
Game Magic
A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice
Jeff Howard(Author)
A K Peters (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 22. April 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
376 pages
978-1-4665-6785-6 (ISBN)
Description
Make More Immersive and Engaging Magic Systems in Games
Game Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice explains how to construct magic systems and presents a compendium of arcane lore, encompassing the theory, history, and structure of magic systems in games and human belief. The author combines rigorous scholarly analysis with practical game design advice in the form of a magical recipe book (grimoire).
The book gives you an in-depth understanding of the history and structure of magic to make your games richer and deeper. It shows how to set up tables of correspondences and spell components as well as how to write programming code integrating these components as part of game mechanics. It also illustrates how to divide a simulated world into domains of influence (such as alteration, conjuration, and necromancy) and how to use specific rule systems to simulate powers within these realms.
Showing you how to weave compelling magic into your games, the book is interspersed with examples that illustrate how to design and program magic systems. Working examples are available for download on a supporting website.
Game Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice explains how to construct magic systems and presents a compendium of arcane lore, encompassing the theory, history, and structure of magic systems in games and human belief. The author combines rigorous scholarly analysis with practical game design advice in the form of a magical recipe book (grimoire).
The book gives you an in-depth understanding of the history and structure of magic to make your games richer and deeper. It shows how to set up tables of correspondences and spell components as well as how to write programming code integrating these components as part of game mechanics. It also illustrates how to divide a simulated world into domains of influence (such as alteration, conjuration, and necromancy) and how to use specific rule systems to simulate powers within these realms.
Showing you how to weave compelling magic into your games, the book is interspersed with examples that illustrate how to design and program magic systems. Working examples are available for download on a supporting website.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Natick
United States
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Professional Practice & Development
Illustrations
79 s/w Abbildungen, 11 s/w Tabellen
11 Tables, black and white; 79 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
570 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4665-6785-6 (9781466567856)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
09/2017
1st Edition
CRC Press
€282.53
Shipment within 10-20 days

E-Book
04/2014
1st Edition
CRC Press
€81.99
Available for download

E-Book
04/2014
1st Edition
CRC Press
€81.99
Available for download
Person
Jeff Howard
Content
How to Use This Book. Magic Systems in Theory and Practice. From Exemplary Game Magic Systems to Code Recipes. Schools of Game Magic. Magic as Programming, Programming as Magic. Game Design Lessons from Occult Magic. A Videogame Designer's Guide to Non-Digital Game Magic. Adapting Game Magic from the Literature of the Fantastic. Works Cited. Appendices. Index.