Reddit mentions: The best computer & internet game strategy guides

Long post incoming; some of this stuff is copied from other posts I've made:

Getting into D&D is going to be a lot simpler and easier to rolling your own RPG system, unless the system you design is ultra simple and rules-light. And unless your friends happen to be game design experts or prodigies, what they come up with probably isn't going to be as fun, balanced or robust as a system designed and iterated upon by professionals and the RPG geek community.

D&D isn't rocket science, but the first few sessions will almost certainly be fraught with confusion, rules referencing, and/or people getting the rules wrong... but all that's OK. The key is to keep a relaxed attitude and for the DM err on the side of what seems most fun and entertaining. After a few sessions, everyone will probably have a decent grasp on the fundamental rules and things will go a bit more smoothly.

If you do decide to play D&D, you have to decide upon an edition to play, as there are several and they aren't compatible with each other. Right now the two most popular and recent editions are 3.5 and 4th edition. A 3rd party spin-off of 3.5 called Pathfinder is also popular. A big advantage to Pathfinder if you're on a tight budget is that pretty much the entire system is available online for free. For your conservative friends, the fact that it's not called D&D may also eliminate some of the social stigma, making it an easier sell.

My preferred edition though, and the one that is most newbie-friendly, is 4th edition. A slightly dated and incomplete overview of 4e's rules is available in this free quickstart guide. This tells you about 90% of what you need to know to sit down at a table and play as a player, and includes some pregenerated characters, but lacks the rules for character creation and progression.

A free 4e adventure, Keep on the Shadowfell can also be downloaded and perused by the DM, but KotS is not the finest example of adventure design, though you can find fan suggestions online to improve and tweak it.

As far as what products you should or need to buy, the Red Box Starter is probably the simplest and most straight-forward route. Avoid paying more than $25 for it new (a lot of 4e products seem to have spotty availability, which means sometimes they are overpriced).

Like the free quickstart guide, however, the Red Box does not you access to the full rules, but rather a simplified and stripped down overview. It almost follows the model of a choose your own adventure book in some respects rather than true D&D, which can make it a good stepping stone, though some players are impatient with it. It does, however, include some items that will remain useful to your game even when you outgrow the rules and content of the box: a double-sided poster map which can be reused, punch-out cardstock tokens to represent player characters and monsters and a set of dice. At $20 shipped, it's a good value if you feel your need a really gentle introduction into D&D.

However, if the members of your group are not averse to doing a couple hours of reading before their first adventure, and would rather skip the frying pan and jump straight into the fire, you can safely skip the Red Box.

What you really need is: a book that descriptions character creation and level 1-30 character options, an encounter design guide for the DM, a monster resource, plus some physical tools/props.

As for as the player resource goes, any one of the following will fulfill the need: the Player's Handbook, Heroes of the Forgotten Lands, Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms. I would recommend the latter two, as they are 4e "Essentials" products, which are more up to date and feature more newbie-friendly steamlined design. However, all of the books are compatible with each other, and you can use them all.

You also need a book that tells the DM how to design encounters, run skill challenges, and reward teh players. You have basically three options here: the Dungeon Master's Guide, the DM's Book from the DM's Kit or the Rules Compendium.

Each has their pros and cons. The DMG is written with the new DM in mind and gives you all the rules info you need that isn't include in the players' books, but as one of the originally published books in the edition, it's less refined and does not include the latest errata (which you can download online, though it's a bit of a pain to read through all of it). It's probably your least expensive option.

The DM's Kit seems to be out of print (or on a reduced print run) so it's selling at above retail price. IMO it'd be the best option for a new DM, as it contains useful goodies (tokens, maps, and two quality published adventures) like the Red Box, plus a more up to date version of the Dungeon Master's Guide. But if you have to pay $55+, that's kind of difficult to justify.

The Rules Compendium has all of the rules information a DM needs, and it includes most of the latest errata, and it's generally a handy reference that you'll probably want to get eventually anyway. The problem is just that: it's a reference, and is light on insight and advice on how to build entertaining adventures and run a fun game. Like the DM's kit, it may be out of print, but it's still a good value. The Rules Compendium may be the best option if you're willing to read forums and web sites for DMing advice, which can be system neutral.

The DM also needs a monster resource. Hands down, the best option here is the Monster Vault. It's basically a far superior revision of 4e's Monster Manual, and contains an adventure, a ton of tokens and a battle map to boot. It's a steal at $20.

Another recommended product would be a D&D Insider subscription, which will give you access to the Character Builder, which as the name implies, makes building/progressing characters a cinch, and the Compendium, which gives you access to every bit of crunch in the entire published history of 4e: all the classes, powers, feats, races, monsters, items, themes, etc. as well as a glossary which describes much of the rules. You also get access to Dragon and Dungeon magazine archives, which contains a lot of flavor, design advice, and many pre-made adventures (see this thread for some highlights). It also has a handy monster builder tool. A subscription is $10/month or less if you commit to a longer subscription. Getting one subscription and sharing it among the group can be worthwhile.

Finally, you also need some physical things:

• A sufficiently large playing surface and seating.
  
• Pencils, paper for character sheets.
  
• Dice. You could get by with a single set (including 1d20, 1d12, 1d10, 1d8, 1d6, 1d4) but you probably want a full set for every player plus some duplicates. A pound of dice would likely suffice.
  
• A blank/customizable gridded map. There are at least three good options for this:
  
• A basic Paizo flip mat to be used in conjunction with erasable markers
  
• Gridded easel pads which work equally well for preparing detailed, pretty maps before a session, or whipping up something quick and dirty at the table -- a single pad will last you a good long time. This is what I use.
  
• Gaming paper which is like a compromise between the previous two options.
  
• Miniatures, tokens or other markers to represent monsters. As previously mentioned, several 4e Essentials products include tokens (if you get the Monster Vault, you're set). You can also buy miniatures from gaming stores, on eBay, etc. or you can use just about anything that's roughly a square inch in diameter -- coins, polished stones used in aquarium bedding, dice (though this can get confusing), etc.
  
  Finally, as for convincing your friends, as you've said, D&D is essentially no different from Skyrim, World of Warcraft, etc. D&D is pretty much the granddaddy of those games. If you can tolerate the "occult" elements in those other games, there shouldn't be anything offensive about D&D. And ultimately, the DM and players have full control over what they want to allow in the game. Have a discussion and decide if there's any subject matter that is the party finds offensive and exclude it from the game (or re-fluff it so it it's not so offensive).

I’m probably going to write a book here, but I love this game so much and I’ve retained so much knowledge from it, feel free to ask any questions if you ever have any, I’d love to put my useless and specific knowledge to use!

1. Best beast order (imo) is Ruta, Medoh, Rudania and save Naboris for last
   
2. Collect and upgrade the rubber armor for the set perk before trying Naboris if you want it to be easier on yourself
   
3. Change the audio to Japanese, save yourself the grief of the horrible english dub (the captions won’t change)
   
4. Buy the guide here if you really want help or just something cool to browse!
   
5. Master the parry & side jump!
   
6. Hearty Durians (found in the faron region, bottom rightish of the map, and theres a plethora of them right next to that regions tower) really help early game because they give you extra hearts
   
7. Don’t rush yourself, botw is built so you can go at your own pace
   
8. You have to buy your own armor most of the time, so if you can help it, save and don’t spend all your rupees in one place!
   
9. Collect as many ingredients as you can! There’s no downside and you have to make your own meals for health, but some ingredients don’t work together and you get pretty much nothing
   
10. Always have a torch & korok leaf in your inventory
    
11. You have to have 13 hearts before you can get the master sword
    
12. Open every shrine you come across for easy fast travel, and if you can’t complete a shrine the way it’s meant to, a little creativity goes a long way! (Tip: in the hateno village shrine I take off my joycons and just flip the puzzle upside down, thank me later ;p)
    
13. Buy the dlcs at some point, they’re amazing!
    
14. Unless you’re really confident/better than I was, don’t even try and fight the Lynel in Zora’s domain, just sneak around him until you have more hearts... soon you’ll eat those guys for breakfast
    
15. It’s worth it to at least discover Gerudo Town if you prefer the bow, they have the biggest selection of arrows in the towns available to you early on
    
16. Save every guardian piece you get, you’ll see why later on.
    
17. Theres 900 korok seeds. Don’t spend time on finding them right away like I did because I assumed there’d be like... 20
    
18. Until you’ve got more hearts, turn and leave any major test of strength shrines... trust me
    
19. Amiibos aren’t necessary but that’s how you get some cool armors, items and other things you may see
    
20. Don’t be afraid or feel bad to use walkthroughs, Zelda Dungeon makes helpful shrine guides that I used a few times!
    
21. They also have a korok seed location playlist if you want it
    
22. I wanted to add this earlier but I forgot: weapons break. Pick up most of what you find but don’t be afraid to be picky after you leave the plateau
    
    
    I’ll stop here and save you the rest of my botw bible but I hope you have fun!!

>It's possible that it already exists, of course
Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights are both highly regarded video game recreations of the Dungeons and Dragons rule sets, but they are built on 2nd and 3rd editions, respectively. Dungeons and Dragons Online is also built on a somewhat modified version of the 3rd edition rules.

>I'd like it if someone could tell me what version would be the best to make as a game

4th edition, the current edition of Dungeons and Dragons, is probably your best option. It has a very gentle learning curve, and the mechanics are easy to understand. It also lends itself very well to play on a grid due to its emphasis on tactical combat. In my experience (I'm a software developer), portraying the world in a grid makes things super easy.

>I need someone who know the rules of D&D and can explain them to me

You should consider checking out "Dungeons and Dragons Encounters" at your friendly local game store (link has a search box to find your nearest location). They run hour-long weekly sessions, and provide pre-made characters. It's a very easy way to get acquainted with the game, and they always welcome new players.

The game is a bit big for someone to explain via reddit, but if you feel up to it you could pick up a copy of the Player's Handbook or the "Red Box" starter set.

>I'm not sure if it's legal to make it

Provided that you don't actually use any of Wizards of the Coast's intellectual property, you're fine. Things like "Elves", "Dwarves", "Halflings" and other things from classic fantasy are fair game. Specific things like the names of feats and powers might be a little more dangerous. The easy way to get around this is to make users type the names themselves. If your user has to type "Dragonborn" in a field titled "race", no on could blame you for it.

>With this I must say that my skills are limited, and therefor I won't be able to make it 3D, and I'll only be able to implement a limited AI. The game will be playable online with friends.

You may consider just building a "virtual table top." Essentially it's a program that emulates having your game group (3-6 players and a Dungeon Master) at the table. You need a gridded map, dice, icons to represent characters, and a way to handle character sheets.

There are several very good virtual table top programs in existence, but that shouldn't stop you from building one. I've built one myself (entirely in Javascript), and it was an incredibly fun project.

Hey dude! I'll chime in here if that's okay, I've been getting some Xbox owners in my family some stuff this year too. :)

I've nailed down a few great ones that I'm really excited to see them open up, and I think an awesome trifecta I landed on is "Bioshock: the Collection", "Skyrim Special Edition", and "Assassin's Creed: the Ezio Collection".

It's a nice group of FPS action, third-person action, and sense of giant RPG adventure, but any one of them alone will be awesome!

I'd also recommend looking into a couple fun books, if you're interested? For instance, you've got "Halo: Mythos", which is a fully illustrated, beautiful 200 page in-depth Halo universe guide that just came out recently. It's only ~$22 on Amazon, hardcover, and I think that would be an amazing gift!

There's also some cool clothing and accessories on this site, J!nx that might be worth browsing.

(P.S. I've been obsessed the last couple of weeks with vetting christmas gifts, and I'm happy to hang out with you here and shoot ideas back and forth until we land on something!)

Yep, bought the Wii U BOTW version on day 1, played 80%, then took a break. (my roomate also had the some DLC on the wii U but I didn't play it yet).

Fast-forward, got my Switch (Mario + other future releases really sold me on it), and I decided to re-purchase BOTW on Switch + all DLC + the new awesome hardcover book (and also an amiibo or two. )

(The Wii U version still re-sells at a high price, sold mine on Ebay for $40.)

Now I'm going slower with this play through, (Ex. the Plateau part has many cute interaction moments w/ the old man if you don't rush getting the 3 temples and instead explore it well, felt a lot sadder for me this time around when he revealed his identity and left. )...So overall I've been finding a lot of interesting things that I either rushed past before or didn't have the skills for the first time around. Aiming to get all the temples and maybe the koroks, and I'm doing a lot of sidequests I missed + all the dlc this time. Overall, worth it and very fun I think.

**Also, I like playing on the Switch itself a lot more, overall looks slightly better (no noticeable lag and the draw distance for the background may be improved + they confirmed the sounds on the Wii U version was downgraded a lot for some reason? ). My roomate likes the portability of it, I myself like a big tv screen paired with the amazing pro controller the Switch has now. Hope this helped.

I'll start off with some titles that might not be so apparent:

Unexpected Fundamentals

These 2 books provide much needed information about making reusable patterns and objects. These are life saving things! They are not language dependent. You need to know how to do these patterns, and it shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to implement them in your chosen language.

• Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
  
  
• Game Programming Paterns
  
   
  
  Good General book
  
  
• Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs
  
   
  
  This book is great if you're going to make a browser based game
  
  
• HTML5 Canvas Cookbook
  
   
  
  General Knowledge books
  
  
• Pro HTML5 Games (Expert's Voice in Web Development)
  
   
  
  Provide a working moveable 3D model with C++ and DirectX, Very cool.
  
  
• Character Animation With Direct3D
  
   
  
  More general game base building
  
  
• Game Engine Architecture, Second Edition
  
  
• Programming Game AI By Example
  
   
  
  Working product results books, little if any modification needed
  
  Releasing in a couple months (hopefully) 2 Very good books using C++ to develop by.
  
  
• Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 12
  
  
• Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 11
  
   
  
  Not presented in the best manner but still noteworthy:
  
  
• DirectX 11.1 Game Programming
  
   
  
  I used to love XNA...but now it's not feasible for commercial development. If you're a beginner to game design...starting out with XNA might actually be useful. It's easy to pickup and put out a working product. XNA is C#
  
   
  
  
• Learning XNA 4.0: Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7
  
  
• XNA Game Studio 4.0 Programming: Developing for Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360
  
  
• XNA 4.0 Game Development by Example: Beginners Guide
  
  
• Beginning XNA 3.0 Game Programming: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in XNA)
  
  
• XNA 3.0 Game Programming Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (Expert's Voice in XNA)
  
  
• Building XNA 2.0 Games: A Practical Guide for Independent Game Development (Books for Professionals by Professionals)
  
   
  
  Working product books, modification needed to make run on current systems
  
  
  Provides a working FPS game in C++ on DirectX 9. Good for some starting out knowledge for an FPS
  
  
• Programming Mutliplayer FPS Direct X
  
   
  
  Good for 3D Terrain rendering in DX9...however much of this is outdated...some concepts still apply, and it's not the worst idea to see a working example.
  
  
• Real-Time 3D Terrain Engines Using C++ and DirectX9 (Charles River Media Game Development)
  
   
  
  TLDR: Click links starting at top, buy, read, profit

1. This AC:NL Guide, Legend of Zelda: OoT, Harvest Moon, and these wheels for my husband, add up to $102.
   
   
2. My husband is the love of my life. He's my best friend and my enemy. He has a horrible and demented sense of humor like me which is awesome cause it would suck if he didnt get any of my gross jokes. I honestly think he's my soul mate. We've been through drug addictions, sickness, 4 kids and pretty much anything else you can think, but we're still going strong. We've been married for almost 4 years, together for 6 and we still love each other just like the beginning. I <3 him even though he's a punk.
   
   3)I am NOT an artist. I am so sorry for this. I really tried.......
   
   
3. 128
   
   
4. I've had a really good day today! :D
   
   Thanks for the contest!

Never seen the third book but it looks like it could be helpful. I used this book to help me learn materials and other stuff, about 5 months ago, and its still pretty relevant. If you want to learn unreal script(custom c++ in the engine) then [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Development-Game-Programming-UnrealScript/dp/1849691924) is the best book by a long shot. The UDK forums are also a great place to get help, especially the programming section on the forums.

I didn't get the Expanded version, but bought the original (it was discounted if you purchased it with the game).

The guide is helpful. It also came with some nice stuff (e.g. gigantic map), and it's nice to skim through casually (and looks pretty cool on a bookshelf or coffee table), so I would say it boils down to a want vs. need. Do you have the extra $30 where it won't adversely affect your ability to pay your bills? If so, then go for it. If it's going to put you in a bind, then maybe hold off until you have the flexibility.

Expensive but beautiful. I hope this means Amazon will have it soon, because that's my jam. My search didn't find it yet though. I also hope good ole fashion competition means they will drive the price down :-)

EDIT: found the placeholder - thanks Anthonok
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015214/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qELPybN3NCCPW

This depends on what type of D&D you want to play. I play 4e. From my understanding of previous editions, much more of 4e happens on the table. If you have experience with tabletop games like I, and my friends, had, you should try this out. If not, it's very easy to pick up.

I'm pretty sure that Spencer is DMing a Pathfinder game in the podcast. It's definitely 3.5.

Anyway, back to the starting point. If you're interested in trying 4e, skip the starter set. It's useless. It gives you enough information to get 4 classes to level 2, and incorrectly at that. The provided adventure is boring, and you're not left with a whole lot to do after that.

If you're looking for the cheapest game possible, you'll need:

Players Handbook 1 http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Players-Handbook-Roleplaying/dp/0786948671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381660555&sr=1-1&keywords=4e+players+handbook

Monster Manual 1 http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Monster-Manual-Roleplaying/dp/0786948523/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381660601&sr=1-1&keywords=4e+monster+manual

Core Rulebook http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Dungeon-Masters-Guide/dp/0786948809/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

If you want to play 4e correctly, these are the three books you need. Characters, maps, and monsters can be improvised as needed.

If you're willing to spend more, I would suggest this map:

http://www.amazon.com/Chessex-Role-Playing-Play-Mat/dp/B0015IQO2O/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1381660750&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=d%26d+vinyl+mat

With some wet erase markers (WET, not DRY), you can build any dungeon, castle, or moon colony you can imagine. Beyond those three books, I think this is the best investment you can make to immerse yourself and your friends into another world.

Wizards provides character sheets at the backs of some books, but there are better ones on their website for free.

https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Tool.aspx?x=dnd/4new/tool/charactersheet

Last, if you really want to make things as simple as possible, subscribe to D&D Insider.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/tools.aspx

It's worth it for the character builder alone.

EDIT: Don't forget the dice!

You might consider getting The Prima Strategy Guide.

It provides a lot of guidance / information that can smooth over some of the less intuitive aspects of the game.

The guide also maintains some of the same aesthetic of the game, by which I mean that it is very colorful, bright, and friendly in its layout and style. She might just enjoy thumbing through the item catalog to see all the neat things she could obtain.

If you do not want to spend money, point her to thonky.com guides. The guides might be kinda overwhelming, though.

The cute / happy tone of the game might be something she appreciates. I think it's a good idea to offer this.

If you are planning on playing 4e with a group of non-gamers, go for the Red Box since it's relatively cheap and is designed for non-gamers. It's not the complete version of the game, it's a tutorial adventure to teach players some core concepts .

If you decide to go with the full game, you need the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. These are three separate books. There are other volumes to each of these (for example PHB II) but you don't need them.

There's also an online subscription called D&D Insider that I've never used, but it seems like about 50% of people find it invaluable and the other 50% call it a racket.

Downsides to switching are well covered in this thread. Personally I found 4e to be so oriented towards combat that every other part of the game suffered. It felt like everything except the tactical combat module had been tacked on half-heartedly.

But this is after 20 years of playing older editions of D&D, so I may just be predisposed against the design changes they made in a way that newer players won't be. You may love it, and that's all that matters.

I think the better question though is what are your reasons for choosing D&D? Is there something about the system that makes you think you'll like it? What are you looking for? What did you like and dislike about Pathfinder? There are literally hundreds of other systems out there, you may want to look around at some of them, and I know /r/rpg loves to give recommendations if you want them to.

the core rulebook is on Amazon for ~$10 used. That is a good starting point for you guys as well. There are no starting adventures in that book, but I know that there are lots of free adventures avalible online, Here are some free adventures published by the game makers.

I've run the first adventure on that second link before for my gaming club before. It is solid.

If you are really serious about learning and wanting to play D&D, I would strongly advise getting the 4th Edition Player's Handbook. Then after that I would suggest getting the Dungeon Master's Manual.

There are a ton of places online where you can download PDF copies of the books if you don't feel like shelling out the money for it.

Once you have a copy, read it, cover to cover. If you find yourself reading through it quickly, you know you are getting into the right hobby for you.

Understand that all play groups are different. Some are more relaxed when it comes to the rules, and care more about the role-playing aspect of the game. Others are rule nazis, and make sure that the game is played to the T. You need to find the right balance for you to make the hobby interesting.

What is most important to make D&D work is to have a thoughtful Dungeon Master(DM). One that is able to control the group, have an average to above average understanding of the game, and make for a fun experience.

If you have any more questions, PM me. I live in Atlantic County, about a 45 min drive to Tom's River, but I might be able to help you out.

EDIT** This goes for everyone in this thread that are stating that they are new and want to play. Let me know and maybe I can start to organize something, I don't mind teaching new people 4E rules.

There is a large amount of UnrealScript tutorials, examples and code, avaliable online, for free.
UnrealScript may seem now a bit of a black art... It isn't, just stay with it. :)
After you get used to the API, google will be enough to find details.

Here are a few links to get you sorted:

• http://www.design3.com/training-center/engines-sdks/udk/coding/unrealscript-api-essentials
  
• http://allarsblog.com/unreal-tutorials/
  
• http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitFirstScriptProject.html
  
• https://krisredbeard.wordpress.com/projects/tfp-demo/ <- Some nice code here.
  
• http://www.moug-portfolio.info/?page=tutorials
  
• http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitGems.html
  
• http://www.magicstonestudios.com/tutorials/programming/references.php
  
  
  Book:
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Development-Game-Programming-UnrealScript/dp/1849691924
  
  Software:
  
  
• http://unrealxeditor.wordpress.com/
  
  
  Level design links:
  
  
• http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/cat_udk.php
  
• http://www.juliantrutmann.com/level-design/
  
  Book:
  
  
• http://www.packtpub.com/unreal-development-kit-game-design-cookbook/book?utm_source=moddb.com&utm_medium=article&utm_content=other&utm_campaign=mdb_009802
  
  Hope it helps, good luck.
  

I played the game through with my wife and got to 33%.
Second time through I picked master mode and bought this guide.
We're having a blast with this book revealing secrets we didn't know existed.
It provides a strict walkthrough to beat the game with the minimum requirements met. (Towers, Devine beasts, major quest's only)

Then provides a by region quest guide. Then maps galore for farming. Korok locations and tips. I'm still working through it but I love the book and it's quality presentation. I'll be proud to keep it as a memento of our good times playing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_meHdBbDGC2QT2

I am totally having a contest to gift someone this book, but I don't even have it and realllly want it haha. Here Lol the IRONYYY

happy birthday!

If you're ever inclined to read up on it, but don't want to buy like twenty novels you don't have time to read, I'd highly recommend getting Halo Mythos, which is a beautiful coffee table sized book that pretty well summarizes all the important stuff from the Forerunners up through the beginning of Halo Wars 2.

That's what I have been thinking. It originally came out in November of 2011. That Winter Sale I think it was 33% off at best, so I am expecting to see something like that now.

I did go ahead and by the Hardcover Legendary Collector's Edition guide. Both because I don't like it will get much cheaper than 35% off and I couldn't resist 1134 pages of full color Skyrim, hardcover, with one of those nice lace type of bookmark things.

I don't really buy guides anymore since this whole internet thing. But I had the Morrowind guide when it came out and the nostalgia coupled with how pretty this book was... I couldn't resist.

Also if you are going to play on PC, take some time to look into what mods you might want to run. I am compiling a huge list of what my PC can handle.

Luckily for you, there are quite a few resources full of info on the Halo Canon. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find here.

• Halopedia is arguably the best resource for everything Halo, but you'll probably suffer SCP Syndrome and get dragged in for hours and forget what you were there for in the first place.
  
  
• The Halo Story subreddit has a lot of Q&A type posts dating back for years, so whatever questions you may have are probably already answered. If for some reason your questions aren't there, just post them and the awesome community over there will help you out.
  
  
• There are two massive "Halo Bibles" that have been published so far, with the older Halo Encyclopedia covering almost everything released up to Halo: Reach and the new Halo Mythos covering everything from the fall of the Precursors to the months leading up to Halo Wars 2. Mythos, in particular, has some beautiful artwork that could help you get an idea of the mood you'd want for your campaign.
  
  As far as youtuber's go, there are two main ones that I'm aware of. I'm sure there are more, and if anybody would PM me or comment below, I'll add them to the list.
  
  
• Halo Canon, who has videos on almost any topic imaginable.
  
  
• Halo Follower, who focuses more on the "real world" side of Halo, but does have an awesome lore playlist
  
  ------
  
  Edit: After some quick googling, I've discovered that there is a fan-made Halo RPG called Halo Mythic, which has its own subreddit at /r/HaloMythic/

Pretty sure 4e books aren't $40 anymore.. And yeah, 4e character creation is going to probably be a PITA. I assume character creation will take a session for most games. Make pre-gens or do it individually with each player...there are solutions to this problem.

Unless CoC has massively changed since I looked at it ten years ago, there's very little freedom in character creation, skill are pretty terribly split up and so the major selections are what archetype/class am I, how do I split up my few skills I'm free to choose, and do I have a gun (a standard one from the book) or some mundane equipment like flashlights or a car or whatever. Do I have it about right? Even winnowing all your choices down in D&D 3.5, that's fewer than most characters have, even simple ones like fighters and rogues.

are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?! LOOK AT THIS MOTHERFUCKER. THE ARTWORK IS GOING TO BE FUCKING FABULOUS. ALL 660 PAGES OF HARDBACK GLORY.

A huge water slide funnel looking thing, it was pretty terrifying since I was backwards, but I still loved it! time to end boredom This is awesome because well it's animal crossing. 'nuff said

I understand now - sorry. I thought you were making a joke about the dice system because it is so free-flowing. I get it now. You did lay your complaints out clearly. I thought you were asking ironically. :)

I personally think that this system is so heavily narrative that it is not going to appeal to everyone. It just isn't. For me, it's breathed fresh air into a hobby that I really didn't care about anymore and caused me to discover a number of narrative-style systems and I find the complication of every single roll to be interesting and fun. I was so tired of just hitting or not and just playing math against terrain, conditions, and ultimately baddie hit points.

It sounds like you favor the "strategic" side of role-playing more than the creative nature of storytelling - and I've said this before on this sub, that's totally ok. There is no shame in playing the game the way you like it! I don't know that there's a way to address the complaints you have for the system without tearing out parts of the spirit of the game. For me, limiting how Advantage/Disadvantage and Triumph/Despair can affect every kind of roll is limiting the game potential both from a mechanical and a player perspective.

Have you played Star Wars d20 or Star Wars Saga before? It sounds like these systems would appeal to you far more than FFG's narrative dice system. They're d20 based and lend heavily to a grid map battle system and a simple "hit or not" system. They've got the Star Wars feel (especially Saga) with that tried and true "roll a d20 and add some stuff and simply hit or not" method of gaming.

Hope this helps - and sorry again for the confusion on your post. :)

They're receiving updates to implement what XNA already has (plus a little extra). Books like this exist for XNA and the knowledge is 95% transferable to Monogame. Beginning out, books like these help a lot and will help drive success.

They know people just use the internet, so smart guide makers will put awesome stuff like art galleries, interviews, etc in it. I always buy those.

The Mass Effect 2, and Final Fantasy XII collectors editions were quite well done I thought, personally.

Plus the Skyrim one comes with a interactive map, which sounds cool. I just like the cover.

Just got myself a ripped Breath of the Wild soundtrack, and I thought "man, this thing is a total mess. I need to clean it up!" So I went to amazon's high-res photo cache and got to work! It's based on the awesome-looking Piggyback guide: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1911015214/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm also prettying up the tags on the soundtrack, which I'll post when I'm done if there doesn't end up being a better one floating around first.

Enjoy 😄

Sweet action, thanks OP!

For anyone interested, here's my usual Nintendo Book recommendations ;).

• Zelda BOTW Collectors
  
  
• Zelda BOTW Regular
  
  
• Art & Artifacts
  
  
• Hyrule Historia
  
  
• Art of Splatoon
  
  
• Art of Fire Emblem Awakening
  
  
• Playing with Power
  
  
• Super Mario Adventures
  
  
• The World of Professor Layton
  
  Would be REAL nice if the Deluxe BOTW guide or the Mario Bros. Encyclopedia would go up right about now as well ;)

https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Mythos-Guide-Story/dp/1681193566

Buy her this book it's amazing and has everything in it + more will make a great Christmas present :)

I was going to order the guidebook for $30 ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1911015486/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) but Amazon didn't even ship it for three weeks. So I chatted with support the other day who told me it never shipped because of a technical error. So I followed their directions and reordered three days ago and they upgraded me to one day shipping. However, I still have not received any update on the order and I am so confused. Has anyone ordered this book and had it actually get delivered? Also, at this point should I even get the book? I'm not very far into the game and playing slow, and I think I would find it useful for info about the game, not necessarily solutions to Shrines. Plus I like collecting.

Hey, a while back I too decided to learn UDK, I ended up finding a good book(http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Development-Game-Programming-UnrealScript/dp/1849691924/ref=pd_sim_b_1) on it. This book does a great job of showing the unrealscript side of things and really helped me get my feet of the ground. Not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for, but I hope it help!

First of all Welcome!. My advice is to start by buying/reading the Ultimate Holy Bible of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. This is a really good way to get into the game. There is a lot of knowledge and tips in here. Of course you can ask here, but i think that every marvel player should had it. :)

The term "Clearly communicated to the player" and the souls series dont even inhabit the same universe. Half the fun are those "OHHHH, I see ..." moments.

The select button is there to help you out. Thats why it says "Help". If you need more help than that: http://www.amazon.com/Souls-Collectors-Edition-Strategy-Guide/dp/0744015472

Well I recently picked up this http://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Official-Postgame-Adventure-Strategy/dp/0804162573

It serves as a pokedex and post game strategy guide(which I love the idea of) and lists all 150 original pokemon plus all the other ones included in X&Y. Honestly the only reason I picked it up in the first place is because it specifically reminds me of this same old pokedex book. I dont even own a 3ds or any of the new Pokemon games.

Lets include more nonsense in this pointless debate.

4e D&D outsells Pathfinder!

4e Amazon Sales Rank: #4,549

Pathfinder Amazon Sales Rank: #14,423

Lets all just play the game you enjoy. Who cares which sells better.

Very nice, I got my hands on the official one that comes with the strategy guide:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Limited-Edition-Strategy-Guide-Brady/dp/074401493X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381505444&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+of+us+strategy+guide

Very nice guide and the pendant has a great finish

Good call!

https://www.amazon.com/Horizon-Zero-Collectors-Strategy-Guide/dp/3869930829

To really know everything about the world of Horizon Zero Dawn you'll need to explore its outer reaches and collect every artifact and trinket you can. With that in mind, we've included a gorgeous world map poster to make sure you won't have trouble finding whatever you desire.

Nice, still have mine they sell for a good price I believe.

edit:

amazon.ca

amazon.com

ebay

great find :D

You can never go wrong with the strategy guide.

I have to say that I think one of my favorite things is visiting the island. I could spend hours alone on there, hunting for those bugs I don't have yet and going on the tours. My favorite tour so far has to be the maze one. Even if I get lost, haha.

New Leaf: The Game Everyone Should Get. xD

Tomorrow, according to Amazon! It actually looks really cool. I think I'm going to get it. Not necessarily for the game help, I just like reading all the stuff and seeing the screenshots :)

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0744013542/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I ordered that book yesterday. pdf is available through a google search for free. The game also requires a fightstick.

Playing the missions helps. As does playing offline arcade mode. Good characters to use include Ryu, Chung Li, Wolverine and Spiderman.

It's fantastic, absolutely worth the money IMO. It's only $20 on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0744015472?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0744015472&linkCode=shr&tag=epi0f0-20

That's the link from ENB's video detailing the guide.

It does only have thumbnails for the weapons, but they're pretty good sized, and it also includes all the item descriptions as well.

The walkthrough section is great - the maps in particular are extremely handy. It also includes a section detailing every enemy and boss for each area.

For negatives, it suffers from the occasional bit of outdated information, which is common to basically all hardcopy guides nowadays. I've also noticed a few typos and misspellings, but that's more of aesthetic quibble.

I agree - this is what I'd suggest first and foremost. You should also pick up the bible:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0744013542/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1395415852&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

Dated tech but good enough for starter bnbs and it's useful to have the combos on paper. Also includes frame data and general character strengths, weaknesses and strategies to try out.

This is probably the most comprehensive and complete tutorial on making a platformer that you will find but you will need to pay a subscription to watch. Check out the first video anyway and you might get an idea if its worth while.

This book has a pretty decent platformer tutorial as well. Also goes through making a tile based editor for your levels.

I'd pick up a copy of the bible if you can afford it.

Sure, a lot of this information is scattered throughout online, and some of this info might be dated, but it's still nice to have a tangible guide in your hand that you can flip through and read at your leisure. It really is an S-tier guide.

There is a Collector's edition strategy guide that I'm sure has some cool art/screens plus a ton of info (obviously). Amazon has it cheaper than Gamestop.

http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Limited-Edition-Strategy-Guide/dp/0744015634/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1409898705&sr=8-10&keywords=destiny


EDIT: Product Details:

The Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide from BradyGames, is the ultimate collectible for every player and fan.

Each limited edition guide includes two high-quality lithographs depicting Destiny artwork produced by artists at Bungie, both enclosed in a custom linen-textured sleeve.


A premium, double-sided dust jacket highlights a unique cover design on the exterior, as well as gorgeous artwork on the interior surface.

Beneath the special dust jacket, each hardbound cover features one of three exclusive artwork designs based on Destiny's playable classes: Hunter, Warlock, and Titan. Each design incorporates deluxe print treatments and foil stamping, creating a must-have collectible for Destiny fans.

All of the expert strategy, analysis, and data contained in the Signature Series guide, including the following:

100% campaign walkthrough with strategy for every Strike.

Full multiplayer coverage.

Exclusive illustrated maps available only in the official guide.

Weapon and Enemy data.

Nope, sold separately. It's a really nice guide. Hardbound, awesome artwork, really well done.

Found [here on Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Souls-Collectors-Edition-Strategy-Guide/dp/0744015472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396453470&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+souls+2+collectors+guide)

> You are mistaken about WotC owning PFRPG. It is owned and operated by Paizo which formerly published Dungeon and Dragon magazine before WotC decided not to renew the contract.

I don't believe I said that. Also, I know about Paizo. I've played pathfinder. Pathfinder is piggybacking on the success of D&D and yet at the same time they and their player base look down on the rest of the gaming community as though they are some how superior. I say that Paizo is milking the 3.5 SRD for all they can.

>These were used to illustrate that D&D's cost of entry is almost double what most of the big players charge.

$66 D&D books != 2x $50 pathfinder books. The PHB only costs $23 on amazon. That's your barrier to entry, that's all you need to get started playing, $60 covers the whole group's starting package.

edit: looked on amazon, $66 for the 3 book set.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Complete Official Guide: -Expanded Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ELrPBbXJHF151

I love this one ! It's got tons of information and beautiful illustrations

1. Laying on my sofa and browsing the internet, which I'll be doing for the next couple hours.
   
   
2. It's what I do every morning, more or less. I'm lazy and dislike doing... things.
   
   
3. Either go to volunteer, or be depressed that I'm not volunteering. Depends on my energy level. I may also go in to get my tattoo checked out for touch-up.
   
   
4. I really don't have any viable long-term goals.
   
   
5. I don't actually have a desk... I have kind of a table in between me and the TV which I use for that though. Currently it holds an Xbox controller, a travel mug, a bowl, and a sharpie.
   
   
6. "San Lorenzo was fifty miles long and twenty miles wide, I learned from the supplement to the New York Sunday Times."
   
   
7. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.
   
   
8. Oatmeal last night.
   
   
9. The last book I finished? Oh god. I'm in the middle of a couple right now... uh I think the last one I finished might've been A Clash of Kings. Good god, that's been a while. But yes, I liked it!
   
   
10. I'm not actually sure I've finished a book since the beginning of 2013 :(. I'm not as big a reader as I used to be, now I have a Kindle I really need to work on getting back into the groove. But read not finished, I've been working on "Star Wars: Choices of One", and it's good! Not super amazing, but I enjoy it for what it's worth.
    
    
11. ANIMAL CROSSING GUIDE. Omg I need this bad.
    
    Zweihander!

I think this originally appeared in Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. It only had a short print run, but PDF copies are floating around the web. It's a pretty neat book on the making of HL2.

Post this in another thread today:

These might be listed below but here are a few I've been following as a newbie too:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNaPQ5uLX5iIEHUCLmfAgKg (KCC also has a blog with written instructions along with the videos that I find helpful)

https://www.youtube.com/user/uheartbeast

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxboW7x0jZqFdvMdCFKTMsQ

I'm also currently going through this book and it's pretty good so far: https://www.amazon.com/Godot-Engine-Development-Hours-Yourself/dp/0134835093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523537140&sr=8-1&keywords=godot

Amazon link here. There's currently a week to two week wait before it ships although some are saying theirs are arriving earlier. I ordered mine from Barnes and Noble and it got here in 3 days and it was only like a dollar more and had free shipping.

My beard is indestructible and it purs like a kitty :D

I smite my enemies with my metal head bang of justice. Making them beg for mercy with how awesome my beard is.

Don't believe me? See for yourself! - http://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/jtv_user_pictures/panel-39460441-image-668c1092422e4985-320.jpeg

It may or may not also shoot magic missiles. Why? Because i'm a god damn wizard!

We are RAOA. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0744015634/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2XVELFL5JY4QJ&coliid=I1OUSP3Z3H63TD

My daughter and I are getting 3DSes for Christmas and are looking to get into Pokémon. I think we're going to start with X&Y and move onto Sun and Moon later (though I could be convinced otherwise).

That said, now that we're three years past the release of X&Y, what books are recommended to pick up to help with the game? I know there's a lot of information online, but my daughter is too young to browse online, so a printed book would be good.

Should I get the Kalos Pokédex? Does that cover all the Pokémon in X&Y, or do I need to supplement with a national Pokédex or an earlier Pokédex (such as the one for B2W2)?

Should I get the guidebook, or is the Pokédex all we need?

I hope things go well for you in Army training. I assume when you say Army, you mean the Army branch as opposed to USMC.

Go Army.

My Entry. TLOU Strategy Guide as it includes a keychain and it'll be a while before I can get the game anyway.

You'll be receiving a gift from me when I get my first paycheck. Anyone who fights for our country deserves wonderful gifts.

Assuming that it's the exact same poster that comes with the Skyrim Legendary Edition Guide, the poster likely isn't worth much unfortunately..

Good find nevertheless though! It's fun to find items like that.

Dear god, no. Don't ever watch another video from Halo Follower unless you want blatant misinformation and sensationalism. If you want to jump into Halo's lore, there is no better place to start than with the book that began the entire series: https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Reach-Definitive-Editi-Nylund/dp/B00BXUD6PW/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500592371&sr=1-2&keywords=fall+of+reach+definitive+edition

If however, you want an EXCELLENT guide to the entire Halo story, pick up this: https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Mythos-Guide-Story/dp/1681193566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500592477&sr=1-1&keywords=halo+mythos

There is also always www.halopedia.org

I effing love that book and I'm glad I got a copy while I still could.

Okay, cool. I’ll take pictures tomorrow and send them.

As for pricing...$20 shipped? These are the guides:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015230?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

New Super Mario Bros (Wii): Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307465926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_swsSDbEDG6KNC

Let me know what you think.

UDK has its own language called Unreal Script. It has some influence from Java and C++ but also has big portions that is unique to itself.

There are a few books and a good amount of information on Unreal Script.

Unreal Script Home
Learn Programming With Unreal Script
Unreal Development Kit Game Programming with UnrealScript: Beginner's Guide

A Google search will show you some more as well.

Artbooks are good for you to see early concepts, ideas and overall arts from the game. Sometimes it can come with stories or details, but that's not a rule. It is a must-have for artists or who appreciates art. What you are looking for is the Official Strategy Guide, there you'll find lots of information (especially the Collector's Edition version, sold on Amazon for 28$) about the game and it's universe. Just ordered mine, you should guive a try:

https://www.amazon.com/Horizon-Zero-Collectors-Strategy-Guide/dp/3869930829

Official Complete Guide Expanded Edition. Has everything you ever need to know about the base game plus the dlc. Has been my best friend in my journey.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Complete Official Guide: -Expanded Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FlwTCb2WCR33R

My brother got it, and no. The map is kinda cool, and the powers on cards is kinda handy, but I would suggest simply buying or downloading these books.

[The Player's Handbook] (http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Players-Handbook-Heinsoo/dp/0786948671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368486398&sr=1-1&keywords=player%27s+handbook+4) Will teach you the majority of the mechanics and how everything works.

While the Monster Manual Will give your Dungeon Master (DM) tons of baddies to kill everyone

There are TONS of more books, but I would start with these and then get the Player's Handbooks 2-3 for more options.

It seems like a lot of money, but have everyone chip in. For these two books its about the same cost as other prime board games, but months of creative, unique fun that's different every time you play.

(Oh, and just get a medium sized white board for the playing mat. Draw out a grid in sharpie and get pieces of paper or tokens to signify the bad guys and party members.)

Thanks, ordered the Breath of the Wild CE guide for $27.59. Seemed like a good price. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1911015222/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

there are 3, but the second and third cover more classes and more advanced topics, the first covers all the basic classes as well as how to create characters and rules of the game etc. The starter set is merely to just get you going quickly without inundating you with too much at once.

http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Players-Handbook-Roleplaying/dp/0786948671

https://www.amazon.com/Horizon-Zero-Collectors-Strategy-Guide/dp/3869930829

It’s awesome :)

There we go. get a guide and look up how to be a perfect character. read skyrim lore and learn all vanilla game glitches. have you played oblivion?

-history worth learning- /http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Third_Era
-lore- /www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Main_Page
-guide permalink-http://amzn.com/0307891402

I think minigames being in BotW are a pretty safe bet now - taken directly from the description of the official player's guide (which can be seen on Amazon, among other places), it says:

> Also includes optional challenges, mini-games, unlockables, Easter eggs, and more.

It's not as reliable as seeing the minigames for ourselves, but it'd be kinda weird if the description mentioned them without any reason. So here's hoping!

The official BoTW guide book suggests playing in the Zora, Gerudo, Rito and Goron order. Not sure if that reflects the same thinking suggested in the article, but I think it's pretty compelling.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015486?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I bought this to help me along the way, and there is a physical map included that I use to cross reference shrines.

I know it's $36 but honestly it gives a ton of insight to the game and is really worth it considering the hours put in.

Certainly! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1911015486/

In addition to the farming:

Like the original guide, it comes with a map with Korok seed locations -but- I would highly recommend using the atlas unique to this guide instead. I was very, very careful with my poster-sized map but it still wore out fairly quickly. You don't have to worry about the atlas in the expanded guide wearing out nearly as fast.

Yup! Official Nintendo seal and everything. Although some people say they find the internet more useful (and cheaper, of course). For example, fake vs real painting comparisons aren't in the book. It just tells you to compare with the catalog for yourself. But it does have the entire catalog and this version actually has slots for check marks if you have the item! (last game guides didn't; it looked ugly if you wrote in it). So if you like physical copies, I recommend it.

Interesting, well put together!

EDIT: For anyone who wants even more background info Half-life, in particular Half-life 1 and Half-life 2, I recommend the book called Half-life 2: Raising the Bar.

Limited hard cover edition here.

Product Description

The Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide from BradyGames, is the ultimate collectible for every player and fan.


Each limited edition guide includes two high-quality lithographs depicting Destiny artwork produced by artists at Bungie, both enclosed in a custom linen-textured sleeve.

A premium, double-sided dust jacket highlights a unique cover design on the exterior, as well as gorgeous artwork on the interior surface.

Beneath the special dust jacket, each hardbound cover features one of three exclusive artwork designs based on Destiny’splayable classes: Hunter, Warlock, and Titan. Each design incorporates deluxe print treatments and foil stamping, creating a must-have collectible for Destiny fans.

Bonus three-panel foldout displays a large-format Director’s Map and high-level armor for each character class.

All of the expert strategy, analysis, and data contained in the Signature Series guide, including the following:

100% campaign walkthrough with strategy for every Strike.

Full multiplayer coverage.

Exclusive illustrated maps available only in the official guide.

Weapon and Enemy data.

It's only a 100 page guide, I'd just get the Piggyback guide from Amazon, unless you're really in love with the artwork on the shorter Nintendo guide book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1911015230/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I still haven't figured out what to do with mine. On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else want to buy the special edition guide book just for the firefly keychain? I'd definitely sport that thing on my lanyard.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/074401493X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1371750696&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

This one for basic C# and OOP.

Beginning Visual C# 2010

O'Reilly has great reference books.

C# 4.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference

From there you can learn Mono for Android (and iOS)

Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C#

While learning XNA game development by example,

XNA 4.0 Game Development by Example: Beginner's Guide

And by detail...

Learning XNA 4.0: Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7

>I mean... the obscurus itself is pretty vague... its just a giant lashing demon cloud thing...

Uh huh. Okay, so you're right in that it's pretty strong, but if that's all wearing going by it isn't much. There isn't enough information available to argue for or against the Obscurus.

>idk if those chief feats are admissible? wouldn't the most poplar canon chief be in game halo chief?

I fail to understand what you mean. Are you questioning the validity of the canon I presented?

The first scan comes from the game manual, the second is an excerpt from a short story published by Microsoft and written by a senior Bungie employee and writer.

Everything else except the adrenaline excerpt (which comes from Karen Traviss' Kilo-5 trilogy which was a novel series whose canon was used extensively to set up Halo 4) came from The Fall of Reach, which was the prequel to Combat Evolved and was released a month before the game, thereby making it the source material technically.

I recommend perusing the Halo Mythos if you have any doubts regarding Halo canon.

>AK doesn't penetrate... armor is like clothes... it envelops the target just like in the video and bypasses things like armor, clothing, and durability... it just kills you.

But what about inanimate objects used as cover? That's also like armor.

Hope there is a LE version, The Last of Us had a very nice one.

Those are really cool. Hadn't heard of any of them, but looked them up. From left to right it looks like they're:

• The World of the Witcher: Video Game Compendium
  
• Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo
  
• Unfortunately I can't tell what this artwork is from and there's no title to look up for it. Maybe OP can chime in with the title of that one?
  Edit: Took me a bit to recognize it but it's Bioshock Infinite. So I bet the the hardcover of this book has the colored sleeve with the embossed version we see in the pic on the book cover itself: The Art of Bioshock Infinite
  
• This one's odd because it looks like the title is Dark Souls: Design Works but the color of the book looks like Dark Souls II: Design Works. Perhaps it's just the blue wall behind it that makes the book more blue than black.

I agree with everyone here. While it's confusing to start if you take the time to learn it you'll find it's very rewarding and fun. To do what you want would be impossible. It would not convert well.

However, there is an older star wars rpg that uses an older system that is probably what you're looking for. https://www.amazon.com/Revised-Core-Rulebook-Star-Roleplaying/dp/078692876X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486065166&sr=8-1 You might want to check this out if you still can't figure out the new system.

Apologize for the delay guys, I got the art books and strategy guide off Amazon. This is the first time i'm posting on reddit. Heres the link:

Horizon Zero Dawn Collector's Edition Strategy Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/3869930829?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

The Art of Horizon Zero Dawn https://www.amazon.com/dp/1785653636/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_HpwTGBB3ewkQm

I loved playing this game so much, I have most collectibles of it, including this awesome Thunderjaw figure:

Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Thunderjaw Collection (No Game) - Black - PlayStation 4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06VY633MF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cJuMAbR0VRNBN

You can also get this on jet.com

10 or under

I'd love to have the Animal Crossing Guide!

This is what all 900 koroks and 120 shrines look like plotted out on a map. Kind of looks like a splatfest because I just used whatever stickers I had.

In all honesty, it was a complete pain in the arse because I missed 7 koroks at the end, and I ended up using an online map anyways. It was very much an eye test throughout, and it didn't help that 2 weren't even on the map (I think). But I finally got them all.

If you're curious where I got the map, it came with this guide:
https://www.amazon.ca/Legend-Zelda-Complete-Official-Collectors/dp/1911015222 , and then I had it laminated it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015214/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_S-2FDbJ4ZPZV2
Basically just the official guidebook as a huge, pretty hard cover. Got it a few months after the game was released!

I'm working through this book and finding it very helpful. It's written by one of the original creators of Godot.

https://www.amazon.com/Godot-Engine-Development-Hours-Yourself/dp/0134835093

Anyone happen to have bought this ? If so did you find it worth the $30 price tag was it actually useful?

In my opinion, this is the best XNA book out there: http://amzn.com/1849690669

Walks you through 4 complete games and all of the code is in the book, none of that, "here is a snippet of code, download the rest from my site to keep working" stuff.

These comments are right on. But I'd also suggest the new book by the main developers. I just got it this week and it's great.

Godot Engine Game Development in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself: The Official Guide to Godot 3.0 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0134835093/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_673ZAb6RH74SK

Full Disclaimer: Traviss is a good writer, regardless of what people say. However, she hurts her talents by not doing any of her own research into the Universe she's writing for. Rather than have 343i staff give her a list of canon details to include. That's just a recipe for disaster.

My Opinion:

Personally, I would avoid Glasslands at all costs. That book - while written very well in terms of structure and how it tells it's story - is basically an entire inconsistency all by itself. Practically the whole book. All the way from how the characters are portrayed to referencing historical events in Halo. It's a real head ache.

The other two stories are more secluded and don't try to fill in that many gaps in the Halo Universe. They basically try to rap up their own personal stories for the most part with minor additions to the Halo Universe.

Now, for my final thoughts.

As it stands, I'd say Halo: Thursday War is worth a read. However, Mortal Dictata is kind'a just there to finish the Trilogies story and it's very... drawn out; it's still good by itself though. Glasslands is chalked so full of so many inconsistencies that it's not worth picking up simply to disregard a huge amount of the story details it contains.

The best part about all of this though, is that Halo: Mythos contains an excellent summary of the entire Halo Universe and the Kilo Five trilogy; without the many inconsistencies. You really don't even have to read any of the Kilo Five Trilogy because of Halo Mythos.

Spend your money on that instead.

Raising the Bar is pretty good, if somewhat difficult to find a hardcopy of.

There's the d6 game by West End Games, the d20 game by WotC similiar to D&D 3rd edition, there's saga edition by WotC (which would have made a better basis for D&D 4th edition), and then there's the series of games by Fantasy Flight; Edge of Empire, Age of Rebellion, and Force and Destiny.

Hey, thanks for the tips!
About the book - do you mean the author of GD quest on YT?
I also found "Godot Game Engine Development in 24 Hours" (https://www.amazon.com/Godot-Engine-Development-Hours-Yourself/dp/0134835093) - did you bump into it? What are your opinions?

That's funny because the release date on Amazon reads March 11, 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Souls-Collectors-Strategy-Guide/dp/0744015472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451339145&sr=8-1&keywords=Dark+souls+2+future+press

"Your memory must be off then."

You can get the 4th edition PHB for only $20.

I always bought previous edition textbooks in college to save money. Shouldn't I be able to do the same with D&D?

edit: /s

Yup. Do you have the Player's Handbook? It will tell you how to create your character and what you should roll. Also, your DM should be able to provide some guidance as well. Ultimately, your DM will hold the final word on what is and is not allowed.

Just out of curiosity, why is the price of Zelda BotW official guide extended edition dropping so quickly? 40 to 25 in just one month? I just got mine, it seems very good.

Try these sites:
Riemers,
XNAResources,
RBWhitaker.
As for books I've found this one to be the most helpful.

The art and...

FREE ACCESS to the interactive world map– Code inside

The interactive world map includes over 150 location maps covering all 9 Hold cities. Each map shows the locations of every vendor, trainer, skill book, NPC, and unique item in the realm. You can toggle points of interest on and off and zoom in and out.

XNA 4.0 Game Development by Example - One such example in the book takes you step by step in making a scrolling 2d tank shooting game.

It's in C# using (obviously) the XNA framework, so it's real easy to pick up.

awww, alright. The book has that as well.

UK prices seem to be around £60 - £150 ($90 - $225), where the highest going price was for a sealed copy.

Might be more results in the US. Hop onto eBay, go to the advanced search, and tick the "completed listings" box as part of your search.

Edit: on Amazon US, the sensible used ones are going for betwen $70 and $190, depending on condition. That doesn't necessarily mean they're actually getting sold at those prices, of course.

Amazon is selling it at about 40% off list price in the US. Amazon UK has a page for it, but it currently says unavailable. May be worth keeping an eye on it in case they get around to putting up some information.

Calm down it's on Amazon too: https://www.amazon.com/Godot-Engine-Development-Hours-Yourself/dp/0134835093

My husband bought me this book The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Complete Official Guide: -Expanded Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911015486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7SXvDb4YY5T4W

And I just restarted the game with the goal of 100%-ing. My plan is basically the same as yours. I got Rivali’s Gale as soon as I could and then unlocked all the towers. Next I’m gonna get the three remaining divine beasts, then the shrines, then all the loot, korok seeds, Hyrule Compendium and mini games.

I’ve played through it so many times but haven’t fully completed it yet.

Surely the point of the game is to get this one instead. http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-Collectors-Official/dp/0307891402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320887462&sr=8-1

Better yet, they're releasing a new Prima Guidebook for it.
I myself ordered the Collector's Edition yesterday, expecting it to be in tomorrow :D
http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Legendary-Collectors-Official/dp/030789701X

This is good if you're willing to spend money.


Edit: You should also look up youtube videos for learning how to make the maps and stuff. (That book is mainly for Unrealscript)

its available on amazon canada as well - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1911015222/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My personal advice would be to learn some regular old Programming first. Jumping straight into UnrealScript and Gameplay Programming is kinda like trying to build a House without ever having touched a work tool.

Theres lots of stuff you need to understand from a basic level, and while it might be possible to throw together some very simple mechanics currently, the quality is gonna seriously suffer. A bit like my first shed

But if you seriously want to just jump into it head first: Unreal Development Kit Gems by Rachel Cordone might be somewhat useful

It looks like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Horizon-Zero-Collectors-Strategy-Guide/dp/3869930829

I second the recommendation for XNA 4.0: Game Development by Example. It helped me out greatly and keeps things fresh by having the reader build multiple mini games, instead of one larger game.

It's live now on Amazon for $79.99. Amazon will honor the lowest price before release.

Here are the links to the guide on Amazon (EU).

Deluxe Guide UK

Deluxe Guide ES

Deluxe Guide FR

Deluxe Guide DE

Deluxe Guide IT

So I would need this,http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Players-Handbook-Heinsoo/dp/0786948671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344111332&sr=1-1&keywords=dungeons+and+dragons+4th+edition, to continue playing after what I bought?

The updated hardcover guide with all the info for the DLC as well.

I found this wiki useful (warning, spoilers) http://horizonzerodawn.wikia.com/wiki/Horizon_Zero_Dawn_Wiki

There is a book as well, a strategy guide.

4th E did not follow that trend. MSRP for the players handbook $34.95. The price history on Amazon shows a price of about $23. That's a going price of 65% of MSRP. If we apply that to the MSRP of 5th edition we get about $32. That's $4 more than 2E in 1989 (in today's dollars). That isn't a big change.

> Bungie literally named the archetypes

If you look at the D1 strategy guide, they actually had it then but it was not implemented to the degree that it is now. There is actually an image on the Amazon page that shows it.

There are a few things in D2 that remind me of early development D1...

The Knights games are kind of a mash up for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, which was later branded as the "Saga Edition" of the official licensed tabletop game. There's actually a subreddit for that (now out of print) game, /r/SagaEdition, but I can't say how it compares to the current official game, and if I'd recommend one over the other.

This one?


https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Complete-Official-Collectors/dp/1911015222/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550865713&sr=8-2&keywords=botw+guide


I want to say that it was $39.99


This is the new version (I think)


https://www.target.com/p/legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-the-complete-official-guide-by-piggyback-hardcover/-/A-53395522

I bought a special edition GTAV manual just for the lithograph and for the art pieces in the middle. I wonder if the Destiny collectors edition guidebook
Has that.

Edit: has two lithographs

Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/0744015634/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_843Qub0GK4HYJ

(I think that art book would be better)

Buy the Vanilla Strategy Guide. There are 2 high-quality litographies in there I also hanged on my Wall. Won't disappoint!

Here's the books:

Legend of Zelda: Art and Artifacts Limited Edition

Legend of Zelda: BotW Official Guide Collector's Edition

Legend of Zelda: BotW Official Guide Deluxe Edition

The Arts book is a collector's item as well as something I'd sift through from time to time. A coffee table book basically. The CE guide arrives on 3/3, so once I beat Zelda once, I'll use it to collect everything. The DE is just another collector's item/coffee table book once it arrives on 3/31.

And £8.49 for UK buyers.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Marvel-Capcom-Signature-Guide/dp/0744013542/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321114821&sr=1-1

Get it on the 25th though, so I went ahead and imported from Amazon US for a £20 premium T_T

The Legend of Zelda BOTW Piggyback Deluxe guide now availble on Amazon US
https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Breath-Complete-Official/dp/1911015214/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487351890&sr=1-2&keywords=the+legend+of+zelda+breath+of+the+wild+the+complete+official+guide

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Complete-Official-Collectors/dp/1911015222

Is the oficial guide look in Amazon

It bring a giant map with al shrines and kolog seeds

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild: The Complete Official Guide https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/1911015486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6OnaBb8VNNEC6

Actually, Amazon lowered their price for Collector's Edition:

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Complete-Official-Collectors/dp/1911015222/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486906995&sr=8-2&keywords=breath+of+the+wild+piggyback

$24

https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Legend-of-Zeld-Breath-of-the-Wild---The-Complete-Official-Guide/9781911015253?ref=grid-view

$28

If you want a book about the making of Half Life 2 with lots of concept art, there is one already:
https://www.amazon.com/Half-Life-2-Raising-David-Hodgson/dp/0761543643

I do believe it was the back up that he broke into. I agree, you'd assume they'd have redundant back ups, but it was compromised in such a way (from the Article I read in 'biography' about Half-Life 2 and it's development, that put it behind schedule.) Also, the code stolen, was then compiled, so there was a pretty decent chunk of it.

EDIT: This is the book Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar

This is the one I have, but I know I didn't pay that much for it then. https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Crossing-Prima-Official-Guides/dp/0307897079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478815507&sr=8-1&keywords=animal+crossing+game+guide

http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-Collectors-Official/dp/0307891402/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0/177-4086967-1351123

Hardcover Guide $70-$90

I don't know if you live in the US or not but they still have them on their site.

Here it is. Bought it on sale for $35.

It's 1,100 pages long.

http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Legendary-Collectors-Official/dp/030789701X

I am dying for this book
I love reading the guides and seeing the clothes patterns.

16 €

Here you go

It doesn't have a name engraved, but this is what I have on my keychain.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Limited-Edition-Strategy-Guide/dp/074401493X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394151887&sr=8-2&keywords=last+of+us+survival+guide

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0744015472?pc_redir=1404818654&robot_redir=1

here you go. i think this is what you were looking for. its posted on gamestop too but over there is 35$ (i personally would buy this is i wasnt working part-time and going to college). http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Limited-Strategy-Guide-BradyGames/dp/0744015634/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409875042&sr=1-1&keywords=destiny+guide

Not mobile link

Is this the same guide as http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0744015634/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SY115

Ever taken a look at this?

Valve released a book about Half-Life 2's development called Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar.

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Life-2-Raising-David-Hodgson/dp/0761543643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404234956&sr=1-1&keywords=half-life+2+raising+the+bar

Been there, done that, bought the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Life-2-Raising-David-Hodgson/dp/0761543643

25 Used from $80.60
12 New from $85.00

> and the bar for what people expect has been raised,

you might say they are... rasing the bar?

Many of these can be found in this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Life-2-Raising-David-Hodgson/dp/0761543643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260086777&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0761543643
Have a look at that.
The books called 'Half-Life 2-Raising the bar'

Wizards of the Coast did it for you in 2002. http://www.amazon.com/Revised-Core-Rulebook-Star-Roleplaying/dp/078692876X

Just buy him this of course.

http://www.amazon.com/Revised-Core-Rulebook-Star-Roleplaying/dp/078692876X