tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post8369264496508621489..comments2023-11-03T02:44:56.790-07:00Comments on Fortress: Ameritrash: Interviews with Ameri-Titans, Volume 1: Rob DaviauMatt Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04426055092986158446noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-47988677775099320552007-06-24T04:58:00.000-07:002007-06-24T04:58:00.000-07:00Great interview. I have enjoyed all the recent AH ...Great interview. I have enjoyed all the recent AH titles I have played. <BR/><BR/>Two things I would be interested to know about: <BR/><BR/>How do you feel about the ability of the games you put out to be accepted by the mainstream? Is this an important consideration to you? Do the games get tested out on non gamers? Have you considered doing anything to make this easier like putting the rules on DVD? <BR/><BR/>What do AH think about Catan on Xbox360? Is it possible we might see something like this with any AH titles?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-45793126796177354882007-06-19T08:35:00.000-07:002007-06-19T08:35:00.000-07:00Any plans for Hasbro to publish some of these game...Any plans for Hasbro to publish some of these games they're sitting on?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-83511823967736815232007-06-18T12:21:00.000-07:002007-06-18T12:21:00.000-07:00"And if that moment happened, the players would ne..."And if that moment happened, the players would never, ever forget that gaming moment. Ever."<BR/><BR/>This basically happened on my first play of BaHotH. My character went upstairs and saw himself in the mirror and received an item. After using it for a short while, he came across another mirror and saw his past self and gave himself the same item, causing one of those time-loop things that hurts your brain if you think about it too hard. The item wasn't particularly useful at that point in the game or anything, but it was still awesome and became the topic of conversation for some time.Aarontuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17561708815324103950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-89972061171559272682007-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:002007-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:00Hello Rob,There are many questions that I'd like t...Hello Rob,<BR/><BR/>There are many questions that I'd like to ask but I'll keep it short.<BR/><BR/>Are there plans to keep producing gamers games and target the gamer market or to concentrate on the toy market. I've seen many good games get scrapped by Hasbro even though they could continue in the niche market that most game companies thrive in. With the production capabilities that Hasbro has they could easily afford to make high quality gamers games.<BR/><BR/>What sort of pressure does this place on a designer to get the "homerun" game out as opposed to designing a great "game"(that sells of course - just not in the gazillions model). What are the balances that you deal with in this process or does it just pay the bills.<BR/><BR/>And no, I'm not looking at anyone's money sack...Pat Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18200005894774999916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-77791293339157516022007-06-15T06:28:00.000-07:002007-06-15T06:28:00.000-07:00Rob, since heroscape has been successful does that...Rob, since heroscape has been successful does that mean hasbro might go after gamers again with new products??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-52587628088503481762007-06-15T05:51:00.000-07:002007-06-15T05:51:00.000-07:00Cool! I invoked The Rob! My gaming powers grow ea...Cool! I invoked The Rob! My gaming powers grow each and every day.<BR/><BR/>;))Ken B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793460967739987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-79966017761360881692007-06-15T05:37:00.000-07:002007-06-15T05:37:00.000-07:00Hey, I'm reading, I just wanted to let the comment...Hey, I'm reading, I just wanted to let the comments build up before answering. And, yes, I'm busy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00322407666411431745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-53368279079767418542007-06-14T13:20:00.000-07:002007-06-14T13:20:00.000-07:00Well, Rob said he would be pretty busy so I guess ...Well, Rob said he would be pretty busy so I guess he hasn't had time to check out the thread for feedback just yet. If he does, there's some good info in here I hope Hasbro can use. Rob was a very cool guy for participating, and it's good to know Hasbro has at least a few hobbyist-minded gamers working there.<BR/><BR/>In two weeks I've got a KILLER interview lined up with two game designers in a joint interview, and they have indicated they'll be on here looking for feedback and possibly answering some questions.Ken B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793460967739987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-3979828078165252122007-06-14T10:14:00.000-07:002007-06-14T10:14:00.000-07:00I played Betrayal once. I liked the modular board ...I played Betrayal once. I liked the modular board and building the mansion as you play. I actually enjoyed the first half of the game quite a bit. It was when the haunt was revealed and we had to search through the scenario booklet, check the faq, double check the faq to see what was supposed to happen that things bogged down.<BR/><BR/>If the time had been available to playtest all the scenarios I think it could've been a great game. Instead my group found Arkham Horror and Fury of Dracula to better fit our horror gaming needs.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15474066412691436732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-80653128374382233882007-06-14T10:12:00.000-07:002007-06-14T10:12:00.000-07:00Betrayal at House on the Hill is unreliable entert...Betrayal at House on the Hill is unreliable entertainment, but our group plays it anyway on a semi-regular basis. The map tiles* and the character 'sheets' are great. The characters figures are good enough. The counters are unsatisfactory, and the alternative counters available as downloads at BGG aren't much better. I ended up sorting my counters in alphabetical groups in little baggies, to minimize the search time for appropriate counters each game. I agree that miniatures would enhance this game considerably, but it's probably not worth the trouble for most people.<BR/><BR/>I have never understood the criticism of the first part of the game. My group loves the sense of discovery, exploring the house room by room, revealing a different layout every game. The events can help build the theme, although it is jarring when most of those events are ghostly, and then the haunt turns out to be a mutated plant or some aliens.<BR/><BR/>It's the second half of the game where Betrayal often fails us. Given the great variety of potential conditions at the moment the traitor is revealed, the scenario can often be very unbalanced. And some of the scenarios just aren't much fun to start with. And even with the latest errata, there are still some lingering ambiguities that can cause problems.<BR/><BR/>*(I firmly believe that the Underground Lake was not mis-printed. The lake is clearly displayed as far below the level of the entry doorways, indicating that the entrances to the room could indeed be on the second floor while the lake itself is way down there and separate from the other floors of the house.)Shellheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02023484901650550355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-15501396540506050652007-06-14T10:03:00.000-07:002007-06-14T10:03:00.000-07:00I could easily envision a mass market DVD version ...I could easily envision a mass market DVD version of BETRAYAL. When I was kid, my friend had a horror themed game that came with a cassette that was supposed to be played at certain points in the game. When we play BETRAYAL, and the haunt starts, someone always comments, "Time to play the cassette."<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I find BETRAYAL amusing. We laugh a lot. When the haunt is lame, we just laugh harder.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01990801735325411116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-6239605871054656182007-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:002007-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00You know, I'm not crazy about BETRAYAL as it stand...You know, I'm not crazy about BETRAYAL as it stands...I rated it an 8 back when I was writing for GI but that was after six or seven plays...I still think it's OK, and at least fun and memorable, but it just doesn't work completely for me and I feel like there's a lot of missed potential in its execution. I hate the first half of the game, I think some of the stories are really lame (while others are really cool) and there's so many variables that can completely screw up the game so that your hour or two was pretty much wasted. <BR/><BR/>At my store, I think I had more success introducing folks to gaming with BETRAYAL than even SETTLERS. It got played ALL THE TIME. And bought by almost everyone who played it. Playing it so much really pointed out the things I _didn't_ like about it and it made a lot of its shortcomings more egregious.<BR/><BR/>I think if the game had been released as a mass-market title (with less stat-juggling) and specifically marketed to a mass-market audience it might have been pretty successful beyond the hobby business. It's immediate, easy, and accessible and it's also got a theme and atmosphere that people can really get into. Plus it has a sense of novelty- it's "that game" people remember, enjoy, and want to own for themselves to share with other friends.Michael Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01465993224831900150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-65789836092316180722007-06-14T07:17:00.000-07:002007-06-14T07:17:00.000-07:00I'll take some somewhat irregular mechanic moments...I'll take some somewhat irregular mechanic moments that provide lasting gaming memories anytime, so long as they cannot be exploited as gamey in the future.<BR/><BR/>Betrayal has been on my radar since returning to the hobby for some time now. I have all of the necessary figs that I have collected over the years to substitute for most of the monsters, as I think the counters are lacking for the immersion (understandable considering the scope of foe's and production). <BR/><BR/>This is the sort of game that deserves a makeover just from what I've read about it. A mass produced game that has found it’s place in the niche market.<BR/><BR/>Ken you are a sleuth.Pat Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18200005894774999916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-86677795060704703552007-06-14T04:35:00.000-07:002007-06-14T04:35:00.000-07:00And if that moment happened, the players would nev...<I>And if that moment happened, the players would never, ever forget that gaming moment. Ever.</I><BR/><BR/>Not a question, but I just wanted to comment that the sentiment behind this design decision virtually defines what Ameritrash is. This sort of thinking is exactly what Euro games are lacking in the drive to attach meaning and importance to every single element of the game. I'm pleased to see that someone's still doing it!Matt Throwerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04426055092986158446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-66127165693297054002007-06-13T22:10:00.000-07:002007-06-13T22:10:00.000-07:00Great interview! I can't wait to see more of thes...Great interview! I can't wait to see more of these!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-35573671911003926242007-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:002007-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:00Betrayal was, to me, a great idea for a game that ...Betrayal was, to me, a great idea for a game that just didn't work in it's execution. <BR/><BR/>All this talk about it makes me think I should maybe give it another go.Mr Skeletorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17641339798508135450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-74281577709359246012007-06-13T11:08:00.000-07:002007-06-13T11:08:00.000-07:00Also, my last post in no ways was meant to slight ...Also, my last post in no ways was meant to slight professionals who work for big game companies like FFG or big Euro gamers. But we're talking about a different level of big here with Hasbro, I think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-50466331965766717362007-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:002007-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00Shellhead--Even though he obviously can't talk abo...Shellhead--Even though he obviously can't talk about them, I would be interested in hearing the constaints as well, I agree. I was glad to see that the FT interviewer probing lightly into this question. Going through a lot of the online hobby boardgaming scene it's all about hobbyists doing whatever they want with no market research or anything--a success is getting enough other elite internet posters who love the game and selling a few thousand copies.<BR/><BR/>It'd be very interesting to get insight into the pressures of an actual big company that does market research, expects to sell a lot of copies and has to professionally market games--a far different designing situation that probably has negatives but also has positives in terms of budget and resources.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-78171378558874512202007-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:002007-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00My favorite quote from the entire interview with R...My favorite quote from the entire interview with Rob: "asymmetry increases narrative." Straight to the point, but very insightful. Certain aspects of this interview confirmed my suspicions, especially the near impossibility of completely playtesting Betrayal at House on the Hill while maintaining reasonable development costs. I love those mirror cards, and the very first time we played, the same player drew both of them. Despite the flaws, our group loves to play House on the Hill.<BR/><BR/>It would be interesting to hear about the challenges of doing creative work for a big corporation, but I can understand that Rob still works there and may not be able to speak freely about that aspect of the process.Shellheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02023484901650550355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-73606022342899696952007-06-13T08:01:00.000-07:002007-06-13T08:01:00.000-07:00Damn job getting in the way of posting... I meant ...Damn job getting in the way of posting... I meant to say wooden bits, the board of course is made of cardboard.Pat Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18200005894774999916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-28102503695997647912007-06-13T07:51:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:51:00.000-07:00Great idea Juniper. How about this also...Meeples...Great idea Juniper. How about this also...<BR/><BR/>Meeplescape - The collectible wooden battle royale. <BR/><BR/>Wooden board, multicolored and multishaped meeples each with their own stat card. The board of course is made of cardboard stackable hexes.<BR/><BR/>New weapon upgrades would be centered around saws, hammers, nails and of course the super creature which would be a giant beaver.<BR/><BR/>In keeping with the roots of eurogames - no dice. A clever "Rock, Paper, Scissors" mechanic to resolve combat will be unveiled and take the gaming world by storm. None of the eliminated meeples are actually eliminated but ground into pulp and turned into one page rulesheets for use in expansions.Pat Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18200005894774999916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-10733654326714804342007-06-13T07:44:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:44:00.000-07:00I firmly believe that the appeal and and market fo...<I>I firmly believe that the appeal and and market for Eurogames has been grossly overstated by overzealous hobbyists.</I><BR/><BR/>I have no idea what I'm talking about, but that won't stop me: Hasbro has a huge stable of widely-recognized brands and trademarks. These are legally enforced, while game mechanisms cannot be protected unless they're patented, somehow.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me (and I stress here that <B>I don't know what I'm talking about</B>) that if Hasbro wanted to start doing Euros, and wanted to sell them to <I>normal</I> (i.e. non-hobbyist) consumers, they would tie those games into existing brands -- a Monopoly-themed Carcassonne, say, where you're building Atlantic City and the meeples are metal wheelbarrows, tophats, racecars, irons, and scottish terriers.<BR/><BR/>I suspect that one of the many hurdles to the introduction of any game (and have I mentioned that I know nothing, and that I'm typing this with my ass?) is the knowledge that most folks don't like to read rulebooks. Hasbro's classic titles, like Monopoly and Scrabble, are ideal because everyone already knows how to play them, or knows someone that can teach the game to them.<BR/><BR/>So here's where I actually ask my questions. Sorry for the long and self-indulgent (and probably factually incorrect) build-up:<BR/><BR/>1. You seem to have been working on several DVD titles lately. Does Hasbro have a specific preference for introducing new games in this format? If so, why? Is it because they're cheap to manufacture? Or because they occupy relatively little retail shelf space? Or because the DVDs often explain gameplay, so that no rulebook is required? Or is there some other reason?<BR/><BR/>2. When will we see Monopoly Carcassonne, or some other Hasbro-branded-but-licensed-from-Germany title at WalMart? Settlers of Candyland?Juniperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05905667009014233372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-9777073068792250212007-06-13T07:43:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:43:00.000-07:00Another famous game designer (works for that Barbi...Another famous game designer (works for that Barbie company in LA) keeps telling me that his favorite thing about Betrayal is the mirror card, and that only Daviau would do something like that. <BR/><BR/>Nice to see it confirmed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-44433319743733013792007-06-13T07:02:00.000-07:002007-06-13T07:02:00.000-07:00Can I punch Mr. Skeletor in the money sack anyway?...Can I punch Mr. Skeletor in the money sack anyway?<BR/><BR/>GREAT interview- thanks so much, Rob, for stopping by and thanks for the great games. I think you've definitely earned a place in the Ameritrash Hall of Fame and that puts you in some pretty awesome company. I'm completely on the same page with you in terms of narrative and storytelling in games.<BR/><BR/>One thing I'm particularly interested in, if you can talk about it Rob, is how the European-style "family game" is percieved behind the scenes at a company like Hasbro. Eurogamers always want to give the impression that "Hasborg" (hardee har har) is completely oblivious to this supposed Shangri-La of Eurogames and continues to crank out Monopoly variants. Yet you're clearly an aware and savvy gamer and I'm sure many of your peers are as well. Is there an intitiative, or at least an understanding, of European style games in the upper echelons of Hasbro? Further, I firmly believe that the appeal and and market for Eurogames has been grossly overstated by overzealous hobbyists. Do you feel that the American board game marketplace, such as it is, responds better to games like HEROSCAPE or even the Fantasy Flight titles?<BR/><BR/>BTW- it does my heart good to hear industry folks using the term "Ameritrash".Michael Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01465993224831900150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811769968708731746.post-68031505586521971092007-06-13T06:47:00.000-07:002007-06-13T06:47:00.000-07:00I accidentally culled the question about Heroscape...I accidentally culled the question about Heroscape--essentially Rob said he was no longer heavily involved with its development and pushed the question off for a future interview with Craig Van Ness. So (hopefully) look for more details on Heroscape when I do the interview with Craig.Ken B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793460967739987noreply@blogger.com