The Game Design Round Table

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about information. What are the advantages and disadvantages of perfect information games? How much is "enough" for each player to know? And how does Monopoly cause fist fights?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline 0:00:53 - Fog of war and limited information 0:05:31 - Information and scoring 0:14:23 - Game length 0:33:07 - Seafall 0:37:40 - Good examples of hidden information 0:45:50 - War Stories

Dirk and David take a brief respite from interviewing developers to talk about the games they've been playing. An extensive discussion on Europa Universalis IV eventually morphs into why people are fascinated by trains.----Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron---Episode Outline 0:01:01 - Europa Universalis IV 0:33:04 - Empire Builder 0:41:13 - Trains!

Dan Fabulich from Choice Of Games joins Dirk and David to talk about the interactive fiction genre and the process of choosing an adventure that may or may not be your own.--------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Dan Fabulich - @choiceofgames, [email protected], www.choiceofgames.com-----Episode Outline 0:00:31 - Choice of Games 0:01:43 - Interactive Fiction 0:05:58 - UI 0:23:30 - Gender and Choice 0:31:37 - Best Practices 0:42:57 - Other IF Developers 0:46:26 - Branded Properties 0:54:20 - Making choices matter---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Choice of Games http://www.choiceofgames.com/ Inkle Games http://www.inklestudios.com/blog/ A Dark Room https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-dark-room/id736683061?mt=8 Device 6 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/device-6/id680366065?mt=8 San Franciso Interactive Fiction Meetup http://www.meetup.com/sf-bay-area-interactive-fiction/

This week Dirk is joined by game designers Jay Cormier and Sen Foong Lim of Bamboozle Brothers. Jay and Sen describe what it's like working with a partner long distance, getting picked up by a publisher, and their process to designing tabletop games.---------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Jay Cormier - @bamboozlebros, http://www.bamboozlebrothers.com/ourgames.html Sen Foong Lim - @senfoonglim--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:02:20 - Belfort Design Process 0:03:27 - Starting Small 0:14:27 - After getting picked up by a publisher 0:18:10 - Getting Started 0:23:37 - Teamwork and Collaboration 0:27:12 - Disagreements 0:35:04 - Game Artisans of Canada 0:56:13 - Starting with theme or mechanics

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about the the importance of marketing. How important is it and how do the numbers compare between tabletop and the digital realm? And what's the Wil Wheaton factor?----------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline 0:00:56 - Marketing at Hasbro 0:08:20 - Marketing and conferences 0:12:18 - The differences between tabletop and digital marketing 0:21:01 - Data 0:26:54 - Pricing 0:33:38 - Theme and marketing 0:41:25 - Copycats and "inspired by" 0:51:43 - Marketing as independence 0:54:52 - Wil Wheaton gets his own bullet point

Harrison Pink returns to the show to talk with Dirk and David about playing games. This episode is all about what games our panel has been playing and how they have reacted as both players and designers.-----------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Harrison Pink - harrisonpink.com, @colonialpink, [email protected] Outline 0:01:33 - Sir, You Are Being Hunted and stealth 0:09:12 - Splendor 0:28:26 - Diplomacy 0:39:56 - Neptune's Pride 0:44:49 - Dune 1:01:16 - X-Wing Miniatures

In this week's episode, Dirk and David take some time to talk about their current projects. Futbol Strategy is around the corner and David's Knights of Puzzelot has launched - find out how the games are going and what else the two have up their sleeves for the future.-------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron-------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:20 - Futbol Strategy 0:11:30 - Knights of Puzzelot 0:24:03 - Dirk's unrevealed project 0:26:18 - David's deck building game 0:34:29 - David's new project 0:42:28 - Design books

Nels Anderson joins Dirk and David to talk about the concept of "Push and Pull" style games and how it relates to game styles and gamer choice.--------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Nels Anderson - @Nelsarmensch, www.above49.ca, https://www.idlethumbs.net/terminal7, firewatchgame.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:30 - Push vs Pull 0:14:40 - Push/Pull and player choice 0:29:07 - Tabletop games 0:32:30 - Game responsiveness 0:40:35 - The illusion of choice 0:50:13 - Firewatch

This week Dirk, David, and Rob go over the process that leads up to experiencing the game. From first hearing about it and finally unboxing it, what matters the most to designers and players? And just how many of our regular panel are old-school D&D nerds? (Hint: all of them.)----------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline 0:00:26 - Early announcements and Seafall 0:11:46 - Expectations and age 0:19:00 - Boxes and graphic design 0:34:32 - Opening the box 0:45:05 - Time to play the game 1:04:30 - Favorite new product memories

Harrison Pink joins Dirk and David to talk about what motivates both players and developers. Is it the journey, the destination, or the sweet, sweet Steam achievements at the end?------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron Harrison Pink - harrisonpink.com, @colonialpink, [email protected] Outline 0:00:58 - Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation 0:09:42 - Telltale Games and extrinsic rewards 0:12:40 - Chocolate covered broccoli 0:31:15 - Authorial intent 0:46:34 - Can design be extrinsic or intrinsic

Dirk and Soren talk to Double Fine's Brad Muir about streaming the development process and interacting with fans. Listen in on how to walk the fine line between listening to your fans and still steering the ship while working in an open development environment.--------------------------------------- Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Soren Johnson - www.designer-notes.com, www.mohawkgames.com, @sorenjohnsonBrad Muir - @mrmooear, [email protected] Episode Outline 0:00:58 - Streaming at Double Fine 0:10:24 - Civ IV's early access 0:17:03 - Unexpected benefits 0:31:15 - Other streaming developers 0:37:11 - Kickstarter and fundraising 0:49:31 - What's next for Double Fine 0:52:30 - Soren's project

Dirk, David, and Rob get down to the nitty-gritty about prototyping their game concepts, both on the digital side and the tabletop side. What does a good prototype look like, and more importantly: how is one actually made?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected], David Heron - @DavidVHeron, Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Episode Outline 0:00:58 - Working with the family 0:09:36 - Resolution and detail 0:15:46 - Digital prototyping 0:23:28 - Prototyping a licensed game 0:27:30 - Prototyping different components 0:42:22 - Playing prototypes

Dirk and David take a moment to discuss the games they're working on and the challenges they face when trying to bring new game concepts to life. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] David Heron - @DavidVHeron------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:49 - War Stories 0:06:33 - The Knights of Puzzleot0:15:15 - David's side CCG project 0:29:30 - New CCG mechanics and approachability 0:35:01 - Futbol Strategy

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to discuss the perceived value in infinitely replayable games. Where did this notion come from? The trio discuss collectible card games and Minecraft alongside normal tabletop games to get to the bottom of infinity.-----------------------------------------------------Contact InformationDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronRob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline0:01:22 - What is the origin of the "infinite game" concept?0:07:04 - The Cult of the New0:13:40 - CCGs0:22:04 - Game exploits and replayability0:30:58 - Expansions0:39:44 - Short and single-play digital games

Dirk and David talk to veteran designer Julian Gollop about his career in gaming and his Kickstarter for a remake of his classic game Chaos Reborn. The trio discuss the roles of both user and procedurally generated content as well as Julian's plans for his remake of Chaos Reborn.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact InformationDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronJulian Gollop - @julian_gollop, www.chaos-reborn.com-------------------------Episode Outline0:02:02 - Chaos Reborn and its Kickstarter0:12:20 - Social elements in games0:16:42 - Chaos Reborn gameplay0:33:58 - Procedurally generated content0:52:58 - X-COM0:59:48 - The future of Chaos Reborn and early testing

Ryan Dancey joins Dirk and Soren to talk about tabletop RPGs and Pathfinder Online. What's the cross-section between MMOs and traditional RPGs? Listen in to find out how Pathfinder took the helm from D&D and what their plans are for their upcoming MMO.--------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Johnson - www.designer-notes.com, www.mohawkgames.com, @sorenjohnsonRyan Dancey - @rsdancey--------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline0:00:21 - Ryan's background0:03:18 - Ryan and game design0:08:20 - The Pathfinder roleplaying game0:21:10 - Do MMOs hurt tabletop RPG sales?0:30:05 - Pathfinder online and Kickstarter0:39:49 - "Theme Park" games vs. sandbox games0:55:28 - Combat vs. relationships in RPGs

Rob Daviau returns to the show to talk to Dirk and David about playtesting and the challenges of getting good feedback. Are core gamers good playtesters? How much playtesting is necessary? The show concludes with a discussion on the covenant between games and their players - how many playthroughs are "enough"?-------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronRob Daviau - @RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline 0:00:46 - Playtesting Seafall0:09:45 - Playtesting and CCGs0:19:22 - Prototypes0:36:45 - Getting the right feedback0:39:10 - The creativity in boardgames0:45:58 - Shorter experiences

Telltale Games' Harrison Pink joins Dirk and David to talk about the difference between designing by instinct and using analysis and data. Can a designer ever be fully intuitive or analytic? The trio explores this topic through character development in The Walking Dead as well as Tales From the Borderlands.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact InformationDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronHarrison Pink - @ColonialPink, [email protected] Outline0:00:43 - Intuitive vs Analytical Design0:09:04 - The Walking Dead and choices0:18:25 - Experience and its impact0:22:58 - Poker and feel0:40:15 - Adapting to new player roles0:49:26 - Borderlands and greed

Jon announces that he'll be retiring from the podcast in order to focus fully on At the Gates. Piggybacking on this topic, he and Dirk discuss workflow, where AtG is at now and highlight what's next for it. Dirk finishes up the episode by sharing his plans for TGDRT going forward.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:01:10 - Jon's Last Ride0:03:52 - Work Patterns0:09:42 - Splitting Attention0:22:32 - The Impact of Art0:30:21 - Future of At the Gates0:41:15 - Travel & Convention Plans0:45:24 - Marketing0:51:43 - The Future of the Podcast

Jon, Dirk and David discuss the idea of players as designers within the context of house rules, modding and optional rules. Other topics covered include: how much control should players have? When are house rules bad? How much creative control over the core game design should developers give out?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeron---------------------------Episode Outline0:00:38 - House Rules0:07:20 - Modding0:17:48 - Tabletop Games0:30:30 - Optional Rules0:38:55 - Our House Rules0:43:58 - Allowing for Player Creativity0:55:40 - Opening Up the Design Process1:03:35 - From Modder to Designer

Soren joins Jon and Dirk to discuss transparency: what a game does and does not reveal to players. The discussion ranges from unpredictability in deckbuilders like 'Dominion' and 'Ascension', to fog of war in 'Civilization', 'At the Gates' and 'War Stories', to the need to memorize past actions in games like 'El Grande'. They wrap up with a lengthy discussion about the transparency problems Dirk and Soren have with the baseball sim 'Out of the Park' and why Jon still loves it all the same.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Johnson - @SorenJohnson, www.Designer-Notes.com, www.MohawkGames.com---------------------------Episode Outline0:00:24 - What IS Transparency?0:13:50 - Deckbuilders0:18:02 - Fog of War0:26:12 - Dirk's Games0:31:15 - Replayability0:38:18 - Memory0:45:35 - The Designer's Preference0:50:04 - Out of the Park Baseball1:12:00 - Designing Our Baseball Sim

Rob joins Jon and Dirk to discuss phases (the early game, the late game, etc.) and 'pivot points', which are moments when focus shifts from one aspect of a game (such as economic engine building) to another (scoring points). Some of the titles brought up during the conversation include Chess, Monopoly, Dominion, Lords of Waterdeep and Zimbabwe, the game that got Rob thinking about this topic.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Daviau - @RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline0:00:22 - Pivot Points0:15:00 - Pacing Point of No Return0:21:20 - Chess0:27:14 - The Designer's Perspective0:34:35 - Game Phases0:42:00 - Pivots in Mechanics

Jon and Dirk cover many a topic in this episode, but the main discussion revolves around Jon's plans for diplomacy in 'At the Gates', how they've changed, and why. Also covered are game structure in Starbound, the business of games and a brief update on Dirk's projects.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:00:56 - Games we've played recently0:08:08 - Diplomacy in AtG0:31:30 - Asymmetry in diplomacy0:45:10 - Planning fatigue0:51:50 - Dirk's projects1:01:34 - Business stuff

Dirk and Jon are joined by Geoff Engelstein to talk about his work, design philosophies and podcast. How do you create a real-time tabletop game? What makes inspirations special? How important is theme compared with mechanics?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Engelstein - @GEngelstein, www.ludology.net, [email protected] Outline0:03:30 - Real-time tabletop games0:12:29 - Inspirations0:16:22 - Wargames0:24:52 - User experience0:29:59 - The road to tabletop0:33:22 - Designing with your kids0:43:58 - Future projects0:49:31 - Theme & learning1:01:46 - Kickstarter

Jon and Dirk are joined by Soren Johnson once again, this time to discuss conflict in games. Topics covered include: What is a conflict? Why is its representation in games nearly always violent? What other types of conflict are there, and how can designers best utilize them?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Johnson - @SorenJohnson, www.Designer-Notes.com, www.MohawkGames.com---------------------------Episode Outline0:00:58 - What IS a 'conflict'?0:09:18 - Asymmetric conflicts0:32:18 - Duels VS Multiplayer0:41:05 - Lopsided conflicts0:46:35 - Why are most game conflicts violent?0:47:30 - Conflict in Soren's game 'Mars'1:01:02 - Eurogames1:05:49 - Politics

Rob Daviau pays a visit for a discussion about theme. How much theme is enough? How much is TOO much? How do you actually translate theme into gameplay mechanics. And heck, what IS a 'theme', anyways?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Daviau - @RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline0:00:58 - How much theme is enough?0:06:42 - Translating theme into gameplay0:18:40 - Steering the theme0:22:25 - Bad themes0:27:37 - Choosing your themes0:35:48 - Shared themes0:42:00 - Themes in games we've played0:55:22 - What IS a theme?

Why do people cheat? What can designers do about it? SHOULD they do anything about it in non-competitive single-player games?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeron---------------------------Episode Outline0:02:00 - Competitive games0:10:50 - Cheating & technology0:18:25 - Non-competitive cheating0:32:01 - Reloading & defeat0:42:30 - Protecting players from themselves0:52:55 - Taking back moves1:04:52 - Allowed cheating

Jon and Dirk are joined by Kevin Forbes of Klei Entertainment to talk about Don't Starve. Topics covered include environmental cycles, crafting, and the unique challenges and perks of developing a systems-based game.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Forbes - @TheKRF---------------------------Episode Outline0:00:27 - Kevin's design background0:03:06 - What is Don't Starve?0:05:56 - Environmental cycles0:08:33 - Balancing & playtesting0:13:39 - Crafting0:28:55 - Death & resurrection0:31:35 - Sanity0:34:02 - Audience0:36:30 - Klei0:38:56 - Developing a procedural game0:53:43 - Advice for designers

Jon and Dirk hand out awards for the mechanics and games they played in 2013 that stood out - for better and worse.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:02:19 - Best Light Game0:12:02 - Best Integration of Theme0:22:31 - Best Mechanic0:28:32 - Most Elegant0:37:41 - Most Innovative0:42:30 - Best Feature in a Disappointing Game0:51:15 - Most Fun1:01:05 - Most Disappointing1:11:10 - Game of the Year

Board game designer Tom Lehmann joins Jon and Dirk to talk about Race for the Galaxy, co-designing on existing games, and his design methodology.--------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Lehmann - http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/150/thomas-lehmann--------------------------Episode Outline0:00:46 - Building on an existing design0:05:29 - Race for the Galaxy0:09:16 - Cards as resources0:17:20 - Economics & strategy0:26:26 - Victory points0:31:00 - Iconography & learning0:36:49 - Tom's design background0:39:22 - Tom's design approach

Jon, Dirk and David discuss the role of death in games. What is it for? How does it interact with narrative? What games has it been represented well and poorly in? And how can it be improved?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeron---------------------------Episode Outline0:01:58 - Why has death changed in design history?0:06:00 - What should death's role be?0:21:16 - Death in persistent games0:27:10 - Permanent loss0:34:05 - Death done well and poorly0:45:00 - Can death help players?0:52:55 - Ideas for improving death

Jon and Dirk discuss general design topics relating to their recent work, including playtesting, extending the development of projects, providing players with goals, instilling a game with good pacing and ensuring there are always interesting strategic options to choose from.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:01:10 - Playtesting0:06:55 - Extending Development0:15:17 - Goals & Structure0:22:08 - Pacing0:47:01 - Strategic Variance

Jon and Dirk are paid a return visit by first-ever TGDRT guest Rob Daviau to talk about 'SeaFall', his new exploration legacy tabletop game, Rob's company 'IronWall Games', and his hopes for further innovation in the genre he helped create.--------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Daviau - @RobDaviauGamer, [email protected] Outline0:01:00 - Balancing Risk: Legacy0:06:06 - SeaFall0:11:44 - Core mechanics0:15:30 - Victory & legacy0:27:24 - Balancing legacy VS individual playthroughs0:35:19 - Exploration0:40:36 - How do you design a legacy game?0:52:55 - Inspirations behind SeaFall1:03:50 - Rob's company: IronWall Games

Jon, Dirk and David share design concepts they find interesting and hope to incorporate into future (or simply hypothetical) projects. The group also digs into why developers are sometimes reluctant to share and discuss design ideas.--------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeron--------------------------Episode Outline0:00:57 - Tabletop game physicality0:10:18 - Pitching game design ideas0:14:20 - Legacy and variable tabletop games0:17:20 - Riffing off of other ideas0:24:17 - Licensed games0:29:15 - Living worlds0:34:25 - Making magic interesting0:39:50 - Procedural content0:45:16 - Design pipe dreams0:53:30 - Secrecy in game design

Jon and Dirk meet up to play several tabletop games and discuss what works and what doesn't. Included in the discussion are Ploy, Race for the Galaxy, and Hansa Teutonica.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:00:30 - Ploy0:18:58 - Race for the Galaxy0:36:04 - Hansa Teutonica

Jon and Dirk are paid a visit by regular guest Soren Johnson, who stops by to talk about his brand-new studio 'Mohawk Games' and their first project, 'Mars', an economic RTS built out of the legacy of Dani Bunten's venerable M.U.L.E. They discuss the challenges of and goals behind Soren setting up his own shop, and what he hopes the unique game will achieve. Soren also reveals the first game to ever make him cry. And trust us, it's fitting.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Johnson - @SorenJohnson, www.Designer-Notes.com, www.MohawkGames.com---------------------------Episode Outline0:01:00 - The story behind Mohawk0:08:12 - 'Core' strategy games0:14:50 - Kickstarter & Steam Early Access0:35:44 - Mohawk's first game: 'Mars'0:48:40 - The ups and downs of economic competition0:54:22 - Real-time VS turn-based1:02:48 - M.U.L.E.1:14:50 - The tech behind strategy games1:22:20 - Past lessons applied1:27:05 - The first game to make Soren cry

Jon and Dirk are joined by David for the special 1-year anniversary show. They point the magnifying glass back at themselves in this episode and share their design processes, challenges they've overcome, the tools they use and how to build a good team. They wrap things up by talking about ways the show has given back and made them better game designers and developers.Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronEpisode Outline0:03:57 - Serial VS parallel design0:13:15 - Life as a designer/producer0:17:20 - Dirk's crazy schedule0:23:40 - Google Docs & Software0:38:10 - Playtesting0:45:10 - Building a good team0:56:24 - How has the podcast changed our hosts?

Jon and Dirk are joined by Brian Reynolds, designer of 'Civilization 2', 'Alpha Centauri', 'Rise of Nations' and more. They discuss Brian's career as a designer, his approach and what makes 'Alpha Centauri' stand up so many years later.

Jon and Dirk are joined by Jamey Stegmaier, co-founder of Stonemaier Games and designer of 'Viticulture' and 'Euphoria'. They discuss Stonemaier's first two titles, giving back to the development community and have a lengthy conversation on the state and future of Kickstarter.

Jon, Dirk and David delve into the most effective ways of teaching both tabletop and digital games. What role do out-of-game video tutorials have to play? Can quick, throw-away demo games work? When is it okay NOT to teach features? And what is the perfect (possibly unattainable) approach for digital games?

Jon and Dirk are joined by Julian Gollop, designer of X-COM: UFO Defense (aka UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a game development veteran with 30 years of experience. They discuss Julian's distinguished career, how the design discipline is special and what made X-COM stand above so many games over the decades.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Gollop - @Julian_Gollop, www.GollopGames.com, ---------------------------Episode Outline0:00:50 - Julian's early career0:09:50 - The history of X-COM0:23:00 - Life after X-COM0:34:16 - Julian's evolution as a designer0:42:20 - What makes a designer?0:48:38 - Choosing a development platform0:53:06 - What makes X-COM special?1:01:30 - Julian's 'favorite child'

Our hosts discuss Dirk's recent experience playtesting 'At the Gates', dive deep into what makes 'Agricola' great, and lament the loneliness of the skill curve in 'Go'. They also touch upon the simple-but-effective worldbuilding in 'The Last of Us', and the enjoyable gameplay but still-questionable monetization of 'World of Tanks'.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Outline0:01:01 - Agricola0:23:12 - Go0:36:12 - The Last of Us0:44:11 - World of Tanks0:52:16 - AtG Development Update0:55:44 - Dirk Development Update1:04:00 - AtG Playtest Report

Jon, Dirk and David finally get around to talking about theme, mechanics and how the intersection of the two relates to 'fun'. What are each? What happens when you favor one over the other? Can you flat out OMIT one? And what are some examples in the games our panelists have actually worked?Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronEpisode Outline0:01:08 - Definitions0:05:15 - Business considerations0:16:00 - Favoring one over the other0:22:08 - What is 'fun'?0:31:50 - Theme vs mechanics0:43:30 - Can you omit one?0:53:00 - Jon's approach in At the Gates1:00:40 - Dirk's approach1:02:17 - David's approach

Jon and Dirk are joined by Ed Beach, designer of the digital titles 'Civilization 5: Gods & Kings' and 'Brave New World' as well as tabletop games 'Here I Stand' and 'Virgin Queen'. As you might have guessed, their discussion focuses on the similarities and differences between the two disciplines of design, and what lessons learned in one can be applied to the other.Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Beach - home.comcast.net/~ebeach, [email protected]:00:32 - 'Here I Stand'0:08:35 - Ed's design background0:14:04 - Differences between digital & tabletop design0:27:35 - How do you encourage negotiation?0:40:13 - Large scale VS small scale design0:46:20 - Scenario design VS tabletop design0:51:36 - Applying lessons across disciplines0:59:25 - Ed's future projects

Jon and Dirk discuss Solium Infernum and City of Remnants in-depth, and along the way delve into the issues deep competitive games have and the reasons why endgames are typically so bad. Dirk then provides an update on his forty projects, and Jon talks about the challenges of design and engineering and the thinking that goes behind when to start playtesting.Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected]:00:32 - Solium Infernum0:05:50 - Issues with deep competitive games0:19:50 - City of Remnants0:29:20 - Why are endgames so rarely good?0:47:00 - Update on Dirk's projects1:05:17 - Update on At the Gates1:13:25 - The strategy of playtesting

Jon, Dirk and David finally get around to the elephant in the room: randomness. What is it? How can it make games better or worse? How does it relate to the type of audience you're aiming for? What bad things can happen when you try to remove it? And heck, is there actually anything good about complete, utter, brutal unfair randomness?Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, [email protected] Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, [email protected] Heron - @DavidVHeronEpisode Outline0:00:23 - What is randomness?0:03:55 - What makes randomness good?0:08:45 - Randomness and casual VS hardcore0:15:56 - Problems trying to mitigate randomness0:23:10 - Probability0:38:15 - Fairness0:50:40 - Input randomness

Jon and Dirk are joined by David Dunham, the creator of the classic PC and new iOS game 'King of Dragon Pass'. The panel discusses the game's unique focus on player-driven narrative, reviving an old-school title on new platforms, and the challenges of indie development. And Jon gets excited, simply because he finally found another game that takes barbarians seriously!Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.comDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.comDavid Dunham - @KingDragonPass, www.A-Sharp.comEpisode Outline0:00:54 - King of Dragon Pass0:02:47 - The origins of KoDP0:07:00 - KoDP's story0:16:24 - The development of KoDP0:25:32 - Sales and target audience0:28:50 - Why go indie?0:37:38 - A Sharp: David's company0:39:13 - David's design process0:49:07 - David's interests0:54:20 - Advice for aspiring designers

Jon and Dirk cover a wide variety of topics this week, notably: the problems with automation and user interface in Paradox titles like Hearts of Iron 3 and Europa Universalis 4, the psychological appeal and the (possibly too-important) role of money in poker, and the challenges of meshing tech and design in At the Gates' AI.Jon Shafer@JonShaferDesign (Twitter)www.JonShaferOnDesign.comDirk Knemeyer @DKnemeyer (Twitter)www.artana.comEpisode Outline0:01:15 - Europa Universalis 4 and Hearts of Iron 30:07:30 - The problem with automation0:14:29 - UI in Paradox games0:27:50 - Poker0:42:05 - The problems with poker0:52:22 - Poker and money0:58:41 - At the Gates - Map Objects1:05:45 - At the Gates - AI1:13:36 - Dirk's brief project update

Jon, Dirk and David delve into the topic of multiplayer design: How is it different from single player design? What are the strengths and weaknesses different types of multiplayer? What separates e-sports from traditional multiplayer games? And what approach can be taken towards cheating?Jon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.comDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.comDavid Heron - @DavidVHeron0:01:27 - Why talk about multiplayer?0:03:43 - Multiplayer design vs single player design0:09:08 - Different multiplayer modes0:21:10 - Asynchronous multiplayer0:27:42 - Multiplayer-only games0:40:53 - E-Sports0:43:32 - Cheating0:54:43 - The value of multiplayer

Jon and Dirk sit down with Chris Park of Arcen Games to discuss his latest game, Skyward Collapse, the development and business challenges of developing indie strategy games, and the important role AI can play in asymmetric games.