This book is the result of several years of research and mental exercise, as well as the product of years of game playing and designing. The goal was always to provide a tool to encourage designers and to assist anyone connected with a game project. My vision was that this book would accompany you to design meetings and brainstorming sessions, and that everyone on the team would have access to a fund of ideas and possibilities.

Of course, my initial goal was to think of absolutely everything possible, but, of course, I knew that would never happen. This book is a work in progress, and I fully intend on seeing it improve over time. I welcome suggestions and ideas, which you can offer by posting at davidperry.ning.com.

As the book evolved, it became clear that it could serve both as a reference and as a brainstorming tool. I envision people sitting with the book at hand, considering different approaches to their design and referring to different sections of the book for ideas and inspirations. Throughout the book, my coauthor and I have added suggestions about other sections to consider. By checking different lists and descriptions throughout the book, you may discover ideas or possibilities you hadn’t previously considered, or you may simply find it easier to refer to the lists in this book to help you with different areas of design.

For instance, Chapter 12, “Character Design,” includes a step-by-step method for filling out the personality and background details of any character in your game, referring constantly to more fully fleshed-out sections of the chapter for further detail. If you’re looking to consider items you might place along a road or highway, we have a list of possible items. Another list describes the different roles characters may play or the jobs they may perform, and one of our favorites is a categorized list of ways to die (or kill, for that matter).

You want weapons? We have tons of them, including historical, ethnic, and modern weapons, with a bit of history and technology thrown in for good measure.

Simply put, we encourage you to open the pages of this book in any way that serves your needs. You can read it as a textbook, use it as a reference, or simply refer to it for ideas from time to time. You can take the challenge to discover something we’ve missed and let us know what it is, or you can take it to meetings and use it to discuss different design decisions. It’s completely up to you how you use this book, but we sincerely hope you find it useful.