Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives [Paperback]

Jeff Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1568813473 | ISBN-13: 978-1568813479

This unique take on quests, incorporating literary and digital theory, provides an excellent resource for game developers. Focused on both the theory and practice of the four main aspects of quests (spaces, objects, actors, and challenges), each theoretical section is followed by a practical section that contains exercises using the Neverwinter Nights Aurora Toolset.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jeff Howard's Quests is an incisive and highly accessible book that leads the reader on an exploration of literature, computer games, and a connection between them. --Nick Montfort, author of Twisty Little Passages

Howard impressively handles bridging the gap between interactive fiction and classical literature with a thoroughly researched and well-argued treatise that focuses itself squarely on the two mediums connections and similarities. --Daniel Erickson, Principal Lead Writer, BioWare Austin

Howard is a true Renaissance man in these electronic times. He merges his knowledge and love of literature with his enthusiasm for computer games and the unexplored possibilities of the new medium. Human intellectual activity has a common base, be it expressed in the form of poems or computer games, and Howard shows us some of the most stunning connections between the old form of quest literature and the new challenges of games. --Dr. Susana Tosca, Associate Professor, IT University of Copenhagen

About the Author

Jeff Howard received his BA from the University of Tulsa (2000) and his MA (2002) and PhD (2007) from the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently an assistant instructor in the English department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: A K Peters Ltd (February 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568813473
• ISBN-13: 978-1568813479
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #554,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars bridging the gap between the academic and the practical, February 8, 2011

By 

Kristen D. Maxwell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives (Paperback)

Howard's book is a refreshing departure from the usual focus of gaming texts, which give you the option of hands-on coding tutorials or lofty academic screeds. The middle-ground presented here is full of details from literary analysis to gameplay mechanics, and proves that Howard has actually PLAYED his share of games (the same cannot be said of many university gaming professors who are often squeezed in to existing literature or computer science programs). You won't see arguments about ludology vs narratology (i.e. gameplay vs story), or a deconstruction of gaming through a narrow lens like gender politics or whatever academic focus is in vogue at the moment. Rather, Quests provides a holistic view of how to use the vast cultural repositories of myth and folklore to craft better gaming experiences.

In short, Howard is an academic seeking to improve the quality of video games. That's a noble quest indeed!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice ballance betwen theory and practice, October 2, 2009

By 

L. oliveira "Jônatas K. Oliveira" (São Carlos, SP, Brasil.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives (Paperback)

(First of all, English is not my language... so I will try to write this review the best I can.. sorry for mispellings) I bought this book for my master degree studies and I was surprised with the theoretical analisis mixed with practice... the author get a nice mix of both and made a great analisis of quest's history and theory.
The only thing I don't like too mutch is the design of text that used just a portion of the paper... there is too mutch blank area in this print... but could be nice to someone who likes to make annotations over the text...
The book I've bought was a used one, but the conditions are very good... just like a new one... so... that's it... a good book for those who want to learn more about quests, or who want to design better quests...