Sunday, January 24, 2016
I've Been Diced! episode 71: Mutants, game studies, and 2015 in review
Our first episode of 2016 is a whopper! We start with an interview with Gordon Calleja, designer of Posthuman, and associate professor and head of the Institute of Digital Games at the University Of Malta. Yes, not only does he design games, but he also teaches game design! Gordon and I talk about professional game studies, whether boardgames can be immersive, our deep fascination with apocalyptic stories, and, of course, his game. After that interview, our regular panel talks about 2015 in gaming: the highs, the lows, the pleasant surprises, and the deep regrets. (c) 2016 Tom Grant
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Since Kevin Sudy was stuck in traffic the night we recorded the 2015 in review discussion, he wasn't able to participate. Here are the games he would have cited.
ReplyDeleteKEVIN'S LIST
Best gaming experience
Triumph and Tragedy
Cthulhu Wars (in the dark)
Call of Cthulhu (mumbus jumbus)
Worst gaming experience
Holy Roman Empire
Cave Evil
Most nostalgic moment
All: AD&D, El Grande, Goa
Jason: War of the Ring
TJ: Netrunner
Tom: Up Front, Space Hulk (Tom)
Best translation of a boardgame to an electronic format
Hybrid game/soundtrack
One Night Werewolf
Space Alert
Best tie-in game (based on some franchise)
Imperial Assault
Biggest pleasant surprise
Quartermaster General (post-con; six-player)
Among Nobles
Colt Express
Biggest unpleasant surprise/disappointment
Nations the Dice Game
The Dice Must Flow
Smashup
Churchill (second game)
Sentinels?
Game that will last the longest in your collection
New: Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Existing: The Napoleonic Wars
The game that got away (wish we had played it)
Moderated many-player fog-of-war Napoleonic
Battle For Baghdad
Posthuman
Legion Of Honor
XCOM
Moongha Invaders
Theseus: The Dark Orbit
The game that got away (wish I had bought it)
Code Names
Colt Express
Game of the year (the one that most impressed you)
Triumph & Tragedy
Code Names
Game of the year (the one I had the most fun playing)
Fast games providing an alternative to King of Tokyo
Splendor
Code Names
Welcome to the Dungeon
Battlestar Galactica
The Napoleonic Wars (89+ games: 55 with Ed and John, 18 with Ed, 16 others)
A hot topic during the podcast were the conditions in Churchill for a victory over Japan. When does Japan surrender, and how do you score the situation. If you need further clarification, here are some helpful links:
ReplyDeleteInterview with Mark Herman on this podcast, in which Mark outlines the logic behind the victory and surrender conditions.
http://ivebeendiced.blogspot.com/2015/06/ive-been-diced-episode-67-mark-herman.html
Mark's explanation of the victory conditions:
http://markherman.tripod.com/blog/index.blog/2356040/what-do-churchill-military-victory-points-mean/
Mark's advice on defeating the Axis in Churchill:
http://www.insidegmt.com/?p=2658
Also, check out the latest C3i for a detailed playthrough by Mark Herman versus two bots, with very helpful commentary throughout.