Stern administrators lorded over sterile university laboratories and stressed one point to the wide-eyed students privileged enough to set foot within them: Computers were not toys.Defying authority, hackers seized control of monolithic mainframes to create a new breed of computer game: the roguelike, cryptic and tough-as-nails adventures drawn from text-based symbols instead of state-of-the-art 3D graphics.Despite their visual simplicity, roguelike games captivate thousands of players around the world. From the author of the bestselling Stay Awhile and Listen series, Dungeon Hacks introduces you to the visionaries behind some of the most popular roguelikes of all time, and shows how their creations paved the way for the blockbuster video games of today—and beyond.

    BioShock and Philosophy: Irrational Game, Rational Book presents expert reflections by philosophers (and Bioshock connoisseurs) on this critically acclaimed and immersive fan-favorite. Reveals the philosophical questions raised through the artistic complexity, compelling characters and absorbing plots of this ground-breaking first-person shooter (FPS) Explores what BioShock teaches the gamer about gaming, and the aesthetics of video game storytelling Addresses a wide array of topics including Marxism, propaganda, human enhancement technologies, political decision-making, free will, morality, feminism, transworld individuality, and vending machines in the dystopian society of Rapture Considers visionary game developer Ken Levine's depiction of Ayn Rand's philosophy, as well as the theories of Aristotle, de Beauvoir, Dewey, Leibniz, Marx, Plato, and others from the Hall of Philosophical Heroes

    It will also contain extensive and exclusive interviews with the key developers, designers and artists behind some of the most beloved games and characters in the history of the medium. The book starts with a foreword by Gary Whitta (PC Gamer magazine/Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).Interviewees for the book include (in no particular order) Tim Schafer, Robyn Miller, Ron Gilbert, David Fox, Aric Wilmunder, Richard Hare, Hal Barwood, Gary Winnick, Noah Falstein, Mark Ferrari, Dave Gibbons, Jane Jensen, Simon Woodroffe, Steve Stamatiadis, Louis Castle, Gregg Barnett, Al Lowe, Brian Moriarty, Charles Cecil and Paul Cuisset - plus plenty more…As you can see from the list, the book covers titles such as King’s Quest, Myst, Toonstruck, Discworld, Blade Runner, Gabriel Knight, The Flight of the Amazon Queen, Simon the Sorcerer and of course other classics, such as The Secret of Monkey Island, The Dig, Maniac Mansion and Full Throttle. All of the most famous and iconic point-and-click adventures are going to be covered, as well as some lesser-known games and home-brew efforts.

    He has no local ties and lying next to his body oddly enough, was a bag full of money. As word spreads of what seems to be murder lacking an obvious motive, this sparks the interest of freelance reporter Skyler Avery. Working as a reporter and writing for the local paper, Skyler is ready to delve deep into the most recent "event." She enlists the help of a lawyer at a local firm, Nichole Chambers. Skyler and Nichole work feverishly and eventually narrow their list down to three main suspects. Just when they thought they found the killer, everything changes. Were their instincts right or does the chilling answer lie with someone else?

    Anxious to start a new life, Samantha decides to open up a business of her own, and throws herself into making the dream a reality. But along the way, there are plenty of obstacles popping up to make life a little more challenging than she expected - nosy neighbors and cranky in-laws, attractive men and pretentious sisters, a gossipy mother, mysterious hate mail, and ghosts from the past that threaten to destroy everything she's worked to achieve. And just when Sam thinks things couldn't possibly get worse, there's a murder on her property that the local detective seems mighty determined to pin on the newest resident of Peabody. Suddenly Sam is overwhelmed with troubles she never imagined, and she knows the only way to get through any of it is by keeping her sense of humor and trusting that God really does know exactly what He is doing.

    What is needed is a clear and simple method of learning one scale in all positions, and of learning all scales in one position. Guitarists need to be able to call up any scale to their fingertips instantaneously regardless of key, mode, string, or position and they need to be able to do so without memorizing hundreds of pages of diagrams. Fortunately, this is not only possible, but it is also incredibly simple. This booklet will teach you how.

    One of her debts is with the owner of a landscaping company. Could she pay him back in services? He seems nice enough...Excerpt:As soon as Jeff walked into his office, he knew something was amiss because it was Monday morning and Todd and Alan were all smiles. When he stepped in, Mitch seemed to come out of nowhere, slapping him on the back and telling him what a glorious Monday morning it was.In his seven years working with Todd and Alan, Jeff had never seen them smile; he didn’t even know they could smile. And as for Mitch ... he must have smelled too many of those weeds they were taking out of their clients’ yards.Completely dumbfounded, he turned the corner into his office and immediately realized it wasn't weeds or weed. The reason behind the smiles on and the cheery disposition of these clowns on this glorious Monday morning took another shape altogether.Stumbling into his office after being caught off guard and slapped on the back, he was immediately greeted by the most gorgeous, ass-thetically pleasing tush in tight jeans he had seen in a long, long time.He wondered what the face looked like and quickly decided it didn't really matter as he focused on her assets while she was bent down shuffling through some papers and totally unaware of the eight eyes boring through her. Four pair of eyes who should have been working on something, but couldn't disengage.The fact that she was rummaging through his papers didn’t immediately register.The woman turned around without looking up and carried a stack of papers to a file cabinet that had come with the building and had never been used. As far as he could recall, the cabinet had never been opened, and so far, had been used as a shelf for a silk plant his mother gave him as a gift when he started the business.To his dismay, the plant was now in the trash bin next to the file cabinet. That hurt.The woman was oblivious to the attention she was getting and after depositing the stack of papers in a neat pile in the top drawer of the file cabinet, she turned around to see a gaping Jeff standing before her.The first thing Jeff thought before hinging his jaw back into place was that the woman's front-side was just as pretty as her backside. She looked to be in her early thirties, and not only wore the jeans very well, but the white t-shirt she had on was filled out in all the right places and looked like an advertisement for trouble.She was petite, but disproportionately bigger where it really mattered. Her hair was tied with one of those elastic fabric bands his nieces always wore, and her eyes were as green as the silk plant had once been.Jeff gave himself a few seconds before giving in to reason. Regretfully, he decided it was time to put an end to his enjoyment - nice tush or not. After all, this was his office, he was the boss, and he had no idea what the hell was going on.“What did you do to my plant?!” was somehow the first thing that came out of his mouth. As if realizing how stupid his remark was, Jeff rather forcefully shoved his amused employees out of the way and out of his office.She looked down at the trash bin he was pointing to, and she suddenly seemed very confused when she looked up to see his expectant and slightly flushed face.“It’s dead. I don't think it can be saved, so I threw it out." Bending down to get it, she added, "I can put it back up he ..."Now that really hurt. Not to mention the fact that her bending down again completely disarmed him.“How can silk be dead?” he snapped.“That was silk?" she replied smiling. "Wow, I never met anyone who could kill silk before.”Jeff tried to ignore the chuckles coming from the room next door, but just as he was about to snap at them, the intruder...

    Undercover for the last eighteen months, his assignment has been handed down personally from the Director of National Intelligence. Meeting with his contacts in the darkness of a global and elite, members-only sex club, Tristan spends his time not chasing women, but the origins of a dangerous Shadow Broker—a double agent selling U.S. weapon security codes to Russian intelligence. When Champagne magnate, Renè Lebleu reaches out to him, Tristan puts his duties on hold for two days, flying to his birthplace in France to meet a man he’s never seen—a father he’s never known. Upon arrival Tristan is filled with suspicion, but his animosity, forged by years of abandonment and lies, is quickly put on notice by his father’s trusted confidant and bold personal assistant, Henriette—Henry—Tribolet. Meeting his match in the gorgeous and intelligent Henry, Tristan finds it hard to keep up his typical and indifferent air. But Henry Tribolet sees straight through Tristan’s steely indifference to the heart of the real man—a man with an enormous capacity to forgive. A would-be Champagne heir discovering true love for the first time. Caught in a web of lies, Tristan must defend his innocence from a malicious ploy crafted by enemies and insiders while chasing the threats of foreign adversaries across the globe. When Tristan discovers the true nature of the family he never knew, he’ll fall deeper into the perilous world of International espionage than ever before—taking Henry with him. What begins with Champagne and trust, will end in deceit and murder.

    The things that are hidden inside change his life forever. He is suddenly heir to a barbaric and bloody history of brutal glory as magic slowly dies from the world. Now John is stalked by powerful and petty mages as he struggles to learn the rules of the game, endangering himself and those around him. Then there is the half naked Tribesman, that only John can see, following him around. Confronting his own failings and struggling with the world he has found himself in, John still has to find a way to pay his rent on time. He would also like to not lose the girl of his dreams in the process. This book is NOT Young Adult it contains some language inappropriate for children under 15.

    7/7/2005: Ben Morgan, a cybersecurity specialist with the Metropolitan police, starts another day at work. It will be the last normal day he ever has.The Present: In Hong Kong, a crime overlord is offered a deal by shadowy agents from Beijing: his life for a new kind of operation in London. Morgan, now a part of an off the books cyber-terrorism prevention unit, must do everything to stop its spread.This is a new kind of war: different goals, tactics, rules, stakes. And Morgan is caught right in the centre... A pulse-pounding thriller rooted in reality, perfect for fans of Frederick Forsyth, Andy McNab and James Deegan.

    Grace treats readers to an escape to the picturesque San Juan Islands in her Hometown Harbor Series. Dive into Sam's private journal in this prequel novella to the first book in the Hometown Harbor Series. Get a glimpse into Sam's life and thoughts through selected excerpts from her journal over the last thirty years. You'll get to know her before she takes center stage as the main character in Finding Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel (Book 1) Whether you're just starting the series or you've read them all, Hometown Harbor: The Beginning, a novella, is a wonderful way to get an in-depth perspective of Sam's life before her move to Friday Harbor.

    And sell it, too. The top three reasons people never finish a novel or a film are all bullshit, and here's the reasons why.

    A deadly secret.In the stifling summer heat of 2018, Sarah Evatt suffered every parent's worst nightmare: her six-year-old son, Charlie, let go of her hand and disappeared into a crowd.He never returned.Three years later, Sarah's life is back on track. She has met a loving new boyfriend. She has just moved to a gorgeous new home. She is finally beginning to conquer her grief and trauma, and accept Charlie is gone, once and for all.Until she gets a visit.A visit from a man she is convinced is involved in Charlie's disappearance.A visit that makes her wonder whether Charlie might still be out there, after all.And a suspicious message that threatens to unearth dark truths about Sarah's past.Truths only someone closest to her could know.As events continue to spiral, Sarah must unmask the person psychologically torturing her, and find out exactly who they are, what they want, and what they know about her son.But who can she trust?And will she be able to discover their identity before she loses control completely?When I Find You is a dark psychological domestic thriller packed with twists and turns. You won't be able to put this page-turner of a novel down, right up to the staggering final page.

    Explanations (with photos) of how to use the six most important positions in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to dominate your opponents. How to figure out which techniques you need to learn and practice next. What the highest percentage submissions and escapes are for each position. The background you need to avoid asking stupid questions in class. My best tips to maximize your training time, and to avoid injuries on the mat. And a ton of illustrations, photos, and links to important articles and techniques you must know.

     In this book you’ll find: • 9 steps to build a portfolio that will survive the Perfect Financial Storm, so you can stop worrying about the economy, the latest financial catastrophe, or what the market did today • 2 questions you must answer before you invest another dime • Why investing after you retire is radically different from investing while you’re still working • The life expectancy of 6 key types of investments—and what you can do to make them last as long as you do • The 10 essential questions you must ask a financial advisor—before you hire one • The exact amount of money you can withdraw without worry or guilt, knowing you’ve applied the best available research to ensure you’ll never run out of money “Thurman takes a subject that is often misunderstood, and provides you the reasons, the methods, and an understanding of what you can expect to achieve, so you can invest with confidence.” –Jimmy J. Williams, CFP®, CPA/PFS CEO/President of Compass Capital Management, LLC “A must for anyone thinking of retiring or recently retired!” –Stan Toler, bestselling author of The Secret Blend