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[-Stef-]

Hi Donald,

I'm really glad you're back.

It always felt wrong it a subtle and strange way that you were gone.
Hope you will find a better balance this time between 'gone' and being the helpful guy that answers everyone's questions, remarks and just plain nonsense.

[Davio]

Well, I feel a bit sorry for the guy that he designed his new game Greed when the drafting system wasn't catapulted by 7 Wonders yet. But oh well, that's how it goes in the game designing business it seems.

At least he doesn't rant like Scott Nicholson.

[ipofanes]

Well, I feel a bit sorry for the guy that he designed his new game Greed when the drafting system wasn't catapulted by 7 Wonders yet. But oh well, that's how it goes in the game designing business it seems.

At least he doesn't rant like Scott Nicholson.

I am sure the space on drafting techniques is not exhausted, 7 Wonders didn't originate this technique, and 7 Wonders would have shone even if Greed had been out in 2005, by merit of theme (not to say it is much more thematic than Dominion, but the culture development theme is more popular than establishment of shady business) and artwork.

[serakfalcon]

They printed fixed versions and if you buy one now I expect that's what you'll get; I got correct English copies. The problems delayed the general release of the English version, except at a few cons and I think in Europe, where people got wrong ones.

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

[SCSN]

I know the card-drawing was something weak, I was initially scared of card-drawing.

Interesting. The friend who introduced me to Dominion is a good Magic player. Being unfamiliar with Magic, I recently started playing some with him and other friends, but I consistently fail to get my engines going for lack of carddraw. It's really frustrating, you have this large deck with juicy things, but most of them you'll never see? Magic really needs some Smithies and Wharves.

Something else: I recently read an old comment of yours where you referenced Invitation to a Beheading. Are you a big Nabokov fan? Which work is your favorite?

[Awaclus]

Magic really needs some Smithies

Like Harmonize and Concentrate?

[LastFootnote]

I consistently fail to get my engines going for lack of carddraw. It's really frustrating, you have this large deck with juicy things, but most of them you'll never see? Magic really needs some Smithies and Wharves.

You better check yourself before you deck yourself.

[Donald X.]

Hope you will find a better balance this time between 'gone' and being the helpful guy that answers everyone's questions, remarks and just plain nonsense.

Well I will try to avoid arguing about statistics or if people should boycott RGG for getting screwed over or whether or not Possession was a cliche idea. Already I have passed up giving someone advice on how to play the first few turns of Kingdom Builder.

[DStu]

Hope you will find a better balance this time between 'gone' and being the helpful guy that answers everyone's questions, remarks and just plain nonsense.

Well I will try to avoid arguing about statistics or if people should boycott RGG for getting screwed over or whether or not Possession was a cliche idea. Already I have passed up giving someone advice on how to play the first few turns of Kingdom Builder.

... but maybe we can finally resolve if 0.999...=1?

[Donald X.]

I am sure the space on drafting techniques is not exhausted, 7 Wonders didn't originate this technique, and 7 Wonders would have shone even if Greed had been out in 2005, by merit of theme (not to say it is much more thematic than Dominion, but the culture development theme is more popular than establishment of shady business) and artwork.

My first drafting game was from 1998. Of course I got the idea from Magic and Magic got the idea from sports.

You can make multiple drafting games in the same way that you can make multiple games where people draw from a deck, and there are different ways to draft, but drafting games come with the baggage of lots of reading (unless they're textless), and uh a sense of wanting to know all the cards to play well. I'm not sure it's great to do a bunch of them. And other people are making them. There's one that has been my most popular unpublished game for a while, that publishers never liked, that I'm probably not submitting anywhere else; possibly I will work out a way to take the drafting out of it. I do have an exotic textless drafting game that I may still give a few more chances (the one from 1998).

[Donald X.]

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

German! For the Queen Games stuff, my English is translated/rewritten into German and then back into English. That's how you have a card in Kingdom Builder called Discoverers.

[A Drowned Kernel]

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

German! For the Queen Games stuff, my English is translated/rewritten into German and then back into English. That's how you have a card in Kingdom Builder called Discoverers.

Um, why? Do they burn your original English version or something?

[DStu]

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

German! For the Queen Games stuff, my English is translated/rewritten into German and then back into English. That's how you have a card in Kingdom Builder called Discoverers.

[AJD]

My first drafting game was from 1998. Of course I got the idea from Magic and Magic got the idea from sports.

Sports?

Oh! Drafting! ...You know, I never put that together before.

[eHalcyon]

My first drafting game was from 1998. Of course I got the idea from Magic and Magic got the idea from sports.

Sports?

Oh! Drafting! ...You know, I never put that together before.

Are we sure that Sports didn't get the idea from Magic?

[Witherweaver]

I am sure the space on drafting techniques is not exhausted, 7 Wonders didn't originate this technique, and 7 Wonders would have shone even if Greed had been out in 2005, by merit of theme (not to say it is much more thematic than Dominion, but the culture development theme is more popular than establishment of shady business) and artwork.

My first drafting game was from 1998. Of course I got the idea from Magic and Magic got the idea from sports.

You can make multiple drafting games in the same way that you can make multiple games where people draw from a deck, and there are different ways to draft, but drafting games come with the baggage of lots of reading (unless they're textless), and uh a sense of wanting to know all the cards to play well. I'm not sure it's great to do a bunch of them. And other people are making them. There's one that has been my most popular unpublished game for a while, that publishers never liked, that I'm probably not submitting anywhere else; possibly I will work out a way to take the drafting out of it. I do have an exotic textless drafting game that I may still give a few more chances (the one from 1998).

From Magic?  How did Magic have drafting?  Or was that a tournament/match style, instead of people bringing their premade decks?

[Witherweaver]

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

German! For the Queen Games stuff, my English is translated/rewritten into German and then back into English. That's how you have a card in Kingdom Builder called Discoverers.

Um, why? Do they burn your original English version or something?

Probably because translating things enriches the language.  Just think, without translations we would never have come up with "All your base are belong to us."  Imagine that world, if you can.

[allanfieldhouse]

I was just thinking to myself "why is this interview thread pinned when it's basically dead?". It's alive!

Hmmm...I guess I need to ask a question.

I sensed some frustration on your part recently from this thread: http://forum.makingfun.com/showthread.php?4199-Wait-on-playing-these-that-s-my-advice I was wondering, how satisfied are you with your level of involvement with the online implementation of Dominion? Would you like more involvement/control, or are you happy with the current situation. (and come to think of it, how involved have you been over the last year or so?)

[Donald X.]

Something else: I recently read an old comment of yours where you referenced Invitation to a Beheading. Are you a big Nabokov fan? Which work is your favorite?

I wouldn't say I was a big fan; I had a girlfriend who had to read a bunch of Nabokov for a class, and so I read the ones that were lying around. They were good enough to keep reading them. My favorite was King Queen Knave. It has a lesson for all of us.

For those of you uninterested in Nabokov, he had synesthesia, and saw letters in different colors.

[Donald X.]

I'm a little confused. What language is the English version translated from?

German! For the Queen Games stuff, my English is translated/rewritten into German and then back into English. That's how you have a card in Kingdom Builder called Discoverers.

Um, why? Do they burn your original English version or something?

I think it is just people doing what they normally do. Normally they have some German rules and they have someone translate them into English. Why buck the system just because the prototype was in English?

Their translator often does not do better than Google. "Sanctuary" for Crossroads was translated as Place of Refuge.

[Donald X.]

From Magic?  How did Magic have drafting?  Or was that a tournament/match style, instead of people bringing their premade decks?

Magic has had drafting as a major element since 1996. There is drafting at Pro Tours, there are people drafting at your local game store. The basic draft is, you open a booster, take a card, pass it left; second booster goes right instead, third goes left again. You take your 45 cards, add basic lands, play it out. Usually with 8 players.

For some years they were doing "Rochester" drafts, which is where you lay out the pack on the table and go around and then back (so player 1 goes first and last, player 8 gets the middle two picks). They take a lot longer and people didn't like them as much, so they don't do those at Pro Tours anymore.

Here's a website that simulates Magic drafts, see how you like it: http://draft.bestiaire.org/index.php

[Witherweaver]

From Magic?  How did Magic have drafting?  Or was that a tournament/match style, instead of people bringing their premade decks?

Magic has had drafting as a major element since 1996. There is drafting at Pro Tours, there are people drafting at your local game store. The basic draft is, you open a booster, take a card, pass it left; second booster goes right instead, third goes left again. You take your 45 cards, add basic lands, play it out. Usually with 8 players.

For some years they were doing "Rochester" drafts, which is where you lay out the pack on the table and go around and then back (so player 1 goes first and last, player 8 gets the middle two picks). They take a lot longer and people didn't like them as much, so they don't do those at Pro Tours anymore.

Here's a website that simulates Magic drafts, see how you like it: http://draft.bestiaire.org/index.php

Oh I see, I guess that's around the same time that I stopped playing.  I think I vaguely remember hearing about drafting, but I always only played where people bring their own constructed decks.

[Co0kieL0rd]

Donald, in the first pages of this two-year-long interview you mentioned German players and German families explicitly, as opposed to American families. I cannot think of what you could have referred to regarding different preferences between Germans and Americans when playing board games. I'm German and German board game players are the only board game players I know.

I don't think I have any advice that will change someone from a failed game designer to a successful one, except possibly, you have to go to cons to show your games to publishers. That's what I needed to hear (and didn't). If you want to specifically focus on "ambition" - that is, making something especially successful, rather than having to keep your day job - then it seems clear that there are two big audiences for games: German families and American families. They overlap some, with Dixit being a good example. I am a little ambitious these days, I would like the respect and admiration of my peers, but ultimately I have to make games my friends and I want to play, whether or not that's what will sell.

PS: Thank you for creating Dominion! I also enjoy Kingdom Builder and reading your stuff on the forum which is always quite witty^^

[Donald X.]

Hmmm...I guess I need to ask a question.

No need really, the thread is here for a variety of posting needs.

I sensed some frustration on your part recently from this thread: http://forum.makingfun.com/showthread.php?4199-Wait-on-playing-these-that-s-my-advice I was wondering, how satisfied are you with your level of involvement with the online implementation of Dominion? Would you like more involvement/control, or are you happy with the current situation. (and come to think of it, how involved have you been over the last year or so?)

Well I have been too involved overall, way too involved, given how things have gone so far. I spent zero hours on the online implementation of Kingdom Builder; it has a major bug I've heard about that they don't seem interested in fixing (you can gain an ability from the same spot after losing it), and that's that; there are people enjoying it and I did nothing. If only more things in life could be like that. I mean it wasn't so bad testing the expansions as they programmed them, but like, spending hours picking sets of 10 cards so that people could play awful games with them, ugh. Or like, spending hours saying "really could these adventures please not suck" was not great either.

Ideally I would call the shots and it would take no time and that would be that. Probably that's how anyone would like it.

I have not been able to log in since the big update a few weeks ago (XP, Chrome; works in Firefox, but I don't use Firefox). So I can't even see how laggy it is to comment on that. So uh the new guys haven't quite impressed me yet. I will be meeting them Friday though.

[theory]

From Magic?  How did Magic have drafting?  Or was that a tournament/match style, instead of people bringing their premade decks?

Magic has had drafting as a major element since 1996. There is drafting at Pro Tours, there are people drafting at your local game store. The basic draft is, you open a booster, take a card, pass it left; second booster goes right instead, third goes left again. You take your 45 cards, add basic lands, play it out. Usually with 8 players.

For some years they were doing "Rochester" drafts, which is where you lay out the pack on the table and go around and then back (so player 1 goes first and last, player 8 gets the middle two picks). They take a lot longer and people didn't like them as much, so they don't do those at Pro Tours anymore.

Here's a website that simulates Magic drafts, see how you like it: http://draft.bestiaire.org/index.php

Oh I see, I guess that's around the same time that I stopped playing.  I think I vaguely remember hearing about drafting, but I always only played where people bring their own constructed decks.

I am told that cube draft is the platonic ideal of what Magic: the Gathering is supposed to be about.