Greg Costikyan Livres

How uncertainty in games-from Super Mario Bros. to Rock/Paper/Scissors-engages players and shapes play experiences.

IF YOU were going adventuring, in search of some great treasure, would you choose these companions? TIMAEUS D'ASPERGE is the leader of the expedition. He's a newly graduated wizard, and he knows just as much about magic as brand-new MDs know about doctoring. NICK and SIDNEY are partners in the business of assembling expeditions. They're pretty good at it...when they're speaking to each other. GARNI, the dwarf, is Nick's roommate. He's a good adventurer, but he does have a tendency to carry too much equipment. KRAKI, the barbarian, is one of the strongest men and best fighters alive. However, he's not too bright. FATHER THWAITE is a fine cleric and a good healer. That is, if he's not drunk. Together, they travel into the Caverns of Cytorax. And what they bring back causes far more trouble than any-thing they run into on the original expedition.

The market is up. The product is selling. The company (and the CEO) are about to make even more money. Until the aliens land.