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Chapter 5
Magic as Programming,
Programming as Magic
M
, programming is magic. is cen-
tral idea shapes the entire structure and content of this book. e
process of programming magic systems in videogames is itself a magi-
cal act. Such an analogy does not have to doom designers to a maze of
innite regression and meta-level self-reexivity. Rather, we as designers
who program will be better able to create rich, intricate magic systems if
we recognize the underlying technological framework of these systems as
based on codes that themselves resemble magic. Recognizing the magic
of programming can help keep our motivation ...