Precinct Omega

Having forgotten to upload the script to the last design episode, I decided to embrace it, this week, and just no bother with the script.  The result is more rambling and less structured and possibly less coherent.  But hopefully still interesting.

Let me know in the comments: stick to unscripted (and maybe do a video version as well) or go back to scripting and the hours-long preparation each episode demands... Can you tell my heart's not in it?

Apologies for the late posting.  I had a bit of a burn-out and needed to take a day off.  Back to normal service!

 

Back to the news, we look at

 

Knight Games's Harry Potter: Catch the Snitch Kickstarter 

Privateer Press's Warcaster: Neo-Mechanika: Collision Course Kickstarter 

Firelock Games's Blood & Plunder: Raise the Black Kickstarter 

 

and, because why stop when you're on a roll,

 

Blacklist Games's Dire Alliance: Horror Kickstarter 

 

And I take a look at why we are so often fooled into thinking that more "stuff" in a game makes it better, why that's probably not true and how players and designers can think differently about the integration of components with the gaming experience.

 

Incidentally, if you listen carefully, you'll hear my son's piano practice in the background.  I usually record while they're at school but, for some reason, this week my entire first recording was plagued with a mysterious background distortion, so I had to re-record it later.  There's also a door slam at some point.  I'm not sure, but it might have been the same son being told to stop playing the piano while his Dad is recording....

In the first in the new series, I start by talking about conceptual efficiencies and physical efficiencies - what are they, and why do large game companies like physical efficiencies so much?*

Link to the panel.

*Answer: because they make them more money.