The Game Design Round Table

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to confirm that no person is an island, especially when it comes to game design. Collaborating with others can be challenging but also rewarding, sometimes allowing partners to bring out the best in each other. David describes his collaborations at work while Dirk and Rob talk about collaborating with others and the importance of eating with your coworkers.----------------------------------------------------------------Contact Info Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:01:18 - Collaboration 0:08:10 - Opinions on interface design 0:13:30 - A Dirk/Rob case study 0:22:24 - Working on your own 0:27:10 - Collaboration tools 0:38:42 - Equality in collaborations 0:49:28 - Types of projects that work well with collaboration

Jamey Stegmaier stops by to talk to Dirk and David about his previous games as well as the upcoming and hotly anticipated Scythe. Scythe's evocative art and theme have piqued the interest of the boardgaming community. Jamey fills us in on how the game came about and what the players can expect in terms of mechanics and gameplay.-------------------------Contact Info Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Jamey Stegmaier - http://stonemaiergames.com/, kickstarterlessons.com, @jameystegmaier----Episode Outline 0:01:18 - Making the jump to full-time game designer 0:06:18 - Viticulture 0:14:48 - Kickstarter and content 0:18:09 - Kickstarter and non-US customers 0:21:31 - Treasure chests 0:24:54 - Scythe 0:31:51 - Scythe's art 0:36:58 - New players and describing actions 0:50:22 - Game length 0:56:27 - Combat in Scythe

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to answer questions sent in by you, the listeners!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:26 - What are your thoughts on the 4X genre and game length? 0:06:51 - Have sculpts become a commercial crutch for poor game design? 0:12:38 - Is the popularity of tabletop gaming related to the rise of digital games? 0:17:41 - What board game has replaced another game for you? 0:21:01 - What game has lost its luster as time went on? 0:24:02 - What game do you wish had never been released? 0:27:45 - What's the most glaring flaw you've seen in a game? 0:33:10 - What other podcasts do you listen to? 0:37:01 - What game do you wish you could play more often? 0:38:39 - What are you thoughts on paid beta programs? 0:41:02 - What do you think about game company mergers? 0:42:40 - Dirk, why the new company? 0:44:34 - How have your designs changed through playtesting? 0:51:14 - Should asymmetrical games be clearly marked as such?

Dirk and David are joined by game designer Isaac Shalev of Kind Fortress Games and the podcast On Board Games. Isaac shares some of the insight he has gleaned about the Kickstarter process, publishing games with a cultural story to tell, and how to make players attack each other.

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about all of the primary forms of feedback that developers have at their disposal. Reviews can be educational, helpful, or downright depressing. Playtesters can offer amazing insight or unwanted suggestions. Listen in to find out how to balance the good with the bad.------Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:17 - Feedback and reviews 0:15:57 - The context of reviews 0:21:39 - Previous game reviews 0:27:35 - Guided recommendations 0:33:06 - Feedback from playtesters 0:47:00 - What makes a good playtester

Former host and Game Design Roundtable co-founder Jon Shafer stops in to talk about At the Gates. Jon's been hard at work adding features, taking out features, and polishing the game. Progress moves ever forward as the game becomes the game that Jon set out to make.---------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Jon Shafer - www.atthegatesgame.com, @jonshaferdesign, jonshaferondesign.com, jon.shafer@conifergames.com------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:01:58 - Making changes in development 0:06:56 - Clans 0:11:57 - Developing the clan mechanic 0:14:36 - Other changes to the game's original design 0:19:44 - Storytelling 0:22:57 - Diplomacy 0:26:46 - Romanization 0:36:08 - Test groups 0:39:51 - Food and player pressure

Dirk, David, and Rob take a moment to check in on their respective projects. Rob details his long and illustrious career as the head of marketing for his game company while David checks in with an update on Star Trek Timelines. Meanwhile, Dirk's Kickstarter for Tesla vs. Edison is ready to go live and the question of shipping costs rears its ugly head.--------Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com-----------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:33 - New York Toy Fair 0:08:22 - New roles and marketing 0:14:38 - PAX and Star Trek Timelines 0:23:24 - Star Trek Timelines demo 0:43:47 - Tesla vs. Edison

Dirk and David talk to Randy Hoyt of Foxtrot games about the art of publishing board games. Randy talks about his preference of publishing over designing, the role a good publisher can play in the success of a board game, and the releases of Foxtrot games.------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Randy Hoyt -@foxtrotgames, www.foxtrotgames.com, contact@foxtrotgames.com, @randyhoyt------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Outline 0:00:15 - Foxtrot Games 0:08:14 - Refining a game's design 0:10:09 - Themes 0:13:01 - Publishing vs designing 0:27:42 - Changing a game's theme 0:32:25 - Getting designs to publishers 0:47:36 - Where Foxtrot fits 0:56:05 - Future projects

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about the current state of Seafall and its latest strides toward completion. Rob is excited about the progress of the game and shares a look at what can happen during a player's turn as the details of the game come into focus.--------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Rob Daviau -@RobDaviauGamer, rob.daviau@ironwallgames.com------------Episode Outline 0:01:33 - Bill of materials and sizing 0:11:46 - Changes along the way 0:16:46 - A turn in Seafall 0:29:36 - A reader question

Roleplaying game and novel writer Robin D. Laws joins Dirk and David to share his experience as a designer and writer in the gaming industry. Robin shares his methodology, how writing for the two media compares, and his upcoming work.---------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.com David Heron - @DavidVHeron Robin D. Laws - @robindlaws, kenandrobintalkaboutstuff.com------------------Episode Outline 0:00:24 - Robin's background 0:03:11 - The Gumshoe system 0:11:59 - Establishing a voice 0:20:20 - Gumshoe licensing 0:26:03 - Recommendations on systems 0:28:46 - Robin's novels 0:36:26 - Design process 0:38:59 - King of Dragon Pass 0:44:38 - The future of D&D