#28: Scoring & Victory

FromThe Game Design Round Table

Start listening View podcast show

#28: Scoring & Victory

FromThe Game Design Round Table

ratings:

Length:

75 minutes

Released:

May 21, 2013

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

The usual three-man crew discusses - debates, even - the ways in which we win games. The first half of the show is dominated by dissecting the pluses and minuses of victory points, whether they’re inherently arbitrary, and if they might even be a sign of lazy design. In the second half our hosts talk specifics, analyzing how victory does (and could) work in ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘At the Gates.’

Released:

May 21, 2013

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.

Skip carousel

#2: Memory, Innovation and Being an Indie. With Rob Daviau.: Risk: Legacy designer and newly-minted indie game design company owner Rob Daviau joins Dirk and Jon to talk about a wide-range of topics including memory and persistence in games, innovation, and starting your own game company. Spelunky, Stone Age, Lo... by The Game Design Round Table
94 min listen
#6: Running a Game Company. With Uwe Eickert: This week Dirk and Jon are joined by Uwe Eickert, founder of Academy Games and designer of several acclaimed board games. They discuss a few of Uwe’s projects including Conflict of Heroes and 1775. Also covered is how and why he got into the business, ... by The Game Design Round Table
94 min listen
#28: Scoring & Victory: The usual three-man crew discusses - debates, even - the ways in which we win games. The first half of the show is dominated by dissecting the pluses and minuses of victory points, whether they’re inherently arbitrary, and if they might even be a sign ... by The Game Design Round Table
75 min listen
#16: War Stories. With Michael Tan: Jon and Dirk are joined by Michael Tan, lead designer of War Stories, a new tabletop wargaming franchise that just launched on Kickstarter. Michael and Dirk talk about the experience of remotely designing a game together, and share many of the exciting... by The Game Design Round Table
60 min listen
#22: Bioshock Infinite & Plaid Hat Games. With Colby Dauch: The team is joined by Colby Dauch, president of Plaid Hat Games, the developer behind Summoner Wars and the upcoming Bioshock Infinite board game. These games are discussed, as well as the story behind Plaid Hat’s founding, Colby’s approach to business... by The Game Design Round Table
70 min listen
#9: Journey of a Part-Time Indie. With Jesse Howard: This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Jesse Howard, an academic turned part-time tabletop designer - at age 40. They delve into Jesse’s ongoing journey to develop ‘Ploy’, a promising and innovative abstract card game. The design of Ploy is a very intere... by The Game Design Round Table
82 min listen
#1: Hello World!: The Game Design Round Table launches with hosts Dirk Knemeyer and Jon Shafer talking about their background in gaming and design. by The Game Design Round Table
45 min listen
#11: Storytelling & The Walking Dead. With Telltale: A “high-energy” episode this week as Jon and Dirk are joined by Telltale Games designers (and Idle Thumbs hosts) Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin. The guests share their experiences developing story-based games, with a particular focus on The Walking Dead.... by The Game Design Round Table
80 min listen
#3: Trends in Digital & Tabletop Game Design: Bill Abner from Conquistador Games joins Jon and Dirk to talk about trends in digital and tabletop games, as well as his experiences transitioning from gaming media into game development. by The Game Design Round Table
89 min listen
#4: Storytelling & Crusader Kings 2. With Paradox.: Henrik Fahraeus and Chris King from the Paradox Interactive design crew join Jon and Dirk to talk about storytelling in games. by The Game Design Round Table
60 min listen
#14: 4X Games & Civilization. With Soren Johnson: This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Soren Johnson, best known as the designer of Civilization IV. The gang discusses the 4X genre with a particular focus on the Civilization series. They dig into what makes this category of games special, what problem... by The Game Design Round Table
69 min listen
#20: ‘Tomorrow’, Abnercon Games & Updates: Jon and Dirk are guest-free this week and provide an update on what they’ve been working on and playing. On the Kickstarter front, ‘At the Gates’ has wrapped up and ‘War Stories’ will soon be doing the same. A recent playtest of ‘Tomorrow’ and Jon’s th... by The Game Design Round Table
79 min listen
#12: CCGs & Dominion. With David Heron: Jon and Dirk are joined by designer David Heron to discuss his work on the Legend of the Five Rings CCG (Collectible Card Game). Along the way, they examine the business side of building a CCG. The discussion then shifts to deckbuilding and drafting ga... by The Game Design Round Table
70 min listen
#13: Jon’s New Game - At the Gates: Lucky #13! In this week’s episode, our hosts discuss Jon’s new game: ‘At the Gates,’ a 4X strategy game where you play as a barbarian tribe during the fall of Rome. They discuss the background for the game’s development, as well as the design thinking ... by The Game Design Round Table
74 min listen
#10: Battle of the Bulge, Updates, and More: An intimate show this week where Jon and Dirk cover a variety of topics ranging from the new Battle of the Bulge iOS game to Jon’s recent article contrasting turn-based and real-time games. Dirk also provides an update on the progress of his current ga... by The Game Design Round Table
61 min listen
#7: Experience & Replayability. With Scott Lewis: This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Firaxis designer and programmer Scott Lewis. He comes on the show to jump into a discussion about “experience” games, which target the player’s first experience, and replayable games, which are designed to hold up o... by The Game Design Round Table
66 min listen
#18: Spelunky. With Derek Yu: This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Derek Yu, designer of Spelunky. He shares his design approach, the importance of challenge and permadeath. Derek also describes what it’s like to be a designer/artist hybrid, as opposed to the designer/programmers t... by The Game Design Round Table
77 min listen
#19: Diplomacy & Allan Calhamer. With Jim Burgess: With the sad passing of Allan Calhamer, Dirk and Jon felt it appropriate to honor his memory and the legacy left behind by his finest work: Diplomacy. They are joined by Jim Burgess, a distinguished member of the Diplomacy community. The crew discusses... by The Game Design Round Table
84 min listen
#21: Free to Play. With David Heron: New occasional co-host David Heron rejoins the show to analyze the impact of Free to Play (F2P) from a business and design perspective. The group discusses the philosophical implications of F2P, along with real life examples that include Banner Saga: F... by The Game Design Round Table
56 min listen
#23: Magic, Drafting & Updates: Dirk shares his first ‘Magic’ drafting experience, and why the game and format now has its hooks into him. He and Jon then step back and evaluate the drafting mechanic and ponder whether the reason why it works is BECAUSE of a steep learning curve. The... by The Game Design Round Table
68 min listen
#5: Digital vs. Tabletop Game Design: An intimate show this week in which our co-hosts “go commando,” as Dirk puts it. We compare and contrast tabletop and digital game design, and dig into the process Dirk went through when creating Tomorrow. The crew dives deep into the “nuts and bolts” ... by The Game Design Round Table
69 min listen
#8: End-of-Year Spectacular 2012: In the final episode of 2012, Jon and Dirk hand out the first annual TGDRT Game Design Awards. Our hosts highlight some favorites from past episodes but also share their thoughts on a few newcomers - their Games of the Year might come as a bit of a sur... by The Game Design Round Table
67 min listen
#29: Solium Infernum, ‘Futbol Strategy’ & More: Jon and Dirk finally get around to discussing ‘Solium Infernum’, a tabletop-digital “hybrid” strategy title where you aim to become the lord of hell. They wheel around and talk about the light worker placement game ‘Stone Age’ and why it might be a gre... by The Game Design Round Table
71 min listen
#17: Kickstarter & Fate Core. With Fred Hicks: With the At the Gates funding campaign coming to a close, Jon and Dirk are joined by the timely Fred Hicks of Evil Hat to talk about launching and running a Kickstarter drive. They delve into the demands and challenges of Kickstarter, and Fred shares t... by The Game Design Round Table
59 min listen
#27: Board Game Design. With Martin Wallace: Dirk (the solo host for this week) sits down with acclaimed game designer Martin Wallace of Tree Frog Games. Martin’s star-studded resume includes Railroad Tycoon, A Few Acres of Snow, Waterloo, and the Discworld licensed games. by The Game Design Round Table
63 min listen
#24: Games and the Law. With Dave Fitzgerald: Trademark specialist and actual lawyer-type Dave Fitzgerald joins the show to discuss legal issues relating to games development. Topics covered include the difference between patents, trademarks and copyrights, what you need to set up a company and co... by The Game Design Round Table
89 min listen
#37: Failure, Punishment and Learning: Jon, Dirk and David discuss the role of failure in games and how it ties in with how people learn how to play. What does punishment add, and where can it go wrong? How do you effectively teach players strategy games? What do PLAYERS get out of failure?... by The Game Design Round Table
73 min listen
#25: Information & Obfuscation: David Heron, Jon and Dirk noodle over the role of information and obfuscation in game design. Why does ‘Persona 4’ work when the BioWare games do not? And when can hiding info be GOOD for a game? by The Game Design Round Table
64 min listen
#42: King of Dragon Pass. With David Dunham: Jon and Dirk are joined by David Dunham, the creator of the classic PC and new iOS game ‘King of Dragon Pass’. The panel discusses the game’s unique focus on player-driven narrative, reviving an old-school title on new platforms, and the challenges of ... by The Game Design Round Table
60 min listen
#32: Don’t Starve, Shogun, Wiz-War & Updates: Jon and Dirk discuss a few games they’ve played lately which make good first impressions but ultimately fall short: ‘Don’t Starve’, ‘Shogun’ and ‘Wiz-War’. They then transition over to talking about what they’ve been working on, including AI character ... by The Game Design Round Table
85 min listen

More Episodes from The Game Design Round Table

Skip carousel

#316 Citizen Sleeper with Gareth Damian Martin: Dirk and David meet with Gareth Damian Martin, creator of In Other Waters and Citizen Sleeper. They discuss Gareth’s design journey, as well as the process of creating Citizen Sleeper. Topics include the use of tabletop mechanics in video games,... by The Game Design Round Table
55 min listen
#315 Civilization Series 3: Welcome back to the Civilization Series. In the third installment, David and Dirk break down their experiences with Millennia, the latest 4X offering from C Prompt Games and Paradox Interactive. They discuss what aspects of the game worked for them,... by The Game Design Round Table
52 min listen
#314 Designing to Ship with Xalavier Nelson Jr: Dirk and David interview prolific designer and leader Xalavier Nelson Jr. They discuss Xalavier’s illustrious and busy career, focusing on his philosophy of how to ship a game as well as knowing your own capabilities. Topics include his work and... by The Game Design Round Table
57 min listen
#313 Civilization Series 2: Welcome to the second episode of the series on the “Civilization” games, as well as other 4X titles. Continuing from episode one, the pair talk about the phenomenon of “One More Turn”, using overlapping progression paths, and quality life... by The Game Design Round Table
57 min listen
#312 Civilization Series 1: This episode marks the beginning of a new series focused on the Civilization series of games. Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson to discuss their background with the Civilization games, and how they got introduced to the series. They discuss... by The Game Design Round Table
56 min listen
#311 Innovating Themes with Anna Anthropy: Dirk and Kathryn Hymes meet this episode to talk with Anna Anthropy, digital and tabletop designer known for her prolific work with non-traditional themes. They discuss Anna’s career in game design, and her path into becoming an educator. Topics... by The Game Design Round Table
53 min listen
#310 Listener Questions: Dirk and David answer another round of listener questions! They discuss how mobile and desktop games differ, what makes a game “broken”, and tips to follow when designing around a licensed property. They also delve into design stagnation and... by The Game Design Round Table
47 min listen
#309 Industry and Loose Leaf with Tanya X. Short: Dirk and David are joined by Tanya X. Short, Captain of Kitfox Games. They discuss the balance between appealing to market sensibilities and following one’s own interests, and how to make them work together. They also discuss the difficulty in... by The Game Design Round Table
55 min listen
#308 Narrative AI with Emily Short: Dirk and David are joined by legendary interactive fiction writer and creative director of Failbetter Games Emily Short. The trio discuss Emily’s career, her contributions to interactive fiction, and some of her thoughts on both traditional game AI... by The Game Design Round Table
51 min listen
#307 Roundtable with Soren Johnson: Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson, friend of the show and founder of Mohawk Games. The trio answers questions and design problems from the community, and follow up on recent episodes. Topics include achievements and collectables, the... by The Game Design Round Table
52 min listen
#306 A Highland Song with Jon Ingold: Dirk and David are joined by Jon Ingold, narrative designer and co-founder of Inkle Studios. They discuss Inkle’s newly released video game A Highland Song, centered around exploration, discovery, and engaging the human form within nature. They... by The Game Design Round Table
58 min listen
#305 Thirsty Suitors with Chandana Ekanayake: Dirk and David are joined by Chandana Ekanayake, Game Director of Outerloop Games and long-time designer. They discuss Eka’s newly released Thirsty Suitors, a turn-based adventure game centering around culture, relationships, family, and... by The Game Design Round Table
54 min listen
#304 Listener Questions November 2023: It’s time for another round of listener questions! In this episode, Dirk and David field questions from the community, discussing a variety of subjects. Topics include the validity and usefulness of player taxonomies, the pros and cons of game jams,... by The Game Design Round Table
59 min listen
#303 Darkest Dungeon 2 with Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman: This week, David is joined by Chris Bourassa, creative director and cofounder of Red Hook Studios, as well as Tyler Sigman, designer and fellow co-founder. Together, they discuss Red Hook’s latest venture, Darkest Dungeon 2, the road trip sequel to... by The Game Design Round Table
68 min listen
#302 Wildermyth with Nate Austin: Dirk and David are joined by Nate Austin, co-creator of myth-making tactical RPG Wildermyth. In this entry in the series on worldbuilding, Nate describes the origins of Wildermyth, and how he and his partners grew the game into a true success. The... by The Game Design Round Table
52 min listen
#301 Design and Controls with Richard Lemarchand: Dirk is joined by returning guest host Soren Johnson in today's episode in the Design Talk series. Dirk and Soren speak with Richard Lemarchand, distinguished game designer and now-professor most well-known for his work on the Uncharted series.... by The Game Design Round Table
62 min listen
#300 Tricentennial Celebration: Welcome to episode 300 of The Game Design Round Table! Dirk and David take the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone. They reflect on the role the show has played in their lives, their own journeys as designers, and hear from friends new... by The Game Design Round Table
60 min listen
#299 Worldbuilding with Ryan Laukat: Dirk is joined by Ryan Laukat, designer, illustrator, and co-founder of Red Raven Games, for the second installation in this series on worldbuilding. Ryan discusses his introduction and path into game design, the creation of Red Raven Games, and... by The Game Design Round Table
46 min listen
#298 Tchia with Phil Crifo: Today on the show, Dirk and David are joined by Phil Crifo, game director at Awaceb, most prominently known for his work on Fossil Echo and Tchia. He discusses growing up in New Caledonia, and how it serves as an influence on the creation of Tchia.... by The Game Design Round Table
52 min listen
#297 Gerson Da Silva Talks Kingdom Rush: Dirk and David are joined by Gerson Da Silva, Director at Ironhide Game Studio and co-founder of Totem Games. Gerson is best known for his work on the Kingdom Rush series, as well as Water 2050. This episode delves into alternative paths into game... by The Game Design Round Table
45 min listen
#296 Listener Questions: Dirk and David gather for another round of listener questions! They answer how to balance mechanical options and variety in a game, trends in how genres are under- or over-utilized, and the impact of live streaming on designing and marketing a game.... by The Game Design Round Table
54 min listen
#295 Kingdoms and Castles with Lion Shield Studios: Dirk and David are joined by Pete Angstadt and Michael Peddicard, co-founders of Lion Shield Studios, to talk about the design and success of Kingdoms and Castles. They discuss designing in the city builder genre, as well as how they structure their... by The Game Design Round Table
51 min listen
#294 Worldbuilding with Kaitlin Tremblay: Dirk and David join Kaitlin Tremblay, fiction and collaborative game design author and co-founder of Soft Rains Games. In this inaugural episode in the new series of Worldbuilding, the table discusses what role worldbuilding plays in creating a game... by The Game Design Round Table
42 min listen
#293 Interview with Mark Rosewater: Dirk and David interview Mark Rosewater, the long-time lead designer of the legendary card game Magic: the Gathering. Mark shares his wisdom on how to make a game that can continue to be designed over time, as well as how games can excite different... by The Game Design Round Table
55 min listen
#292 TGDRT Roundtable With Dirk and David: Dirk and David take a stroll down memory lane and discuss their personal journeys, as well as the evolution the show has taken. They discuss the process of taking on a leadership role, the influence of the market on the enjoyment of game design, how... by The Game Design Round Table
60 min listen
#291 Tana Tanoi Talks Mini Motorways: Tana Tanoi, technical designer at Dinosaur Polo Club, joins Dirk to discuss designing Mini Motorways and Mini Metro, as well as what goes into designing games that simulate the real world. Topics include the power of simulation, the difficulties in... by The Game Design Round Table
55 min listen
#290 Sustainability in Games with Carlos Flores and jess Metheringham: Carlos Flores, director of NABERS, and Jess Metherigham, chair of Unlock Democracy, join Dirk in discussing the Green Games Guide, a resource geared towards sustainability in games, and the reality of what it takes to make a game truly... by The Game Design Round Table
58 min listen
#289 AI and Generative Content with Matt Kim: Matt, Creative Director for Inworld AI, joins Dirk and David to talk about the potential of generative AI to push the boundaries of what games can do. The three discuss how AI has developed, and what possibilities the technology may hold. Topics... by The Game Design Round Table
45 min listen
#288 Augmented Reality in Games with Graham Moore: AR game designer Graham Moore joins Dirk and David to talk about his work merging tabletop wargaming with augmented reality technology. Topics discussed include how AR can benefit wargaming, the balance of information clarity and tactical decision... by The Game Design Round Table
54 min listen
#287 Diving Into Cards With Rob Daviau: Former cohost Rob Daviau joins Dirk and David to discuss card games in the context of his upcoming game Unmatched Adventures. After catching up on the state of Rob’s company Restoration Games, the trio start their deep dive into the card game... by The Game Design Round Table
58 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

FIVE STRIPE FINAL: Egg or potato? (Atlanta United beats Chicago, 2-1) by Atlanta Soccer Podcast Network
46 min listen
285: What is the Midgame?: Listen, y'all. I don't know what to tell you. Sometimes you've got questions and we've got answers. Sometimes we ask questions because we secretly have answers we think are clever. And sometimes Matt asks a question thinking he'll find an answer alon... by Space Cats Peace Turtles
94 min listen
79 - Omnic Lab: Proper Hero "Framing": In the Lab this week Andres and Rob got a killer email and sparked us talking about hero “framing” as a main discussion. We have an amazing set of chats about using the optimum view for what you are wanting to do in the game of Overwatch. *omniclab.c by Omnic Lab: A Strategic Overwatch Podcast
71 min listen
How to Write a Wargame (3: Developing Mechanics): In this third installment of our "How to Write a Wargame" series, Tom & Greg delve into the heart of game design. Today's episode is a long, detailed discussion between two veteran designers on how to structure the turn sequence and how the mechanics... by Little Wars FM
83 min listen
The Order 66 Podcast Episode 125 - Death and Trade Negotiations: This episode, the Order 66 Podcast covers a topic that we have never covered before, which can be the fondest or foulest memory of a game: character death. The hosts dive headfirst into the black abyss of bad GMing, good story driven character choices, ho by Order 66 Podcast
103 min listen
Gozanti Heist: A Holiday RPG: We take a break from our normal content to play a Star Wars Themed RPG. More information below: Players:Saal Bem (Duros) Outlaw Tech - Richard White Light blasters Mechanics Slicing Underworld Contacts Deception ... by Fly Better Podcast
167 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

#28: Scoring & Victory

#28: Scoring & Victory

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from The Game Design Round Table

Related podcast episodes