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Author Topic: Interview with Donald X.  (Read 2126921 times)

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Eran of Arcadia

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4000 on: November 28, 2017, 09:06:37 am »
+2

The question is: which name is Donald's ghost account?

I'm Donald's ghost account, and so's my wife.
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Awaclus

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4001 on: November 28, 2017, 09:18:22 am »
0

The question is: which name is Donald's ghost account?

I'm Donald's ghost account, and so's my wife.

We are all WanderingWinder's ghost account.
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GendoIkari

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4002 on: November 28, 2017, 09:58:50 am »
+1

For Dominion, note that I've posted joke Dominion cards many times in the forums. There's a thread collecting some of them.
Gosh. I've not seen that thread, and Google's not finding it. Anyone got the URL?
http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=2013.0

Glad you found that. I really should try to keep the OP updated.
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tripwire

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4003 on: November 28, 2017, 10:47:38 am »
+2

Maybe it's just me, but the last few sets have seemed more flavorful than previous sets, and Nocturne seems like the most flavorful of all. The secret history also mentions a few cards that seemed to start with a card name and found mechanics that matched (Necromancer, Vampire, Werewolf, sorta Changeling, maybe more).

So, I was wondering has flavor become more important for you in design? If so, was that a conscious decision? If not, have more recent sets just become more flavorful because you've gotten better at naming cards?

(To be clear, I've never been one of those "Dominion is bland" people, but I still feel like there's been more resonant cards lately.)
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Jacob marley

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4004 on: November 28, 2017, 04:02:39 pm »
0

Roughly, how many ideas do you have in files that might work for a future expansion?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4005 on: November 28, 2017, 04:34:35 pm »
+7

Maybe it's just me, but the last few sets have seemed more flavorful than previous sets, and Nocturne seems like the most flavorful of all. The secret history also mentions a few cards that seemed to start with a card name and found mechanics that matched (Necromancer, Vampire, Werewolf, sorta Changeling, maybe more).

So, I was wondering has flavor become more important for you in design? If so, was that a conscious decision? If not, have more recent sets just become more flavorful because you've gotten better at naming cards?
For the main set, no work went into the flavor. I at least renamed Circus to Festival and switched Bureaucrat and Militia (over objections - wouldn't playtesters be confused now? As if that matters). The cards are just what they had been, back when there was no reason to think I'd try to get the game published.

I put in a little work on flavor for Intrigue. Then from Seaside on, I more aggressively renamed things to fit the set theme. Still there were just a few cards here and there that actually started with a name or art; a great fit like Treasure Map was still, I had a mechanic, what should I call this.

For Adventures I tried to have a few theme-based cards, to uh push theme. The Peasant / Page lines started with names, and Giant and maybe something else. Empires was back to just giving cards good names; I don't think anything started with flavor there. I made a list of Roman things and you know, I guess this Landmark will be Fountain because it cares about Coppers and you like throw them in a Fountain. For Nocturne I specifically tried to have some flavor-based cards, in part because it fit with the mechanics - the mechanics were going after players who might also appreciate some nice flavor. And the extra cards help - you can guess that "Gain a Gold, if you have 7 cards in play gain a Wish else receive a Hex" is called Leprechaun, but I threw in the names "Wish" and "Hex" there, they help.

In general the two things in the way of flavor are 1) caring more about gameplay, and 2) caring more about simplicity. There's no way to have compelling flavor for Smithy; you don't look at "+3 Cards" and think "oh I bet I know what that's called" like you do with Leprechaun. You can add text to reinforce flavor, but that's adding text, and it's better not to add text. And then uh. Like let's compare two cases, Warrior and Vampire. Warrior can kill other Warriors. Flavorwise that makes sense. Flavor was actually one of the arguments for not preventing that. And it's like a stand-out mistake in Adventures, the fact that Warriors can kill Warriors. Meanwhile in the flavor-heavy Nocturne, Vampire cannot gain Vampires. That makes no sense, it's anti-flavor. I sided with gameplay! It's just always the move.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4006 on: November 28, 2017, 04:42:17 pm »
+1

Roughly, how many ideas do you have in files that might work for a future expansion?
There are pages and pages of ideas that didn't end up as published cards (or some that did, but they're still in the file in whatever forms). You never know how many can go somewhere until you try them.

I don't know that it's that relevant. Most of the ideas in Adventures and Empires and Nocturne were fresh ones; you can count up the old ideas in the Secret Histories, and I think mostly they're in the outtakes sections; they hadn't worked before and continued not to.

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crj

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4007 on: November 28, 2017, 07:31:50 pm »
+2

Maybe it's just me, but the last few sets have seemed more flavorful than previous sets, and Nocturne seems like the most flavorful of all.
For what it's worth, to me Dark Ages remains easily the most flavourful set. The vast majority of the cards are on-theme in name and artwork; a lot of them are mechanically, too.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4008 on: November 29, 2017, 02:22:28 am »
+7

I haven't made those fixes but I've considered doing it for ~5 Hinterlands cards.

Obligatory "what are those fixes?" question.
I missed this question somehow. I've been over this ground in other threads but it's like: IGG cost $6 worth $2 gives out Curses (no Copper business); Fool's Gold no reaction; move the +Buy from Margrave to Cache; would-less Trader; Duchess not including other players; something something Mandarin.
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Titandrake

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4009 on: November 29, 2017, 04:25:49 am »
0

I haven't made those fixes but I've considered doing it for ~5 Hinterlands cards.

Obligatory "what are those fixes?" question.
I missed this question somehow. I've been over this ground in other threads but it's like: IGG cost $6 worth $2 gives out Curses (no Copper business); Fool's Gold no reaction; move the +Buy from Margrave to Cache; would-less Trader; Duchess not including other players; something something Mandarin.

I like all of these except for removing the Fool's Gold reaction.

Back when WW still posted here, he said he was starting to dislike Margrave, because it gave too much of what you wanted for free. After thinking about it, I agreed. Getting rid of the +Buy would be nice for that.
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silby

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4010 on: November 29, 2017, 08:47:26 pm »
0

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4011 on: November 30, 2017, 02:15:23 am »
+3

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?
I'll pretend that instead you asked, what's the best game to play with a deck of playing cards.

Well I'm no expert. I imagine you can do an entertaining mini-version of Dominion; people don't tend to research this stuff because you can just make a special deck can't you. Some of the games I've played the most with one deck of playing cards are: Crazy Crazy 8's (it's Crazy 8's but the winner of a hand makes up a new rule to add to the game; Pina Pirata is this only the rules are provided and the deck is different); Speed; FreeCell. I respect Deuces but have not played it much. The trick-taking games I've played any noticeable amount of did not use a regular deck. Well I made some just to play around and they did.

There's a game idea I tested with playing cards, and it worked but I never made the game with its own deck. Maybe someday. Oh there are two of those, though the second needed chits too. I have another game that would totally work with playing cards, but has a special deck, and well maybe someday I will show it to publishers again. They like it but realize it won't sell. I have an old old game that used playing cards but added another deck too; that's how it goes. My Poker game had a special deck; I've barely played playing-card-deck Poker.
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GendoIkari

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4012 on: November 30, 2017, 11:12:38 am »
0

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?

Tichu, if your traditional deck happens to have 4 unique jokers.

Otherwise, Canasta and Pinochle are quite good; though those also require special / double decks.
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jonts26

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4013 on: November 30, 2017, 11:30:01 am »
+2

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?

Strip Poker.

Or maybe Bridge.
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Awaclus

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4014 on: November 30, 2017, 11:46:25 am »
+9

Or maybe Bridge.

But that's not a traditional playing card.
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J Reggie

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4015 on: November 30, 2017, 07:05:12 pm »
+2

Was the current naming format for Boons there from the beginning? And what was the name for the +1VP Boon in Empires?

Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4016 on: November 30, 2017, 07:15:02 pm »
+8

Was the current naming format for Boons there from the beginning? And what was the name for the +1VP Boon in Empires?
+1 VP was The Sky's Gift.

At the very beginning they had no names; then they were named after Roman deities. Jupiter's Gift and so on. The problem is, those deities suck. They just suck, man. I mean I always knew they were renamed Greek ones, but really, they have zilch going for them.

Then I hit on the nature thing and liked it better. And they left Empires so there was no pull towards Roman deities at all.
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Puk

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4017 on: November 30, 2017, 08:00:20 pm »
0

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?

Strip Poker.

Or maybe Bridge.

Come on, making card-houses is way more fun.
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crj

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4018 on: November 30, 2017, 08:04:26 pm »
+12

The problem is, those deities suck. They just suck, man. I mean I always knew they were renamed Greek ones, but really, they have zilch going for them.
When Donald X. gets struck by lightning, remember this...
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Witherweaver

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4019 on: November 30, 2017, 11:31:49 pm »
+1

What’s the most fun you can have with a deck of traditional playing cards?

Strip Poker.

Or maybe Bridge.

Come on, making card-houses is way more fun.

Being Gambit and blowing stuff up.
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Marcory

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4020 on: December 01, 2017, 12:37:25 pm »
+5

The problem is, those deities suck. They just suck, man. I mean I always knew they were renamed Greek ones, but really, they have zilch going for them.
When Donald X. gets struck by lightning, remember this...

Of course Donald X prefers the Greek deities. We all know he's a Hera-tic.
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4021 on: December 01, 2017, 04:09:57 pm »
+1

I'm going to +1 the suggestion of bridge earlier. :)
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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4022 on: December 01, 2017, 10:41:00 pm »
0

I have found other ways to do extra-expensive cards (e.g. City Quarter, Grand Market).

Just curious, do you consider Ghost an extra-expensive card, or Bat or any other Nocturne card?
« Last Edit: December 01, 2017, 10:42:03 pm by Dingan »
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4023 on: December 01, 2017, 11:50:56 pm »
+1

I have found other ways to do extra-expensive cards (e.g. City Quarter, Grand Market).

Just curious, do you consider Ghost an extra-expensive card, or Bat or any other Nocturne card?
Ghost is hard to get, so it falls into this category of hard-to-get cards, a better term I think than extra-expensive since you don't buy it. Wish is also hard to get; Bat is not.
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Neirai the Forgiven

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #4024 on: December 05, 2017, 11:34:15 am »
0

Donald,
Once again, thanks for answering all these questions.

Onto: I'm curious about how you got your name plastered on the Dominion box. How does that happen? I mean, I know that once you've won two Spiel awards, any publisher would be dumb to not put your name on the box; But, when the first Dominion game came out, I understand your name was on the box. Is this just how RGG rolls? Is there a fun story here?
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