Comments on: Raph Koster’s book http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/ A game designer's eye view of things Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:14:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Sirlin http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-142 Mon, 21 Mar 2005 03:21:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-142 My ISP moved me to another server with new features or something. My old admin password didn't work, I couldn't access my ftp site, couldn't update sirlin.net, can't get to my forums, and couldn't get blogger to update or archive. As of now I can log into my own admin, and I think I got blogger able to post (but not archive) on the new server. Working on it... --Sirlin My ISP moved me to another server with new features or something. My old admin password didn’t work, I couldn’t access my ftp site, couldn’t update sirlin.net, can’t get to my forums, and couldn’t get blogger to update or archive.

As of now I can log into my own admin, and I think I got blogger able to post (but not archive) on the new server. Working on it…

–Sirlin

]]> by: Anonymous http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-141 Tue, 15 Mar 2005 16:38:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-141 A book would be cool, but eh, Sirlin, if you don't mind me asking, wtf happened to your forums? A book would be cool, but eh, Sirlin, if you don’t mind me asking, wtf happened to your forums?

]]> by: Sirlin http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-140 Fri, 11 Mar 2005 04:30:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-140 Unforunately the book won't be out by March 27th. Even though it's finished, it takes a few months to get to production. Also, I'm still debating whether to inititally use xlibris or whether to shop more with real publishers first. --Sirlin Unforunately the book won’t be out by March 27th. Even though it’s finished, it takes a few months to get to production. Also, I’m still debating whether to inititally use xlibris or whether to shop more with real publishers first.
–Sirlin

]]> by: Icecap Veiwin http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-139 Fri, 04 Mar 2005 08:59:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-139 Oh, you're writing a book? Once it's published, could I find it at, say, Barnes and Noble? All I want to know is, is it coming out before March 27 (my birthday)? If it is, I want it. Oh, you’re writing a book? Once it’s published, could I find it at, say, Barnes and Noble?

All I want to know is, is it coming out before March 27 (my birthday)?

If it is, I want it.

]]> by: Anonymous http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-138 Tue, 01 Mar 2005 11:54:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-138 Hi Sirlin. Ive read most of the articles on Sirlin.net and very much agree with all of them. When you brought up the fact that future games would/should "develop analytical skills, skills with language, and hopefully reward trickiness, cunning, ability to think on your feet, and ability to recognize and affect the feelings of other people/characters", I thought this is exactly what POKER is. Ive been a gamer for about 4 years, and I recently got heavily into Poker. Nearly everything you described that a good game should teach is an inherent skill that a good poker player has to master. Anyway thats my 2 cents. Hi Sirlin. Ive read most of the articles on Sirlin.net and very much agree with all of them. When you brought up the fact that future games would/should “develop analytical skills, skills with language, and hopefully reward trickiness, cunning, ability to think on your feet, and ability to recognize and affect the feelings of other people/characters”, I thought this is exactly what POKER is. Ive been a gamer for about 4 years, and I recently got heavily into Poker. Nearly everything you described that a good game should teach is an inherent skill that a good poker player has to master. Anyway thats my 2 cents.

]]> by: Anonymous http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-137 Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:56:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-137 An older game of courtroom drama is "In The First Degree" an old game put out by Broderbund. But I'll have to check out that book if i get the chance. An older game of courtroom drama is “In The First Degree” an old game put out by Broderbund.

But I’ll have to check out that book if i get the chance.

]]> by: Sirlin http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-136 Thu, 24 Feb 2005 05:53:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-136 Wow, Raph actually responded and even threw in some compliments. My day is made. Perhaps I misread the bits about mastery. I'll have to look it over again when I'm not half-asleep. If exercising mastery against other expert players is still learning (and it is!)--and therefore fun--then I guess I'm out of disageements with Raph's book. All the more reason anyone who doesn't have it should go get it. Raph, I have followed your writing for years, and I'm glad you found the time to put a book together. Maybe you'll be half as kind to my book: Playing to Win (available soon!) ;) --Sirlin Wow, Raph actually responded and even threw in some compliments. My day is made.

Perhaps I misread the bits about mastery. I’ll have to look it over again when I’m not half-asleep. If exercising mastery against other expert players is still learning (and it is!)–and therefore fun–then I guess I’m out of disageements with Raph’s book. All the more reason anyone who doesn’t have it should go get it.

Raph, I have followed your writing for years, and I’m glad you found the time to put a book together. Maybe you’ll be half as kind to my book: Playing to Win (available soon!) ;)

–Sirlin

]]> by: Anonymous http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-135 Tue, 22 Feb 2005 18:02:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-135 Raph here. First off, I don't remember meeting you (I meet tons of people at conventions) but I've been reading your writing for quite a while. :) It's pretty insightful, IMHO. On the issue of exercising mastery--a competitive game against an opponent who is also a master of the game IS a learning opportunity. If you go back and re-read your articles on playing to win, you'll see the stories you have there reinforcing my point. You've got masters of the game bringing up new tactics and new approaches that even other masters have to work hard to counter. That's continued learning. It's the case of beating up on a scrub that isn't a learning opportunity. In a single-player game, the scrub is the computer--there's a point where beating up on a scrub AI is pointless and little more than a form of meditation. Meditation has its own rewards, but there's better forms of it than video games. So that's the sort of exercising mastery that I was talking about. In competitive games, it only comes up in severe mismatches of ability. Raph here.

First off, I don’t remember meeting you (I meet tons of people at conventions) but I’ve been reading your writing for quite a while. :) It’s pretty insightful, IMHO.

On the issue of exercising mastery–a competitive game against an opponent who is also a master of the game IS a learning opportunity. If you go back and re-read your articles on playing to win, you’ll see the stories you have there reinforcing my point. You’ve got masters of the game bringing up new tactics and new approaches that even other masters have to work hard to counter. That’s continued learning.

It’s the case of beating up on a scrub that isn’t a learning opportunity. In a single-player game, the scrub is the computer–there’s a point where beating up on a scrub AI is pointless and little more than a form of meditation. Meditation has its own rewards, but there’s better forms of it than video games.

So that’s the sort of exercising mastery that I was talking about. In competitive games, it only comes up in severe mismatches of ability.

]]> by: Sgt Seraph http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-134 Sun, 20 Feb 2005 01:36:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-134 Hello, I just started reading your blog and all the articles on your old site (your sirlin.net one) And, I must say that all of the stuff I've read so far on your sites are really good, especially the stuff about competitive gaming. So, it got me thinking to maybe writing my own blog about games, and I started one. If you ever have absolutely nothing else to do, you might try and take the time to peruse the site with your infinite wisdom. My blog is http://seraphcorner.blogspot.com Hello, I just started reading your blog and all the articles on your old site (your sirlin.net one) And, I must say that all of the stuff I’ve read so far on your sites are really good, especially the stuff about competitive gaming. So, it got me thinking to maybe writing my own blog about games, and I started one. If you ever have absolutely nothing else to do, you might try and take the time to peruse the site with your infinite wisdom. My blog is http://seraphcorner.blogspot.com

]]> by: NObodyNOWHERE http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-133 Fri, 18 Feb 2005 00:03:00 +0000 http://www.sirlin.net/archive/raph-kosters-book/#comment-133 Also, I think there was an IF/text adventure style courtroom game published about 15+ years ago that was supposed to be fairly engrossing. I think it was actually a Perry Mason game. I never played it, but I've heard good things about it. It's available at HOTU, if anyone cares. Oh yeah, nice article, Sirlin... Also, I think there was an IF/text adventure style courtroom game published about 15+ years ago that was supposed to be fairly engrossing. I think it was actually a Perry Mason game. I never played it, but I’ve heard good things about it. It’s available at HOTU, if anyone cares.

Oh yeah, nice article, Sirlin…

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