Game Design Deep Dive

Role Playing Games

Joshua Bycer

$81.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

CRC Press
30 October 2023

The Arts: General & Reference; Industrial: Commercial Art & Design; Digital animation; Games development & programming

Game Design Critic Josh Bycer is back with another entry in the Game Design Deep Dive series to discuss the Role-Playing Game genre. Arguably one of the most recognizable in the industry today, what is and what isn’t an RPG has changed over the years. From the origins in the tabletop market, to now having its design featured all over, it is one of the most popular genres to draw inspiration from and build games around. This is a genre that looks easy from the outside to make, but requires understanding a variety of topics to do right.

A breakdown of RPG mechanics and systems, perfect for anyone wanting to study or make one themselves The history of the genre – from tabletop beginnings to its worldwide appeal The reach of the genre – a look at just some of the many different takes on RPGs that have grown over the past 40 years An examination of how RPG systems can be combined with other designs to create brand new takes

By: Joshua Bycer
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 426g
ISBN: 9781032363660
ISBN 10: 1032363665
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 30 October 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction 1. The Goal of Game Design Deep Dive: RPG 2. The Breadth of RPG Design Chapter 2: The Tabletop Beginnings 1. Discussing Dungeons & Dragons 2. Examining Tabletop Design Chapter 3: The Foundation of CRPG Design 1. The Legacy of Ultima 2. Delving Into Dungeon Crawlers 3. Origins of Open World CRPGs 4. The Success of the Elder Scrolls 5. The Retro Future of Fallout 6. Bioware’s Redefining of CRPGs 7. Morality Trends 8. A Quick Collection of CRPGs Chapter 4: JRPG’s Takeover of the Console Market 1. Dragons and Fantasy 2. The Golden Age of JRPGs 3. Pokémon’s Pop Culture Dominance 4. JRPG vs. CRPG Chapter 5: Basics of RPG Design 1. Abstracted vs. Action-Based Progression 2. Class-Based Design 3. RPG Progression Design 4. Asymmetrical Balance 5. Examining Equipment and Items 6. Is Grinding Good? Chapter 6: Subgenres of RPGs 1. The Experimentation of RPG Design 2. Devilish Action RPGs 3. Strategy RPGs 4. When RPGs Got Massive 5. The Height of Immersive Sims 6. Creature and Hero Collectors Chapter 7: Modern RPG Design 1. The Blurring of CRPG/JRPGs 2. Studying Soulslikes 3. RPG Action Games 4. RPG Maker and Indie Development 5. The Wonders of The Witcher 6. The Unique Indie RPGs of the 2010s 7. What Do RPGs Look Like Today? Chapter 8: Putting RPGs Everywhere 1. How and When Everything Became an RPG 2. The Impossible Balance between Action and Abstraction 3. The Mobile Game Market Chapter 9: Advanced RPG Design 1. Understanding the Market for RPGs 2. Creating Choices through Customization 3. Combat System Creation 4. Enemy and Encounter Design 5. Advanced RPG Progression 6. Basic Rules of RPG Balancing 7. To Break or Not to Break Your Design 8. UI (and UX) by the Numbers 9. RPG World Design 10. A Primer on Subsystems 11. No Rules to the Rules Chapter 10: Conclusion 1. What Does “RPG” Mean Today? 2. Potential Trends 3. Wrapping Up

Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Critic with more than 7 years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.