I think the best way to spend a solitary birthday would look like this:

Wake up whenever the hell you want, but try for no later than 10AM, you want to enjoy the day after all! Make yourself your favorite breakfast even if it is just a bowl of cereal. While eating, watch your favorite show or movie. I would pre-schedule a massage! Massage envy has a special rate for first time guests (I am pretty sure) or look into a nearby massage school - you can generally get a 1-hour massage for about 20-30 dollars. Then snag a Jamba Juice to tie you over till dinner. Depending on if you are a home body or not this could then go one of two ways; either go home and play your favorite video game uninterrupted or go see a movie! If nothing is playing that day, then gift yourself some Fandango tickets to a showing later on in November. Several awesome looking movies are coming out in Nov. Then I would suggest ordering in for dinner, have a pizza delivered or chinese, whatever you prefer or if you are comfortable, go out and treat yourself to something awesome. After that, probably more video games or a new movie you haven't seen yet or maybe just some time on reddit, relaxing. You could also read a comic, manga, or book with some scented candles and a beer or glass of wine.

I think it would be awesome to gift yourself this book. I have looked at it and it is crazy awesome!

I hope those are good ideas! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!! :D

Holkan Turns 24 !! :D

Holy shit!! YOURE amazing!!! Thank you!

As for materials its mostly playing the game and writing down all the dialogue and location descriptions, and then flavoring it my own style, but i found a website that someone did all the dialogue.

http://www.ffwa.eu/ff9/script.php heres the script (I dont use this but it might be handy) Note that this is only the main story dialogue not all the towns people you can talk to. Thats why i just play the game and write down dialogue and make sure i get everything for my self

As for maps, i just type in the location and put ff9 map after it into google and final fantasy wikia has good ones Example: Lindblum ff9 map

If you dont mind your players knowing they are in FF9 you can use these backgrounds to help with the theater of mind https://imgur.com/r/gaming/A09TB

As for puzzles and side quests, i dont really have them compiled into a folder or anything but i can tell you what extra puzzles and things ive had in each area. For instance, i re-did the evil forest map and made it the paper mario forever forest map, and they had to do it all theater of the mind so it seemed way more confusing. https://www.gamefaqs.com/n64/198849-paper-mario/faqs/13080?raw=1

So i would say like "You see a massive growth of roots leading up to the top of the forest canopy, and two paths, you can go left, or you can go right" and then depending on which way they go "The path keeps following around the spire but theres path to your right leading away from it" and so on and so forth.

I put a extra puzzle in there too, to give the evil forest a little more story and depth. There was a whole deal with Treants being corrupted by the Mist and they had to cure them with the spring water where that moogle hangs out. If they disturbed them while they were corrupted they wouldve had to fight them which would of easily been a deadly encounter. Once they cured them they can use the limbs of the Treants to get to a different part of the forest.

I have puzzles for EVERY dungeon in the game, so if you want brain storming ideas just hit me up! OR extra mini games and fun stuff for the Cities!! Like Lindblum and the festival of the hunt! That shit was epic and my players STILL talk about it!! Little things in the game transfer so well over to a table top RPG... Like Gysahl Pickles!! Such a hilarious role playing opportunity!

And dont forget everyones favorite part of the game THE MOOGLES!! https://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/197338-final-fantasy-ix/faqs/23306

Here are a few Youtube playlist that i use the most for making my game

This guy does a playthrough and he is extremely thorough and talks to every NPC and gets most of the treasure and is real slow on the dialogue so its a good reference if you dont have the game on you or something. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF02D69667E5D6E9A

He did another one when HD came out but he talks while playing it but has interesting theories and info about the game https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvv1mA3UKy9OD8NGzPEYsmbXYo0_NZ1i7

Here is an AMAZING fan dub that i reference for voice acting the characters!!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLED408A81C906035D

And of course the soundtrack!! All extended versions too, for 30 minute loops you can rip off of youtube and use for your games https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6akIKaXBeU2YH7iaRR6MDQ0sWGShUe7x

You can totally just play it right off of youtube but i use a program called Ableton so i can map out an entire keyboard for each song or ambiance effect

For the eidolon battles i watch this girls guides on the FFXIV "Trials" https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz9iQVOtDq1mqFtMgScBtHTGRsEgmVIvF

I also use this website for more info that i can read up on, but she does an excellent job at explaining things http://www.ffxivinfo.com/trials/a-realm-reborn.php

Also for almost everything like extra info on each location, the wikia is an amazing resource. And now THIS! https://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-Ultimania-Archive-2/dp/1506706622/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1534262317&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=final+fantasy+ultimania&psc=1

Thats all i can think of for now!! I have a million stories on each area and how they reacted to places and people and but i cant think of anything else that would actually help.

But if you wanna know more on how the evil forest was done differently? Ice Cavern? Gizamalukes Grotto? Cleyra???? I can give you all of that info buts its not really written down anywhere. Especially cuz you can plan every badass thing you can possibly think of, spend hours and hours on one scenario and your players will throw a wrench, and do something COMPLETELY different and you gotta go with it!

But one thing i cant recommend ENOUGH is to check out this guy. He made me the DM i am today!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCh5vto8JFstb9Sma9zV25g/featured

Some things that changed my game play 10 folds is in this playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlSmiQ728Xr1lKFQU1w6Yot5_o3zgvY73

His key mechanics are legendary!

Lemme know for any more questions!

Entrepreneur Reading List

1. Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble
   
2. The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
   
3. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
   
4. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
   
5. The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win
   
6. Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers
   
7. Ikigai
   
8. Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
   
9. Bootstrap: Lessons Learned Building a Successful Company from Scratch
   
10. The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time
    
11. Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web
    
12. The Web Startup Success Guide
    
13. The Best of Guerrilla Marketing: Guerrilla Marketing Remix
    
14. From Program to Product: Turning Your Code into a Saleable Product
    
15. This Little Program Went to Market: Create, Deploy, Distribute, Market, and Sell Software and More on the Internet at Little or No Cost to You
    
16. The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully
    
17. The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
    
18. Startups Open Sourced: Stories to Inspire and Educate
    
19. In Search of Stupidity: Over Twenty Years of High Tech Marketing Disasters
    
20. Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup
    
21. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
    
22. Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed
    
23. Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days
    
24. Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
    
25. Eric Sink on the Business of Software
    
26. Words that Sell: More than 6000 Entries to Help You Promote Your Products, Services, and Ideas
    
27. Anything You Want
    
28. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers
    
29. The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business
    
30. Tao Te Ching
    
31. Philip & Alex's Guide to Web Publishing
    
32. The Tao of Programming
    
33. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
    
34. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity
    
    

    Computer Science Grad School Reading List
    

    
    

35. All the Mathematics You Missed: But Need to Know for Graduate School
    
36. Introductory Linear Algebra: An Applied First Course
    
37. Introduction to Probability
    
38. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
    
39. Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society
    
40. Proofs and Refutations: The Logic of Mathematical Discovery
    
41. What Is This Thing Called Science?
    
42. The Art of Computer Programming
    
43. The Little Schemer
    
44. The Seasoned Schemer
    
45. Data Structures Using C and C++
    
46. Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs
    
47. Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
    
48. Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming
    
49. How to Design Programs: An Introduction to Programming and Computing
    
50. A Science of Operations: Machines, Logic and the Invention of Programming
    
51. Algorithms on Strings, Trees, and Sequences: Computer Science and Computational Biology
    
52. The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer Explorations of Fractals, Chaos, Complex Systems, and Adaptation
    
53. The Annotated Turing: A Guided Tour Through Alan Turing's Historic Paper on Computability and the Turing Machine
    
54. Computability: An Introduction to Recursive Function Theory
    
55. How To Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
    
56. Types and Programming Languages
    
57. Computer Algebra and Symbolic Computation: Elementary Algorithms
    
58. Computer Algebra and Symbolic Computation: Mathematical Methods
    
59. Commonsense Reasoning
    
60. Using Language
    
61. Computer Vision
    
62. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    
63. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
    
    

    Video Game Development Reading List
    

    
    

64. Game Programming Gems - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
    
65. AI Game Programming Wisdom - 1 2 3 4
    
66. Making Games with Python and Pygame
    
67. Invent Your Own Computer Games With Python
    
68. Bit by Bit

I had the same problem. I ride the subway every day and have a ton of time to read, so I've been trying to collect similar resources.

Here are some resources I found really helpful:

1. Beginners book on Unity - http://www.amazon.com/Development-Essentials-Community-Experience-Distilled/dp/1849691444
   
   This is a VERY basic (think: learn how to code!) introduction to Unity. I personally found it too elementary, having coded in a few different languages, but it might be a good place to start as it explains basic Unity design concepts like Components, Materials, Colliders, etc.
   
   
2. Your first Unity project (helps to have Unity accessible to follow alone) - Building a 2D RPG in Unity: http://pixelnest.io/tutorials/2d-game-unity/
   
   This is by fast the best 'getting started' tutorial I've found. It walks you through creating a really basic project from scratch using Unity basics and scripts. This is what I based most of my code off of when I first started my project.
   
   
3. REALLY great book on game design/physics and AI - http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Example-Wordware-Developers-Library/dp/1556220782
   
   This has been the most helpful resource for me. It's not Unity specific but will teach you A TON of great fundamentals for things like how to move a character, common patterns like StateMachines, how to handle AI, etc.... All of these concepts will be relevant and many are already in place in Unity so you'll recognize them right away.
   
   Advanced: Game Programming Patterns - http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/
   
   This is a book (online/pdf/epub) that teaches the more advanced patterns you'll be applying in your code. I'd suggest this once you finish with the above resources and have been working through your game for a bit.
   

Hey man, Ashterothi from Hydrostatic, we provide good digestion of the information, but we are not a primary source material.

Here is a priority list for your study:

Lore Survival Guide by friend of the show Mark 726 - man he is amazing

Hydrostatic Know Your Lore for any topic you're interested in.

Hydrostatic Lore Panels - each is 2 hours of lore with some of the top lore experts in EVE. The first one is mostly background, and the following are processing the information as we got it.

EVE Source - an EXCELLENT Lore bible from CCP

EVE Chronicles - Over a decade of EVE narrative

Empyrean Age and Templar One - although many in the lore community have their reservations about Tony G. These are pretty fun romps through the EVE universe.

The Burning Life - Glorified fanfiction that takes a tour of EVE Online, honestly the above resources replace any value from this book.

EVE Wiki, past news items - Unfortunately time has rotted these resources (not inaccurate, but plenty of dead links and false trails)

This list is in order of how much effort vs. information you gain. Most of all I would recommend joining the Tweetfleet slack and come to the #lore channel. I literally knew nothing about the lore when the Drifters attacked. Like the rest of EVE, it isn't that hard to learn the lore as long as you put some energy into it.

The prices are what are listed as of this post; they may fluctuate a little, but usually not by much. I'd probably go with The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening, because it's a really nice, and really big art book with some great content. If your friend is into music like I am, they might also like one of the recent soundtrack releases from Symphony No. 5; all the soundtracks below are either 4- or 5-disc albums with amazing packaging and extras.

Awakening items:

• The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening hardcover art book ~ $27.19
  
• Fire Emblem Awakening Original Soundtrack ~ $28.58
  
  Other Fire Emblem items in your range:
  
  
• Marth Nendoroid Action Figure ~ $46.01
  
• Fire Emblem 25th Anniversary Concert DVD ~ $50.23
  
• Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Original Soundtrack ~ $45.90
  
• Fire Emblem Heroes iPhone 6/6s/7/8 Case ~ $40
  
• Fire Emblem Path of Radiance Original Soundtrack ~ $41
  
• Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn Original Soundtrack ~ $39.98

A while back these were produced in limited quantities and sold for ridiculous amounts on eBay, but they have been re-issued due to popular demand by Dark Horse.

The boxed set features 3 books full of Yoshitaka Amano's concept art spanning from FF to FFX. These books are HUGE, and have a lot of art I've never seen before. If you are a fan of Amano's artwork, this is a MUST BUY, great addition to any FF collection. The pages are high quality and it makes the art look better than ever before. And the best part of all, it is only $56.30 on amazon.

Mine just came in the mail today. So worth it.

Anthropology and The Witcher? Fascinating! I love Anthropology, folklore, history, and mythology. Another thing you could discuss are the culture ideas of certain monster contracts, like In the Heart of the Woods, how the Leshen can either be acknowledged as a protective forest spirit or a malicious beast killing whoever it can that enters its territory.

Religion could also be discussed as it is also very important to cultures both in real life and in the world of the Witcher...speaking of which, I highly recommend you acquire this book: https://www.amazon.com/World-Witcher-Video-Game-Compendium/dp/1616554827/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I bought it several months ago and it's been a great and fascinating read and may help you a great deal! Good luck on the Path.

Well, it looks like the Link on the mug is also in the style of Wind Waker's Link, so I still vote for that if it came down to these two options :)

You could get her an ocarina. Or you could pre-order Hyrule Historia. It won't come out until January, but it should be a great gift for any fan--it's a book with art and trivia about Zelda. Or perhaps a Zelda T-shirt. There's also this shirt with hearts. I personally love this shirt as well.

Or you could get Zelda-themed jewelry or a tote bag. Here's one bag, and here are some Triforce earrings.

Hope that helps!

fear cuts deeper than swords

1. [Here is a grey Batman.] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Rises-Action-Figure/dp/B00856ZPK6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I27AJ57RLKJIF5)
   
2. [Well, it is rainy.] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Comic-Poster-Lightning/dp/B003XNCK5Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1376355786&sr=8-5&keywords=batman+rain)
   
3. [Do drinks count as food? If so, then this is food related.] (http://www.amazon.com/ICUP-Comics-Batman-Cube-Tray/dp/B005MUAPOO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I217LY4KTSIWBE)
   
4. [This is for my wonderful little niece. Actually, the majority of my wish list is for her and her brother.] (http://www.amazon.com/Tabby-Plush-Stuffed-Animal-Orange/dp/B008UH3PYI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I2Z2HJV442A08W)
   
5. [I'd suggest this one since I love Stephen King. I haven't been able to read much of it though, since it got stolen.] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Stand-Stephen-King/dp/0307947300/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I1IL4AU89KR1NG)
   
6. [Does a pin count as jewelry?] (http://www.amazon.com/Imagination/dp/B003ZT3QIQ/ref=sr_1_14?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1376358078&sr=1-14&keywords=pin)
   
7. [My sister's cat would love this.] (http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Design-Senses-Circuit-Original/dp/B001LWRFW2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376355861&sr=8-3&keywords=cat+toys)
   
8. [This game is awe inspiring, so I'd love to see the artwork.] (http://www.amazon.com/The-BioShock-Infinite-Irrational-Games/dp/1595829946/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I23ZRYZ9JQIOEG)
   
9. [This has always been a favorite of mine. It was also filmed in Oregon. I got to visit the house.] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Goonies-Sean-Astin/dp/B000P0J09W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376358133&sr=8-2&keywords=the+goonies)
   
10. [A knife is always useful. Plus, it's Batman.] (http://www.amazon.com/WarTech-Batman-Knife-Assist-Blades/dp/B00C87ZRRY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I2UCKA5S75K356)
    
11. [I really need to get organized. This would be amazing.] (http://www.amazon.com/2014-Injustice-Gods-Among-Calendar/dp/1423822110/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376356012&sr=1-1&keywords=batman+calendar+2014)
    
12. [Those dang add ons...] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-QuickTek-Flight-Strike/dp/B006O6F3U6/ref=pd_sim_t_21)
    
13. [Well, it's not really my dream item,. but it's expensive.] (http://www.amazon.com/Funko-POP-Heroes-Vinyl-Two-Face/dp/B005D5U5LQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I36SNIFSQ73X9E)
    
14. [The things it makes smell wonderful.] (http://www.amazon.com/Oster-3883-Belgian-Wafflemaker-Chrome/dp/B00006FMT8/ref=sr_1_14?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1376358434&sr=1-14&keywords=waffle+maker)
    
15. [My wish list is full of toys, so here's one for my nephew.] (http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Ultimate-Spider-Man-Strike-Figure/dp/B00AKDJUQ2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=I2TOQWD7NGD1VW)
    
16. [Since I'll be doing a lot of work on the computer, this'd be great.] (http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-2-Mouse-Pad/dp/B00BGD5OK6/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1376358322&sr=1-2&keywords=assassins+creed)
    
17. [As you can probably tell, I love Batman.] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Samsung-Galaxy-plastic/dp/B0090HER8K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2HTHRVKNRES31&coliid=II9039CFAMLKH)
    
    [Here is a neat book about Oregon.] (http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Curiosities-2nd-Characters-Roadside/dp/0762749717/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376357656&sr=8-3&keywords=made+in+oregon)
    
    [Here is something made in Oregon.] (http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Shine-Breakfast-Gift-Set/dp/B0011UNLKY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376357656&sr=8-1&keywords=made+in+oregon)
    
    
    PS: Are you from Oregon? Also, thank you for the reminder.

I am a huge Final Fantasy fan and although my girlfriend is familiar with the series, she is not as passionate about the games as I am. However, for Christmas last year she got me a Final Fantasy Artbook called The Sky. It features breathtaking art that is instantly recognizable to any Final Fantasy fan. You also will not need to know which games are his favorite because the book features artwork from most of the main games in the series. So no matter what he will be happy. I was ecstatic Christmas day last year when my girlfriend got this for me and I'm sure your boyfriend would be as well. If it is too late for you to order online I have seen it in stock at my local Barnes and Noble.


I hope this helps! Good luck!

Same here, I climbed most of the ladder with Zarya.

I came across this the other day: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Overwatch-Blizzard/dp/1506703674

I don't know if you celebrate christmas but if you do and you're looking for a nice easy present. The above I think any big OW fan would love.

Good on you for taking an interest in your son's hobbies!

When we got our first nintendo (an N64), I was 12 or 13, and the first game we played was MarioKart. There were 4 controllers, one for each of us kids, while my parents watched. We played for hours, my older brother always winning and laughing at us. Finally, sick of her oldest son's gloating, my mom took my younger brother's controller and played. She wiped the floor with all of us, looked straight at my older brother and said "HA HA", then walked away. My little siblings were shocked, they had never seen Mom play a game. Little did they know, she was the Queen of Out Run on the Sega Master System.

I don't know why it was so funny, but it's something I always think about when I play that game. :) Probably because I'm still a kid at heart! :D this video game related book is not $31, but shipping costs a bit more up here :)

If you wanted to opt for something extra to go with the lightning deck, I'd suggest the Ultimania Archive books (English translated Volume 2 releases in December). They have tons of behind the scenes info about the games in each volume (Vol. 1 covers games I-VI, Vol. 2 will cover VII-IX, and when Vol. 3 releases next year... X-XIV) a lot of the artwork done by Yoshitaka Amano, concept sketches, maps of the world. For under $20, it's a really great coffee table book to flip through and take a look at all the work that goes into each game.

Or maybe a Lightning plush to go with the deck. lol

If your friend is a little more into Final Fantasy than just XIII though, definitely either one of the Ultimania Archive books or one of Amano's artbooks like "The Sky" or "Illustrations". Best of luck to you!

ok that is a good thing to know lol

so I will pick 80$ and you pick 20$ :D

3DS Game

Book

Card game

that should be about 80$

Thank you for the super gift chance! :D you are the best!

I agree with comedian about the unity. It's a great program, free, and it has a bunch of great resources to help you get started. (like this book) You can also examine the code you use while you make things, which was a big help with learning C# for me.

This is great advice. I've always had high-stress jobs, and currently still do. I look at gaming as my release, but I agree, sometimes I can get a bit overloaded. Not so much by the games themselves, per say, but simply the act of sitting and staring at a screen.

I enjoy playing story-rich games mainly, so I've found what helps break up the "gamer-block" is to immerse myself with the game's lore.

Hell, for Christmas, all I asked for was some uniform items and duty gear for work, and Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives and The World of the Witcher. Both are incredible books btw, and really open up both game worlds, for anyone interested- World of the Witcher most especially.

It's tremendously relaxing to sit down and read- but still be immersing myself into the worlds I have found so much solace in the past few years.

P.S. If anyone is interested in either of those books, PM me, I can send you some pictures of some of the book's pages, you can get a feel for them.

Happy birthday!

1. I'm a terrible cook, but I've been trying to get better. I've been cooking two or three meals a week for her from this website. There's tons of delicious, easy recipes even for someone who is inept (like me!). I made this, this, and this for a picnic for my girlfriend's birthday. We loved it.
   
   
2. My girlfriend. Nothing makes me feel better than when I see her smile. She completes me.
   
   
3. rambopandabear spent all this time writing a book and you're reading the dust jacket? The hell is wrong with you? Flip the page and read!
   
   
4. Here's a green book about a green hero who lives in a green forest who collects green rupees who must save the world from the evil green man.

You can definitely play it without having played the other games. If you don't mind reading codex entries in the game, there's a ton of that in there with all sorts of background info. The characters do give some exposition on what happen in the past too. I mean you won't get that 'oh neato' feeling when there's some fan servicy thing they do to refer back to the other games (or novels for that matter) but the game and story itself I think are solid.

That said, Origins is a great game too so I would definitely recommend playing it at some point, and you can find it quite cheap on sale. I think you could definitely go and play it at a later date though having played Inquisition first.

I know people having differing opinions but there isn't really a right or wrong. Either way with or without having played the past games I think Inquisition is a great game that stands on it's own.

If you really want to get the background of the world before playing you can always grab the reference book The World of Thedas Volume 1 or for a quick and dirty Cliffs Notes version of the back story check out Kotaku's A Beginner's Guide to All Things Dragon Age. But really though, most of the info is already there in the game in codex texts and dialog.

• Awesome story
  
• Interesting settings/locations
  
• A ton of lore and history
  
• Fascinating characters
  
• Lots of room for RP
  
• Choices and Consequences
  
• Replayability
  
• Mods
  
• Community
  
  Edit: For your first playthrough, I recommend no mods and no reading of guides/wikis. They will spoil the excitement of not knowing what comes next. Just enjoy the experience! If you like it the first time then you will want to play it again with mods/guides.

The wiki would be the best place to start. It's constantly updated whenever new material is released, so it's often up to date even on things like the novels or comics.

If you don't mind spending some money, I would suggest World of Thedas as being an excellent compendium and overview on the world of Dragon Age. It covers the lore up to Asunder. I do want to stress that it is just an overview; the wiki is a lot more in-depth but WoT is useful if you're particularly new on the lore side of things.

But if you've played DA2 and its DLCs, you're pretty much up to date on the known lore. The novels Asunder and The Masked Empire would be the only things I would suggest you look into, as both novels serve to set up several different potential plots in DA:I. But you can read the basics on both of those novels on the wiki lol.

If you're feeling generous, I would absolutely LOVE to win this. Thank you for the contest :)

You could get this instead of the strategy guide. I own it and can vouch that it has a very well made and detailed beastiery but it is more focused on lore than specifics so idk how useful it would be for playing a tabletop RPG. It also has information about the different kingdoms, religions, and much more. Best part about it is that the whole book is supposed to be written by Dandelion and other characters. The section on Witchers is by Vesemir and the beastiary section by Geralt, etc.

The World of the Witcher: Video Game Compendium https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616554827/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gVOUBb6GX9K44

Are you looking for something fun or like a home gift? There are some really cool space plates and cups on Amazon, I own them and they’re great.

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Planet Plates, Planet Plates, One Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HWGP9W4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oQhlDb8M346J3

I actually can’t find the cups I have but these are similar and are cool. Nebula Glass Set with Images from NASA's Spitzer and and Hubble Space Telescopes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y16KQLZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ERhlDb1FVXZQM

If he’s into the Destiny lore my husband owns these and thinks they’re pretty cool - maybe get him the set?
Destiny Grimoire Anthology, Vol I https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945683449/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZUhlDbWM5VGQ0

Others are commenting that Zelda games don't have a great story but the Zelda Universe is actually an intricately woven tapestry. It highlights the neverending struggle between good and evil and the games balance exploration and puzzle-solving really well.

I think you might really benefit from reading The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. It goes into the lore of each Zelda game and places it in the Zelda timeline. Granted, it'll take away from some of the suspense if you decide to go back and play the older games but their gameplay should hold your interest if you do.

I'd check your local library first - you might be able to check it out for free instead of spending the $30 or so.

Something like this that they did for LoZ BotW would be sweet to have along the way, more like you were saying with concert art, interviews with the creators, storyboards, side stories, behind the scenes, world building, lore, history, mythology, and the like. Then after the show is done, a thick compilation of those books together would be amazing! Kinda like the Goddess Collection for LoZ, lore and history and plot and making of, art and artifacts, everything else you could’ve ever dreamed of

I was given the first Ultimania Archive as a gift recently and I really love it. It's a book full of concept art, development history, and just general information about the first six games of the series. Great gift for any fan and it's fairly cheap too.

You can be the Zelda to my Link. :) Haha.

The Hyrule Historia There is no more awesome Zelda item. I was gifted this and it is the crowning item in my Zelda collection. Purely amazing. :) <3

Link has twinkle toes

Does he enjoy Zelda? Then I highly recommend these two books (unless he already bought them):

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Art-Artifacts/dp/1506703356/

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Hyrule-Historia/dp/1616550414/

Both hardcovers, one gives a detailed history/timeline of most of the Zelda games. The other covers rare artwork of the Zelda series. Any Nintendo or Zelda fan would love these!! The ultimate gift!

The Grimoire is the story of the world of Destiny pre game. It’s actually really cool to read if he’s into books. There’s a few you tubers that’ve carved a career out of reading the Grimoire in videos. If you know he watches creators like MyNameIsByf or MyelinGames then this should be a good choice :)

Grimoire vol 1

Or if he likes playing cards there’s these too

Destiny playing cards

If your friend doesn't have EVE : Source, it can be a nice gift.

Or an Amazon Gift card with which your friend can by PLEX (an in game item used to add 30 days time to an account, or that can be sold in game for in game currency).

This, a hundred times this.

Written by one of the (i think) co-founders of Unity, this is how I got started a while back. The book may be a little outdated, but none-the-less, actually kept me engaged and taught me a lot, not as much programming wise though...


Otherwise, I would just go with youtube videos, those can be equally engaging and helpful.

Haha, awesome.

I'm very jealous of you playing The Wind Waker, I'd love to play through it again right now, but I'm desperately trying to hold off playing it until the HD release comes in October. Just two months and a bit to gooooo. I can't blimming wait, if you'll excuse my French.

Sounds sad to say, but I've not been into the handheld console lark for a while now, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am walking about London with that kind of kit on display. :P I am tempted though, Nintendo know how to make good handheld games.

The video cable? What do you mean by that? Like the top screen detached or something? That's what happened to mine when it was dropped. But the screen still works, barely- it's just very loose.

Ah man, I'm using the word jealous a lot here. But I'm very jealous that you've got the Collector's Edition on the Gamecube. I'd love that. I suppose they're not that expensive so maybe I'm just being a cheapskate.

Something I'm really considering picking up is the 'The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia'. It makes me fuzzy just thinking about it, and I've heard great things. The last time I looked it was £16 and it's now £21, so I might be better off getting it now rather than later. It would be a perfect Christmas present from someone though, so I'll wait and see, perhaps regrettably. Or maybe I won't, depends how much I'm craving some LoZ next time I think about it.

Oo-er.

Love that book. I would also reccomend this:



http://www.amazon.com/Last-Us-Poster-Collection/dp/160887379X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421965553&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+of+us+poster






It's very nice and pretty cheap. The posters are really nice, but I don't want to tear any of them out because it's just such a nice thing to flip through lol

Lmao! Fair enough. As an anime fan I do prefer Nomura's style. But I DEFINITELY appreciate Amano's work & even own The Sky Box set of art books.

To better understand the timeline and the general universe of LoZ I definitely recommend picking up the Hyrule Historia. Its a compilation book done after Skyward Sword and it depicts the original timeline and how it works within each game so far. It even touches on the Hero's Shade in Twilight's Princess. I really love the book and it's so well put together. I have beside me, so if there is any specific questions I can try to answer them that haven't already been touched on so far.

Edit: I forgot to provide a link to the book. Amazon.com

Anything from Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D illustrator, among others). All of the Final Fantasy compilations are good and I would recommend the Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV book as well.

The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506705812/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AlRPDbFCFFRBH

Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506706444/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_qMomh98bxFD9h

Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506706622/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_LAxO4tBIZrTtg

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616551607?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This one is up for pre-order of you like pixel art
FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506713521/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nnRPDbPFQ1KJK

Like others have said, it really depends on what you plan on buying. Besides one or two convention exclusives, I never have a set idea of what I'm buying while I'm on the floor. If something catches my interest, I'll scope out the price and make decision.

As far as how fair the pricing is, I've gotten some moderately generous deals before. I ended up buying The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy from some shady-looking dude on the floor for $10 less than its asking price, a week or so before it hit the market. I've also been able to buy some vintage PS2/GameCube games at half their normal eBay or Amazon costs. Just take a good look at all the smaller, niche booths. You can sometimes find gold.

I'm not sure how to show you what we'd want from Zazzle but I guess if we win you'd contact us individually about it? O_o (for me it's a custom poster)

As for your bf, well....what are some music he likes/movie genres, etc that he likes?

Oh my Zazzle!

EDIT: maybe he might like this?

There are some excellent game development engines these days that let you get from zero code to satisfaction very quickly.

Check out Unity3D. A friend of mine who is a novice programmer picked up the free engine plus this book and had a 3D physics based block smashing demo up within an hour. Impressive stuff.

A lot of these are pseudo-random/not in a particular order (like vol 20, 21, and 22), but there are often 2-3 in a series that qualify. I also found some (listed at the bottom) that weren't part of this deal but had coupons to use to get them for an immediate discount.

RWBY: Official Manga Anthology Vol. 1 & Vol. 3

Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 7: Includes vols. 19, 20 & 21 & Vol. 9

Dragon Ball omnibuses: Vol 5, Vol 13

Tokyo Ghoul: re, Vol. 11 & Vol. 8 & Vol. 13

Radiant Vol. 5 and Vol. 6 - Is this even technically a manga??

Mixed 3-for-2 and coupon deals within a series (but you should probably collect these series in their box sets to save money):

Bleach, Vol. 64 is $8.68 - $2.02 coupon.

Bleach, Vol. 68 & Vol. 69 & Vol. 70 & Vol. 73

Bleach Box Set 3: Includes vols. 49-74

Naruto (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 23: Includes vols. 67, 68 & 69 is part of the 3 for 2 deal.

Naruto, Vol. 67 is part of the 3 for 2 deal.

Naruto, Vol. 72 is $8.45 - $1.79 coupon.

One Piece, Vol. 76 is $8.66 - $2.00 coupon.

One Piece, Vol. 77 is part of the 3 for 2 deal.

One Piece, Vol. 78 is $8.36 - $1.70 coupon. Same price as vol 76.

---

Interesting stuff part of the 3 for 2 deal:

Shigenori Soejima: Art Works Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 - From Persona artist Shigenori Soejima.

Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus Volume 1

Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2 and Volume 3

If he is in to video games there's a good chance he's a Zelda fan. If he also reads, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia would be a great gift.

I'd like to recommend the following:

A great book for foundations (math stuff):

3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development
http://www.amazon.com/Primer-Graphics-Development-Wordware-Library/dp/1556229119
I found this to have really nice clear explanations of Vectors, Matrixes, etc.

For learning OpenGL the "red" book is great!

OpenGL Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL
http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Programming-Guide-Official-Learning/dp/0321773039/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I haven't read this one but a lot of people recommend it for Unity.

Unity 3.x Game Development Essentials
http://www.amazon.com/Unity-3-x-Game-Development-Essentials/dp/1849691444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334698866&sr=8-1

Can confirm. I just bought this item last week for $31 plus shipping. Just did a chat with an Amazon rep and was refunded $18 as well. Thanks for the heads up!

To add to this, it is an AWESOME collection and I thought it was a steal for $31, even better at this price.

Does anyone own: http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Worlds-Fantasy-Yoshitaka-Amano/dp/1593078684/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396380677&sr=1-1&keywords=dawn+the+worlds+of+final+fantasy

I read that it contains a lot of the same artwork and not worth getting if you purchased "The Sky". Was curious how accurate that was.

https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Art-Final-Fantasy-Slipcased/dp/1616551607/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522189883&sr=8-3&keywords=yoshitaka+amano

is one of the best purchases i have ever made.

Amano is one of my favorite artists. Love his work.

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 ;)

I bought a copy off amazon when it released last year. It is really great. Great production value and product.

I live in the USA so idk how much this helps you, but here's a link to the one I purchased off Amazon.

It's a direct link from my previous orders "buy it again" option so I can 100% verify it's a solid link, mine was shipped in a timely manner and arrived in perfect condition.

Destiny Grimoire Anthology, Vol I https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945683449?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Again though, idk if you living in Italy will effect its availability, but hey I tried lol

Creating a Champion - Hero's Edition. It includes a map of Hyrule and a Spirit Orb

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild-Creating a Champion Hero's Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506710115/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LgwTCbR55WR0X

Gnomes is a good example. Hmm.

A SUPER popular guide book that came out in 2013 was The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, based on the game's world and history.

CONCORD, it's all caps. They're not separate, they're comprised of the four Empires. There's a certain degree of separation, but CONCORD relies entirely on the four Empires sharing the financial burden etc. Think of it as a heavily militarized United Nations.

And yes, capsuleers directly interface with the ships through the hydrostatic capsule, but keep in mind CONCORD has control over all systems we interface with. Trade, comms (chat channels), contracts, station services etc etc etc. Hell, they even print and own all our currency. Our ISK? Entirely artificial, exists only for us and isn't part of the baseliner economy. They can wipe all our money in an instant. Why do you think we can't just bombard whatever planet we want? Why do you think some lunatic hasn't plowed his battleship armada into Dam-Torsad yet? We can't even target these things, exactly because we have these leashes. Which frankly makes perfect sense, because those invisible leashes are just about the only thing that could make these Empires go "Hmm, sure, let's have these mad gods roam our skies in multi-billion ISK warships. What can possibly go wrong?".

As for actual sources for this stuff, it's spread across a lot of places. I highly recommend going through the Fiction Portal , Backstage's Evelopedia backup (limited, as the datadump from Evelopedia lacked a bunch of stuff. It's being slowly but surely rebuilt on the Fiction Portal by volunteer ISDs.) and buying Eve Source at some point.

I'm not going to annotate shitposts on reddit with specific sources, because after over a decade of playing and roleplaying in Eve, devouring all the fiction and lore, it's just too much fuckin' work.

For my nostalgia fix haha

|Say something

Sure, I'll even give you an awesome GIF for free!

The Sky art books on Amazon. They are a collection of concept art by Yoshitaka Imano from the first 10 games. I own this collection and it is really quite spectacular. Hyrule Historia is also a good gift, as it covers all Zelda games from inception through Skyward Sword. Not as much of an art book as it is a general retelling of the franchise and an order of events for the games.

If you husband is somewhat of an audiophile, I would suggest Distant Worlds 1 & 2

This should cover you for whatever birthdays/christmas/anniversaries for like a year.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sky-Fantasy-Slipcased-Edition/dp/1616551607

I bought that for my best friend for his birthday and he about shit himself. It is a beautiful collection. I own one myself as well.

1. The Freedom key from the Limited Edition Guide
   
2. The Art of Bioshock Infinite
   
3. Any Bioshock Infinite themed shirt
   
   >Constants and Variables
   
   >Constants and Vairables 2
   
   >The Infinite Loop (Infinite/Portal crossover)
   
   
4. ????
   
   That's all I can think of. Have fun deciding OP!

It's mostly just official chronicles and stories that are available elsewhere but I'm still partial to http://www.evereader.org/

Of the three novels, all of them are fairly old and some stuff has been retconned but The Empyrean Age was good, My copy of Templar One seems to be missing a lot of punctuation but I managed to make it through after I adjusted to it.

The Burning Life is very tonally different and I couldn't even force myself to finish it.

More recently, Eve: Source is a dedicated lore/art book released last year but I don't have it so can't comment on it's quality.

And I see someone's already linked True Stories

"Creating a Champion" Hero edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506710115?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

This probably isn't what you are looking for, but is the closest to what I know might be.

I picked this up a few years ago, The Sky. It is three art books on Amano's art for the Final Fantasy series. Even if you don't have it there is a chance you've seen decent chunk of this. Skimming through it I'm not seeing anything describing his process or interviews. It is largely just concept art for the games.

However, what it does have is a chronological order of his Final Fantasy art from 1987. So you might be able to use it as a collected grouping of his art to see his evolution over the decades. At least as far as Final Fantasy is conerned. n

The NES era, volume 1, looks to be mostly just the occaisonal scene, but mostly the final drawn art pre-Pixel conversion.

Volume 2 is the SNES era. As it progesses it begins including more varied stuff. Some serious drawings, some silly little asides.

Volume 3, the 3D era up to FF10 is different. Less art per game, but looks to be earlier in the process stuff than the previous two volumes. More "drafty" for lack of a better word. Stuff like this where Aerith looks more like Celes. A noticeable amount of pages where the same drawing is shown in different Colors. Three variations of this are in this volume scattered about.

As a layman, it seems the three volumes are:

• Volume 1 - NES finished work before handed off the pixel team, plus a few cinematic scenes.
  
• Volume 2 - Finished work, some concept messing around, and "doodles". It is twice the size of the other two.
  
• Volume 3 - Seems to have the most evolution of character concepts as development progressed.

If this link works:


https://www.amazon.com/World-Witcher-CD-Projekt-Red/dp/1616554827

Hardcover sourcebook that gives a history of the world, characters, magic, religion, bestiary, etc in the Witcher universe.
I collect these types of things for RPGs :)


Really well done with some great artwork. It's the only lore-related book that I could find outside of the 2 short-story books and 5 novels. And the Season of Storms book. There might be some comics too...

Hmm. Official here is a strong word. Ales Kot is the writer of that comic and to my knowledge, he was privy of no additional information than we are. It's more like a well funded Fan comic.


There's the Artbook, The Vinyl, and the boardgame.


If you just want stuff similar to BB I know of a couple.

Not explicitly relevant to Japan Travel, but an English version of FF Ultimania covering FF1-6 was just announced. Hopefully it has some of the content you are looking for

It's also #1 on amazon.ca for the time being.

When I pre-ordered it a few days ago it was already sitting at #2.

Dark Horse is definitely going to be happy they are releasing this in North America if the pre-orders continue this way.

Also interesting of note is that there is still no cover image on any of the amazon sites that I have seen. I have a feeling Dark Horse will be creating one themselves but it will be interesting to see how it differs from the Japanese version.

It's for programming, and "a bit" heavy, but the "game programming gems" book series is pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Programming-Gems-CD/dp/1584500492

It's the map that comes in the Creating a Champion Hero's Edition. It's amazing!

If you really want to start from the very beginning, read the books first:

https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/wiki/index#wiki_books
https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/3qm8p9/so_you_want_to_read_the_witcher_books_guide/

There's also the compendium: http://www.amazon.com/World-Witcher-CD-Projekt-Red/dp/1616554827 -- which is chock-full of information to help you navigate the universe and the lore.

But you can play the games first, that's what I did, though I feel like I missed quite a bit of the backstory and the references. I played TW1 in 2014, TW2 in 2015, and just finished TW3 this month after playing for five months. And I started reading the books three months ago. You can jump into any game and enjoy it, but if you want my advice, start with the books and then work through the games. It's worth it.

Here are links to Amazon for the NORMAL and LIMITED EDITION versions. Also, if you like the comics, here's a link to the Anthology Volume 1.

I figured I'd provide the links after I saw searching that for "Art of Overwatch" turned up some slightly risque images of Overwatch's female heroes. =P

You might already know this but Hyrule Historia is being localized and is coming out Jan 29, 2013. Amazon has them available for pre-order and has a 40% discount on it, an even bigger discount than when I pre-ordered it. So yeah just letting you know if in case you were interested in it.

Link

get him hyrule historia. i suggest this, as one of my friends also loves the zelda games, but doesnt care about CIB or collecting per se. he loved this though.

Definitely FFVII then! If you want something fancier, there are replica Buster swords and Play Arts figures--Cloud and Sephiroth are the anchor characters and probably the safest bets. This art book is gorgeous if you think he might be into that, but it's not FFVII exclusive. This print set is cute, too. Or there's the Static Art Minis of Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa.

There's probably a bunch of soundtracks & such out there too, but I'm not too familiar with those.

Will this be a good present for someone who says they love Legend of Zelda? She's only 14.

There's a huge map of Hyrule in the Hero's Edition of the book Creating a Champion.

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Breath-Wild-Creating-Champion/dp/1506710115

Look on Etsy lots of custom made stuff. Hyrule Hystoria is a pretty good book for any fan.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Legend-Zelda-Hyrule-Historia/dp/1616550414

Yea they're pretty much sold out, you can buy the art book at amazon for 27 bucks> I was able to get the Post Pandemic edition, and too be honest I dont know whether or not to keep it. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Last-Us/dp/161655164X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370805730&sr=8-1&keywords=last+of+us+art+book

It depends how experienced you are. I have found the best resource so far to be the Unity website's official tutorials.

Here's a great one to start with:

http://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/scripting/translate-and-rotate

If you don't know any C at all, I would recommend this one:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-c-by-developing-games-with-unity-3d-terry-norton/1116543759?cm_mmc=googlepla-_-book_45up-_-q000000633-_-9781849696586&ean=9781849696586&isbn=9781849696586&r=1

It's silly, but it's up to date and doesn't spend too much time dicking around. I would buy the e-book though, I don't know about $50 for this one (then again, I'm broke).

This one is a little out of date but supposedly still relevant, and though I haven't looked at it yet it's widely recommended:

http://www.amazon.com/Development-Essentials-Community-Experience-Distilled/dp/1849691444

This is the best picture I could get. I didn't have much to compare the posters to in my room so I found this. The posters are the same size as the cover, 16 inches. When you click the link scroll over all the way to the right on the images. Hope this helps. Image

You should get Hyrule Historia. My friend gave it to me for my birthday and it's beautiful and informative. Full color, lot's of pictures, timeline, concept art.

It's TLoS art book, pretty cheap on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161655164X there's also a poster book that's quite good http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160887379X

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Metal-Gear-Solid-I-IV/dp/1506705812?tag=viglink20241-20

I've got it and it is a pretty amazing set. It has just about every piece from all the art books released.

This is so purdy. I flipped through it at a bookstore and I want it. I love art books like this.

If anyone wants to start reading The Witcher novels I made a guide over on the "Featured Character" comment section that I'll repost here:

Short stories:

1. [The Last Wish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Wish_(book) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
2. Sword of Destiny - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   Novels:
   
   
3. Blood of Elves - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
4. Time of Contempt - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
5. [Baptism of Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism_of_Fire_(novel) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
6. The Tower of the Swallow - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
7. [The Lady of the Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_the_Lake_(novel) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   Overall:
   
   
8. The Last Wish
   
   
9. Sword of Destiny
   
   
10. Blood of Elves
    
    
11. Time of Contempt
    
    
12. Baptism of Fire
    
    
13. The Tower of the Swallow
    
    
14. The Lady of the Lake
    
    The short stories are a must-read before the novels because they introduce many characters and plot points for the main saga. There is also a prequel story called Season of Storms which hasn't been officially translated into English yet, but there are fan translations if you can't wait. I haven't read it myself, but I hear that it is best read after the others. If you want to know more about The Witcher lore there is always The World of the Witcher^UK which will give you more backstory and details.

You should get the Metal Gear Solid I-IV Artwork book collection if you like it. Has all the art from all the games. Promos, character development, concept art, etc. it’s like $45 on Amazon. The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506705812/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sA.zDbXZ4B2TY

I've read all the books but if your interested in learning more about the lore and the setting I would recommend The World of Thedas book.

• Game Programming Gems there are a bunch of hardcover books in this series
  
  
• Algorithms in C++
  
  
• Expert Programming in C it is C, but a great book
  

It's this one, but in Japanese (I think): http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1593078684 It's mostly pictures, so the language does not matter. I don't even remember how I got it, all I know is that it was awesome. It's a Final Fantasy artbook.

Oh no, that sounds like The Sky, which you should be able to find for much cheaper, though coming from someone who collects artbooks of all kinds (and loves Final fantasy), it's priceless. But on Canadian Amazon it's about $20 to $30 cheaper and worth every penny.

You're in luck. Dark Horse's the Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV was just released last year and is still easy to find online. MGS V is a separate book though.

I was about to buy one, but it cost more for shipping than it cost for the book on bungie's site...

But it's luckily on Amazon so I'm getting one now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1945683449/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Not sure if they have stuff about development on the Ultimania Archive Vol. 1. I know they have a lil bit of VII on the Vol. 2 but dunno about the previous ones.

It's a great book tho, try to check it

I've been wanting this for a while: http://amzn.com/1616550414 - I can't wait to find out all the cool little backstories and inside info on the Zelda games, it's supposedly a great read for fans of the series.

I was looking into the destiny grimoire.

Destiny Grimoire

If your talking in game lore there some in the triumphs pages as well as scannable objects in the game world. I’m sure there is a guide somewhere.

yea its on there, I pre-ordered it a coupla weeks ago, no price on it but expecting about £20-25 tbh

Edit: Just checked and they've put a price on it now, £17.99, great!


Amazon Link

Theres Art of Eorzea, as well as the Heavensward Artbook.

There's The Dawn, and the Art of Final Fantasy XV will be released around December 2017.

I really enjoy the Art of Eorzea since the artstyle is right up my alley and just love Akihiko Yoshida, Masao, and Namae's artstyles too bad they left the team :(.

If you dont mind, there's also The Tactics Ogre Artbook that's primarily by Tsubasa Masao, under the tutelage of Akihiko Yoshida, who both worked on Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII (iirc), and Final Fantasy XIV.

I would highly recommend Will Goldstone's new edition of "game development essentials"... he works for UnityTechnologies, so I would say he knows what he's talking about ;) make sure you get the latest edition!

here's a link to it:
http://www.amazon.com/Unity-3-x-Game-Development-Essentials/dp/1849691444/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506706444/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_359iDbCRME55B

I own all three of these and they are super cool.

These don't start from the beginning, but the Game Programming Gems series is amazing for aspiring game programmers.

I think it's this one, I honestly can't remember because it was really recent and I let a friend borrow it. This comment actually reminded me that I have to ask for it back :P

Edit: Wait nope, it's this one

Unity 3.x Game Development Essentials, by Will Goldstone

it treats you like you've never touched game development or unity before, which was perfect for me.

Just picked it up, good looking out! Here's the Non-referral link for anyone who cares.

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "1"

Here is link number 2 - Previous text "2"

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^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete

I highly recommend people check this out.

The IX section really impressed me. I expected a lot smaller section than what it ended up having.

I decided to pass on the CE edition and get the digital download + Amano's new Final Fantasy Collection book that's being rereleased in August: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sky-Fantasy-Slipcased-Edition/dp/1616551607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372817252&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sky

A good alternative for those who missed out on the CE.

Glad to hear it's selling well though!

I like it because I finally got a random gift without entering a contest (: and I like how there's a really positive vibe.

Can I haz gold?
I don't know if it counts but the cover has gold on it.

Grab everything ending in "Gems"..

Graphics Gems 1 through 5 (old, 1990-1995, covers everything from the bresenham line algorithm to perspective corrected texture mapping, basically everything you need to build a software 3D engine, not that you'd need to do that today but it's great know how)

GPU Gems 1 through 3 (relatively old, 2004-2007, but the techniques described are still in use: various lighting/shading techniques, procedural textures and geometry, tons of tricks you'd recognize from big titles, book 3 has some gpgpu stuff)

Game Programming Gems 1 through 8 (2000-2010, each book is a tour de force on the techniques used in the games of that era, from AI to audio processing, to window management, whatever you need it's covered, albeit sometimes too concisely but at least you're not trudging through pages after you've already "got it" there's always other books if you need to go deeper)

Despite Amazon saying the reprint of the Collector's Guide will be release on April 30th, Lobosjr has stated it's at the beginning of May, FYI.

Here are the Amazon Smile links:

Collector's Guide &

Official Artwork

Hyrule Historia. Great book for reasonably cheap, a real collectors item and essential to understanding Zelda timelines, previous games and lore.

Hyrule Historia Amazon Link

Bought it on amazon for about 30 bucks And imo it was worth it. It has Art, concept art, Lore, Letters, character backrounds and descriptions etc etc. It has pretty much everything within the Dishonored world.

If you're looking for tattoo inspiration I'd say it's a worthwhile investment. Only $30 and the tattoo is forever...its already only $0.08 for the first year

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1772940364/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524071976&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bloodborne+art+book

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.

If you really want to give love to the art team, might I suggest pre-ordering the following, set for release on Oct. 24:


The Art of Overwatch


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506703674/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think the best bet would be to consult documentation itself. However, if you are looking for a quick tutorial on all aspects of unity(Including relatively simple tutorial on Sound), then I would suggest This Book. If you are trying to do something like Bit Trip, then Unity might not be best option out there, just my 2 cents.

Yeah, you're right - it would be more. For comparison, I looked at the going price for these two Blizzard books I own:

Starcraft II Field Manual

Diablo III Artbook

And this one as well:

Hyrule Historia

They're all in the $34.99 - $39.99 range. Which I would still totally pay for a nice coffee table Destiny book.

I'm the same way with A Link to the Past. I recommend this. Every Zelda fan should have it. Worth EVERY penny.

Preordered on Amazon (I live in the US). I don't usually preorder things, but the art style of the Witcher games is a big inspiration for my own art, so I can't wait to get my hands on this.

There is an immense amount! Start here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dishonored-Dunwall-Archives-Games-Bethesda/dp/1616555629. After that there is a comic book series and a novel with two more to be released. The wikia also houses a lot of info :)

The one is the exact same one I pre-ordered and it was the one that ranked number 1 on best selling books.

This comes out in May and its discounted for preorder rn

Bloodborne Official Artworks

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1772940364/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_adQJybQ9JZNHM

There's an IGN Up At Noon video reviewing it.. Looks cool. Easy purchase for me.

If they draw stuff, try getting them an artbook? And knowing that they like Final Fantasy, maybe give something like this a shot:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593078684/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0744000505&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1Q0S24RCWGA4RXHMQZYE

That's the "sample" booklet that came with the Collector's Edition of the game. It's a lot smaller and indeed has only 64 pages, with art that's taken from the bigger version.

That version is for sale at amazon for a reasonable price (I payed a lot more for mine :') )
http://www.amazon.com/The-BioShock-Infinite-Irrational-Games/dp/1595829946/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396272639&sr=8-1&keywords=the+art+of+bioshock+infinite

Not a link to the map directly, it's part of the Making a Champion Hero's Edition.

Not sure if they sell the map separately.

It's on Amazon though:
https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Breath-Wild-Creating-Champion/dp/1506710115/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=breath+of+the+wild+making+a+champion+special+edition&qid=1571637879&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Sounds like you'd be interested in this.

Link for Amazon, enjoy!

This one is my favorite

Here and Here are lists of a bunch as well

US version due in June 2017

JP version out since February 2016

I imported the japanese artbook when it came out last year.
All the items and characters have their names stated in japanese and english.
It's a great artbook.

It's all in here.

But you can read all about it in here if you don't want to buy the awesome book.

I grabbed this bad boy for about $5 once. Every once in a while, I play the Zelda "found special item" sound and hold it up, just to remind everyone in my home how awesome I am.

eta: they never seem particularly impressed. dicks.

Funny you should mention that because I *have* the full Ultimania and none of Barret's pages make mention of a medallion (including the page cited in the Wikipedia article you're linking to). The relevant parts of these books have been translated by fans for well over a decade now (particularly **anything** concerning characters, their designs, and concepts), and yet there's never been a mention about this so-called medallion from any veritable source.

​

Not even the official English translated version of the Ultimania (which came out last year) has mention of it

November 10th and the baby will be a boy!

Less than $20

Less than $40

Also, congrats! Do you have any names planned yet?

You make me hard as a Goron when I'm with you. <3
Oh, and this would have to be one of the most awesome Zelda-related items I've heard of- though I can't say it mentions that Link has twinkle toes.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild-Creating a Champion Hero's Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506710115/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zt-yCbJQGC21G

You can take it for a spin: http://arqspin.com/s/54gci8l1792p

Pandemic Edition. Somehow didn't come with the art book like the Survival Edition did.

Lil' bit lame. But like the statue.

I have the sling pack, too. :-)

Amazon It's back up to $80CAD now, but CamelCamelCamel shows it at $60 for a couple years. Just gotta hope for a sale now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVE-Source-CCP-Games/dp/1616552719
http://community.eveonline.com/backstory/chronicles/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6fHwvmpC5_giY0sti0LXgQ/videos

Should be a good many many hours worth.

I pulled inspiration for this piece from Amano's work in this book set. It has a lot of his work from FFI-FFX!

Also on Amazon.CA --> https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Fire-Emblem-Awakening/dp/1616559381/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465333640&sr=8-1&keywords=art+of+fire+emblem

Both have free shipping!

Edit : Idk if people already know but for amazon US it's 34% off ---> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1616559381/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1465333972&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=the+art+of+fire+emblem+awakening&dpPl=1&dpID=51a7QegonoL&ref=plSrch

That looks really nice. I want this and the Sky (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616551607/) on my coffee table someday

Is it the Art of Overwatch? $28 new on Amazon and some sellers have it up for $15-$20 in good condition.

The Art of Overwatch https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506703674/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fEIvCb6GYJ9ZE

€39.22, free delivery!

Found this book really useful: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unity-3-x-Game-Development-Essentials/dp/1849691444/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374536084&sr=8-2&keywords=unity+game+development

Tis all i've been using and got a good grasp of Unity in no time :)

Edit: Not specific to Windows Phone but just basics of Unity etc

I highly recommend The Last of Us poster collection. It comes with 40 extremely high quality posters that are absolutely amazing. They are smaller (12x16) than what you are looking for but I got frames for mine and switch them out every now and then.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Us-Collection-Insights-Collections/dp/160887379X

It's one of the posters is The Last of Us poster collection. Seriously recommend getting this if you want some cool posters.

'Creating a Champion' book, hero's edition!! I preordered on Amazon (it was a bit cheaper back in August :( ) but it should now be widely available (I think?): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506710115/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fire-Emblem-Awakening/dp/1616559381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509584498&sr=1-1&keywords=fire+emblem

Feel free to take a picture of it with a cat after purchase.

★ Physical Grimoire Anthology Volume I on Amazon ($ 17.92, +Tax, Free Prime Shipping)

[Physcial Grimoire Anthology Volume I on the Bungie Store.] (https://bungiestore.com/products/preorder-destiny-grimoire-anthology-volume-i) ($ 24.99, +Tax, +Shipping)

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★ E-Book Grimoire Anthology Volume I on Barnes and Noble ($ 13.99, +Tax)

E-Book Grimoire Anthology Volume I on Kobo ($ 19.99 + Tax)

Here german Amazon link for germans! Pretty cheap imo.
The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition https://www.amazon.de/dp/1506705537/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0Dugzb57P2FTC
The Art of Overwatch https://www.amazon.de/dp/1506703674/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UJugzbQN5BDWR

FYI, it's currently 1/2 off on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1506710115

This book was suggested in the last thread as a really good source of information: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849691444/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2N51X1QYGFUPK

I have yet to actually read it though. I have to wait until I get some money at the first of the month.

That's a very nice collection. I'm assuming you've already got Hyrule Historia preordered then, huh?

Which book is it? I've been thinking of picking up The Sky to have something to thumb through, every now and again.

Edit: I may have answered my own question, because I can't find another one... haha.

Definitely!

https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Grimoire-Anthology-Vol-I/dp/1945683449/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=destiny+lore+book&qid=1562188708&s=gateway&sr=8-3

16$ right now.

I can see it on Amazon as still in stock. I don't know how reliable that is, as it says it's back-stocked. http://amzn.com/1616552719
Worth a shot if you do want it perhaps.

Every mini that was painted by BigChild Creative, (hopfully) in the order they were posted to the Kickstarter.

Official FromSoft/Sony Art Works on Amazon.

This book is made by the same person and is the newer edition, is it better? http://www.amazon.com/Unity-3-x-Game-Development-Essentials/dp/1849691444/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Thanks for the link.

https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Grimoire-Anthology-Vol-I/dp/1945683449/

Sure! It's volume 1 of the Grimoire Anthology, focusing on the darkness and the books of sorrow.

Definitely looks interesting! https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Grimoire-Anthology-Vol-I/dp/1945683449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543083713&sr=8-1&keywords=destiny+grimoire+anthology+volume+i

Other than something like Hyrule Historia?

Or how this took several years.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616559381?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

In for the long haul, lol.

Looks like you can pre-order from here for $25.89. Aww yeahhh!

Oh sorry! I just woke up lol. Cant read yet apparently. It's all the stuff you can see and read in the first game.

Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616555629/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_97ApDbK40HECD

Spain

Spanish ? Does that help ..

I bought one of these, they're available on Amazon if anyone is interested.

Atleast we've gotten the grimoire anthology book. Hopefully they keep making those

Edit:
They just announced a second vol and a vol of comics

My last art book was Hyrule Historia , a Zelda art book which was also published by Dark Horse Comics. I’m very excited for this one. :D

I must have missed that. Then what about EVE source or the eve art book. Both should be available in Amazon. Also the popular eve history kickstarter.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616552719?keywords=eve%20online%20book&qid=1449271884&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161655701X?keywords=eve%20online%20book&qid=1449271884&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

http://evehistory.com/

Looks like they're in the process of making it, called "Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives". Looks interesting, but the release date is in November.

seems like a normal poster size at least

I could see it being like the Hyrule Historia

The Yulai Convention; the Secure Commerce Commission Outer Territories Act of YC 105; the CONCORD Exodus Act of YC 106; and the CONCORD Sovereignty Act of YC 107.

Source: EVE: Source.

Playstation Lifestyle says May 23rd as according to the Amazon listing, however the current Amazon listing says June 13th.

The article is probably outdated, as it seems they had to push the release date back for it.