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Explaining the Inexplicable
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Sometimes, when you're playing a game for the first time you look at or attempt to use some of the components and you go .. "Wait! What?" This list proposes some answers. Disclaimer: I should point out that some of the games on this list are amongst my favourites, and that I am well aware that game designers often don't have any say in the final graphic design of their products.
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Posted On: 2008-06-19 07:24:50
Edited On: 2008-06-19 07:24:46
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"Hey look at this design bill. Those flags for the individual races cost a fortune! We better use them everywhere we can. Let's see, we can stick them on the command counters, the ships, the control markers and the technology cards."
"There's no way we can stamp designs that detailed on plastic ships! Anyway, that'd mean including eight sets of ships in the game and then you can bet that some damn fool group of players or other will try playing the game with eight, and find out that it sucks vacuum with eight and write in and complain."
"Yeah, good points. All right then, just the counters, markers and cards".
"But if we put them on the technology card, some idiot is going to get them mixed up with the technology symbols."
"You're right again. So just the counters and markers then."
"So let me get this straight. We're going to a ship a game in which a player has a set of ships and tech cards in a matching colour and then has their markers and counters based on a racial flag in a colour which probably doesn't match the ships and the cards?"
"Damn right we are. They can just pick a set of flags that match the colours of the ships."
"Even though we could just have six sets of ships, cards and counters all in matching colours?"
"That's right. Those flags cost a kings bloody ransom! Besides, what the hell else are we going to do with all the excess cardboard around the planet tiles?" |
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5 Comments []
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Posted On: 2008-06-17 02:53:35
Edited on: 2008-06-18 13:39:48
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"Oh, I love railway games. It's great the way the theme comes through in all the components - those railroad accessories used as city markers and the little plastic trains and such. It's just a shame we can't get a railroad theme right there on the board before anyone even puts a piece on it."
"Sure we can! Let's make the scoring track like a railway track and have players put an engine on it to mark their score."
"Ooooh, that's a great idea! Won't it cause a problem if there's a score draw though?"
"Weeeel, it might. But I don't remember any of the playtesters even specifically mentioning that the scores were often tied. And in our own test games I don't remember there ever being a score draw."
"Neither can I. But we were smashed on moonshine most of the time we were playing."
"It wasn't moonshine, we ran out of that months ago. It was meths. Meths doesn't damage your memory at all so we're on safe ground."
"Oh cool! So we'll implement it then. Let's celebrate!"
"Before we party, don't forget to call the printers in China and tell them that the blue is too pale and the purple is too dark, so if they just mix a bit of one into the other and vice-versa, it'll be fine."
"Will do."
"Great! Pour out the antifreeze!" |
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7 Comments []
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Posted On: 2008-06-17 02:55:45
Edited on: 2008-06-18 13:51:44
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Posted On: 2008-06-19 10:01:53
I played an eight player game this weekend. It was great, all players knew the game pretty well and it flowed quite well. I think the total playing time was 5 hours. Great experience.
And you didn't hear us complain!