Scenes of boardgamedesigners' private lives
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Ever wondered how are gamedesigners in their everyday life? or among their pairs? or even at the magical moment of creating a new game that we'll all love and play?
ok, now is your chance to find out: prepare yourself to have a glimpse of the private lives of some of the most prominent artists in the boardgaming world!
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A respectful tribute to these great guys who provide us with so many moments of enjoyment with our friends and fellow bbgers.
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FRIEDEMANN FRIESE [in front of his bathroom mirror, dressing up for a con]:
- Damn! My hair is starting to fall, due to all this *&%¨# green ink.... Guess I'll have to start wearing a wig. Or else I'll have to change my name to Hairless Harry.
- Wait, this has given me some good ideas for game names already: "Happy Hippo's Heptathlon". "Horrible Hounds of the Haunted House". "Hyper Humanoids Hysterical Hula-Hula"! Man, does anyone have a pair of scissors??
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JOHN YIANNI [during a school lecture about his work]:
- ...And so kids, they don't use bakelite in kitchens anymore, and that's why all the remaining factories are secretly working to promote my games. Ok, any questions? Yes? No, the Essen Mosquitoes were not eaten by the Army of Frogs.
- Next? No, I don't plan to remove the spiders from Hive. Or to change their movement. Spiders are fine! Anyone else? What? No, yes, I mean, I do like spiders. Yeah, sure, also Spiderman.
- What? Yes, I know Spiderman is very strong and powerful, but see, he was bitten by a radioactive spider. What again? Well, genetically altered, then... Eh? Oh Christ, yes, sure, I'm aware that spiders are not even insects. But the game is not about... But.... Oh, damn kids, I quit! Go play Monopoly, will ya?
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BRUNO FAIDUTTI [at the very moment of creating a new game]:
- Eh bien, let me see... The publisher asked for something different. Aha! I'll surprise him. Big time. I'll make my first dry, abstract, classic euro-like! No theme at all. No chaos. No random. Hehe, can't wait to see his face when I show him my new design...
- Now let's see: I'll use this checkers board. And this little glass marbles. Perfect. Harmless, themeless... Aliens! They sure look like round glass-bodied evil aliens. Well, it won't harm to have aliens; hive has bugs all over it and still gets to be played by chess freaks.
- Ok then, but the marbles won't stop over the checkers board... Aha! Simple: I'll just make some holes in it. Yeah, holes. In the black spaces. Sacre bleu! Black holes! Sure: aliens + holes = black holes. Pure, cold logic.
- Ok, ok. But still, this looks a little plain... Mmmm, ok, so maybe we'll just place traps in some of the holes. Yes, it makes sense. Black holes must be tricky. Nothing Project Gipf wouldn't agree with.
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[BRUNO FAIDUTTI creates an abstract game - part 2]
- But how will the marbles move? Oh I know, I know: warp-speed devices! Fair enough. Fair enough. This little fellas oughta have some way to defend themselves from the traps, don't they? Even if they are evil glass beads. Sooo evil. But themeless.
- Ok, so the warp-speed devices might come in a deck of cards. It's alright, isn't it? No dice. Just old, safe cards. Maybe with zany spaceballs-like artwork. Some artwork won't do no harm. Oh no. Even Reiner's games have nice artwork - and it never made them even close to "themed".
- So, we're almost there, but still I feel something is missing... Ah! Mais bien sûr: some role-selecting! That will be the twist: the first abstract with role-selecting. Each player has five characters. Or maybe eight? no, let's leave it to the expansion; we are trying to keep it simple!
- Ok, guess I'm done by now. Allors, let's phone my old pall the publisher. I must tell him I've done it: I've just designed the first card-driven spaceballs-like warp-speed-moving black-hole-trap role-selecting modified-checkers-board evil-glass-alien abstract! Boy, will he be surprised!
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REINER KNIZIA [at a designers' gametesting meeting]:
- Hum, let me see your prototype... Interesting, this looks familiar... Har har, sorrey mein freund: I've published a game like this in 1989. Oh! Also one quite similar to this new game of yours. Yes, in 1992. Oops! This one there? Done already. Zorry. That one too. And that one. Big hit of mine! And that one also... What can I say? I've done quite a few games, it seems. Quite a few, indeed! Hehe.
- But don't worry, friends: maybe you still can publish these. Just change the theme! It's very simple, I do it all the time. Oh, and you might want to name it with something that starts with a "x". Why? because it's the only letter I haven't used as the first for a game name yet. So it'd be totally original! Could be "Xorley". What about "Xamyris"?
- ...See? Just do that and you may publish. No need to be upset. Nobody will even notice the similarities... Hey! Hey guys, don't look at me this way. Hey, what?... C'mon, guys... Don't take it personally. It's not my fault I though of all this before... Hey, stand back! Stop it! What are you doing?! No, don't, don't - help! HILFE!!!!
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Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:21 pm
Rio de Janeiro
RJ