Table of Contents

Part 1: Shadow of the Past 1 King for a Day - The Role Playing Appeal 2 The Oft Expected Party - A Brief History of the Genre 3 Defining the Perfect Beast - The Fundamentals of the RPG Part 2: The Designers Domain 4 We Few, We Happy Few - Designers and the Team 5 The Lifecycle of the Role Playing Title Part 3: Workshop of the Gods 6 It's Alive!!! Alive!!! - Electrifying your Game Play 7 Socket Wrenches of the Gods - Building Live Worlds 8 The Architecture of Fantasy - Putting the Elements Together Part 4: The Games 9 John Cutter: Betrayal at Krondor 10 Chris Taylor: Dungeon Siege 11 Trent Oster: Neverwinter Heights 12 Sarah Stocker: Pool of Radiance II: Ruins of Myth Drannor 13 John Van Canegham: Might and Magic I-IX 14 Carly Strehlin: Ultima Online Appendixes A Glossary B Proposal - Betrayal at Krondor C The Design Document - Excerpt from Nox D The World Layout - Excerpts from Fallout E The Game Script - Excerpts from Betrayal at Krondor

About the Author

Neal Hallford has been a professional game designer for more than ten years and has led several best-selling computer role-playing titles. He co-authored the story Krondor: the Betrayal which became a New York Times best-selling novel and has created stories and designs for hit computer role-playing games (RPGs) such as Planet's Edge, Betryal at Kondor, and Might & Magic III:Isles of Terra.