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Author Topic: Interview with Donald X.  (Read 2126913 times)

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LastFootnote

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3925 on: November 07, 2017, 06:46:18 pm »
+2

Donald, my wife was pondering over cards and pointed out to me Magic in Dominion is only ever evil. Meaning, harmful. Attack cards.

To which I replied, well, not really since there are magical treasures that aren't harmful. And Alchemy is full of helpful magic, right?

But then I thought, it's funny that in Alchemy you have magic -- Scrying Pool, Familiar, Possession -- and you have pseudoscientists -- Alchemist, Herbalist, Apprentice. And the magic users are attacks and the alchemists are beneficial, contained cards.

Is there an intention here? I'm trying to think of actual "Magic user" cards in Dominion that aren't all attackers or otherwise hostile.

Transmogrify isn’t evil, just off the top of my head. And yeah Summon, as Eran said. Um, what else? Pixie. Exorcist.
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chipperMDW

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3926 on: November 07, 2017, 06:48:31 pm »
+2

Transmogrify isn’t evil, just off the top of my head. And yeah Summon, as Eran said. Um, what else? Pixie. Exorcist.
Druid seems friendly enough.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3927 on: November 07, 2017, 07:06:26 pm »
+6

Donald, my wife was pondering over cards and pointed out to me Magic in Dominion is only ever evil. Meaning, harmful. Attack cards.

To which I replied, well, not really since there are magical treasures that aren't harmful. And Alchemy is full of helpful magic, right?

But then I thought, it's funny that in Alchemy you have magic -- Scrying Pool, Familiar, Possession -- and you have pseudoscientists -- Alchemist, Herbalist, Apprentice. And the magic users are attacks and the alchemists are beneficial, contained cards.

Is there an intention here? I'm trying to think of actual "Magic user" cards in Dominion that aren't all attackers or otherwise hostile.
The intention originally was not to have magic that was definitely magic. The only magic was Witches and you could say, were they really magical or what. The art of course messed that up immediately. Then Alchemy actually had magical things because they fit that theme. Anyway the Witches did mean that for a while all of the magic was evil, because it was all Witches.

The Alchemy cards just have names that try to fit the abilities and the expansion theme; no conscious effort was made to make magic evil.

Later expansions with mild magical elements, and then Nocturne with a lot, did not try to make magic evil either.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3928 on: November 07, 2017, 07:11:09 pm »
+4

Were any nocturne cards tested in Simulators?
I don't think so. Only a few cards have ever been tested in simulators.

What cards were tested in simulators? Are there any cool stories behind those?
There are zero cool stories there. Geronimoo tested Patrol for me - just, to make sure I wasn't missing something big.

In the early days I simulated a few cards myself, mainly just, how fast is whatever with an extremely simple strategy. I could look through old threads to try to find the cards but it just so won't be interesting.
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Cave-o-sapien

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3929 on: November 08, 2017, 07:10:21 pm »
0

Have you ever playtested or entertained the idea of an alternate victory condition on a Kingdom Card or Event?

I'm thinking of something like Magic's Door to Nothingness or Felidar Sovereign.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3930 on: November 08, 2017, 09:37:52 pm »
+4

Have you ever playtested or entertained the idea of an alternate victory condition on a Kingdom Card or Event?

I'm thinking of something like Magic's Door to Nothingness or Felidar Sovereign.
Sure, and Temporum has one.

In general I think really big effects that mean you probably win, like planeswalker ultimates, are better.
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Neirai the Forgiven

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3931 on: November 14, 2017, 06:54:32 pm »
0

Do you ever draw inspirations from other games for your cards?

I don't mean "do you rip off other games" but rather are any cards intended to be secret cameos or homages?
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3932 on: November 14, 2017, 07:07:28 pm »
+1

Do you ever draw inspirations from other games for your cards?

I don't mean "do you rip off other games" but rather are any cards intended to be secret cameos or homages?
Walled Village and Governor are openly homages to Carcassonne and Puerto Rico respectively.
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Centuries later, archaeologists discover the remains of your ancient civilization.

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Finally, they come upon a stone tablet, which contains but one mysterious phrase!

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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3933 on: November 14, 2017, 08:46:30 pm »
0

Do you ever draw inspirations from other games for your cards?

I don't mean "do you rip off other games" but rather are any cards intended to be secret cameos or homages?
Walled Village and Governor are openly homages to Carcassonne and Puerto Rico respectively.
That's true, although Walled Village doesn't imitate Carcassonne in any way, it just has that title. Governor does imitate Puerto Rico.

I don't think there are any secret cameos/homages. I blab that stuff. You could read all the Secret Histories to see if I'm forgetting one. I'm not thinking of one. Okay Chariot Race has the War mechanic. Mountain Pass has bidding, I got that from games with bidding. Keep has area control.

When I made Governor, for an anniversary of Puerto Rico, I was supposed to make a Power Grid anniversary card instead, but I didn't come up with one, and then Jay said well what about Puerto Rico.

Nefarious: Becoming a Monster has a card called Race for the World, with the Puerto Rico / Race for the Galaxy mechanic.
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enfynet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3934 on: November 14, 2017, 09:02:05 pm »
0

We’re approaching the Dominion anniversary. Do you have anything planned for that?
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3935 on: November 14, 2017, 09:04:40 pm »
+3

Actually, there is a way in which Walled Village imitates Carcassonne's mechanics. A meeple in Carcassonne stays in play until it actually does something (scoring points for a completed structure); a Walled Village stays in your hand until it actually does something (becomes part of a turn with three actions played).
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Centuries later, archaeologists discover the remains of your ancient civilization.

Evidence of thriving towns, Pottery, roads, and a centralized government amaze the startled scientists.

Finally, they come upon a stone tablet, which contains but one mysterious phrase!

'ISOTROPIC WILL RETURN!'

Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3936 on: November 14, 2017, 09:42:18 pm »
+1

We’re approaching the Dominion anniversary. Do you have anything planned for that?
Just the promos Altenburger had to have.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3937 on: November 14, 2017, 09:43:45 pm »
+7

Actually, there is a way in which Walled Village imitates Carcassonne's mechanics. A meeple in Carcassonne stays in play until it actually does something (scoring points for a completed structure); a Walled Village stays in your hand until it actually does something (becomes part of a turn with three actions played).
I am technically correct, which is the best kind; Walled Village was a Guilds outtake predating me being asked to make a card for Carcassonne's whatever anniversary, and in no way imitated Carcassonne. Any resemblance to Carcassonnes living or dead is coincidental.
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schadd

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3938 on: November 15, 2017, 12:26:35 am »
+1

which is ur favorite version of sufjan stevens' chicago?
  • regular
  • acoustic
  • adult contemporary easy listening
  • multiple personality disorder
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3939 on: November 15, 2017, 12:48:11 am »
+2

which is ur favorite version of sufjan stevens' chicago?
  • regular
  • acoustic
  • adult contemporary easy listening
  • multiple personality disorder
I haven't heard the Avalanche ones very many times, but regular.
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Cave-o-sapien

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3940 on: November 15, 2017, 01:44:40 am »
0

which is ur favorite version of sufjan stevens' chicago?
  • regular
  • acoustic
  • adult contemporary easy listening
  • multiple personality disorder
I haven't heard the Avalanche ones very many times, but regular.

How easily can you listen to Casimir Pulaski Day?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3941 on: November 15, 2017, 03:23:50 am »
+1

How easily can you listen to Casimir Pulaski Day?
When I've heard a song a certain number of times, my brain just edits it out. I have heard that song that many times. If I put it on while typing this I wouldn't hear it. To hear it I'd have to be really focusing on it. So, very easily.

Aside from that, very easily. I am not someone who has trouble sitting through sad songs.

Aside from that, still very easily. It's not a stand-out depressing song for me.
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Cave-o-sapien

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3942 on: November 15, 2017, 12:26:20 pm »
0

How easily can you listen to Casimir Pulaski Day?
When I've heard a song a certain number of times, my brain just edits it out. I have heard that song that many times. If I put it on while typing this I wouldn't hear it. To hear it I'd have to be really focusing on it. So, very easily.

Aside from that, very easily. I am not someone who has trouble sitting through sad songs.

Aside from that, still very easily. It's not a stand-out depressing song for me.

Interesting.

I hadn't listened to that album for a few years and it came on via shuffle-all songs recently and it just stopped me in my tracks.

What is a stand-out depressing song for you?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3943 on: November 15, 2017, 04:10:34 pm »
+4

What is a stand-out depressing song for you?
First there are songs that have some special connection to my life, the time period I was listening to the song vs. what was going on. I can't communicate that stuff, you know, your life experiences are different. I will single out It's All Over Now, Baby Blue here.

Second there are songs that are my favorite depressing songs, but don't bring a tear to my eye. Like when I hear Dress Rehearsal Rag for example, I'm not crying, I'm belting it out. Leonard Cohen does have some great ones, but Scott Miller (Game Theory / Loud Family) is the master of the really great and also depressing song. He killed himself a few years ago. But did he "fire across the temple and out the rear" like in The Waist and the Knees, or was he "out finding some good ledge" like in Slip, or did he just slit his wrists like Slit My Wrists suggests? I met Scott Miller a few times. I always think of that Neil Young song that goes, "And if you never heard him sing / I guess you won't too soon." Or as Scott put it, "Just by chance, maybe not more / We can touch what we live for." Anyway. Tom Waits and Phil Ochs also have some great depressing songs. Guided by Voices of course has some. The Eels album Electro-shock Blues is full of them; he was the master of the uptempo anthemic downer song.

Finally there are songs that actually bring a tear to my eye. The first one I think of is They Should Have Shut Down the Streets, by A C Newman (the New Pornographers guy). It's about the mass grieving that did not actually happen when his mom died.
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Cave-o-sapien

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3944 on: November 15, 2017, 05:23:07 pm »
0

Finally there are songs that actually bring a tear to my eye. The first one I think of is They Should Have Shut Down the Streets, by A C Newman (the New Pornographers guy). It's about the mass grieving that did not actually happen when his mom died.

Cool. Thanks for sharing. I really need to check out more of his solo work. One of my favorite songwriters.
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NoMoreFun

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3945 on: November 16, 2017, 03:43:10 pm »
0

Why is Monastery "...Trash a Copper from play" instead of allowing you to trash any card from play?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3946 on: November 16, 2017, 04:04:30 pm »
+1

Why is Monastery "...Trash a Copper from play" instead of allowing you to trash any card from play?
"Any card" lets you trash duration cards which is bad (then they aren't tracked; yes Procession and Bonfire do this, and it's bad for those cards). "Non-Duration" still lets you trash e.g. a Throne played on a Duration card, but I could live with that... however mostly what you trash is Copper, and "Copper" is simple than "Non-Duration." "Treasure" would have been okay but well I went with "Copper."
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Cave-o-sapien

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3947 on: November 16, 2017, 04:36:59 pm »
0

Along those same lines, have you considered changing (in future editions) the wording of duration cards or Procession to avoid confusion and untracked abilities?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3948 on: November 16, 2017, 05:27:13 pm »
+3

Along those same lines, have you considered changing (in future editions) the wording of duration cards or Procession to avoid confusion and untracked abilities?
No, the new printing of Dark Ages is out and Procession does not add "non-Duration" to it. Functional changes in the new printings try to be smaller than that.
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ConMan

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #3949 on: November 16, 2017, 06:18:21 pm »
+2

Do you look much at the challenges people put together like "Empty the Supply in X turns" or "Let your opponent gain anything on the board using Smugglers"? Do you have a favourite, or one that you find particularly interesting either for its premise or solution?
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