Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks PDF Author: Ethan Gilsdorf
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0762766786
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335

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Book Description
An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming What could one man find if he embarked on a journey through fantasy world after fantasy world? In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar. “For anyone who has ever spent time within imaginary realms, the book will speak volumes. For those who have not, it will educate and enlighten.” —Wired.com “Gandalf’s got nothing on Ethan Gilsdorf, except for maybe the monster white beard. In his new book, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, Gilsdorf . . . offers an epic quest for reality within a realm of magic.” —Boston Globe “Imagine this: Lord of the Rings meets Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.” —National Public Radio’s “Around and About” “What does it mean to be a geek? . . . Fantasy Freaks andGaming Geeks tackles that question with strength and dexterity. . . . part personal odyssey, part medieval mid-life crisis, and part wide-ranging survey of all things freaky and geeky . . . playful . . . funny and poignant. . . . It’s a fun ride and it poses a question that goes to the very heart of fantasy, namely: What does the urge to become someone else tell us about ourselves?” —Huffington Post

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks PDF Author: Ethan Gilsdorf
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0762766786
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335

Get Book Here

Book Description
An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming What could one man find if he embarked on a journey through fantasy world after fantasy world? In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar. “For anyone who has ever spent time within imaginary realms, the book will speak volumes. For those who have not, it will educate and enlighten.” —Wired.com “Gandalf’s got nothing on Ethan Gilsdorf, except for maybe the monster white beard. In his new book, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, Gilsdorf . . . offers an epic quest for reality within a realm of magic.” —Boston Globe “Imagine this: Lord of the Rings meets Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.” —National Public Radio’s “Around and About” “What does it mean to be a geek? . . . Fantasy Freaks andGaming Geeks tackles that question with strength and dexterity. . . . part personal odyssey, part medieval mid-life crisis, and part wide-ranging survey of all things freaky and geeky . . . playful . . . funny and poignant. . . . It’s a fun ride and it poses a question that goes to the very heart of fantasy, namely: What does the urge to become someone else tell us about ourselves?” —Huffington Post

Gaming as Culture

Gaming as Culture PDF Author: J. Patrick Williams
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786454067
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Since tabletop fantasy role-playing games emerged in the 1970s, fantasy gaming has made a unique contribution to popular culture and perceptions of social realities in America and around the world. This contribution is increasingly apparent as the gaming industry has diversified with the addition of collectible strategy games and other innovative products, as well as the recent advancements in videogame technology. This book presents the most current research in fantasy games and examines the cultural and constructionist dimensions of fantasy gaming as a leisure activity. Each chapter investigates some social or behavioral aspect of fantasy gaming and provides insight into the cultural, linguistic, sociological, and psychological impact of games on both the individual and society. Section I discusses the intersection of fantasy and real-world scenarios and how the construction of a fantasy world is dialectically related to the construction of a gamer's social reality. Because the basic premise of fantasy gaming is the assumption of virtual identities, Section II looks at the relationship between gaming and various aspects of identity. The third and final section examines what the personal experiences of gamers can tell us about how humans experience reality. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Fantasy Gaming

Fantasy Gaming PDF Author: Martin Hackett
Publisher: Sutton Publishing
ISBN: 9780750943604
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
For the first time, renowned gaming expert Martin Hackett brings together fantasy role-playing and fantasy wargaming. The result is a complete gaming system, allowing experienced or novice players to explore a fictional world in character by taking part in adventures and going on to lead armies into battle, conquer territory and found empires. Fantasy role playing took off in the late 1970s with the rise of TSR's Dungeons and Dragons. Fantasy wargaming, by contrast, is the clash of two or more mythical armies, played out with miniatures and scenery on a tabletop battlefield.

eGods

eGods PDF Author: William Sims Bainbridge
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199323712
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
What is the relationship between religion and multi-player online roleplaying games? Are such games simply a secular distraction from traditional religious practices, or do they in fact offer a different route to the sacred? In eGods, a leading scholar in the study of virtual gameworlds takes an in-depth look at the fantasy religions of 41 games and arrives at some surprising conclusions. William Sims Bainbridge investigates all aspects of the gameworlds' religious dimensions: the focus on sacred spaces; the prevalence of magic; the fostering of a tribal morality by both religion and rules programmed into the game; the rise of cults and belief systems within the gameworlds (and how this relates to cults in the real world); the predominance of polytheism; and, of course, how gameworld religions depict death. As avatars are multiple and immortal, death is merely a minor setback in most games. Nevertheless, much of the action in some gameworlds centers on the issue of mortality and the problematic nature of resurrection. Examining EverQuest II, Lord of the Rings Online, Rift, World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and many others, Bainbridge contends that gameworlds offer a new perspective on the human quest, one that combines the arts, simulates many aspects of real life, and provides meaningful narratives about achieving goals by overcoming obstacles. Indeed, Bainbridge suggests that such games take us back to those ancient nights around the fire, when shadows flickered and it was easy to imagine the monsters conjured by the storyteller lurking in the forest. Arguing that gameworlds reintroduce a curvilinear model of early religion, where today as in ancient times faith is inseparable from fantasy, eGods shows how the newest secular technology returns us to the very origins of religion so that we might "arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Advanced Fighting Fantasy

Advanced Fighting Fantasy PDF Author: Graham Bottley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780857440679
Category : Games
Languages : en
Pages : 173

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Book Description


The Fantasy Sport Industry

The Fantasy Sport Industry PDF Author: Andrew C. Billings
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136318046
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
Fantasy sport has become big business. Recent estimates suggest that there as many as 33 million fantasy sport participants in the US alone, spending $3bn annually, with many millions more around the world. This is the first in-depth study of fantasy sport as a cultural and social phenomenon and a significant and growing component of the contemporary sports economy. This book presents an overview of the history of fantasy sport and its close connection to innovations in sports media. Drawing on extensive empirical research, it offers an analysis of the demographics of fantasy sport, the motivations of fantasy sport players and their significance as heavy consumers of sport media and as ultra-fans. It also draws cross-cultural comparisons between fantasy sport players in the US, UK, Europe and beyond. The Fantasy Sport Industry examines the key commercial and media stakeholders in the production and development of fantasy sport, and points to new directions for the fantasy sport industry within modern sport business. It is therefore, fascinating reading for any student, scholar or professional with an interest in sports media, sports business, fandom, the relationship between sport and society, or cultural studies.

Deathtrap Dungeon

Deathtrap Dungeon PDF Author: Ian Livingstone
Publisher: Wizard Books
ISBN: 9781848310773
Category : Fantasy fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Baron Sukumvit's devilish labyrinth of Fang is riddled with fiendish traps and bloodthirsty monsters.

FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy

FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy PDF Author: Square Enix
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN: 1506735061
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
A hardcover volume that showcases the intriguing evolution of pixel art from the Final Fantasy series! Containing detailed sprite sheets that showcase the pixel composition of Final Fantasy's beloved characters, maps of Final Fantasy's most popular highlighting tools used by the developers, and a special interview with Kazuko Shibuya, the character pixel artist for the Final Fantasy series, FF Dot is a one of a kind product that immerses readers into an iconic aspect of the Final Fantasy experience. Dark Horse Books is proud to collaborate with Square Enix to bring fans FF Dot: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy, translated into English for the first time. This localization of the original Japanese publication holds nearly 300 pages of colorful pixel art, and is an invaluable addition to any Final Fantasy fan's collection.

Fantasy Wargaming

Fantasy Wargaming PDF Author: Martin Hackett
Publisher: Harpercollins
ISBN: 9781852602130
Category : Fantasy games
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
This is a guide to fantasy wargaming outlining its history, the role of the controller, rules for play and methods to enhance the game and create the player's own world.

Isle of the Unknown

Isle of the Unknown PDF Author: Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Publisher: Lamentations of the Flame Princess
ISBN: 9789525904253
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
A Setting Designed to be Placed in Any Fantasy Campaign! Formatted as a hex-based adventure location, the Isle contains 330 unique challenges and locations, including over 100 new monsters and dozens of spellcasters with unique abilities. The book contains over 120 full-color illustrations, including every single monster found on the Isle. Compatible with Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role-Playing and other traditional fantasy role-playing games. The included PDF version of Isle of the Unknown is fully layered and bookmarked.