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Author Topic: Interview with Donald X.  (Read 2126753 times)

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LordBaphomet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5025 on: August 22, 2020, 07:36:36 pm »
0

Was Groom intentionally made as a "gainer" ironworks? Or was it a concept of its own that ended up similarly?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5026 on: August 23, 2020, 01:44:31 pm »
0

Was Groom intentionally made as a "gainer" ironworks? Or was it a concept of its own that ended up similarly?
The concept was a gainer Ironworks. http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=20260.0
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Hks

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5027 on: September 05, 2020, 04:47:14 am »
0

Hey, are you considering updating your "guide to 12 Dominion Expansions", or did you specifically choose that title so you wouldn't have to?  :) It's strictly the best guide there is, so that would be nice. Thanks
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LordBaphomet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5028 on: September 05, 2020, 12:20:49 pm »
0

As far as I understand, Menagerie was the "left-overs" from Renaissance (jail -> exile, card tokens -> horses).

Do you have other "left-over" ideas that could be remade into a new expansion, or are you planning on the next one having all-new mechanics?
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D782802859

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5029 on: September 05, 2020, 12:25:16 pm »
+2

As far as I understand, Menagerie was the "left-overs" from Renaissance (jail -> exile, card tokens -> horses).

Do you have other "left-over" ideas that could be remade into a new expansion, or are you planning on the next one having all-new mechanics?

Unless I'm mistaken, +card tokens weren't tried in Renaissance, +buy tokens were.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5030 on: September 05, 2020, 01:29:46 pm »
+2

Hey, are you considering updating your "guide to 12 Dominion Expansions", or did you specifically choose that title so you wouldn't have to?  :) It's strictly the best guide there is, so that would be nice. Thanks
I should keep it updated; it's just not on my mind. The title was so that people wouldn't think I was implying that there wouldn't be any more expansions.

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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5031 on: September 05, 2020, 01:46:07 pm »
+4

As far as I understand, Menagerie was the "left-overs" from Renaissance (jail -> exile, card tokens -> horses).

Do you have other "left-over" ideas that could be remade into a new expansion, or are you planning on the next one having all-new mechanics?
Exile was in Renaissance. Horses weren't, except of course for Experiment; the idea of "card tokens" was, but I hadn't actually tried Horses. I'd tried Exile. If I knew I was going to do Horses, I wouldn't have done Experiment.

At the level of "not tried," there's a list of mechanics going way back. At the level of "was actually in an expansion as a theme," there are just Boons (from Empires) and Exile. Well the early expansions got rearranged a few times for publication, if you want to count that.

Not all mechanics fit your categories, and sets don't need to be all one such class of mechanic. Also "planning" would be an overstatement, if I hadn't started a set yet. I have mentioned in a few places that I have (due to covid19 - it was a project I could get playtested), and well I'm not telling you anything about it (and it may not come out so promptly, it will want playtesting by my regular group, and that still seems a ways off).
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LordBaphomet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5032 on: September 16, 2020, 11:07:15 am »
0

Why did no project give extra VP at the end of the game based on some criteria, etc? It seems like one of the more obvious things to do with them... is it because it would be too similar to landmarks? Or did you use all of your good "When scoring"s in empires?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5033 on: September 16, 2020, 03:54:36 pm »
+3

Why did no project give extra VP at the end of the game based on some criteria, etc? It seems like one of the more obvious things to do with them... is it because it would be too similar to landmarks? Or did you use all of your good "When scoring"s in empires?
Arguably Fleet does.

It's not the premise of Projects. They're abilities. So it's not something I was looking for. The landscapes at least try to be their own type of thing, to hang together somehow.
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josqvin

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5034 on: September 24, 2020, 06:43:12 pm »
0

Do you consider Gatekeeper to be a dud? I watch a lot of top players and they never seem to buy it or even consider it. I know you have explicitly stated that avoiding duds in new sets is a high priority for you, naturally. Are players under valuing it?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5035 on: September 25, 2020, 05:03:39 pm »
+2

Do you consider Gatekeeper to be a dud? I watch a lot of top players and they never seem to buy it or even consider it. I know you have explicitly stated that avoiding duds in new sets is a high priority for you, naturally. Are players under valuing it?
As a potentially really oppressive attack (and there were more oppressive playtest versions), the intention was for it to be at a below-average power level, but not so weak that you'd never play it. It's weaker than intended but also more rules-messy than I'd like. So it's not just a dud, I'd have liked to replace it anyway.

Attacks are tricky. These days attacks try to skew weaker (though sometimes they're still strong). In the early days there were a bunch of strong attacks and the feedback I get is that, while some players love attacks, players in general do not enjoy e.g. discarding every turn to Militia. But I'm not trying to make attacks awful.
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LordBaphomet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5036 on: September 27, 2020, 10:04:06 pm »
0

Do you feel like you've run out of victory cards? You've gone higher (colonies, dominate), victory cards that do stuff (graveyard, island, nobles, etc.), and counting stuff (cards, silvers, variety, actions, other vp, duchies, estates); as you've said in that post there isn't much left to count... the last two sets had no vp cards. Alt-VP are my favourite type of kingdom card but also the hardest to design it seems.
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ipofanes

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5037 on: September 28, 2020, 08:32:40 am »
0

These days attacks try to skew weaker (though sometimes they're still strong).

Black Cat can be a royal PITA or very ineffective, based on the luck of draw. I'd place it among the cards where the attack is the main purpose.

I dislike the swinginess of Black Cat as much as I detest the swinginess of Fisherman, which favours 2/5 openings so much.

Do you try to avoid swinginess, or do you think the game is short enough to allow for 'tough luck, rematch' moments?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5038 on: September 28, 2020, 03:47:15 pm »
+1

Do you feel like you've run out of victory cards? You've gone higher (colonies, dominate), victory cards that do stuff (graveyard, island, nobles, etc.), and counting stuff (cards, silvers, variety, actions, other vp, duchies, estates); as you've said in that post there isn't much left to count... the last two sets had no vp cards. Alt-VP are my favourite type of kingdom card but also the hardest to design it seems.
You can endlessly do victory cards where there's just 2 VP tacked onto an action or treasure. You can even sometimes make that relevant (e.g., Ironmonger but also worth VP).

"Classic" victory cards where the whole idea is that they're worth VP based on something, well, you can read the Secret Histories for lots of things I've tried there that didn't make it. Some of them turned into Landmarks, which further eat into the remaining space. If I had to have new classic victory cards, I know what my front-runners would be, but if I can make better cards instead, I'll do that. So that's what's been happening. I haven't forgotten that some people would like new victory cards, and haven't stopped trying things there.
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5039 on: September 28, 2020, 03:53:25 pm »
+2

Black Cat can be a royal PITA or very ineffective, based on the luck of draw. I'd place it among the cards where the attack is the main purpose.

I dislike the swinginess of Black Cat as much as I detest the swinginess of Fisherman, which favours 2/5 openings so much.

Do you try to avoid swinginess, or do you think the game is short enough to allow for 'tough luck, rematch' moments?
Swinginess can get me to change a card, or regret it; for example I don't like the swinginess to Warrior (hitting/discarding travellers). I'm not looking for "tough luck, rematch" though obv. the game has lots of luck. But I don't just rule out swingy cards, within reason; there are lots of casual players who like them.

Fisherman doesn't add as much to the game as I'd like. The joy is supposed to come from "this is when I can get it cheap, but is it really the move" (plus a few combos). I like that but it didn't add up to much, and sure some people will feel bitter about openings - not just 2/5, but 3/4 even, oh man you got to open with Fisherman plus a $4 and I didn't.

I still like Black Cat plenty though.
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LordBaphomet

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5040 on: September 28, 2020, 07:12:33 pm »
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Black Cat can be a royal PITA or very ineffective, based on the luck of draw. I'd place it among the cards where the attack is the main purpose.

I dislike the swinginess of Black Cat as much as I detest the swinginess of Fisherman, which favours 2/5 openings so much.

Do you try to avoid swinginess, or do you think the game is short enough to allow for 'tough luck, rematch' moments?
Swinginess can get me to change a card, or regret it; for example I don't like the swinginess to Warrior (hitting/discarding travellers). I'm not looking for "tough luck, rematch" though obv. the game has lots of luck. But I don't just rule out swingy cards, within reason; there are lots of casual players who like them.

Fisherman doesn't add as much to the game as I'd like. The joy is supposed to come from "this is when I can get it cheap, but is it really the move" (plus a few combos). I like that but it didn't add up to much, and sure some people will feel bitter about openings - not just 2/5, but 3/4 even, oh man you got to open with Fisherman plus a $4 and I didn't.

I still like Black Cat plenty though.
Black Cat is easily my favourite menag card. There are little things more satisfying in this game then a fine chain of black cats. So simple, yet so fun. A good example of what reactions can do.
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5041 on: September 29, 2020, 09:38:34 am »
+5

On the subject of Fisherman, I had a game yesterday where I held off on playing Cavalry that turn so I could Inherit Fisherman. That was quite cute.
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anordinaryman

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5042 on: October 15, 2020, 12:04:47 pm »
0

A while ago, you mentioned Rats is your favorite card. It's been a long time since Dark Ages. Do you have a new favorite card, or favorite cards?

A different question with perhaps a similar response, what Dominion card/concept are you most proud of?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5043 on: October 15, 2020, 02:10:39 pm »
+3

A while ago, you mentioned Rats is your favorite card. It's been a long time since Dark Ages. Do you have a new favorite card, or favorite cards?

A different question with perhaps a similar response, what Dominion card/concept are you most proud of?
I'll still go with Rats.

I dunno. Events? They fit really nicely into the existing system.
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Jonatan Djurachkovitch

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5044 on: October 17, 2020, 04:56:18 pm »
0

Have you played Among Us? Either way, what do you think about it?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5045 on: October 17, 2020, 11:57:13 pm »
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Have you played Among Us? Either way, what do you think about it?
I know not of this.
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GendoIkari

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5046 on: October 18, 2020, 12:39:04 am »
+2

Have you played Among Us? Either way, what do you think about it?
I know not of this.

It's a suddenly-popular video game that became an overnight sensation recently, despite being a couple of years old. It's basically Mafia/Werewolf; except it's a video game. You run around a space station with your teammates trying to complete a bunch tasks; while a couple members of your team are secretly imposters, who are trying to kill you. Imposters can kill a good guy with a single button click if they're with them; but they need to do so when they're alone so other people don't see them do it. Then when someone discovers a dead body, they can report it, at which point you all get on voice chat and vote to eject someone who you think is the imposter.
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josqvin

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5047 on: October 21, 2020, 01:06:18 pm »
0

You said before that if you would redo nocturne that you would keep boons and dump hexes. Would you keep the boon deck exactly the same, or are there any changes you would make there?

Also, menagerie is my favorite expansion and I'm so blown away by how skill rewarding it seems. However, some of the effects are pretty difficult to track IRL like changing costs, which I love online but can't use with the people I play with IRL. Are you planning on doing more cost changing in the future?
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Donald X.

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5048 on: October 21, 2020, 04:02:43 pm »
+1

You said before that if you would redo nocturne that you would keep boons and dump hexes. Would you keep the boon deck exactly the same, or are there any changes you would make there?
I would keep Boons, although they might not be in Nocturne itself, and I wouldn't have all the same Fate cards. For example the premise of Idol is fine, but the Boon part is bad because it's in your Buy phase and messes with what you get out of the Boon. The set of Boons is probably fine as is, given that I mess with what the Fate cards are.

Also, menagerie is my favorite expansion and I'm so blown away by how skill rewarding it seems. However, some of the effects are pretty difficult to track IRL like changing costs, which I love online but can't use with the people I play with IRL. Are you planning on doing more cost changing in the future?
I don't rule it out; that's as far as I can go in answering that kind of question. Cost changing is cool but has to be in small doses; Peddler generates some rules questions but is not really a problem there in Prosperity. If I were making Menagerie today I might do just one kind of cost-changing and use it a few times, rather than have a variety of them.

The set was playtested irl and we did not have problems with the cost-changing cards.
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allanfieldhouse

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Re: Interview with Donald X.
« Reply #5049 on: October 27, 2020, 12:43:16 pm »
0

Wasn't there some news late last year about a new company developing an app or other offline Dominion version? Sorry, I don't remember many details. Anyway, is that still happening? Is there somewhere I can check for updates on that?
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