Ninja: Get Good

Reader,

A few things before we drop in. This book was designed with a single idea in mind: what I wish I had known about gaming when I was starting to get serious about it.

This isn’t really meant to be the kind of book you pick up and read starting on the first page and ending on the last, though you can do that if you want. It’s more like a reference book—an encyclopedia, by me, for gamers like us. It’s a compendium of some of the tips and tricks I’ve collected over the years, arranged in one place so that you can look to it when you need some guidance on the little things or the big ones. Whether you’re brand-new to gaming, or you’re a grizzled veteran, I think you’ll learn something new.

The best place for a book like this is right by your computer or your console. It’s meant to be used, not just read and then put on the shelf. You can look at it when you have questions or feel stuck. Revisit it occasionally to see if you learn something new. Write your own tips or discoveries in the margins, and dog-ear pages you find especially useful. If you ever ask me to sign your copy, I want to see that you’ve really put it to use.

There are a couple content features in here you should know about before you start reading. “Hot Fix!” boxes explain quick ways to address common errors, while boxes marked “Ninja’s Way” are specific illustrations of how I personally handle the challenges that I’ll describe in more abstract terms in the main text. There are also exercises and even a little game. Finally, I’ve added a list of resources at the back that you can check out once you think you’ve exhausted what I’ve written here. There’s only so much you can say in a single book, so I want you to know where you can go when you’re ready to take your game to the next level.

Unlike games, you only get one chance when it comes to books, so I’ve tried to make the wisdom in here as timeless as possible. That means I don’t talk much about how to play specific games. Instead, I talk about gaming. I’ll use Fortnite, Apex Legends, and plenty of other games as examples throughout the book, but most of the content in here is meant to be bigger than any one game. Games come and go, and you’ll have to go with them. But if you pay attention to the lessons in this book, you’ll find that you’re never really starting over. Who knows—maybe you’ll even beat me someday. Or not. That’s up to you.

See You In-Game,
Tyler