I am wanting to make php script games like mafia wars, pimpwars, etc. I don't want a mafia or pimp game...I am just saying I want to make something similar. By similar I mean the basics such as multiplayer online game, paid options, etc. Anyway, are there any books you guys would suggest for me to accomplish this? I am prepared to do a lot of reading + trial & error...I just want some guidance of where to start. Thanks in advance.
Try learning PHP first. w3schools is a great place to start. I learned PHP in about a week and got really better by using it just to make some random scripts. You can download open source scripts and read through them and see how they work. Taking a script apart is also a great way to learn fast.