The Game Design Round Table

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#108: Funemployed and Boardgamegeekcon Dec 02, 2014

Show notes

Dirk, David, and Rob are on hand to talk about two topics this week. First, the progress of Rob's current Kickstarter: Funemployed 2nd Edition. He reviews how the Kickstarter is going as well as steps he took on the front end. Next, Dirk and Rob talk about their time at Boardgamegeekcon, a convention put on by the website of the same name. Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com Episode Outline 0:00:13 - Rob's Kickstarter 0:09:12 - Setting up a Kickstarter 0:14:26 - Boardgamegeekcon 0:21:58 - Acquire 0:27:47 - Red7 0:34:15 - Hypoborea 0:38:47 - Tragedy Looper 0:45:57 - Mysterium 0:49:33 - Tesla vs Edison 0:56:27 - Artemis

#107: Cooperative Gaming with Amy Jo Kim Nov 29, 2014

Show notes

Amy Jo Kim joins Dirk and David to talk about cooperative gaming and the move away from zero-sum game mechanics. Social and online gaming have shown time and again that players want to cooperate and work together rather than kill each other and constantly compete. Amy Jo offers her experience and insight into what makes cooperative fun, and how designers can make it compelling.-------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Amy Jo Kim - @amyjokim, www.shufflebrain.com, www.mvpdesignhacks.com----------------Episode Outline 0:00:26 - The cooperative revolution 0:04:35 - Amy Jo's background 0:13:14 - Zero-sum games 0:23:28 - Mobile and free to play 0:35:48 - Balancing feeling special and teamwork 0:54:43 - Powerful mechanics in co-op 0:57:10 - Steps for a new designer

#106: Micro Games with Chris Handy Nov 20, 2014

Show notes

This week it's a regular-sized show about micro-sized games when designer Chris Handy comes on to talk about his foray into the micro games market.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Chris Handy - @ChrisHandy, packogame.com---------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:01:05 - Micro games 0:07:54 - 20 Themes 0:14:10 - Traditional and Euro games 0:16:00 - Mobile and social games 0:30:00 - Trends in micro games 0:35:47 - Business aspects

#105: Mail Call Nov 13, 2014

Show notes

Dirk, David, and Rob Daviau are answering questions this week on topics about board game design, publishing, translations, and more!-------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:43 - What existing game do you wish you had designed? 0:04:02 - What can Eastern and Western developers learn from each other? 0:09:37 - What game design phrases make you cringe 0:15:48 - How will designers grow if creators are not from the dominant culture 0:19:31 - Can you expand on the concept of player empowerment? 0:24:31 - Should I sell my game to a publisher? 0:32:36 - What are some examples of board games with great digital versions? 0:40:45 - How do you find the right artist at the right rate? 0:44:52 - Should I be worried about someone stealing my idea? 0:47:48 - When is the right time to reach out to a big-name developer? 0:50:59 - At what point do you translate your game?

104: Trading Mission to Mars with Julian Murdoch and Dr. Bruce Geryk Nov 08, 2014

Show notes

Dirk and Soren are joined by strategy games enthusiasts Julian Murdoch and Dr. Bruce Geryk to talk about the current state of Offworld Trading Company. Julian, Bruce, and Dirk have all had time with the game and offer Soren feedback, ask a few questions, and figure out just what that robot voice is saying.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com Soren Johnson - @sorenjohnson, designer-notes.com, offworldgame.com Bruce Geryk - @spacerumsfeld, www.wargamespace.com-------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:33 - The latest changes in OTC 0:03:44 - Impressions from Bruce and Julian 0:11:31 - Competition and fun 0:21:44 - The wargamer's perspective 0:27:13 - New influences 0:31:34 - Belter 0:40:38 - Speed and the endgame 0:47:44 - Early access 0:50:39 - Innovative games 1:06:19 - Dates

103: Catching Up Oct 29, 2014

Show notes

It's just Dirk and David today as the hosts catch up on each of their own projects. David has made some big changes and moved on to a new company in a new town, and Dirk details all of the different irons he has in the fire. Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Episode Outline 0:00:25 - David's big changes 0:09:35 - Future plans 0:18:05 - Working face to face 0:21:34 - Moving to Boston 0:33:37 - War Stories 0:42:48 - Fútbol Strategy 0:55:05 - Tesla vs Edison 0:56:31 - Dirk's mystery projects

102: Get Off My Lawn Oct 21, 2014

Show notes

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about things that bug them. Whether is the interplay of turns, the depth of a game, or the wine served at a chain restaurant, some things just aren't fun.------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:01:08 - Rob's adventures 0:03:03 - First person shooters 0:09:55 - Simultaneous play board games 0:18:58 - Asymmetrical turn lengths 0:23:51 - Light games 0:34:07 - New games in a group setting 0:36:19 - Backing up a turn 0:42:17 - Failure, loading screens, and tutorials 0:54:36 - Staying organized 0:57:04 - The need for persuasion

#101: Kvasir Games with Kristín Guðmundsdóttir Oct 14, 2014

Show notes

Dirk and David are joined by Kristín Guðmundsdóttir of Kvasir Games to talk about board and digital game development. Kvasir is a team of developers based in Denmark but pulled together from across Europe to build unique games designed in a game jam-style environment.----------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Kristín Guðmundsdóttir - @kristingud, @Kvasirgames, www.kvasirgames.com------Episode Outline 0:01:30 - The Nordic Game Jam 0:08:38 - Forming Kvasir Games 0:13:22 - Flexible game rules 0:23:43 - Other games and Wanted Igor 0:27:15 - Team talents and resolving conflicts 0:31:31 - Hulder 0:35:17 - Kristín's day job and freelancing 0:47:45 - Marketing

#100: Failbetter Games and Fallen London with Alexis Kennedy and Liam Welton Oct 07, 2014

Show notes

Alexis Kennedy and Liam Welton from Failbetter games join Dirk to talk about their dark games set in the world of Fallen London. With a background that goes from free-to-play web games to more traditional PC games, Failbetter has learned many lessons on design and business on their way to their latest game, Sunless Sea.-------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com Liam Welton - @LiamWelton, liam@failbettergames.com Alexis Kennedy - @alexiskennedy, alexis@failbetter.com------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:26 - Failbetter Games 0:06:24 - The world of Fallen London 0:25:22 - Fallen London development 0:40:18 - Design challenges 0:52:39 - Business models 0:54:31 - Failbetter's design process 1:01:24 - Future projects

#99: Stuck in the Ditch Sep 30, 2014

Show notes

Sometimes a game design just goes off the rails. Scope creep, overly-ambitious ideas, a loss of focus… these can be devastating to any project. Dirk, David, and Rob Daviau talk about how a game can get off the right path and what can be done to get it back on track.----------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:17 - Seafall 0:03:38 - Design by committee 0:18-14 - Assessing the state of a game 0:32:25 - Big games vs small games 0:42:23 - Patching and hot fixes 0:50:38 - Examples 1:00:03 - Advice for getting out of the ditch

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