Designing virtual worldsUpplaga 1

Introduction. 1. Introduction to Virtual Worlds. Some Definitions. What They Are and Whence They Came. The Past Affects the Future. The Basics. Influences on Virtual Worlds. The Designer. 2. How to Make Virtual Worlds. Development. On Architecture. Theory and Practice. 3. Players. Who Are These People and What Do They Want? Player Types. Other Categorizations. The Celebration of Identity. Anonymity. Role-Playing. Masquerading. Community. Influence Through Design. 4. World Design. Scope. Major Decisions. Geography. Population. Physics. Reset Strategy. 5. Life in the Virtual World. Advancement. Character Generation. The Virtual Body. Groups. Combat. Crafting. The Elder Game. The Whole Picture. 6. Its Not a Game, Its a…. Points of View. Making Sense of Virtual Worlds. Virtual Worlds as Subfields. Virtual Worlds as Tools. Virtual Worlds asVirtual Worlds. Conclusion. 7. Towards a Critical Aesthetic. A Theory of Virtual Worlds. The Story of Story. The Critical Aesthetic in Use. 8. Coda: Ethical Considerations. Censorship. Players as People. Groups of Players as Groups of People. Yourself. Index.