“Designing Virtual Worlds” by Mikhail Kadikov is a highly recommended resource for anyone interested in level design for computer games. With an in-depth exploration of designing virtual environments, this book is a comprehensive guide for creating game levels that are both intuitive and engaging.

This book is more than just an instruction manual. It provides a deep dive into the initial concept phase, covering everything from the planning and building of game levels to manipulating player behavior and emotions, and even storytelling through the environment. The author shares valuable insights and practical tips that can be applied to your own work, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out in game design.

In addition, the book features examples of successful virtual worlds and their level designs, providing inspiration and a benchmark for your own work. The author’s passion for game design is evident throughout the book, making it a pleasure to read and a valuable addition to your library.

Even if it’s available only in Russian, you can easily translate it to your language due to the simple language writing.

By reading, remembering, and applying the lessons learned in practice, you can take your level design skills to the next level and create truly immersive virtual worlds that players will love to explore.

In this book, first published in 1977, the authors present a radically new approach to architecture and construction. They believe that people should design their own homes, streets, and neighborhoods, based on a simple observation: the most wonderful places on the planet were not created by architects but by ordinary people.

The book describes a language for designing the environment, using patterns that answer architectural questions such as the height of windows, the number of floors a building should have, and the area allocated for trees and lawns in a micro-district.

Containing over 250 patterns, each with a description of a specific problem, discussion supported by an illustration, and a solution, this book can help you design a house for yourself and your family, develop a project for an office, workshop, or public building, and work with neighbors to improve your neighborhood or even the entire city.

“The Language of Patterns” is one of the most significant books of the 20th century, having influenced the development of design, architecture, and computer science, including object-oriented programming.

You can use this book to design a house for yourself and your family, work with your neighbors to improve your town and neighborhood, design an office, workshop, or public building, and even guide you in the actual process of construction. The same approach can be applied to make your virtual architecture from prop to full-scale city more reliable and reasonable in the real world.

These include:

• A great team can make even a mediocre idea into something amazing.
• Leaders must strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature to be well-prepared.
• It’s not a manager’s job to prevent risks but to create a safe space for others to take them.
• Fixing errors is often less costly than preventing them.
• Communication at a company should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.

This book can help you with creating virtual worlds by providing insights into the creative process and leadership philosophies that have made Pixar successful. The author shares how a unique environment was created at Pixar that protected the creative process and defied convention. This can be applied to any type of creation, where maintaining a creative and innovative environment is crucial. The book also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and taking risks, which are essential for creating engaging and immersive virtual environments.