Some really good links lately.
First, only vaguely related to RPGs or game design, but I found this article fascinating:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23592#
It's nominally a book review by GOAT chess-master Garry Kasparov on a book about chess. But really, it's an essay containing Kasparov's thoughts on chess, computers, and artificial intelligence.
Next, John Harris continues his essay on skills in the roguelike game Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup:
http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/02/column_play_crawlapalooza_part_1.php
I find this interesting as a discussion of skills in RPGs, moreso than for the specific information about Crawl. I've linked to this series in the past, and I fontinue to enjoy reading through it.
Last, Rampant Coyote starts a new series:
http://rampantgames.com/blog/2010/02/game-design-pulp-fiction-and-games-part.html
http://rampantgames.com/blog/2010/02/game-design-pulp-fiction-and-games-part_04.html
He explores a how-to article on writing pulp fiction (you know, like Conan and the like), and how that relates to writing computer RPGs. A good series of articles chock full of advice and insights.
