author: Richard Bartle asin: 0131018167 binding: Paperback list price: $49.99 USD amazon price: $35.36 USD

Designing Virtual Worlds is the most comprehensive treatment of virtual worlddesign to-date from one of the true pioneers and most sought-after design consultants. It's a tour de force of VW design, stunning in intellectual scope, spanning the literary,economic, sociological, psychological, physical, technological, and ethicalunderpinnings of design, while providing the reader with a deep, well-grounded understanding of VW design principles. It covers everything from MUDs to MOOs to MMORPGs, from text-based to graphical VWs.

Designing Virtual Worlds brings a rich, well-developed approach to the designconcepts behind virtual worlds. It is grounded in the earliest approaches to such designs, but the examples discussed in the book run the gamut from the earliest MUDs to the present-day MMORPG games mentioned above. It teaches the reader the actual, underlying design principles that many designers do not understand when they borrow or build from previous games. There is no other design book on the market in the area of online games and virtual worlds that provides the rich detail, historical context, and conceptual depth ofDesigning Virtual Worlds.

author: Brad King John Borland asin: 0072228881 binding: Hardcover list price: $24.99 USD amazon price: $6.18 USD

Enter the quiet living rooms and cacophonous gaming environs of gaming kingpins like Richard Garriott and John Carmack, who invented games such as Quake and DOOM. Learn about gamers who make their living by winning gaming tournaments, and secrets of devoted gamers who practically live at LAN parties and gaming conventions.

asin: 0472088386 binding: Paperback list price: $25.95 USD amazon price: $25.95

High Wired is a collection of essays designed to integrate all aspects of the use and administration of the virtual educational communities known as MOOs (Multiple-user, Object-Oriented environments). MOOs were originally designed as a space for online social interaction. While MOOs bear a resemblance to the "chat rooms" with which many people are familiar, they differ in several important respects: participants can not only communicate in actual time from great distances, but they can also add to this virtual world by building new rooms and other objects, and writing programs that alter their particular MOO universe in profound ways. LambdaMOO, developed in 1990 by Pavel Curtis at the Xerox Corporation's Palo Alto Research Center, quickly became a popular hangout on the Internet, and has run continuously since then, with thousands of players from around the world. Today, MOOs are increasingly recognized for their value as an educational tool. In MOOs teachers and students can meet on line at scheduled times and exchange ideas, even calling up online reference materials as they participate in discussions. Educators are currently exploring the potential of this technology for such applications as online writing centers, electronic classrooms, netbased collaborative environments, and even complete cyberspace campuses.

author: Ron Penton asin: 1592000908 binding: Paperback list price: $49.99 USD amazon price: $49.99

Develop your own Multi-User Dungeon games! Multi-User Dungeon games are still going strong. It?s no wonder?they?re easy to create and easy to access. They also have an additional appeal for game programmers?they serve as the foundation for today?s Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. In order to create an MMORPG, you need to know MUD programming. Get ready to build your foundation! If you have a basic knowledge of C++, "MUD Game Programming" gives you everything you need to know to begin programming your own MUD games. The fundamentals of network basics are put to the test as you work your way through a simple MUD program. Put your new skills to work as you wrap things up with a more advanced, robust MUD. Pull out all the stops and test your creativity with the flexible aspects of your new MUD engine.

author: Julian Dibbell asin: 0805036261 binding: Paperback list price: $14.95 USD amazon price: $14.95

This is the story of one user's experience at a virtual-reality community called LambdaMOO. A MOO--short for multiuser dungeon, object oriented--is a virtual place where participants can construct human-like graphical representations of themselves to interact in a simulated world. Author Julian Dibbell begins by relating the facts surrounding the case of Mr. Bungle, a character who committed the crime of "virtual rape" in this fantastic electronic world, shocking LambdaMOO's members. However, the thread of discussion about this case is minimal and the book ultimately becomes Dibbell's diary of his "research" of this virtual world, which grows gradually more obsessive, and how it affects his RL (real life).

Dibbell offers glimpses of his RL between rich, colorful, and entertaining chapters describing the online community's gossip, his interactions and relationships with the other members, and his first experience with cybersex. What is interesting is that the brief snatches of RL are bland and boring, written in a kind of script format with little more than stage directions for descriptions. This device, plus Dibbell's discussions of his dreams about the MOO, show the reader how deeply involved Dibbell becomes in this community. The turning point comes when Dibbell's membership at LambdaMOO threatens to ruin one of his closest RL relationships. --Cristina Vaamonde

author: Andrew Busey Joseph Poirier asin: 0672307235 binding: Paperback list price: $25.00 USD amazon price: $25.00

This book has something for everyone! It provides an introduction to Internet MUDs for new users, a reference guide for more experienced MUD users, and a directory of interesting MUDs for all levels. In addition, it shows how to program MUD characters, ro "Shows how to play MUDs, create characters, and program new MUDs. Written by two MUD wizards with years of experience in playing and programming MUDs. A complete guide to MUDs--from creating characters to programming MUDs". Covers MUDs, MOOs & MUCKs on the Internet

Synopsis:

Two MUD wizards with years of experience in playing and programming MUDs now teach readers how to play MUDs, create characters, and program new MUDs. Busey and Poirier walk readers through the process of telneting to a MUD, and explore the different kinds of MUDs, MOOs, and MUCKs in detail.

Explore the Depths of the Internet's Multi-User Dungeons

Your quest has begun! It's your turn to wander the corridors of the Net and unlock the magical mystical powers of MUDs, MOOs, MUCKs, and MUSHES.

Unlock the secrets on how to become a wizard;walk through the process of programming objects and rooms, and administering a MUD Discover the best MUD sites in the universe with the MUD directory Explore all the commands and how to use them to your best advantage Uncover the differences between social MUDs and combat MUDs Take a hourney through the various types in detail Wander through real-life stories of successes and failures, relationships, and MUD marriages. Create your ow fantastic world and program and play new MUDs

Overview Part I Introduction to MUDs and MUDding 1 Introduction to MUDs 2 MUD Basic Training 3 Your MUD Persona and Role-Playing 4 Connecting To MUDs Part II MUD Player's Guide 5 MUD Social Issues 6 MUD Relationships 7 The Social MUDs-MOOs, MUSHes, and MUCKs 8 LPMUDs: An Introduction to Combat MUDs 9 DikuMUDs 10 MUD Clients 11 Being a Wizard (MUDding at the Next Level) Part III MUD Programming Guide 12 The Other Side of MUDs 13 Essentials of LPC Programming (on LPMUDs) 14 Programming MOOs 15 MUCK and MUSH Programming Appendixes A The MUD Yellow Pages B MUD Glossary C MUD Clients and Where to Find Them D Available Servers

author: Elizabeth Hess asin: 1412002907 binding: Paperback list price: $31.00 USD amazon price: $60.45 USD

The definitive how-to manual for the engaging virtual communities known as MOOs. Takes you from the basics of logging on through advanced material that even experienced MOOers will appreciate.