I can't recommend it highly enough! Wynne McLaughlin
Game Writer/Content Designer
Recent titles: Command & Conquer: Renegade, Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge, Pirates: The Legend Of Black Kat (PS2/X-Box), Emperor: Battle For Dune
Rating:
Summary: S&C Gets Good Marks From IGN'S RPG Vault...
Review: Recently Swords & Circuitry was reviewed by one of the major online news sites about Computer Role-Playing Games. Here's a snippit from what Jonric had to say about the book: "Neal Hallford is a talented writer who takes the subject matter and makes it highly readable by using devices such as personal anecdotes and humor to good effect, by avoiding deep technical discussions, and in general by keeping the tone readily accessible... even if you've never had any desire to make role-playing games, you're likely to find Swords & Circuitry an enjoyable, informative read that will improve your understanding of the games we love and what it takes to create them." To read the whole review, visit RPG Vault, part of the IGN network.
Rating:
Summary: For RPG lovers
Review: This book are for RPG lovers, a splendid read. It covers topics outside the coding world.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: This book has been out for a few years, and unfortunately, it has never really received the attention it so richly deserves. From the title, you might infer that it teaches how to design role-playing games, which it does, but what might not be immediately obvious is that the information contained in it can be applied to games from any genre. This book discusses everything from product life cycles, to plot design, to team roles, to world building, to gameplay issues, and much more. Each topic is covered in detail, with advice and examples. The book includes in-depth interviews with people behind some of the top role-playing games (e.g. Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights), as well as copies of real design documents from leading games (e.g. the world layout from Fallout and the design document from Nox). The Halfords' writing style is colorful without being condescending. Neal's experience shows through as he is able to back up all of his advice with real-world experience on major titles. This is quite simply one of the best game design books on the market, and an entertaining read to boot. I give it my highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Most detailed game design book I've ever read
Review: This book is focused on designing role playing games, but covers so much information about the game industry that it is applicable for any type of game. Whether you are interested in the subject peripherally, are in the industry, are a gamer, or a programmer, you will find this book to be an enjoyable read. It is not a technical book, but rather a marketing book, filled with humorous anecdotes from an insider's view of the game industry. The artwork was very professionally done, as were the figures. This book is just an enjoyable read overall. It includes a complete game design proposal (by one of the author's games) for an actual game that was accepted by a game publisher. The author designed games like Betrayal at Krondor, and many more, so he knows what he is talking about! Reading about what took place to bring many popular games to market was very interesting. Towards the end, there are several interviews with actual game designers (such as the designer of Ultima Online and others). This section was fascinating. The book does get into the details too, talking about assembling a development team, project life cycle, testing, and so on. Jam packed with tons of cool facts and information.
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