First play. Putting a boardgame prototype on the table.

I'm resurrecting this blog to talk about my recent experiences in conceptualising, designing and playtesting my first ever boardgame design.

I've been playing boardgames for a lengthy period of time. During this time, I've come across many different themes and mechanics in boardgames. But it was only in the recent months when I stated contemplating crystallising fleeting thoughts into a coherent design. After making a pact with some friends to actually create a game by a specified deadline, I presented my first prototype, Smokehouse, yesterday for playtesting. 

Smokehouse is a game where players manage a barbecue restaurant - buying ingredients, cooking up delicious meals, and feeding the masses of hungry barbecue enthusiasts.

The resulting playtest was not unexpected. While there might be a kernel of playability within this early design, there were issues with fundamental mechanics that either created complexity without depth, or diminished the impact and cost of meaningful player decisions. There were also issues of balance, but in light of the aforementioned problems with mechanics, these are less of an immediate concern.

Upon reflection since yesterday, I've come to realise that the core tension I had hoped to introduce to this game is a trilateral pull between:

1. the supply and availability of resources/ingredients,
2. the demand for resources from customers, 
3. and the degradation of those same resources.

The intended focus on this core concept was diluted by the introduction of unnecessary mechanics. The original design included worker placement/assignment, and trade mechanics. The worker placement/assignment had minimal impact upon decision making. The trade mechanic diminished the scarcity of resources (allowing players take what they want from each other). 

The initial design sought to emulate the workflow of managing a restaurant. The result of this is a game that is mechanically linear, and does not offer players a puzzle to solve, or a tension to make decisions meaningful.

There were other issues of concern, including confusion with phases and turns, allowable actions, and being overly "fiddly" (having far too many components). 

Going forward, this game will need to focus on the trilateral tension as outlined above. Any additional mechanics or systems must be in service of that - to increase the tension, impact and player cost/stakes to make decisions meaningful.

A Marauder for a MechWarrior

I've always felt that Grayson needed a mech, much like his BattleTech namesake. And getting the right mech companion has never left my mind.

And what could be more appropriate than a Marauder?

I know some Macross fans might like to contest the origins of this design, and I do recognise its beginnings as a Zentradi Officer's Battle Pod. 

But to me, it'll always be a Marauder, piloted by Grayson Death Carlyle, MechWarrior and Commander of the Gray Death Legion.

New boardgames purchased!

I'm inviting several friends over in a couple of weeks so I thought it'd be appropriate for me to refresh my games collection with a few new additions. As I'm expecting a fairly large group to turn up, the primary consideration for these games is the ability to take more players.

In light of that, I picked up the following:

7 Wonders











Formula D











Space Hulk: Death Angel: The Card Game

Games for sale

I'm paring down my collection of games, so there's a whole bunch of games I'm looking to get rid of. Friends get first pick from the list below, at the listed price or the next best offer. If you aren't able to help me get rid of them, then it'll be going up onto eBay. So get right in with some quality games at low low prices.

DS ($10)
Dragon Quest IX
Final Fantasy IV
Front Mission
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown
Lego Battles
Puzzle de Harvest Moon
Scribblenauts
Sonic Colours

Wii ($15)
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Red Steel 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Playstation 3 ($20)
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Two Worlds 2

Xbox 360 ($20)
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Bayonetta
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Bulletstorm
Burnout Paradise
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Crackdown 2
Crysis 2
Fable 2
Ghostbusters
Ghost Recon: Advance Warfighter 2
HAWX
Smackdown vs Raw 2011
Mafia 2
Medal of Honor
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Prototype
Rainbow 6: Vegas
Rainbow 6: Vegas 2
Street Fighter IV
UFC2009: Undisputed

Playing Command & Colour: Napoleonics for the first time

Playing Battles of Westeros reignited a desire to play Command & Colour: Ancients again. Though both games are nominally based on the same system, there were a number of things that I preferred in C&C. Namely, I felt that the way units moved, and were encouraged to stay in formation, was very true to era depicted.

So when Shawn brought round the latest in the series, I was interested to check it out. I was curious to see if my opinions about Ancients carried over into the Napoleonic iteration. Just as we started a game, I took a few snaps:

Unboxing Battles of Westeros

It's now a habit for me to participate in Boardgamegeek's annual Secret Santa during the Christmas period. It's a great little deal: I anonymously purchase a gift for a person on Boardgamegeek, and someone else does the same for me.

The Battles of Westeros must be a popular game in 2010, because this was the game that I received AND gifted as well. It's easy to see why it'd be so popular: It's based off a well-regarded game system (same as Battlelore and C&C:Ancients), and uses a popular fantasy setting (A Song of Ice & Fire).

I was so excited when I received this game, so I took a few snaps as I unboxed the game:

Pixel Hunt Issue 12

The Pixel Hunt website has been hacked, which has forced us to re-construct it. But activity is still happening with the crew. Issue 12 has just been released, with even more gaming goodness.

I've got an editorial in there, as well as a feature on Child's Play (a charity by the folks at Penny Arcade). So check out the latest issue here, and keep an eye out for the new site!

I'm also on the latest episodes of Pixel Cast, our fortnightly podcast. Episodes 24 and 25 are now available on iTunes.

What have I been up to?

It has been just over a month since I last posted anything here. Which, I admit, is a dramatic drop from my regular pace. I've endeavored to maintain a minimum of a post a week, but obviously I haven't kept to that promise.

Since the last post, a new issue of Pixel Hunt had been released, with contributions from myself again. I will have a couple of items in the upcoming Issue 12 as well. The podcast front has been fairly quiet as well, though we did record another episode a few nights ago.

The Pixel Hunt site has been hacked (again), so keep an eye out for new content once the site is restored.

I've also just submitted my first review for Hyper magazine. I'm hoping that my writing is deemed strong enough to warrant future opportunities. I've got my fingers crossed.

I've also really happy to have gotten the chance to get back into boardgames on a few occasions in the past month. I played some new hotness and some old favorites, and I'm really satisfied. Now my fingers are itching again, and I should probably get something onto the table some time soon.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies - Review

My review of Dragon Quest IX has gone up at Pixel Hunt. Here's some snippets from my review:

Dragon Quest IX is my first foray into the series. Given my relative inexperience with Japanese-styled RPGs, I wholeheartedly state that DQIX has been a welcome introduction to the genre.

Narrative and character are two key attractions to JRPGs, and within the opening sequence detailed above, players will be sufficiently compelled to embark on this adventure.

There is ample opportunity to maximise usage of the party, with plenty of combat for players to engage in. Thankfully the combat is actually quite fun, with a couple of mechanics that help reduce the tedium.

As each member of the team are created and customised by the player, it sadly means that there is a lack of memorable characters within the story.

You can check out the rest of my review here.

Starcraft 2 - Review by Community

A community review of Starcraft 2 has just gone up at Pixel Hunt. Whilst the primary contributions were from our community members, I did do the compiling and editing for the piece. And the idea was also mine originally.

So I'm going to claim ownership of the piece, and hope you all enjoy it.

You can read the full review here.

PixelCast 22 - Pixelcraft

I catch up with the boys again for our fortnightly recording of the PixelCast. 22 episodes in, and still going strong.

In this episode, we talk about Starcraft 2 (and little else) for the games we've been playing. We talk about various news piece regarding PC sales, piracy in indie gaming and engage in more R18+ discussions.

The topic of the episode looks at the stellar year in gaming so far, and the games we'll be looking forward in the remaining months.

You can listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes.

The Nintendo Basement Podcast Episode 2

The boys at The Nintendo Basement invited me to join in their second episode as a special guest. It was extremely enjoyable, and I look forward to joining them again in the future.

In the episode we talk about a variety of Nintendo-related news, games that we've been playing, and express our opinions over a range of other topics.

You can listen to the episode here.

PixelCast 21 - Pixelstain

Brand new episode of the PixelCast is now up. This episode, we have a special guest: Daniel Staines, from Eegra and Total Gamer. He joins the regular crew of Tim, Dylan and I as we pick his brains about morality in videogames.

We also talk about Persona 3 PSP, Limbo and 3D Dot Heroes, as well as Blizzard's RealID debacle, gaming schools and Metacritic's influence on game development.

You can listen to us here or download from iTunes.

PixelCast 20 - Pixel to Pixel

Another fortnight, another episode of the PixelCast. The regular panel of 3 are back once again to talk about games and gaming-related news.

In this episode, Dylan, Tim and I talk about Transformers: War for Cybertron, Uplink and various arcade games. In the news, we chat about internet access as a basic human right, Starcraft themed aeroplanes, and the dwindling appeal of Farmville.

We also talk about the clutter in our lives, filled with boxes, books, boardgames, instruction manuals, jewel cases and discs. And about getting rid of all that junk.

Listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes.

Red Steel 2 - Review

My review of Red Steel 2 (Nintendo Wii) is now up on the Pixel Hunt website. So go on over there to read what I thought about the game. But here are some tidbits:

Red Steel 2 features cowboys and ninjas in a futuristic, Asian-themed Wild West, which is every bit as outrageous as that statement sounds. The fantastical setting allows the game to be creative in its application of the visual style, influencing the look of characters and environments.

The star attraction in Red Steel 2 is the sword wielding, and brandishing your sword can be immensely satisfying. There are a wide variety of moves, and a large number of combos to pull off, giving the fighting system a real depth.

There are moments when everything falls into place, and a truly brilliant moment of gameplay shines through.

Click here for the rest of the review.

PixelCast 19 - Three Little Pixels

It's said a lot, but Tim literally fell out of bed and went straight into recording this episode. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that it was already post-1pm at this point.

Fortunately, there was a panel of three others to back him up. Michael, Dylan, and I keep the show in check and make sure that things remain (mostly) focused on gaming. Lots of gaming. Apparently we all love Nintendo again. Go figure.

You can listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010

E3 2010, the largest showcase of video games and other forms of electronic entertainment, has recently closed. As always, there are a whole slew of news and announcements about past performances, as well as new plans and initiatives. And always accompanying are post-expo reactions and responses.

It seems that this year's E3 is focused on the short-term, with many announcements related to this coming holiday season. Very few products break the mould, and most are retreading familiar ground.

Sequels are an accepted reality in videogames; we always want more of a good thing. But even in sequels, there are innovations. That seems lacking in the sequels we are seeing this year. Halo Reach, Gears of War 3, Killzone 3. There may be improvements in the technical aspects, but there's a general lack in bold imagination and and inspiring creativity.

I want to see more games like Journey, where the imagery is evocative, and about "singing, sand, hiking, cloth, surfing, astronauts and feeling small". My expectations for the game could ultimately go unfulfilled, but the developers have a such strong track record that I feel justified to be hopeful.

If nothing else comes of the game, at least they have given us some truly beautiful art.

PixelCast 18 - Pixel Sucker

On this episode of PixelCast, Tim, Dylan and myself talk about Red Dead Redemption, MGS: Peace Walker, Auditorium and Sam & Max.

We also talk about games that evoke emotions, and answer the largest number of listener questions we've ever received: a grand total of 4!

You can listen to us here or subscribe to us via iTunes.

PixelCast 17 - Your Pixel is Under Attack

PixelCast is back with another exciting episode. This time, we talk about Super Street Fighter IV, Blur, Split/Second, Starcraft 2 Beta and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

I'm also talk enthusiastically about a great reality TV/social experiment on the Discovery Channel: The Colony.

News and the attractions of 2D gaming round out the show.

Subscribe to us through iTunes, or download from here.

Monster Hunter Tri - Review

My review for Monster Hunter Tri (Nintendo Wii) has just gone up over at Pixel Hunt. So if you wanna know what I thought about the game, click on the link, give it a read, and make a comment.

Here are some snippets of my review:

Players will need to prepare, plan and scavenge in order to become a successful hunter. Knowledge of a monster's patterns of behaviour and being able to live off the land are also factors in a hunter's ability to succeed. In other words, Monster Hunter Tri rewards attention to detail and patience.

The game's visuals are quite impressive, and no one can deny that Capcom has managed to draw a lot of power out of the Wii...

...However, seeing the game in its current form makes one wonder about the greater potential that could have been realised had it been reproduced on a more powerful console. The colours could have been more vibrant and the sense of scale could have been even more majestic and epic. The artistic potential in the game outstrips the technical capabilities of the console it was created for.

...the first time you take down a towering beast and skinned its hide to make a nice new coat, you will know whether or not you are cut out to be a hunter.

Read the rest of the review here.