{"product_id":"9780786458950","title":"The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games","description":"\u003cp\u003e Tracing the evolution of fantasy gaming from its origins in tabletop war and collectible card games to contemporary web-based live action and massive multi-player games, this book examines the archetypes and concepts within the fantasy gaming genre alongside the roles and functions of the game players themselves. Other topics include: how \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e helped shape fantasy gaming through Tolkien's obsessive attention to detail and virtual world building; the community-based fellowship embraced by players of both play-by-post and persistent browser-based games, despite the fact that these games are fundamentally solo experiences; the origins of gamebooks and interactive fiction; and the evolution of online gaming in terms of technological capabilities, media richness, narrative structure, coding authority, and participant roles.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company (Author: Tresca, Michael J.)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50087589740901,"sku":"9780786458950","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0852\/0538\/5573\/files\/imageloader_6514800e-4132-4a59-8012-f1fa4743f269.jpg?v=1770204411","url":"https:\/\/paralleluniversebooks.com\/products\/9780786458950","provider":"Parallel Universe Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}